|
This
is Spinal Tap
|
 |
Release
Date: October 13 2000
Distributor: Optimum
Certificate: 12
Starring: Rob Reiner, Christopher
Guest, Harry Shearer, Ed Begley Jr, Fran Drescher, Dana Carvey, Billy
Crystal, Anjelica Huston
Director: Rob
Reiner
Running Time:
82 mins
|
The
late 70's and early 80's was the Golden Age of heavy metal, seeing the meteoric
rise and subsequent plummet of many bands, caught on the crest of a spandex
coated, flying-v thrusting, ear-splitting wave of popularity and short-lived
mainstream acceptability. Iron Maiden, Saxon, Blizzard Of Oz, Rainbow, Van
Halen, Whitesnake, Rose Tattoo, Motorhead, Girlschool, AC/DC, Tigers Of
Pang Tang, U.F.O … oh those happy days But how many of those bands
refused to retire gracefully and are still being dragged kicking and screaming
to the elephants graveyard of old metal rockers?
'Then from the turmoil of trashed hotel rooms, half drunk bottles of J.D,
dead band members and unfulfilled dreams there arose 'Spinal Tap'.' |
| A band
of un-legendary proportions, arguably proclaimed 'the loudest band in the
world' and on a downward slope to obscurity and mediocrity, who should have
taken the world by storm. Not, you may think because of their musical genius
(for they had none), but for the groundbreaking style and hilarious content
of this 'rockumentary' in which their trials and tribulations are featured
and which was largely overlooked when it was initially released. The British
comedy team, 'The Comic Strip Presents ... ' were inspired by this rockumentary
and successfully did their own version, 'The Bad News Tour', but it pales
into insignificance when scrutinised next to this 'monster of rock'. |
The
band, Spinal Tap, did not really exist, devised as it was by Christopher
Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean, who star as the three lead protagonists,
and also Rob Reiner, who helmed the whole project behind the camera, as
well as taking on the role of documentary maker, Marty DiBergi. Does it
surprise anyone reading this to learn that the movie bombed in the U.S as
the majority of the public asked couldn't understand why anyone would pay
good money to see a has-been band they had never heard of on a 'where are
they now' tour around the U.S?
When you see this movie you'll understand to a certain degree why they were
so ignorant (or should I say 'gullible'?), because this has to go down as
the best 'real' and convincing documentary style movie about 'fictional'
characters that you have seen or are ever likely to see. Never has one movie
picked up all the pontificating, idiocy, egotism, bitchiness and sheer unadulterated
pomposity of that era and rock genre, when grown men just wouldn't grow
up and admit that it was all over. |
Hilarious,
embarrassing, always funny, occasionally side-splitting, but always oh so
believable, this is the ultimate in piss-taking. Revel in the genius and
insight for it's likeness will never be seen again. The dialogue is ever-sharp
and droll, the actors are so convincing that you forget that they are in
fact acting, the visual gags and observations come so thick and fast that
you'll never take them all in on the first viewing. Full of memorable one-liners
and personal anecdotes, this is the quintessential 'lad's trying to out-quote
each other down the pub' memory-game movie.
And why haven't I picked out any of the dozens of scenes or lines to put
fuel to this glowing fire of praise and adulation? Because they're all so
good that I would be doing the movie an injustice to attempt to choose one
stand out moment. Just to say, that when it comes to humour, I can't think
of a single film that is so consistently funny and that keeps the level
of humour at such a high elevation. You can keep your 'American Pie', 'Scary
Movie', 'Road Trip' et al. where you ultimately really don't care what happens
to the characters involved, but these up-their-own-bottom rockers leave
you by degrees, gob-smacked, angry, appalled, empathic, and quite often,
so wound up that you just want to give them a good slap
'Rock'n'roll Rock'n'roll' Fan-rockin'-tastic
BY DARRELL FINN |
