Good laughs for music lover and insiders.

Rating: 7/10 (15 April 2003)

Mockumentry about an ageing British rock band returning to play a series of gigs in the USA.
One of these movies that never set the world on fire upon its release - how many people saw it in a cinema? - but through video and TV has become a cult and maybe even a classic.
It represents a lot of little gags about tastelessness, musicians on-the-road and people in forced marriages, but most of all it takes the rip out of heavy metal and all those "has anyone seen my socks" on-the-road documentaries; although it is alleged (by director Rob Reiner) that some people don't realise that this is a joke!
There is no need to do any market research about humour. Either you laugh or you don't. The amps that go up to "11" is my favourite. You have to watch it twice to catch some of the dialogue (worth checking out on this site) and see how the running gags sit together.
(The fate of the various drummers is a gem.)
The music itself is actually not that much better or worse than real B league rock and the only real spark of musical inspiration is the "flashback" to Spinal Tap in the sixties. The central theme is "tastelessness" in words and music; although this is hardly new or original.
Yes, this film is funny and memorable - with one or two gems - but the thing that you are left with is a lot of mini sketches, stretched around a framework of familiarity. The theme of musicians being narcissistic, egotistic, tasteless and dim has all been done before, just not as well or with the correct budget.
The final thought is how music and comedy are alike. Both can be enjoyable and make the world a better place, but you rarely learn anything or gain anything. They are both about enjoying a few moments of inspiration and talent, before moving on to things that really matter....