The Best Band to Have Never Existed

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2009)

I'm going to avoid making the obligatory "goes to 11" joke in this comment, hehe...
This movie has become a comedy classic. The film is a mockumentary about the worst (greatest?) heavy metal band to have never existed: Spinal Tap. My friend introduced me to the film when he discovered I'd never seen it, immediately demanding I give it a viewing. I'm glad he did, as this is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. The entire film is played as a real documentary as it follows the band on tour in America to promote a new album and we get a glimpse into the small minds of the band.
The movie is directed by Rob Reiner, who also has a part in the movie as documentarian and Spinal Tap fan, Marty DiBergi. The band's key members are the comedy team of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer. These guys were AMAZING; most of the movie was filmed unscripted with improvised lines and these guys were hilarious (for further proof, listen to the character commentary on the special edition DVD). In addition to the humor, the film also has some pretty addicting music. The film's stars all played their own instruments and did their own vocals, and they sound great. I can't tell you how long I had "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" stuck in my head after watching this film.
I can understand how people became confused and believed Spinal Tap to be a real bad; it almost had me believing it until I realized the lead singer was Michael McKean. The film is played completely straight-faced and that only makes it funnier when the band encounters a myriad of problems on the road; the scene backstage when Nigel is discussing his food selections with Ian Faith (the manager, Tony Hendra) is hilarious. Those who haven't yet seen Reiner's film are missing out on this cult classic.
Watching this film again, I really wish the three actors would get together for a little reunion tour....