Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious spoof of declining rock band!
Review: This movie is easily one of the top ten comedies of the past century. It also happens to be the directorial debut of Rob Reiner (well known to all previously as "All in the Family"'s Michael "Meat-Head" Stivic). Combining the talents of Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest (all by this time Saturday Night Live alums), the movie becomes a rock "mockumentary"! Reiner also stars as rock journalist Chuck DiBergi, who follows the fictitious English band, Spinal Tap, through a series of mishaps and misadventures. The movie's stabs at rock musicians' behavior hit the mark consistently; all the posing, pomposity and self-importance displayed by any flock of hare-brained and hirsute rock stars are wonderfully lampooned by the trio of aging, obsolescent musicians known as Spinal Tap. The songs are all laughably insipid and full of misplaced testosterone. You'll be able to see the parallels with real rock acts: The girlfriend of David St. Hubbins (McKean) assumes a managerial position by proxy after a series of concert mishaps, mirroring the supposed meddling of Yoko Ono with the Beatles; the elaborate stage sets of Iron Maiden, which never seem to work the way they did for Maiden; the inexplicable deaths of drummers, like those that ended the careers of The Who and Led Zeppelin; and lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel's (Guest's) poke at Zep's Jimmy Page's solos by rubbing a puny fiddle against his electric axe. You'll roar with laughter at bassist Derek Smalls' (Harry Shearer's) inability to get out of a "star chamber" on stage, trying to play his instrument in a cramped position while stage hands frantically try to pry him out of his shell. Lines like "This one goes to eleven" and "Hello, Cleveland!" are still classics. With Tap's rapid decline ending in the ultimate nadir, having a puppet show gain first priority on a festival marquee, we're left with only one question: Will the band bow out gracefully, or continue to wallow in self-destruction? Enjoy this special edition of a comedy great. Also, be sure to look for such screen-comedy luminaries as Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby, Howard Hesseman, and Dana Carvey as a mime!
Rating:
Summary: Is it real, or is it TAP?
Review: SPINAL TAPMy good friend and fellow movie geek Brian picked up a copy of the much sought after Criterion Collection version of this film, the immortal Spinal Tap, a few days before the blasted thing was ripped from the retailers shelves due to legal mumbo-jumbo. I could have killed him, I coveted that DVD for so long, so many sleepless nights, wanting it to be mine, all mine! And now, much to his chagrin, I can own the EXACT SAME THING, if not a better version for a fraction of what that rare copy cost. Sure, the now out-of-print Criterion version might be worth a ton of dough in the future, but, hey, I want the movie for the MOVIE. And this very special edition delivers the goods. The hours of extras, the photo gallery, the videos, and THE COMMENTARY that has Guest and crew in their Tap roles commenting on the terrible depiction of the band as idiots without a clue, when they are so much more than that. It is hilarious and an excellent companion to a film that needs nothing to help it earn its place as a comedy classic. Yes, Spinal Tap, the first true "mockumentary" is a wonderful piece of filmmaking. It is funny and it ROCKS. If you have never seen this film, pick it up right away. This version is worth it, and the price is extra nice.
Rating:
Summary: You want extras?
Review: If you have seen Spinal Tap before, you must have this edition. If you have not seen it before, you must have this edition. This is by far one of the best uses of the DVD format to date. Extras galore. The running commentary and deleted footage are as funny as the movie itself.
Rating:
Summary: One of the funniest movies you'll ever see
Review: Let me tell you something about Spinal Tap: this movie is awesome. The more you see it, the funnier it gets. This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. YOU MUST BUY THIS. Rob Reiner is a genius in having made this flick. The script is great, the humor great, somewhat suttle, and the movie definitely will make you want to watch it more. I highly recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: Spinal Tap into DVD
Review: This is what DVD is all about. What other release has cut footage that almost equals the original film release in length? To me it is like 3 movies in one: the original, the over an hour of unseen footage, and the hilarious audio commentry by Tufnel, St.Hubbins and Smalls. I almost fell over laughing..."He's dead". If you like intelligent comedy and/or loved the film, buy this DVD now.
Rating:
Summary: This one goes to 11 stars!
Review: I just got the 'Anniversary' VHS edition to replace my worn-out 'original' (I call my 'new original' :), and I loved the additions they made (although it sounds like the DVD got some more stuff!). This movie is a well-known classic - and it's long standing amongst fans of the movie almost mimics the fan base of the fictional 'Tap' band in the movie! I loved every minute of this video - Rob Reiner's incisive view of the rock and roll world was right on target - and even many 'old rockers' kid about being compared to 'Spinal Tap' (most recently, Yes and Iron Maiden to name a few - the old rockers get a kick out of it too!) I cannot help bringing up classic lines from this vid when the time is right. I think Rob really did some homework and did a great job in doing a video that really could have been pretty bad if approached differently. It is hard to fully catch the quality and fun that is what 'This is Spinal Tap' is - what is great is that I feel it is a movie that anyone could enjoy it - not just a music nut (like me). Turn this up to 11 (thanks to the new remastering, and with some DUBLY thrown in for sure :) and enjoy this classic all over again.
Rating:
Summary: This movie goes to 11!!!!
Review: Most "Tap" fans had to (like me) tape this movie on cable to own it. Now you can own this classic on DVD, what a country. This Mockumentary was so perfectly done that many who see it (ok the slow ones) think that Tap is a real band. Funny, and funny over and over.
Rating:
Summary: Tap Scores Hit!
Review: Finally, one of my favorite movies is done justice and released on DVD. The transfer is excellent, especially the clarity of the on-screen location titles. What's impressive is the quantity/quality of the excised footage. If you're like me and have seen this movie enough times that you've memorized the dialogue, watch it on DVD with the commentary track 'on'. It adds another humorous element to an already funny movie. This one is definitely a keeper!
Rating:
Summary: Still brilliant
Review: I loved this movie when it came out, and I love it more now. I'm continually in awe of the combination of musical and comedic talent on display here by all the performers, but Chris Guest in particular. The new material adds a lot to the enjoyment - I particularly like the voice-over on the main menu, done by the band. If you liked it before, this DVD is worth every penny. If you never saw it, do yourself a favor.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie! Just As Great DVD!
Review: When I anxiously poped this dvd into my player for the first time and watched the intro screen I was rolling on the floor laughing. I could tell that when this thing had me going allready, and it was just bringing up the menu I had picked something golden. The movie is absolutely great, and if you allready have a VHS version the DVD's extra features are worth every cent! From music videos, to interviews, to hours of deleted scenes your hunger for more after the movie will be fullfilled. As soon as the movie was finished I watched it over with the commentary on and laughed even harder all the way through.
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