This article is about the film. For the soundtrack album, see This Is Spinal Tap (soundtrack).
This Is Spinal Tap
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Rob Reiner
Written by
Christopher Guest
Michael McKean
Harry Shearer
Rob Reiner
Produced by
Karen Murphy
Starring
Christopher Guest
Michael McKean
Harry Shearer
Rob Reiner
June Chadwick
Tony Hendra
Bruno Kirby
Cinematography
Peter Smokler
Edited by
Robert Leighton
Kent Beyda
Kim Secrist
Music by
Christopher Guest
Michael McKean
Harry Shearer
Rob Reiner
Distributed by
Embassy Pictures
Release date
March 2, 1984 (1984-03-02)
Running time
82 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$2 million[1]
Box office
$4.7 million (North America)[2]
This Is Spinal Tap (also known as This Is Spın̈al Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi[a]) is a 1984 American mockumentary film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as members of the heavy metal band Spinal Tap, who are characterized as "one of England's loudest bands".[3][4] Reiner plays Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker who follows them on their American tour. The film satirizes the behavior and musical pretensions of rock bands and the perceived hagiographic tendencies of rock documentaries such as The Song Remains the Same (1976) and The Last Waltz (1978), and follows the similar All You Need Is Cash (1978) by the Rutles.[5] Most of its dialogue was improvised and dozens of hours were filmed.
This Is Spinal Tap was released to critical acclaim, but its initial release found only modest commercial success. Its later VHS release brought it greater success and a cult following. In 2002, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress, and was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry. It has been credited with "effectively" launching the mockumentary genre.[4]
^Nixon, Rob. "The Big Idea Behind THIS IS SPINAL TAP". TCM.com. Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
^"This Is Spinal Tap (1984)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
^Hill, Stephen (April 29, 2014). "11 Reasons We Love Spın̈al Tap". Louder. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
^ abArnold, Jeremy (2016). 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter (1st ed.). Running Press. ISBN 978-0762459469. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
^Yarbroff, Jenny (April 10, 2009). "Spinal Tap and its Influence". Newsweek. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
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