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{{Short description|1984 mockumentary comedy film directed by Rob Reiner}}
{{About|the film|the soundtrack album|This Is Spinal Tap (soundtrack){{!}}''This Is Spinal Tap'' (soundtrack)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = This Is Spinal Tap
| image          = Thisisspinaltapposter.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Rob Reiner]]
| producer       = [[Karen Murphy (producer)|Karen Murphy]]
| writer         = {{Plain list|
* [[Christopher Guest]]
* [[Michael McKean]]
* [[Harry Shearer]]
* Rob Reiner
}}
| starring       = {{Plain list|
* Christopher Guest
* Michael McKean
* Harry Shearer
* Rob Reiner
* [[June Chadwick]]
* [[Tony Hendra]]
* [[Bruno Kirby]]
}}
| music          = {{Plain list|
* Christopher Guest
* Michael McKean
* Harry Shearer
* Rob Reiner
}}
| cinematography = Peter Smokler
| editing        = {{Plain list|
* [[Robert Leighton (film editor)|Robert Leighton]]
* [[Kent Beyda]]
* Kim Secrist
}}
| studio         = Spinal Tap Productions
| distributor    = [[Embassy Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1984|3|2}}
| runtime        = 82 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $2 million<ref>{{cite web |last=Nixon |first=Rob |title=The Big Idea Behind THIS IS SPINAL TAP |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/467146 |work=Turner Classic Movies |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=January 12, 2015 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215714/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/467146%7C0/This-Is-Spinal-Tap.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
| gross          = $5.8 million (North America)<ref>{{cite web |title=This Is Spinal Tap (1984) |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=thisisspinaltap.htm |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=July 8, 2025 |archive-date=June 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608175326/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=thisisspinaltap.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

'''''This Is Spinal Tap'''''{{efn|Stylized onscreen as '''''This Is Spın̈al Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi''''', with both a [[dotless I|dotless letter ''i'']] as well as a [[heavy metal umlaut]] over [[n-diaeresis|the letter ''n'']].}} is a 1984 American [[mockumentary]] [[comedy film|comedy]] film directed by [[Rob Reiner]] in his feature directorial debut.

[[Christopher Guest]], [[Michael McKean]], and [[Harry Shearer]] play members of the fictional [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Spinal Tap (band)|Spinal Tap]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/11-reasons-we-love-spinal-tap |title=11 Reasons We Love Spın̈al Tap |work=Louder |first=Stephen |last=Hill |date=April 29, 2014 | access-date=August 19, 2019 | archive-date=October 20, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020093831/https://www.loudersound.com/features/11-reasons-we-love-spinal-tap | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="arnold">{{cite book |last=Arnold |first=Jeremy |title=52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter |date=2016 |publisher=Running Press |isbn=978-0762459469 |edition=1st |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kX84DgAAQBAJ&q=one+of+england%27s+loudest+bands&pg=PT492 |access-date=August 19, 2019 |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503015611/https://books.google.com/books?id=kX84DgAAQBAJ&q=one+of+england%27s+loudest+bands&pg=PT492 |url-status=live}}</ref> Reiner plays Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker following the band's American tour. The film [[satire (film and television)|satirizes]] the behavior and musical pretensions of rock bands and the [[Hagiography|hagiographic]] tendencies of [[Rockumentary|rock documentaries]] such as ''[[The Song Remains the Same (film)|The Song Remains the Same]]'' (1976) and ''[[The Last Waltz]]'' (1978), similarly to what ''[[All You Need Is Cash]]'' (1978) by [[the Rutles]] did for [[the Beatles]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.newsweek.com/spinal-tap-and-its-influence-77437 |title=Spinal Tap and its Influence |last=Yarbroff |first=Jenny |date=April 10, 2009 |website=Newsweek|access-date=June 5, 2017|archive-date=November 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129023452/http://www.newsweek.com/spinal-tap-and-its-influence-77437|url-status=live}}</ref> Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer wrote the screenplay, though most of the dialogue was improvised and dozens of hours were filmed.

''This Is Spinal Tap'' was released to [[List of films considered the best|critical acclaim]], but found only modest commercial success in theaters. Its later [[VHS]] release brought greater success and a [[cult following]]. Credited with "effectively" launching the mockumentary genre,<ref name="arnold" /> it is also notable as the origin of the phrase "[[up to eleven]]". Deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the [[Library of Congress]], it was selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]] in 2002. Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer reprised their roles for the 2025 sequel ''[[Spinal Tap II: The End Continues]]'' and the 2026 concert film ''Spinal Tap at Stonehenge: The Final Finale''.

==Plot==
Filmmaker Martin "Marty" Di Bergi is filming a documentary about English rock band [[Spinal Tap (band)|Spinal Tap]]'s 1982 United States [[concert tour]] to promote their new album, ''Smell the Glove''. The band comprises childhood friends David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel on vocals and guitar along with bassist Derek Smalls, keyboardist Viv Savage, and drummer Mick Shrimpton.

The documentary shows Spinal Tap's early days as the [[skiffle]] group The Originals; they renamed themselves the New Originals when it was discovered another band was already called The Originals, only to change it back when the original Originals changed their name to The Regulars. They later had a hit as the Thamesmen, "Gimme Some Money," before changing their name to Spinal Tap and achieving a significant hit with the [[flower power]] anthem "Listen to the Flower People"; they subsequently began performing [[heavy metal music]]. Several of the band's previous drummers died under strange circumstances: John "Stumpy" Pepys died in a "bizarre gardening accident" that police said was better left unsolved, Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs died choking on someone else's vomit, and Peter "James" Bond [[spontaneous human combustion|exploded on stage]]. Nigel shows Marty his extensive guitar collection (including one that is so valuable it cannot even be looked at or even pointed at, much less played), as well as a custom-made [[amplifier]] that has volume knobs that go [[up to eleven]]; Nigel believes this makes the amplifier "one louder" than most other amplifiers, which have "ten" as the highest volume setting.

[[File:Spinal_Tap_-_Up_to_Eleven.jpg|thumb|left|Nigel's amplifier dials that have "eleven" as the highest volume setting. This scene is the origin of the phrase [[up to eleven]].]]
Tensions rise between the band and their manager, Ian Faith, as several shows are canceled due to low ticket sales, and major retailers refuse to sell ''Smell the Glove'' because of its sexist cover art. David's girlfriend Jeanine, a [[yoga as exercise|yoga]] and [[astrology]] devotee, joins the group on tour and participates in band meetings. Nigel and Ian dislike Jeanine's ideas for Spinal Tap's costumes and stage presentation. Without consulting Spinal Tap, the band's record label releases ''Smell the Glove'' with an entirely black album cover. Despite Ian's assertion that it could have a similar appeal to [[the Beatles]]' ''[[The Beatles (album)|White Album]]'', ''Smell the Glove'' fails to sell.

