This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) (1984)

Director: Rob Reiner  Starring: Harry Shearer  Michael McKean  Christopher Guest  
List Price:  See Details$14.98
Price: $6.79
Shipping: $2.99

                Total Price: $9.78

Ships from and sold by Supermart
What's this?
Format: DVD
Also Available: Blu-ray Disc C $22.79 
Permalink
Marketplace Buying Choices
Buy.com
Price: $8.67
+ $1.90 shipping
In Stock
DeepDiscount
Price: $9.79
+ FREE shipping
In Stock
See all 8 New & Used from $5.10 + $2.99 shipping
What's this?
Product Summary
Publisher: MGM
Format: DVD
UPC: 00027616852809
Buy.com Sku: 40140863
Item#: VNKDK9
Buy.com Sales Rank: 4870
Category Keywords: Classic  Essential Cinema  Recommended  Rock And Roll  Satire  Spoof  Theatrical Release 
Rating: 
 
Does for rock and roll what "The Sound Of Music" did for hills.
 
 
Features: DVD
 
You're about to get personal with one of music history's greatest--and loudest--heavy metal bands...Spinal Tap! Whether or not you're a die-hard fan of the group, you'll love this detailed "rockumentary" of England's legendary Spinal Tap. Acclaimed commercial director, Marty DiBergi, takes you behind-the-scenes for an intimate look at a band whose time has come...and gone...and come again...and... Through interviews, rare footage and lots of music--including classic Tap tunes like "Big Bottom" and "Hell Hole"--you'll get acquainted with David St. Hubbins (lead guitar), Nigel Tufnel (lead guitar), Derek Smalls (lead bass) and every drummer who ever lived--and died--for this renowned rock band. Be a part of the sights, sounds and smells of this celebrated heavy metal phenomenon. It's an experience you'll never forget.
 
"The funniest movie ever made about rock and roll!"  Newsweek
 


Editor's Note

A brilliant and hilarious documentary-style satire of a has-been British heavy metal band who never really was on an absurd American comeback tour that never quite gets off the ground, THIS IS SPINAL TAP practically birthed the mockumentary style. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer are David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls, respectively--three clueless, self-absorbed men who form the nucleus of Spinal Tap, aging purveyors of overwrought songs with titles such as "Big Bottom," "Smell the Glove," and "Sex Farm." Shot in faux cinema verité-style with director Rob Reiner as fictional filmmaker Marty DiBergi, the film lampoons just about every rock & roll cliché (not to mention every rockumentary cliché) in the book as it follows these fallen rock idols from one disastrous gig to the next. Scenes of the tour's descent from desperation into total collapse are interspersed with interviews in which the band members delightfully prattle on inanely about the none-too-illustrious history and dubious vision of Spinal Tap. THIS IS SPINAL TAP is a striking and acutely hysterical directorial debut for Reiner and a deserved cult classic. Watch for an endless array of cameos by wonderful comic character actors along the way.


Plot Summary

THIS IS SPINAL TAP is director Rob Reiner's hilariously deadpan mockumentary about a fictional heavy metal band hitting the skids during their U.S. tour. The film has inspired legions of dedicated, obsessive fans who know all of the lines by heart.

 
Features
Enhanced For 16X9 TV
English 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Interactive Menus
TV Spots
Additional Footage
Interviews
Outtakes
Music Videos
Theatrical Trailer
 
Technical Info

Release Information
Studio: MGM
Release Date: 5/22/2007
Running Time: 83 minutes
Original Release Date: 1984
Catalog ID: 1000973
UPC: 00027616852809
Number of Discs: 1

Audio & Video
Original Language: English
Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English
Available Subtitles: French, Spanish
Video: Color

Aspect Ratio
1.85:1

 
Cast & Crew
Christopher Guest
Harry Shearer
Michael McKean
Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner - Director
Peter Smokler - Director of Photography
Christopher Guest, et al. - Musical Score
Karen Murphy - Producer
Christopher Guest, et al. - Writer

 
Memorable Quotes
"There's such a fine line between stupid and..."----David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) |"...And clever."----Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer)

"The numbers all go to eleven. Look...right across the board."----Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), explaining the volume controls on his amplifiers|"Ahh...oh, I see..."----Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner)|"Eleven...eleven...eleven..."----Nigel|"And most of these amps go up to ten."----Marty|"Exactly."----Nigel|"Does that mean it's...louder? Is it any louder?"----Marty|"Well, it's one louder, isn't it?"----Nigel|"Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?"----Marty|"[Pause]... These go to eleven."----Nigel

"'How much more black could this be?' And the answer is: 'None...none more black.'"----Nigel

"'On what day did God create Spinal Tap, and couldn't he have rested on that day also?'"----Marty, reading a review of Spinal Tap's latest album

