40 years ago, the mockumentary format in cinema was considerably re-explored with This Is Spinal Tap. Marking the directorial debut of actor turned filmmaker Rob Reiner and co-conceived by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, the film was a modest hit on its original 1984 release but was nonetheless met with critical acclaim, and shortly afterwards it would garner stronger status on home video. Known for satirizing the behaviors of rock & roll bands, there is a lot to appreciate about this film both from its historical context and nowadays, and it might be one of the finest mockumentaries out there.
The film is presented from the lens of filmmaker Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, who interviews the British rock band Spinal Tap and follows them throughout their American comeback tour, all while the band struggles their way through the difficult industry that threatens to fade them into obscurity. As this film sets itself up as a seemingly legitimate documentary, the whole presentation of the picture feels authentic to the gritty reality that these types of edgy rock bands have to face one way or another. Considering that the actors all improvised their scenes, their dialogue and mannerisms feel so on point to the facade that we're witnessing a British rock & roll band rise and stumble during their attempt to be seen in the spotlight again. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer come off as appropriately pretentious in their natural performances as David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls respectively that you forget you're watching gifted comics honing their improvisational skills. With all the footage we see on screen, there's a lot to marvel at from the lead stars.
As for the remaining cast, Rob Reiner is a perfect player as Marty Di Bergi, as his calm yet stern demeanor throughout the band's trials make for a solid contrast between the band member's diluted egos and his rational grasp of what he's capturing from them. The only other more notable characters are Tony Hendra, the band manager whose patience gets scattered due to low concert sales and constant controversy from Spinal Tap's new album cover art, and David's girlfriend Jeanine, whose ideas for stage presentation lead to conflict amongst the group. While most of the remaining characters are still fun to watch, they're not given much time to shine beyond their basic scenarios since the primary focus is supposed to be on the band. What is interesting to note is that many of them consist of funny actors back in their prime like Bruno Kirby, Fran Drescher, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Paul Shaffer and many more. Regardless if you can recognize these people or not, it's always a delight to see these naturally talented people be themselves without the aid of an unnecessary script.
In regards to other factors of this film working as a music documentary, one of the funnier funnier qualities that come courtesy of McKean, Guest, Shearer and Reiner are the songs featured throughout the feature. The range of genres that Spinal Tap has covered from 60s skiffle rock to early 80s heavy metal are captured well with hysterical lyrics that are as faithful to the genres they're paying tribute to as much as they are making fun of them. The costume design shown throughout the feature also captures the differences in the band's specific eras, down to their own hairstyles reflecting the decade and influence from the music industry at the time. The factor of the music only coming up when needed helps keep the film's mockumentary take as natural as a real documentary, aided further by the help of the editing tightening the film up in a concise 82 minute runtime. Had the feature been any longer, especially with all the footage they did end up shooting behind the scenes, the gimmick would have run out of steam, so it's a miracle they were able to get a decent cut out of everything.
Considering how some people were legitimately fooled on This Is Spinal Tap being a real documentary, its satirical take on both the filmmaking format and the music industry holds up quite well. It was perhaps a bit too ahead of its time to catch on immediately, but the effort that went into crafting its remarkable presentation should never go unseen. Unless you're not a fan of mockumentaries as a whole, this film is worth checking out for its unabashed take on a common subject matter chronicled in documentaries that work well in the movie's favor. Besides, there's a good chance your rating will go up to 11.
The film is presented from the lens of filmmaker Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, who interviews the British rock band Spinal Tap and follows them throughout their American comeback tour, all while the band struggles their way through the difficult industry that threatens to fade them into obscurity. As this film sets itself up as a seemingly legitimate documentary, the whole presentation of the picture feels authentic to the gritty reality that these types of edgy rock bands have to face one way or another. Considering that the actors all improvised their scenes, their dialogue and mannerisms feel so on point to the facade that we're witnessing a British rock & roll band rise and stumble during their attempt to be seen in the spotlight again. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer come off as appropriately pretentious in their natural performances as David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls respectively that you forget you're watching gifted comics honing their improvisational skills. With all the footage we see on screen, there's a lot to marvel at from the lead stars.
As for the remaining cast, Rob Reiner is a perfect player as Marty Di Bergi, as his calm yet stern demeanor throughout the band's trials make for a solid contrast between the band member's diluted egos and his rational grasp of what he's capturing from them. The only other more notable characters are Tony Hendra, the band manager whose patience gets scattered due to low concert sales and constant controversy from Spinal Tap's new album cover art, and David's girlfriend Jeanine, whose ideas for stage presentation lead to conflict amongst the group. While most of the remaining characters are still fun to watch, they're not given much time to shine beyond their basic scenarios since the primary focus is supposed to be on the band. What is interesting to note is that many of them consist of funny actors back in their prime like Bruno Kirby, Fran Drescher, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Paul Shaffer and many more. Regardless if you can recognize these people or not, it's always a delight to see these naturally talented people be themselves without the aid of an unnecessary script.
In regards to other factors of this film working as a music documentary, one of the funnier funnier qualities that come courtesy of McKean, Guest, Shearer and Reiner are the songs featured throughout the feature. The range of genres that Spinal Tap has covered from 60s skiffle rock to early 80s heavy metal are captured well with hysterical lyrics that are as faithful to the genres they're paying tribute to as much as they are making fun of them. The costume design shown throughout the feature also captures the differences in the band's specific eras, down to their own hairstyles reflecting the decade and influence from the music industry at the time. The factor of the music only coming up when needed helps keep the film's mockumentary take as natural as a real documentary, aided further by the help of the editing tightening the film up in a concise 82 minute runtime. Had the feature been any longer, especially with all the footage they did end up shooting behind the scenes, the gimmick would have run out of steam, so it's a miracle they were able to get a decent cut out of everything.
Considering how some people were legitimately fooled on This Is Spinal Tap being a real documentary, its satirical take on both the filmmaking format and the music industry holds up quite well. It was perhaps a bit too ahead of its time to catch on immediately, but the effort that went into crafting its remarkable presentation should never go unseen. Unless you're not a fan of mockumentaries as a whole, this film is worth checking out for its unabashed take on a common subject matter chronicled in documentaries that work well in the movie's favor. Besides, there's a good chance your rating will go up to 11.