Nigel suggests staging a lavish, Druid-themed [[glam rock]] show and asks Ian to order a [[Stonehenge]] [[trilithon]]. However, Nigel mislabels its dimensions, and the resulting prop is only {{convert|18|in|cm}} high rather than {{convert|18|ft|m}}, making the group a laughing stock. The group blames Ian, and when David suggests Jeanine should co-manage the group, Ian quits. The tour continues, rescheduled for much smaller venues, and Jeanine and David increasingly marginalize Nigel. At a gig at a [[United States Air Force]] base, Nigel is upset by an equipment malfunction and quits mid-performance. At their next gig, in an amphitheater at an amusement park where the band is billed below a puppet show, the band finds their repertoire is severely limited without Nigel. At Derek's suggestion, the band improvises an experimental "Jazz Odyssey", which is poorly received.

On the last day of the tour, David and Derek consider ending Spinal Tap and exploring other projects, such as a musical about [[Jack the Ripper]] called ''Saucy Jack''. Before they go on stage, Nigel arrives and tells them that Spinal Tap's song "Sex Farm" has become [[Big in Japan (phrase)|a major hit in Japan]] and that Ian wants to arrange a tour there. David bitterly refuses, but later, as Nigel watches the band performing from the wings, David relents and invites Nigel to join the band onstage, delighting the crowd but infuriating Jeanine. During the performance, Mick explodes on stage. Ian is rehired as the group's manager, and Spinal Tap (now with Joe "Mama" Besser as their drummer) performs a series of sold-out shows in Japan.

==Cast==
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Michael McKean]] as David St. Hubbins
* [[Christopher Guest]] as [[Nigel Tufnel]]
* [[Harry Shearer]] as [[Derek Smalls]]
* [[Rob Reiner]] as Martin "Marty" Di Bergi
* [[Tony Hendra]] as Ian Faith
* [[Ric Parnell|R. J. Parnell]] as Mick Shrimpton
* [[David Kaff]] as Viv Savage
* [[June Chadwick]] as Jeanine Pettibone
* [[Bruno Kirby]] as Limo Driver Tommy Pischedda
* [[Ed Begley Jr.]] as John "Stumpy" Pepys
* [[Danny Kortchmar]] as Ronnie Pudding
* [[Fran Drescher]] as Bobbi Flekman
* [[Patrick Macnee]] as Sir Denis Eton-Hogg
* [[Julie Payne (actress, born 1946)|Julie Payne]] as The [[Mime]] Waitress
* [[Dana Carvey]] as The Mime Waiter
* [[Sandy Helberg]] as Angelo DiMentibelio
* [[Zane Buzby]] as ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' Reporter
* [[Billy Crystal]] as Morty the Mime
* [[Paul Benedict]] as Tucker "Smitty" Brown
* [[Howard Hesseman]] as Terry Ladd (Duke Fame's Manager)
* [[Paul Shortino]] as Duke Fame
* Lara Cody as Duke Fame's [[groupie]]
* [[Andrew J. Lederer]] as Student Promoter
* [[Russ Kunkel]] as Doomed Drummer Peter "James" Bond
* [[Victory Tischler-Blue]] as Cindy
* [[Joyce Hyser]] as Belinda
* Gloria Gifford as The Airport Security Officer With The Security Wand
* [[Paul Shaffer]] as The Incompetent Promoter Artie Fufkin (Polymer Records)
* [[Archie Hahn (actor)|Archie Hahn]] as The Room Service Guy
* [[Charles Levin (actor)|Charles Levin]] as Disc 'n' Dat Manager
* [[Anjelica Huston]] as Polly Deutsch
* Donald Kendrick as A Background Vocalist
* [[Fred Willard]] as Air Force Lieutenant Bob Hookstratten
* [[Wonderful Smith]] as The Janitor
* [[Robert Bauer (actor)|Robert Bauer]] as Moke, Spinal Tap's Roadie
* [[Fred Asparagus]] as Joe "Mama" Besser
{{div col end}}

==Production==
===Background===
Michael McKean and Christopher Guest met while in college in New York City in the late 1960s, and they played music together. They worked with Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner on a TV pilot in 1978 for a sketch comedy show called ''The TV Show'', which featured a parody rock band called Spinal Tap. During production of that sketch (while being burned with oil from an on-stage effect) McKean and Guest began to improvise, inventing characters that became David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel.<ref name="ReferenceA">From the Criterion Collection DVD Commentary</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://flavorwire.com/481555/christopher-guest-on-the-real-inspiration-behind-this-is-spinal-tap |title=Christopher Guest on the Real Inspiration Behind 'This Is Spinal Tap' |date=October 9, 2014|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810144511/http://flavorwire.com/481555/christopher-guest-on-the-real-inspiration-behind-this-is-spinal-tap|url-status=live}}</ref>

Guest had previously played guitar under the name "Nigel Tufnel" on Michael McKean and [[David Lander]]'s album ''[[Lenny and the Squigtones]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/467150 |title=This Is Spinal Tap |website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810141806/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/467150%7C0/This-Is-Spinal-Tap.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Development===
The entire film was shot in Los Angeles over a period of about five weeks on handheld 16mm cameras. The visit to [[Elvis Presley]]'s grave was filmed in a park in [[Altadena]], with a mock-up of the grave site. The band sings "[[Heartbreak Hotel]]" because that was the only Elvis song for which producer Karen Murphy could obtain rights.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Rob Reiner procured $60,000 from Marble Arch Productions to write a screenplay with McKean, Guest and Shearer, based on the Spinal Tap characters. They realized after a few days of writing that no script could capture the kind of movie they wanted to make, so they decided instead to shoot a short demo of the proposed film. They shopped the demo around to various studios but had no takers, until television writer-producer [[Norman Lear]] decided to back the project, providing them with a budget of $2 million.<ref name="Turner Classic Movies">{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/467146 |title=This Is Spinal Tap |website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810142047/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/467146%7C0/This-Is-Spinal-Tap.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Olson |first=Christopher J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yUdODwAAQBAJ |title=100 Greatest Cult Films |date=2018-04-12 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-1104-9 |language=en}}</ref>

Virtually all dialogue in the film is improvised. Actors were given outlines indicating where scenes would begin and end and character information necessary to avoid contradictions, but everything else came from the actors. As often as possible, the first take was used in the film, to capture natural reactions.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Reiner wanted to list the entire cast as writers on the film to acknowledge their contributions, but the Writers' Guild objected, and so only he, Guest, McKean, and Shearer received writing credit.<ref name="Turner Classic Movies"/>