"'They are treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry."'----Marty, reading more from the review|"That's...that's nit--picking, isn't it?"----Nigel

"The official cause of death is he died of choking on vomit. It wasn't his own vomit. He choked on somebody else's vomit."----Nigel | |"I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really, it's like a Mach piece, really."----Nigel|"What do you call this?"----Marty|"Well, this piece is called 'Lick My Love Pump.'"----Nigel

"I think that the problem may have been that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf."----David


 
Professional Reviews
USA Today
"...[The movie is] required viewing in every musician's tour bus..." 06/02/2000 p.1E

New York Times
"...A witty, mischievous satire, and it's obviously a labor of love....Delightful..." 03/02/1984 p.C6

New York Times
Included in The New York Times "10 BEST FILMS OF 1984" 12/30/1984 p.II:15

Los Angeles Times
"...Funny, devastatingly clever and original....As funny a film about the intersection of music and popular culture as has ever been made..." 09/08/2000 p.C4

Chicago Sun-Times
"...One of the funniest movies ever made....Reiner fills the frame with background information and subtle touches..." 01/21/2001 p.3

Chicago Sun-Times
"...The movie is brilliant at telling its story....There are a lot of great visual jokes..." 09/15/2000 p.24

Entertainment Weekly
"...Stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer play fools as only wise men can..." 05/23/2003 p.28

Rolling Stone
"...The greatest rock movie ever....It's not just a comedy -- it's a love story. And it goes to eleven..." 11/27/2003 p.71

Premiere
"Anytime a movie takes the piss out of a phenomenon, you've got England's loudest band to thank, dead drummers and all." 12/01/2003 p.13

Total Film
5 stars out of 5 -- "TAP's legend still runs....Endlessly quotable gags fly fast and a whiff of plausibility pervades..." 10/01/2009

  
Product Image
You Might Also Like...
Add This Item: This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition)
This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) DVD : Harry Shearer : Michael McKean : Christopher Guest : Rob Reiner $14.99
Add to cart
This product is eligible for Free Shipping. Click for details.
Who-Kids Are Alright  DVD 2-Disc Special Edition
This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) DVD : Harry Shearer : Michael McKean : Christopher Guest : Rob Reiner $13.98
Add to cart
This product is eligible for Free Shipping. Click for details.
This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) DVD : Harry Shearer : Michael McKean : Christopher Guest : Rob Reiner $8.48
Add to cart
This product is eligible for Free Shipping. Click for details.
Waynes World  DVD Widescreen
This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) DVD : Harry Shearer : Michael McKean : Christopher Guest : Rob Reiner $21.09
Add to cart
This product is eligible for Free Shipping. Click for details.
Essentials
Add This Item: This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition)
This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) DVD : Harry Shearer : Michael McKean : Christopher Guest : Rob Reiner $12.28
Add to cart
This product is eligible for Free Shipping. Click for details.
Best in Show  DVD 
This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) DVD : Harry Shearer : Michael McKean : Christopher Guest : Rob Reiner $12.99
Add to cart
This product is eligible for Free Shipping. Click for details.
This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) DVD : Harry Shearer : Michael McKean : Christopher Guest : Rob Reiner $10.96
Add to cart
This product is eligible for Free Shipping. Click for details.


Customer Reviews
Cinematography 4.5
Plot 5
Acting 5
Overall Satisfaction 5
Write a Review


 
5 of 5 so funny! Monday, January 26, 2009
A Viewer from Mobile, AL  

I love Christopher Guest and this movie is great! LOVE the Stonehenge part!
 
Was this review helpful? Yes  No 

 

 
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
 
5 of 5 We have armadillos in our trousers Thursday, February 14, 2002
Sean from Corvallis, Or  
Classic "rockumentary" of Spinal Tap, "England's loudest band". Hilarious showcase of the mishaps and fallings-out of an aging sensation, this movie has many layers of humor that are revealed through repeat viewings. From the outlandish to the subtle, with memorable quotes and scenes you will talk about with other fans, this is a comedy must-see. The songs are funny not only in their sexist, immature lyrics but also the music of the energetic, if not talented, members of the band. The DVD contains an hilarious audio commentary track, with the members of Tap nowadays discussing their view of the events portrayed.
 
Was this review helpful? Yes  No 

 
Look For Similar Products By Category
Copyright 2009 Muze ®. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved.
Suggestion Box
Every voice counts, so stand up and be heard! Your opinion is important to us. If you have spotted a typo, discovered an incorrect price, or encountered a technical issue on this page, we want to hear about it. Thanks again for your feedback, and happy shopping! Please note: we are unable to reply directly to suggestions.
For additional information, click here to visit our Help Center.
Quick Help My Account What are you looking for? Country