rockumockumentary gold

Rating: 8/10 (10 April 2007)

This Is Spinal Tap has so many components that draw from distinctly different talents, it's a wonder that it bonds so brilliantly. Remember this is from 1984. The documentary style was hardly a vehicle for entertainment, and people were not used to watching hours of E! True Hollywood Stories, or Making the Band. It must have been a huge risk to assume people would go along with the premise in the first place, then get the satire and irony that make it so funny. Humor changes a lot over the years, but this is a movie that it not going away anytime soon. Lastly, the musical numbers are actually very catchy and clever. This might have been the make or break aspect of the film, because it would be much harder to stay interested in the movie if the band played awful or really boring music. But by the time the credits roll, you're likely to feel like a fan.