Veteran documentary cameraman Peter Smokler worked as cinematographer on the film. Smokler had great instincts for camera placement on set, according to Reiner, and is responsible for the film's handheld [[cinéma vérité]] style<ref name="Turner Classic Movies"/>—although the cinematographer did not understand what was supposed to be funny about the movie.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> With Smokler behind the camera, the film was shot not as a feature film, but as a documentary, without a script or traditional shooting schedule. So much footage was filmed (over 100 hours) that it eventually required three editors to complete the film.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Inspirations for the film included the documentaries ''[[Dont Look Back]]'' (1967), which was made about [[Bob Dylan]], and ''[[The Last Waltz]]'' (1978), which was about [[The Band]].<ref name="Turner Classic Movies"/> The scene where Spinal Tap becomes lost backstage was inspired by a video of [[Tom Petty]] at a venue in Germany, walking through a series of doors trying to find the stage, but ending up on an indoor tennis court.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://people.com/celebrity/this-is-spinal-tap-turns-30/ |title=This Is Spinal Tap Turns 30: The Bands That Inspired the Classic Film|newspaper=Peoplemag |access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810174134/https://people.com/celebrity/this-is-spinal-tap-turns-30/|url-status=live}}</ref> Rob Reiner also went to see the English heavy metal band [[Judas Priest]] in concert as part of his preparation for the film. He later said, "It physically hurt my chest. The reverberation in the hall was so strong that I couldn't stay there any longer."<ref name="mastropolo">{{cite web |url=http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/08/05/judas-priest-interview-redeemer-of-souls-rob-halford-tipton-faulkner-spinal-tap/#sthash.l0w4o4nf.YhqbnrCM.dpbs |title=Four Decades of Hellfire with Judas Priest (Interview) – Rock Cellar Magazine |date=August 5, 2014 |website=Rockcellarmagazine.com |first=Frank |last=Mastropolo|access-date=November 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221154255/http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/08/05/judas-priest-interview-redeemer-of-souls-rob-halford-tipton-faulkner-spinal-tap/#sthash.l0w4o4nf.YhqbnrCM.dpbs|archive-date=February 21, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Harry Shearer in the Criterion edition DVD commentary, keyboard player [[John Sinclair (musician)|John Sinclair]] had just returned from touring with [[Uriah Heep (band)|Uriah Heep]] when principal photography was about to begin, and told them how they had been booked to play an Air Force base. They subsequently used the story in the film.

In post-production, Christopher Guest was very concerned with the verisimilitude of the finger positions on the band's instruments during the concert scenes, and even re-shot some footage after the movie was edited to ensure their hands appeared in sync with the music.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

The character of Jeanine, David's disruptive girlfriend, was added during the production to provide a storyline to the material—in part to mollify studio executives who worried the movie would be plotless. Actress [[Victoria Tennant]] was briefly considered for the role, but [[June Chadwick]] won the part, thanks to her chemistry with the cast and her improvisation skills.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="Turner Classic Movies"/>

[[Robert Bauer (actor)|Robert Bauer]] played the same character, Moke, in another Reiner movie, ''[[The Sure Thing]]'' (1985).

==Reception and legacy==

===Contemporaneous reviews===
At the time of its release, [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film four out of four and wrote "''This Is Spinal Tap'' is one of the funniest, most intelligent, most original films of the year. The satire has a deft, wicked touch. Spinal Tap is not that much worse than, not that much different from, some successful rock bands."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19850301/REVIEWS/503010301/1023 |title=''This Is Spinal Tap'' Movie Reviews |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606053541/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19850301%2FREVIEWS%2F503010301%2F1023 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Ebert later placed the film on his ten best list of 1984 and would later include it in his Great Movies list in 2001 where he called it "one of the funniest movies ever made".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041215/COMMENTARY/41215001/1023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051113143205/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20041215%2FCOMMENTARY%2F41215001%2F1023 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 13, 2005 |title=Ebert's 10 Best Lists: 1967 to Present |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |access-date=June 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-this-is-spinal-tap-1984 |title=''This Is Spinal Tap'' Movie Review |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=September 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921015131/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-this-is-spinal-tap-1984 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' also awarded four out of four, writing, "It is so well done, in fact, that unless you are clued in beforehand, it might take you a while to realize that the rock group under dissection in ''This Is Spinal Tap'' does not really exist."<ref>[[Gene Siskel|Siskel, Gene]] (March 29, 1984). "'Spinal Tap' a smashing rock parody". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 5, p. 12.</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised it as "a witty, mischievous satire, and it's obviously a labor of love."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |date=March 2, 1984 |title=Film: 'This Is Spinal Tap,' a Mock Documentary |journal=[[The New York Times]] |page=C6}}</ref>

Critics praised the film not only for its satire of the rollercoaster lifestyles of rock stars but also for its take on the non-fiction film genre. David Ansen from ''[[Newsweek]]'' called the film "a satire of the documentary form itself, complete with perfectly faded clips from old TV shows of the band in its mod and flower-child incarnations".<ref name="bestinshow">{{cite book |last=Muir |first=John |title=Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company |publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books |year=2004 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bestinshowfilmso00muir/page/31 31] |isbn=9781557836090 |url=https://archive.org/details/bestinshowfilmso00muir | url-access = registration}}</ref>

Even with cameos from [[Anjelica Huston]], [[Billy Crystal]] and [[Patrick Macnee]], ''Spinal Tap'' still managed to trick many of its moviegoers into believing the band existed. Reiner observed that "when ''Spinal Tap'' initially came out, everybody thought it was a real band... the reason it did go over everybody's head was that it was very close to home".<ref name="newsweek">{{cite book |last=Yabroff |first=Jennie |title=The Real Spinal Tap |publisher=[[Newsweek]] |year=2009}}</ref>

Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|title=This Is Spinal Tap|url=http://www.cinemascore.com/find_a_movie.epl?id=This_Is_Spinal_Tap|website=[[CinemaScore]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010416013627/http://www.cinemascore.com/find_a_movie.epl?id=This_Is_Spinal_Tap|archive-date=April 16, 2001}}</ref>

