This Is Spinal Tap (25th Anniversary Edition) DVD, 1984

Ageing Brit-rockers Spinal Tap embark on a tour of the US, hampered by the usual tour hassles - banned albums, technical problems, a diminutive Stonehenge, spontaneously combusting drummers...

An immensely well written, acted and directed satire on the rock and roll world, Rob Reiner's 'rockumentary' captures the sights, sounds and smells of an English rock band on tour in America, and proves the point 'that it's a fine line between stupid and clever'. Eleven out of ten.

The greatest rock movie ever made, and it's not even about a 'real' band. Actually, that's not strictly true; essentially, this film is in some way about every band th... more >

The greatest rock movie ever made, and it's not even about a 'real' band. Actually, that's not strictly true; essentially, this film is in some way about every band that has ever existed. Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream - a band renowned for living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle - once said he hated the film, not because it wasn't any good but because it was "too real, too accurate".

I won't blather on too much as there are people out there (typically musicians, which is kind of ironic)who will have seen Spinal Tap so many times that they know it back to front...I've seen it maybe six or seven times, yet don't really feel I can do it justice. Suffice to say, if you're a fan of music, or have but the merest understanding of the 'scene' and its culture, or even if you just like immaculately observed, brilliantly acted, damn-funny comedy, but have never seen Tap...like, get with it, man.

My favourite scene, you ask? The lack of harmony at Elvis' graveside. Priceless stuff.
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