The Greatest Comedy of ALL TIME!

Rating: 9/10 (9 June 2000)

This movie separates those with a sharp sense of humor from the merely sentient. No one thinks this movie is "average" or "okay." You either "get it" or you don't; those who don't look at those who do with a puzzled look in their eyes, as though they know they're missing something but aren't sure what. Sometimes they are even bitter. I've noticed that many of the comments here say that music people are the ones who always love this movie, and maybe they do get a bit of a head start on the situational comedy; but in the long run, it's those who appreciate sarcasm and satire, along with a good "turn of the phrase" that really appreciate this film. Is this slapstick humor laced with subtlety or subtle comedy laced with slapstick? The beauty is, it's really hard to tell. "This Is Spinal Tap" is one of those few films whose phraseology has made its way into the English language. "But these go to eleven" and "There's a fine line between clever and stupid" may not yet be as famous as "Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a damn" or "Life is like a box of chocolates," but they are gaining fast. Watch as one Taphead utters a "Tapism" in the presence of another: "The answer is none--none more black." Boom!--immediate kinship, for both instantly know that they are part of the limited fraternity that revels in enjoyment of this movie. The opposite of this is when an unhappy new viewer, being forced to watch the film by his or her Taphead friend, turns to him three-quarters through the movie and says, "I can't believe this is a real band." All in all, "This Is Spinal Tap" comes highly recommended--an easy 10 out of 10--and is easily Reiner's best effort, even including "Stand By Me."
Long live Tap!