===Retrospective assessment===
''This Is Spinal Tap'' is widely regarded as one of the best films of 1984.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/1984.html |title=The Greatest Films of 1984 |publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC Filmsite.org]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730/http://www.filmsite.org/1984.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1984/15492765 |title=The 10 Best Movies of 1984 |publisher=[[RealNetworks|Film.com]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204103324/http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1984/15492765 |archive-date=December 4, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.films101.com/y1984r.htm |title=The Best Movies of 1984 by Rank |publisher=Films101.com |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=May 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530/http://www.films101.com/y1984r.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The film holds a 98% approval rating on the review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 174 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Smartly directed, brilliantly acted, and packed with endlessly quotable moments, ''This Is Spinal Tap'' is an all-time comedy classic."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/this_is_spinal_tap/ |title=''This Is Spinal Tap'' Movie Reviews, Pictures |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=September 9, 2025 |archive-date=March 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322063219/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/this_is_spinal_tap |url-status=live}}</ref> {{MC film|1=<!-- score -->92|2=<!-- reviews -->30}}<ref>{{cite Metacritic|id=this-is-spinal-tap|type=movie|title=This Is Spinal Tap|access-date=March 13, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2002, ''This Is Spinal Tap'' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the [[Library of Congress]] and was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lifewhile.com/news/1844398/detail.html |title='Spinal Tap,' 'Alien' Make National Film Registry |publisher=Lifewhile |date=December 18, 2002 |access-date=January 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127195035/http://www.lifewhile.com/news/1844398/detail.html |archive-date=January 27, 2013}}</ref>

In 2000, the [[American Film Institute]] placed the film at number 29 in its [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs|100 Years…100 Laughs]] list.<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=August 5, 2016 |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624052741/http://afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2008, ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine ranked ''This Is Spinal Tap'' #48 on its list of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies/ |title=''Empire's'' The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=January 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106073144/http://www.empireonline.com/500/89.asp |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' placed the film on their list of ''The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |title=The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made |date=April 29, 2003 | access-date=May 25, 2010 | archive-date=March 29, 2005 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050329013532/http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html | url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2010, ''[[Total Film]]'' placed ''This Is Spinal Tap'' on its list of ''The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/100-greatest-movies-of-all-time/page:10 |title=Total Film features: 100 Greatest Movies of All Time |magazine=[[Total Film]] |access-date=August 23, 2010 |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105235505/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/100-greatest-movies-of-all-time/page:10 |url-status=live}}</ref> When ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' compiled their list of ''The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time'', the publication included the film as "just too beloved to ignore".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=http://www.filmsite.org/ew100.html |title=Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time |publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC Filmsite.org]] |access-date=August 23, 2010 |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331185517/http://www.filmsite.org/ew100.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out London]]'' named it the best comedy film of all time.<ref>{{cite web |title=100 Best Comedy Movies |work=Time Out Worldwide |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/100-best-comedy-movies |publisher=Time Out London|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-date=January 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131112257/http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/1352/100-best-comedy-films-the-list/20|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2015, the film was ranked the 11th funniest screenplay by the [[Writers Guild of America]] in its list of ''101 Funniest Screenplays''.<ref>{{cite news |title=101 Funniest Screenplays List |url=http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=5949 |work=Writers Guild of America, West |date=November 11, 2015|access-date=April 25, 2019|archive-date=February 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202091302/http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=5949|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Stephen Sondheim]],<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Swapnil Dhruv |last=Bose |title=Stephen Sondheim once named his 40 favourite films of all time |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/stephen-sondheim-40-favourite-films-of-all-time/ |magazine=Far Out Magazine |access-date=July 1, 2022 |date=November 29, 2021}}</ref> [[Rowan Atkinson]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fujitani |first=Ryan |date=25 October 2018 |title=Rowan Atkinson's Five Favorite Films |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/rowan-atkinsons-five-favorite-films/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819074714/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/rowan-atkinsons-five-favorite-films/ |archive-date=19 August 2025 |access-date=19 August 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> [[Dan Stevens]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fujitani |first=Ryan |date=22 November 2017 |title=Dan Stevens' Five Favorite Films |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/dan-stevens-five-favorite-films/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819075208/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/dan-stevens-five-favorite-films/ |archive-date=19 August 2025 |access-date=19 August 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> [[Michael Apted]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fujitani |first=Ryan |date=31 August 2017 |title=Michael Apted's Five Favorite Films |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/michael-apteds-five-favorite-films/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819082823/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/michael-apteds-five-favorite-films/ |archive-date=19 August 2025 |access-date=19 August 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> [[Chris Parnell]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lane |first=Beki |date=3 September 2015 |title=Chris Parnell's Five Favorite Films |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/chris-parnells-five-favorite-films/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819085629/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/chris-parnells-five-favorite-films/ |archive-date=19 August 2025 |access-date=19 August 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> [[John Bradley (English actor)|John Bradley]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fujitani |first=Ryan |date=13 October 2017 |title=John Bradley's Five Favorite Films |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/john-bradleys-five-favorite-films/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819085910/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/john-bradleys-five-favorite-films/ |archive-date=19 August 2025 |access-date=19 August 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> and [[Sacha Gervasi]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goodsell |first=Luke |date=21 November 2012 |title=Five Favorite Films with Hitchcock Director Sacha Gervasi |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/five-favorite-films-with-hitchcock-director-sacha-gervasi/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819090146/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/five-favorite-films-with-hitchcock-director-sacha-gervasi/ |archive-date=19 August 2025 |access-date=19 August 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> listed it among their favorite films of all time.

===Reactions from musicians===
{{Missing information|section|proper citations|date=July 2023}}[[File:Spinal Tap 2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Cover for ''Shark Sandwich'', one of the band's fictional albums]]
The film resonated with many musicians. [[Jimmy Page]], [[Robert Plant]], [[Jerry Cantrell]], [[Dee Snider]] and [[Ozzy Osbourne]] all reported that, like Spinal Tap, they had become lost in confusing arena backstage hallways trying to make their way to the stage.<ref>See the notes for ''Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978'', Rhino Records, 2002.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7287549/qa_robert_plant |title=Q&A: Robert Plant |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=January 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525232559/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7287549/qa_robert_plant/ |archive-date=May 25, 2009}}</ref><ref name=DuNoyer>Paul Du Noyer, "Who the hell does Jimmy Page think he is?", ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine, August 1988, p. 7.</ref> When [[Dokken]]'s [[George Lynch (musician)|George Lynch]] saw the film he is said to have exclaimed, "That's us! How'd they make a movie about us?"<ref name="bangyourhead">{{cite book |last=Konow |first=David |title=Bang Your Head |publisher=Three Rivers Press |year=2002 |pages=216–217 |isbn=0-609-80732-3}}</ref> [[Glenn Danzig]] had a similar reaction when comparing Spinal Tap to his former band [[Misfits (band)|the Misfits]] saying, "When I first saw Spinal Tap, I was like, 'Hey, this is my old band.'"<ref name="americanhardcore">{{cite book |last=Blush |first=Steven | author-link = Steven Blush |editor=George Petros | editor-link = George Petros |title=[[American Hardcore: A Tribal History]] |publisher=[[Feral House]] |year=2001 |page=207 |isbn=0-922915-71-7}}</ref>

[[Lars Ulrich]] told a press conference crowd that the 1992 [[Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour]] seemed "so Spinal Tap." This tour was in support of [[Metallica]]'s own "[[Metallica (album)|black album]]". Shortly after the tour started, Metallica's [[James Hetfield]] suffered third-degree burns on his arms after he stood too close to a pyrotechnic device. Earlier in that tour, backstage at [[The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert]], Metallica met with Spinal Tap and discussed how their "black album" was a homage to Spinal Tap's ''Smell the Glove''. This was captured on the Metallica DVD ''[[A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica]]''.

