This is a great film because of what it ushered in as opposed to its actual content...

Rating: 7/10 (26 February 2011)

I am a huge fan of the improvised mockumentaries and whatever you think of "This is Spinal Tap", you must acknowledge that it laid the groundwork for future projects with many of these same people. In other words, if it hadn't been for "Spinal Tap", you never would have had "Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show" or "A Mighty Wind"....or even mockumentaries done by entirely different casts, such as "And God Spoke".
Oddly, however, I must say that although this was a seminal film, I am not a huge fan of it. I am not saying it's a bad film--it's just that their later projects were stronger (though I must acknowledge that they never gained cult status like "Spinal Tap"). One of the biggest reasons is that I think that they honed their improvisational skills with subsequent projects (aside from "For Your Consideration"--a film that simply stank). Less of the jokes fell flat in these later films--and many in "Spinal Tap" did. It's well worth seeing...but I think that with its huge reputation I was expecting a bit too much. Worth seeing but not among the best of the genre.