Andrew J. Lederer

This Is Spinal Tap -- Mock rockumentary about a Heavy Metal band on the verge of spontaneous combustion

Rob Reiner's cult satire about a fictional heavy metal group named Spinal Tap spoofs nearly every facet of rock 'n' roll -- from vacuous modern songwriting and half-baked album promos to pyrotechnic concerts. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer portray the washed-up, aging British rockers whose tresses and egos outstrip their talent, with Reiner appearing as the filmmaker who's chronicling the band's calamitous comeback tour.

Mock rockumentary about a Heavy Metal band on the verge of spontaneous combustion

Mock rockumentary about a Heavy Metal band on the verge of spontaneous combustion

“Such a fine line between stupid and clever.” “None more black.” “This one goes to 11.” Audiences didn’t quite know what to make of This is Spinal Tap when it first hit movie theaters in 1984. Was it a comedy, or a real-life documentary about a British heavy metal band on a disastrous comeback tour? Actually, it was something else entirely and the first of its kind: the “mockumentary.” Rob Reiner's directorial debut is the story of Spinal Tap, an aging group of rockers with one last shot at fame and glory. Called “the funniest movie ever made about rock and roll” (Newsweek) and ranked #1 on Entertainment Weekly’s “Top 50 Cult Films of All-Time,” it’s the comedy phenomenon that will rock your socks off.