In a 1992 interview, [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] explained declining an offer to be part of the film [[Singles (1992 film)|''Singles'']]. [[Kurt Cobain]] goes on to say, "There's never really been a good documentary on rock and roll bands." [[Dave Grohl]] then cuts in saying, "Except for ''Spinal Tap'', [that] was the only rock movie worth watching," which Cobain agreed with, as well as mentioning ''[[Dont Look Back]]'', by D.A. Pennebaker.

According to a 1997 interview in ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine with [[Aerosmith]] rhythm guitarist [[Brad Whitford]], "The first time [[Steven Tyler|Steven [Tyler]]] saw it he didn't see any humor in it." When the film was released, Aerosmith's then-latest album, ''[[Rock in a Hard Place]]'', depicted Stonehenge prominently on the cover.

[[U2]] guitarist [[The Edge]] said in the documentary ''[[It Might Get Loud]]'' that when he first saw ''Spinal Tap'', "I didn't laugh: I wept," because it summed up what a brainless swamp big-label rock music had become.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/08/it_might_get_loud_movie_review.html |title='It Might Get Loud' Movie Review: Documentary Puts Three Guitar Gods Center Stage |date=August 14, 2009 |publisher=[[New Jersey On-Line]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=March 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310163607/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/08/it_might_get_loud_movie_review.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2023 interview [[Chris Frantz]] of [[Talking Heads]] said "we watched ''Spinal Tap'' and I thought, ohh, I can never take myself seriously again."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tannenbaum |first1=Rob |title=A once-in-a-lifetime reunion: Talking Heads on 'Stop Making Sense', the Big Suit and their future |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-09-20/talking-heads-stop-making-sense-rerelease |access-date=20 September 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=20 September 2023}}</ref>

=== Use of ''Spinal Tap'' as a descriptive term ===
{{Missing information|section|proper citations|date=July 2023}}
It became a common insult for a pretentious band to be told they were funnier than Spinal Tap. As [[George Lynch (musician)|George Lynch]] put it, the more seriously a band took themselves, the more they resembled Spinal Tap.<ref name="bangyourhead" /> After seeing a 1986 performance by metal band [[Venom (band)|Venom]], singer [[Henry Rollins]] compared them to Spinal Tap.<ref>Rollins, Henry, ''Get In The Van: On The Road With Black Flag'', 2.13.61 Publications, 1994</ref> In their respective ''[[Behind the Music]]'' episodes, [[Quiet Riot]]'s [[Rudy Sarzo]] and [[Ratt]]'s [[Robbin Crosby]] compared their own bands to Spinal Tap to some extent. For example, as a parallel to the "Shit Sandwich" incident<!-- Any context on what "Shit Sandwich" is? Or is it a misspelling of "Shark Sandwich"? -->, Quiet Riot's fourth album ''[[Condition Critical]]'' was given the two-word review of "Prognosis: Terminal" by [[J. D. Considine]] in ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'' magazine. His review of the short-lived band [[GTR (band)|GTR]]'s eponymous [[GTR (album)|debut LP]] in the same magazine was "SHT". [[R.E.M.]]'s [[Mike Mills]] described the band's early tours as "very Spinal Tap", citing, among other things, they had played at a United States Air Force base.

[[Judas Priest]], the heavy metal band that Rob Reiner saw in preparation for the film, has had many drummers in its career (eight in total), which the website ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]'' described as "positively Spinal Tap-worthy".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/judas-priest-lineup-changes/ |title=Judas Priest Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide |work=Ultimate Classic Rock |first=Eduardo |last=Rivadavia |date=December 6, 2014 | access-date=November 1, 2018 | archive-date=October 26, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026090250/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/judas-priest-lineup-changes/ | url-status=live}}</ref> [[Marillion]] guitarist [[Steve Rothery]] later described the run of five drummers in a year between his band's first two albums as "like Spinal Tap".<ref>{{cite book |author=Sterling C. Whitaker |title=Unsung Heroes of Rock Guitar |year=2003 |page=228 |publisher=Booksurge Publishing |isbn=978-1591097587}}</ref> In the [[Pearl Jam]] documentary ''[[Pearl Jam Twenty]]'', the members jokingly refer to the fact that while the core lineup of the group has remained unchanged (singer [[Eddie Vedder]], guitarists [[Mike McCready]] and [[Stone Gossard]], and bassist [[Jeff Ament]]), the band has had five drummers. They describe this as "very Spinal Tap of us". In the documentary, a mock silent film called ''The Drummer Story'' is shown explaining what happened to their previous drummers. In it, one of them is almost eaten by a sea monster, only to be rescued by Vedder, playing a lifeguard.

The Canadian heavy metal band [[Anvil (band)|Anvil]], whose drummer is named Robb Reiner, have been called "the real Spinal Tap" based on the misadventures depicted in their documentary ''[[Anvil! The Story of Anvil]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spinner.com/2010/11/25/real-life-spinal-tap-anvil-sign-record-deal |title='Real Life Spinal Tap' Anvil Sign Record Deal |work=Spinner |date=November 25, 2010 |access-date=January 7, 2012 |archive-date=March 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314125546/http://www.spinner.com/2010/11/25/real-life-spinal-tap-anvil-sign-record-deal |url-status=dead}}</ref>

It is the origin of the colloquial phrase "Turn it up to 11", equivalent to "Go for broke".

