This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Directed by Rob Reiner
Christopher Guest
Michael McKean
Harry Shearer
This is a
very funny movie. It is the funniest movie ever made about 1970's era arena-style rock bands and the music industry that surrounded it. Yeah, I know, there weren't any other parody movies made about 1970's era arena-style rock bands but, if there were a hundred of them this would be number one.
I could pick any of the scenes in the film but one of my favorites is the performance (and aftermath) of Stonehenge:
Spinal Tap Tiny StonehengeI really can't stand Rob Reiner but this film goes along way toward excusing about five or ten minutes of his otherwise ridiculous life. Same for Harry Shearer.
The fact is that this wouldn't be a very funny movie if it wasn't about 99% based on truth. But it is and because of that it's hysterically funny. Beginning to end.
The band, Spinal Tap, is all of the worst (and stupidest) elements of every hard rock band that's ever been, rolled into one big parody.
The songs (all actually performed by the actors) are first rate and absolutely ridiculous: Big Bottoms, Bitch School, Hell Hole, Gimme Some Money, and one of my personal favorites, Break Like The Wind*...
Spinal Tap - "Break Like the Wind" with LyricsDialogue:
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.
If you were there in the seventies and liked hard rock even a little bit (c'mon, who doesn't like Stairway To Heaven?) then you MUST see this movie.
*Break Like The Wind wasn't in the movie. The movie was so successful and the actors were so good at the music that they have since recorded a few CD's and have actually had several real concert tours. Break Like The Wind is the title tune from one of the CD's. Listen to the lyrics...they are patently ridiculous.