This Is Spinal Tap

The amp might go to 11, but this movie sure doesn’t.

I saw this in the theater and while there were a few funny moments, as a die hard metalhead found it extremely annoying. You could just as easily mock any music genre and I'm tired of people quoting this dumb thing as if it's a real documentary.

I had no idea that this band even existed which is quite strange considering they have a documentary, but after watching I now understand. They have an amazing and unique sound.

The hurdles that they overcame as a band is really impressive. Great documentary.

Spontaneous combustion of drummers and foot guitar solo made me laugh, but the movie as a whole is not something I don’t think I’d watch again. Glad I watched it, but probably not again.

8.8

Rating: 9/10 ⭐️

I expected a standard music doc, but the absolute absurdity totally caught me off guard.

What Worked:
Reiner’s handheld cinéma vérité style sells the illusion perfectly. The raw framing makes the improvised dialogue feel so grounded you forget it’s a parody. Seeing the band blindly follow their massive egos is a hilarious reminder of what happens when we lose our grounding, beautifully mirroring my Methodist beliefs about prioritizing genuine community over worldly excess.

The Cuts:
The middle part really dragged for me when Jeanine takes over management, slowing the momentum. The muddy audio in live scenes made it super hard to catch subtler jokes. Also, the abrupt ending gave me total whiplash, rushing into the Japan tour just to wrap things up.

Verdict:
An iconic satire that invented the mockumentary. Super fun if you love dry humor, but skip if you need a structured comedy.

Favorite Line: “These go to eleven.”