== Lawsuit ==
On October 17, 2016, actor [[Harry Shearer]] filed a $125 million fraud and breach of contract lawsuit against both [[StudioCanal]], who owns the film's rights, and [[Vivendi]], which owns the studio. Shearer claimed that he and the other co-stars of the film received only $179 for sales of merchandise and music over the prior three decades. Shearer's lawsuit was specifically directed at StudioCanal by ordering the studio to terminate the copyright to ''This Is Spinal Tap''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/harry-shearer-files-125-million-spinal-tap-fraud-suit-copyright-termination-vivendi-studiocanal/ |title=Harry Shearer Files $125 Million 'Spinal Tap' Fraud Suit, Copyright Termination |magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-date=October 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020023649/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/tv-film/7548915/harry-shearer-files-125-million-spinal-tap-fraud-suit-copyright|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2017, Shearer's co-stars [[Christopher Guest]] and [[Michael McKean]], as well as the film's director [[Rob Reiner]], joined the lawsuit against StudioCanal and Vivendi, seeking $400 million in damages.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/08/spinal-tap-lawsuit-harry-shearer-rob-reiner-vivendi |title=Spinal Tap creators aim to 'go to 11' with $400m lawsuit |last=Davies |first=Rob |date=February 8, 2017 |work=The Guardian|access-date=April 7, 2017 |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077|archive-date=February 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208184812/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/08/spinal-tap-lawsuit-harry-shearer-rob-reiner-vivendi|url-status=live}}</ref> In the same month, Vivendi made an attempt to move the court to dismiss the case.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/harry-shearer-why-my-spinal-tap-lawsuit-affects-all-creators-117821/ |title=Harry Shearer: Why My 'Spinal Tap' Lawsuit Affects All Creators |first=Harry |last=Shearer |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=April 4, 2017|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-date=February 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225081628/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/harry-shearer-why-my-spinal-tap-lawsuit-affects-all-creators-w474441|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Failed verification|reason=Nothing from this sentence is in the cited source.|date=April 2022}} In September 2017, a judge dismissed Shearer, Reiner and McKean from the case.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/spinal-tap-lawsuit-judge-tosses-harry-shearer-fraud-claim-profits-case-1044332 |title='Spinal Tap' Lawsuit: Judge Tosses Harry Shearer, Fraud Claim From Profits Case|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=September 29, 2017|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810173925/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/spinal-tap-lawsuit-judge-tosses-harry-shearer-fraud-claim-profits-case-1044332|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2017, Spinal Tap revised their case by adding [[Universal Music Group]] (UMG, another division of Vivendi, whose [[Polydor]] label released the film's soundtrack) as a defendant, as well as the right to reclaim their copyrights to the film, its songs and characters.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/spinal-tap-actors-file-amended-complaint-seek-ability-to-reclaim-copyrights-1202595137 |title='Spinal Tap' Actors File Amended Complaint, Seek Ability to Reclaim Copyrights |first=Jem |last=Aswad |date=October 20, 2017|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804142226/https://variety.com/2017/film/news/spinal-tap-actors-file-amended-complaint-seek-ability-to-reclaim-copyrights-1202595137/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2018, another judge ruled that Guest, Reiner, McKean and Shearer could pursue the fraud claim against Vivendi.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-film-spinaltap-idUSKCN1LE1QZ |title='Spinal Tap' creators may pursue fraud claim in $400 million U.S.... |date=August 29, 2018 |website=Reuters.com|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-date=September 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904231432/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-film-spinaltap-idUSKCN1LE1QZ|url-status=live}}</ref>

The case related to sales of the soundtrack was settled out of court by November 2019, with UMG retaining the distribution rights but with the music rights eventually returning to Shearer, Guest, and McKean in the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/spinal-tap-universal-music-settle-copyright-dispute-1203393300/ |title=Spinal Tap Creators and Universal Music Settle Copyright Dispute |first=Jem |last=Aswad |date=November 5, 2019 | access-date = November 5, 2019 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | archive-date = November 5, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191105190620/https://variety.com/2019/music/news/spinal-tap-universal-music-settle-copyright-dispute-1203393300/ | url-status = live}}</ref> A settlement between Vivendi, StudioCanal, and the cast on the merchandising aspect was reached in September 2020 with final details to be resolved in the following months.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/this-is-spinal-tap-settlement-reached-on-court-battle-over-rights-and-income-1234580120/ |title='This Is Spinal Tap' Creators Reach Settlement On Long-Running Court Battle Over Rights And Income |first=Bruce |last=Haring |date=September 19, 2020 | access-date = September 20, 2020 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] | archive-date = May 3, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210503015530/https://deadline.com/2020/09/this-is-spinal-tap-settlement-reached-on-court-battle-over-rights-and-income-1234580120/ | url-status = live}}</ref>

==Home media==
''This Is Spinal Tap'' was first released on [[VHS]] in 1984 by Embassy Home Entertainment, and in 1994 as part of the [[The Criterion Collection|Criterion Collection]] on [[LaserDisc]] under the title ''This Is Spinal Tap: Special Edition''. It has also been released twice on [[DVD]].

The first DVD release was a 1998 [[The Criterion Collection|Criterion]] edition in letterbox format which used supplemental material from the 1994 Criterion [[LaserDisc]] release. It is the only [[Double-sided disk|double sided DVD]] in their catalogue, and it is now [[out of print]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.criterion.com/shop/browse?popular=out-of-print |title=Out of Print |website=The Criterion Collection |access-date=July 4, 2022}}</ref> It included an [[Audio commentary (DVD)|audio commentary]] track with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer; a second audio commentary track with Rob Reiner, Karen Murphy, Robert Leighton and Kent Beyda; 79 minutes of deleted scenes; ''Spinal Tap: The Final Tour'', the original twenty-minute short they shot to pitch the film; two trailers that feature Rob Reiner showing a film about cheese rolling (because "Spinal Tap" itself was still in the editing room); a TV promo, ''Heavy Metal Memories''; and a [[music video]] for "Hell Hole". Sales of this edition were discontinued after only two years and the DVD has become a valuable collector's item. Much of this material had appeared on a 1994 [[CD-ROM]] by [[The Voyager Company]] that included the entire film in [[QuickTime]] format.

In 2000, [[MGM Home Entertainment]] released a special edition with more or less the same extras from the Criterion edition, plus a new audio commentary track with Guest, McKean and Shearer performing in character throughout, commenting on the film entirely in their fictional alter-egos, and often disapproving of how the film presents them; 70 minutes of deleted scenes (some of which were not on the Criterion DVD); a new [[short subject|short]], ''Catching Up with Marty Di Bergi'' (where it is revealed that the members of Spinal Tap were very disappointed in Di Bergi for making a "hatchet job" of their film); the ''Heavy Metal Memories'' promo and six additional TV promos; music videos for "Gimme Some Money", "Listen to the Flower People" and "Big Bottom"; and segments of Spinal Tap appearing on ''[[Joe Franklin|The Joe Franklin Show]]''. The special features were produced by [[Automat Pictures]]. However, this version of the film was missing the subtitles that appear throughout the film (for example, introducing band members, other personnel, and location names) and did not include the commentaries from the Criterion edition. The MGM DVD is missing the subtitles burned into the film; they have been replaced with player generated subtitles.

