When This Is Spinal Tap was released in theaters in 1984, many audience members were convinced they were seeing a documentary of an actual British rock group, Spinal Tap, fumbling its way through one last tour across America despite the fact they hadn’t had a hit song in nearly two decades. In reality, the film is a mockumentary directed by the great Rob Reiner, and Spinal Tap is a fake band made up of three brilliant American actors. Christopher Guest, who went on to direct and star in other hilarious mockumentaries such as Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind, plays lead-guitarist Nigel Tufnel. Harry Shearer, who went on to voice characters such as Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, and Ned Flanders on The Simpsons, plays bassist Derek Smalls. Michael McKean, who played Lenny on the hit sitcom Laverne and Shirley, and who later was a cast member of Saturday Night Live, plays lead singer David St. Hubbins.
I can see why audiences were tricked. Guest, Shearer, and McKean play their own instruments competently enough that even my musician husband was impressed with their skills. Their song lyrics, ridiculous and raunchy, smartly make fun of hard rock music from that era. It’s remarkable that most of the dialogue was ad-libbed, which makes the film seem that much more real. Instead of watching actors recite their lines, it feels like you’re watching real rock stars trying to make the best of their pathetic situation.
My husband and I laughed out loud throughout the entire video. If you love satire, check it out. Before you push play on your DVD player, make sure the volume is turned up to 11.
If you like This is Spinal Tap, check out this list of other mockumentaries the Johnson County Library has in our collection.