Search - This is Spinal Tap [Special Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Profanity Movie Release: 1984 DVD Release: 09/12/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 23 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Comedy, Mockumentary, Showbiz Comedy See Also: This is Spinal Tap, This Is Spinal Tap [Widescreen] [Blu-ray]

Largely improvised by director Rob Reiner and his cast, This Is Spinal Tap looks and sounds like a "real" documentary, with Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest as David St. Hubbins, Derek Smalls, and Nigel Tufnel, the key members of a going-nowhere British heavy metal band called Spinal Tap. The "group" started as an informal skiffle band, eventually maturing into an R&B act called the Thamesmen (their hit was "Gimme Some Money"). After going through a psychedelic period with "Listen to the Flower People," the band mutated into Spinal Tap, a hard rock outfit responsible for such albums as "Intravenous DeMilo," "The Sun Never Sweats," and "Bent for the Rent." This Is Spinal Tap finds them in the midst of their first American tour in years as they support their new LP Smell the Glove, with filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner), who specializes in TV commercials, on hand to document the occasion. Just about anything that can go wrong does: shows get canceled, stage props go wrong, wireless guitar pickups start broadcasting air-traffic reports, no one shows up for in-store appearances, David's girlfriend tries to take over the band, they wind up billed second to a puppet show at an amusement park, and the group teeters on the verge of breakup. After the film's initial release, McKean, Guest, and Shearer did a short club tour as Spinal Tap; the "band" reunited in 1992 for a new album, Break Like the Wind, followed by a full-fledged tour and TV special, The Return of Spinal Tap. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Rob Reiner - Marty DiBergi
Michael McKean - David St. Hubbins
Christopher Guest - Nigel Tufnel
Harry Shearer - Derek Smalls
Tony Hendra - Ian Faith
R.J. Parnell - Mick Shrimpton

Since its release in 1984, Rob Reiner's "mockumentary" about a failed rock group's comeback tour has become one of the most oft-referenced and oft-imitated comedies in history. Its release on DVD from MGM is a great reminder of why. Loaded with extras, including a hilarious commentary from stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer as their screen incarnations, this is easily one of the best DVDs available. The picture is crystal clear, presented in a beautiful 1.85:1 widescreen transfer. The only drawback is the subtitles. Originally missing from the DVD, MGM hastily added them in, and they have a rushed, public access look that is rather distracting. Thankfully, they only show up occasionally. The sound is in Dolby 5.1, allowing the group's crunching guitar anthems ample space to roam. Extras abound here, and all are worth a look. As previously mentioned, the commentary track by Spinal Tap is a riot, peppered with in-jokes and odd asides, perfectly dovetailing with the film itself. There is also over an hour's worth of deleted scenes. While it's easy to see why most of them were excised, they still provide a laugh here and there and are great fun for the true Spinal Tap enthusiast. Director Rob Reiner shows up as Marty DeBergi, his character from the film, in a documentary about what he has been doing since the film. Also featured are a boatload of commercials and trailers, as well as Spinal Tap's appearance on the Joe Franklin Show, the long-running TV talk show. While missing some of the bonuses of the Criterion edition, this is still a fitting package for a comedy classic. ~ Jeremy Brown, All Movie Guide