Sometime in the 2000s, a workprint version of the film was uploaded online. This version is 270 minutes long. It includes many scenes never released in any home media release.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPINAL TAP THE COMPLETE WORKPRINT 1984 CHRISTOPHER GUEST MICHAEL MCKEAN 4 3/4 HOUR MOCKUMENTARY DVD-R! |url=https://dvdrparty.com/shop/midnight-movie/spinal-tap-the-complete-workprint-1984-4-3-4-hour-mockumentary-dvd-r/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=DVDRPARTY! |date=July 27, 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>

A 25th anniversary [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] was released on July 28, 2009. It includes all bonus features from the MGM DVD, plus an interview with Nigel about Stonehenge, as well as the performance of "Stonehenge" from the band's Live Earth performance. It does not include the commentaries from the Criterion Collection DVD, even though MGM had stated that they would be included in the earliest press release for the Blu-ray version (most likely due to legal issues), and does not feature a "create your own avatars" element teased in publicity. However, this version does restore the subtitles that introduce band members/locales/events/etc. that were missing from MGM's DVD. The alternative, Region B, UK edition of this version additionally features a new hour-long documentary featuring famous fans, the "Bitch School" promo, the EPK for the "Back From The Dead" album, an interview with the late Reg Presley discussing the influence of the Troggs tapes on the film, and the first hour (ending with an abrupt edit) of ''The Return Of Spinal Tap''. It does however lose the Di Bergi short and the Joe Franklin clip.

The Criterion Collection released the film on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] and a remastered Blu-ray on September 15, 2025, based on a 4K restoration of the film. This is the first release of the film since Criterion's DVD release to include the two crew commentary tracks; these never appeared on any non-Criterion release of the movie.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newman |first=Nick |date=2025-06-16 |title=The Criterion Collection's September Lineup Features High and Low, Wes Anderson, and Spinal Tap on 4K |url=https://thefilmstage.com/the-criterion-collections-september-lineup-features-high-and-low-wes-anderson-and-spinal-tap-on-4k/ |access-date=2025-06-16 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Concurrent with the announcement of ''Spinal Tap II'', the sequel's distributor [[Bleecker Street (company)|Bleecker Street]] would acquire all domestic distribution rights for the first film from [[Castle Rock Entertainment]] and [[Creative Arts Agency|CAA Media Finance]] in March 2025, with the company hosting all distribution going forward, including home media.<ref>[https://www.screendaily.com/news/bleecker-street-acquires-us-rights-to-spinal-tap-ii-and-original-1984-cult-classic/5202878.article Bleeker Street Acquires US Rights to "Spinal Tap II" and Original 1984 Cult Classic]</ref> [[Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions]] picked up all media rights for rest of world including Canada for the 41st anniversary re-release of the film.[https://www.screendaily.com/news/sony-pictures-worldwide-acquisitions-takes-international-rights-to-spinal-tap-sequel-original/5204032.article]

==Appearances in other media==
{{see also|Up to eleven}}
[[Harry Shearer]], who played [[Derek Smalls]], went on to become one of the main voice artists on ''[[The Simpsons]]'', providing voices for [[Principal Skinner]], [[Mr. Burns]], [[Waylon Smithers]], [[Ned Flanders]] and many others. The members of Spinal Tap reprised their roles in "[[The Otto Show]]", first playing on a concert attended by Bart and Milhouse which escalates into a riot after the band's early exit, then having their tour bus run off the road by Otto in the school bus.<ref name="book">{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=[[The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family]] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/87 87] |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}}}.</ref>

The [[Internet Movie Database]] normally allows users to rate films only up to ten stars, but specifically for ''Spinal Tap'', the site allows users to rate the film eleven stars, referring to the "[[Up to eleven]]" scene.<ref name="slashfilm">{{cite web |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/trivia-this-spinal-tap-imdb-rating-eleven/ |title=Trivia: 'This Is Spinal Tap' IMDB Rating Goes to Eleven – /Film |date=December 2, 2010|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811032253/https://www.slashfilm.com/trivia-this-spinal-tap-imdb-rating-eleven/|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[IGN]], ''This Is Spinal Tap'' was the only DVD—and seemingly the only thing reviewed on IGN—to get 11 out of 10.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/08/this-is-spinal-tap |title=This is Spinal Tap DVD |date=September 8, 2000 |publisher=IGN |access-date=December 5, 2021 |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503015532/https://www.ign.com/movies/this-is-spinal-tap |url-status=live}}</ref> This scene was also used in some news reports on the death of [[Jim Marshall (businessman)|James Charles "Jim" Marshall]], founder of the famous amplifier company whose equipment is featured in the scene.{{Citation needed|date = November 2015}} Richard D. Titus, UX&D Controller for the BBC, adopted a ''Spinal Tap''-inspired suggestion from a colleague that the BBC iPlayer should have a volume control that goes to eleven.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rxdxt.tumblr.com/post/560540392/why-the-bbcs-iplayer-volume-control-go-to-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425045511/http://rxdxt.tumblr.com/post/560540392/why-the-bbcs-iplayer-volume-control-go-to-11|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 25, 2012 |title=Why the BBC's iPlayer volume control go to 11 – rxdxt |date=April 25, 2012|access-date=August 10, 2018}}</ref> The term has entered the vernacular, as with an [[Autism|autistic]]'s description of sensory overload ''vis-à-vis'' a [[neurotypical]]'s routine filtering.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 3, 2020 |author=Christine M. Condo |title='You don't look autistic': The reality of high-functioning autism |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=January 15, 2021 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/03/you-dont-look-autistic-reality-high-functioning-autism/ |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503015544/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/03/you-dont-look-autistic-reality-high-functioning-autism/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Fran Drescher reprised the role of Bobbi Flekman during the [[The Nanny (season 5)|fifth season]] of her hit television sitcom ''[[The Nanny]]''; it was the season's third episode, titled "The Bobbi Flekman Story". In the episode, Flekman is now a record label producer for [[The Brian Setzer Orchestra]], and an ex-business partner of character Maxwell Sheffield ([[Charles Shaughnessy]]). Drescher's regular character Fran Fine believes Flekman is attempting to seduce Sheffield, and impersonates her to stop it.<ref name="The Bobbi Flekman Story">{{cite episode |title=The Bobbi Flekman Story |series=The Nanny |date=October 15, 1997 |network=CBS |season=5 |number=3 (104 total)}}</ref>

Outside the world of music, [[J. K. Rowling]] cited ''Spinal Tap''{{'}}s series of drummers as an inspiration for the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series, in which something bad happens to every teacher of Defence Against The Dark Arts at Hogwarts, causing them to leave the job without completing a full school year or returning for any subsequent years.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/jk-rowling-confirms-why-her-defence-against-the-dark-arts-teachers-are-all-cursed/ |title= JK Rowling confirms why her Defense Against The Dark Arts teachers are all cursed |publisher= Radiotimes.com |first=Eleanor Bley |last= Griffiths |date= March 15, 2018 |access-date= February 8, 2022}}</ref>

A biographical comic book was released in 2018, ''That Was Spinal Tap'', telling both the fictional story of the band and the real-life tale of the actors and others who created the characters and music. It was scripted by ''[[Rock 'N' Roll Comics]]'' co-creator [[Jay Allen Sanford]].

