The funniest film ever made?

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2001)

This film is just fantastic, that is, if I should call it a film at all. For Rob Reiner's spot-on satire of the rock and roll industry is presented in mock documentary form, so it is really a rockumentary mockumentary.

Film director Marty di Bergi (Reiner) decides to make a film which chronicles the ups and downs of his favourite rock band, Britain's own Spinal Tap, who are about to embark upon a comeback tour to promote their new album "Smell The Glove" (previous albums included "Intravenus de Milo"; "The Gospel According To Spinal Tap" and "Shark Sandwich"). The band consists of five members; Nigel Tufnel, lead guitar (Guest), David St. Hubbins, lead guitar/vocals (McKean), Derek Smalls, bass guitar (Shearer) and the three central characters are backed up by their bizarre keyboard player Viv and there latest drummer Mick Shrimpton. The film documents how previous drummers met their grisly demise, whether it's choking on vomit ("They can't prove whose vomit it was"), through a bizarre gardening accident or simply exploding on stage ("There was just a little green globule on his drum stool").
Behind the scenes, Tap rely on manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra) who has to organise their concerts (with little success) or deal with unpleasant hotel managers.
The band go through a number of different PR stunts to try and promote the album but sales are hindered by the cover. The original, "lurid" cover was deemed sexist ("What's wrong with being sexy?" Nigel remarked) and so a compromise was reached which saw the album cover being completely black, with no design or logo of any sort on it. Nigel tried to look on the bright side of the dismal cover ("It's interesting though, because the question is: How much more black could this be and the answer is...none. None more black..."). Good-hearted PR man Artie Fufkin tries to organise an album signing which is also met with little success. The band is beginning to fall apart, little by little and the arrival of David's girlfriend Jeanine is met with annoyance by Nigel, who proceeds to quit the band. Is this the end of Spinal Tap? You'll have to watch it and see.
In between the vague plot, director di Bergi conducts interviews with the band and at one stage asks them about their reviews - "The review you had on 'Shark Sandwich', which was just a two word review simply said 'Sh*t Sandwich'".
Of course, we couldn't have a film about rock and roll without the music and we are treated to excerpts from a number of Tap's songs, including "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight", "Stonehenge" (which features the smallest stone henge model you're likely to see - "The problem was we had a model that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf!"), "Big Bottom" and "Heavy Duty". There is also the mention of a song we don't actually get to hear, the imaginatively titled "Reach Out When You Die In My Champagne."
The film is littered with a vast array of scenes and situations that you have probably heard of before; the opening stage pods which don't open, the custom made amps which go up to 11, not 10 ("Well, it's one louder, isn't it?") and many more, there are too many to mention, really.
If this enthusiastic review hasn't convinced you to see it, then I don't know what will, it is just hilarious, especially on numerous viewings, there is a lot you'll not pick up on at first. The Special Edition DVD release also includes deleted footage and a commentary from the band which is just as funny as the film itself.
See it for yourself and see what all I'm talking about and if you already have you'll know what I mean when I say this must be one of the funniest films ever made, perhaps even THE funniest.