THIS IS SPINAL TAP

Rob Reiner's THIS IS SPINAL TAP has been called, quite accurately, “one of the funniest ever films about the music business”. How appropriate, then, and how bold , that we attempt to reperesent the entire history of rock and roll on film with this one outrageously satrical “rockumentary” about the fictitious, as-been English rock group Spinal Tap. Spoofing the great 1970s rock and roll documentaries, Reiner himself plays Marty, an incredibly pretentious filmmaker directing a film about the band's latest American tour. When the group isn't arguing among themselves or abusing brainless groupies, they attempt to carry on phony “meaningful” conversations with Marty about their music and their lives. The film follows them from venue to venue, observing the trials and tribulations of life on the road and problems with expanding egos, despite their steady drop the bottom of the music charts. Reiner's brilliantly inventive script and smart visuals make repeated viewing of this recent classic as rewarding as the first.