==Sequels==
{{Main|Spinal Tap II: The End Continues}}
A sequel, ''The Return of Spinal Tap'', was broadcast and released on video in 1992 to promote ''Break Like the Wind''. It consisted mostly of footage from an actual Spinal Tap concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]]. In it, the "Stonehenge" joke from the original movie is referenced, as the new, large prop is too big to get into the venue.  The piece also included interview footage with band members, who discussed their lives between the times of filming ''This Is Spinal Tap'' and ''The Return of Spinal Tap''.  The band had broken up and gone their separate ways, before reuniting for the Albert Hall gig.  David was living in California with Janine, where they operated a new age boutique (one of their customers being [[Graham Nash]]), and David also volunteered for the parks department.  Derek had joined the Christian rock band Lambsblood for a few years, but was now working with his father's telephone sanitizing business in England.  Nigel also lived in England and tinkered as an inventor; his then-current project (as yet unperfected) was a folding wine glass.  McKean, Shearer, and Guest were also briefly seen playing their 1960s folk-spoof band [[The Folksmen]] in this sequel.

In May 2022, director [[Rob Reiner]] announced that he was working on a sequel to the film, which will include him returning to play DiBergi, and McKean, Shearer, and Guest as the members of Spinal Tap. Cameos will include [[Elton John]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[Garth Brooks]], [[Questlove]] and [[Trisha Yearwood]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ritman |first=Alex |date=2024-03-11 |title='This Is Spinal Tap 2' Starts Filming, Confirms Cameos: Questlove, Trisha Yearwood Joining Paul McCartney and Elton John in Sequel |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/global/spinal-tap-2-filming-questlove-trisha-yearwood-paul-mccartney-elton-john-1235938092/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

The film will be Castle Rock Entertainment's first film following its revival in 2021.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/this-is-spinal-tap-sequel-1352473/ | title = Break Out the Stonehenge Set — Spinal Tap Are Making a 'This Is Spinal Tap' Sequel | first = Jon | last = Blistein | date = May 12, 2022 | access-date = May 12, 2022 | magazine = [[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://deadline.com/2022/05/spinal-tap-sequel-rob-reiner-michael-mckean-christopher-guest-harry-shearer-back-1235022317/ | title = Cannes Hot Package: 'Spinal Tap II' On Tap As Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest & Harry Shearer Back For Encore | first = Mike Jr. | last = Fleming | date = May 12, 2022 | access-date = May 12, 2022 | work = [[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/rob-reiner-albert-brooks-documentary-castle-rock-this-is-spinal-tap-sequel-cannes-1235026896/ | title=Rob Reiner on Re-Launching Castle Rock with 'Spinal Tap' Sequel and Shooting Documentary on Pal Albert Brooks: Cannes | newspaper=Deadline | date=May 18, 2022| last1=Fleming | first1=Mike Jr. }}</ref> Filming started in February 2024, with [[Bleecker Street (company)|Bleecker Street]] acquiring distribution rights in March 2025 and setting a September theatrical release for the film. Bleecker Street, having also acquired the original film's distribution rights, would also immediately set a "41st Anniversary" theatrical re-release for that July as a promotional campaign for the sequel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/rob-reiner-this-is-spinal-tap-sequel-start-filming-1235639519/|title=Rob Reiner Confirms 'This Is Spinal Tap' Sequel Is Set To Start Filming In February 2024|first=Armando|last=Tinoco|website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|date=November 27, 2023|access-date=November 27, 2023}}</ref><ref name=Carey>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/albert-brooks-defending-my-life-emmy-nominations-2024-rob-reiner-spinal-tap-update-1236013731/|title=Rob Reiner Gives Update On 'Spinal Tap' Mockumentary Sequel As He Celebrates Emmy Nominations For Real Doc On Albert Brooks|last=Carey|first=Matthew|website=Deadline|date=17 July 2024|access-date=17 July 2024|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/this-is-spinal-tap-sequel-release-spinal-tap-the-end-continues-1236161820/ | title='This is Spinal Tap' Sequel Lands at Bleecker Street for September Release | website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date=March 12, 2025 }}</ref>

==Related works==
* "Christmas with the Devil", 1984 follow-up single.
* ''Inside Spinal Tap'' (1985), a rare companion book by Peter Occhiogrosso. In 1992 this was revised and expanded exclusively for the UK market.
* Both Michael McKean and Harry Shearer appeared in character as David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls (and were credited under those character names) as part of the all-star charity group [[Hear 'n Aid]]. The group issued the single "Stars" in early 1986 which charted in the UK, hitting #26. St. Hubbins and Smalls were two of the dozens of well-known heavy metal artists who participated and were credited on the record, and can be seen in the video.
* ''[[Break Like the Wind]]'' (1992), album.
* "[[The Otto Show]]", a 1992 episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' which features Spinal Tap.
* ''This Is Spinal Tap: The Official Companion'' ({{ISBN|0-7475-4218-X}}) was published in 2000. It featured a "Tapistory", full transcript of the film (including outtakes), a discography, lyrics and an A–Z of the band. This book largely recycles material from the Peter Occhiogrosso book and Criterion DVD commentaries.
* ''[[Back from the Dead (Spinal Tap album)|Back from the Dead]]'', 2009 album and DVD.
* ''Unplugged and Unwigged'', 2009 live DVD of Guest, McKean, and Shearer performing songs from their various works.
* ''Smalls Change (Meditations on Ageing)'', 2018 solo album by Shearer as Derek Smalls.<ref>Amazon</ref>  One track is co-written by "David St. Hubbins".

==See also==
{{Div col}}
* [[The Rutles]], parody of the Beatles (1978)
* [[Bad News (band)|Bad News]], fictional heavy metal band (1983–1988)
* ''[[The Big Picture (1989 film)|The Big Picture]]'' (1989)
* ''[[CB4]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Fear of a Black Hat]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Waiting for Guffman]]'' (1996)
* ''[[A Mighty Wind]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Best in Show (film)|Best in Show]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Get Ready to Be Boyzvoiced]]'' (2000)
* ''[[For Your Consideration (film)|For Your Consideration]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping]]'' (2016)
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{wiktionary|Spinal Tap-ian}}
* {{IMDb title|0088258}}
* {{TCMDb title|92967}}
* {{AFI film|68265}}
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/144-this-is-spinal-tap ''This Is Spinal Tap''] an essay by Peter Occhiogrosso at the [[Criterion Collection]]

{{Spinal Tap}}
{{Rob Reiner}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:This Is Spinal Tap}}
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