The original rockumentary mockumentary

Rating: 9/10 (25 June 2011)

Anybody lucky enough to be around in the early eighties will remember the band 'Spinal Tap' well they would if they actually existed! 'Spinal Tap' is of course the original rockumentary mockumentary following the fictional band as they tour America in an attempt to sell their new album. Things do not go according to plan though; the album cover design has to be changed because their design is deemed sexist, gigs get cancelled and members of the band fall out. Even when they do perform things don't go according to plan; the scenes were the band perform around a tiny model of Stonehenge and the time a member of the band couldn't get out of a pod on stage were laugh out loud funny.
This film is a classic of its type with some of the most quotable lines; even people who have never seen it will probably heard the 'turning it up to eleven' speech quoted in some way. While the band were not good they weren't so bad that they weren't believable; in fact a viewer who didn't recognise any of the cast could be forgiven for believing it was a real documentary! This is helped by black and white 'archive' footage of their early days and a filming style that looks like it was following real interviews rather than a more dramatic style. Whether you are a fan of the music of that time or just want a good laugh this film is a must see.