Welcome back to Born to Watch, the movie review podcast where we don’t take the movies, or ourselves, too seriously.
This week, Whitey, Damo and Dan are turning everything up to 11 for our This Is Spinal Tap Review, revisiting Rob Reiner's legendary 1984 mockumentary and one of the most influential comedy films ever made.
More than four decades after Spinal Tap first unleashed themselves upon the world, does the comedy still work?
The answer requires a trip backstage with David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls, three rock gods navigating cancelled gigs, creative differences, disappearing drummers, questionable album covers, tiny Stonehenge monuments and some extremely tight trousers.
The boys look back at how This Is Spinal Tap managed to create a fictional rock band so convincing that audiences could easily mistake the film for a genuine documentary. That commitment to playing everything completely straight became part of the movie's genius and helped create a comedy style that would influence film and television for decades.
Would "The Office" and the modern mockumentary format look the same without Spinal Tap?
We get into it.
Then there are the scenes.
The amplifier that goes to 11.
The disastrous Stonehenge performance.
Nigel's untouchable guitar collection.
The band getting lost backstage.
Smell the Glove.
And, of course, Nigel sitting at the piano performing his beautiful composition, “Lick My Love Pump”.
Dan, who had already seen plenty of the famous Spinal Tap moments without watching the full movie, discovers how those scenes work when placed back into the film. Damo brings plenty of Tap knowledge to the table, while Whitey admits this might be the funniest he has ever found the movie.
We also dive into the incredible cast and cameos, including Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Fran Drescher, Fred Willard, Bruno Kirby, Paul Shaffer and Anjelica Huston.
Then there is the extraordinary Spinal Tap back catalogue.
Smell the Glove. Shark Sandwich. Intravenous DeMilo. Silent but Deadly. Bent for the Rent.
Forget The Beatles. Forget Led Zeppelin. This is the musical history that matters.
As always, we hit all the regular Born to Watch favourites, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Question Time, Quick Fire, Film School for F-Wits and another completely unnecessary Kick Arse Credit Song from Dan.
The boys also discuss why *This Is Spinal Tap* rewards repeat viewing. There are jokes buried everywhere, tiny reactions you can easily miss and improvised moments that become funnier once you understand the characters.
So grab your guitar, check the Stonehenge measurements and turn your amplifier one louder.
This one goes to 11.
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