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The Origins of Spinal Tap
Open Culture ^ | January 7, 2015 | Jonathan Crow

Posted on 01/09/2015 6:13:08 PM PST by Squawk 8888

When This is Spinal Tap came out over 30 years ago, it went over a lot of people’s heads. “Everybody thought it was a real band,” recalled director Rob Reiner. “Everyone said, ‘Why would you make a movie about a band that no one has heard of?’”

It’s hard to believe that lines like “You can’t dust for vomit” failed to come off as anything but a joke. But, to be fair, Hollywood comedies were generally straight-forward affairs in the ‘80s. Think Blues Brothers or Fletch. Fake documentaries weren’t a thing. And This is Spinal Tap looks and feels exactly like a rock documentary– the hagiographic voiceover, the shaky camera, the awkward interviews. The movie was just as unscripted as rock docs like Don’t Look Back, The Song Remains the Same and The Kids Are All Right. The film is not only a parody of the generally overblown silliness of rock and roll, it is also, as Newsweek’s David Ansen notes, “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.”

(Excerpt) Read more at openculture.com ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: eleven; movie; spinaltap
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To: windcliff
This movie sucks compared to The Rutles.

Couldn't agree more

21 posted on 01/09/2015 6:29:05 PM PST by stig
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To: Squawk 8888

I didn’t know this until a year ago, but there was no script to that film. They had a general idea of what was going to happen, but most was ad-libbed.


22 posted on 01/09/2015 6:29:50 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
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To: Squawk 8888

I’d like to participate on this thread, however I died. I choked on vomit. I’m not sure whose vomit it was...


23 posted on 01/09/2015 6:32:37 PM PST by Norm Lenhart (Landru/Romney 2016: "Are you Of the Body, Brother?")
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To: Squawk 8888

I just finished Trailer Park Boys. I loved it!


24 posted on 01/09/2015 6:32:41 PM PST by Sawdring
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To: Squawk 8888

The funny thing is that is came out in 1984 and was already mocking the rock industry that lasted a few more years even after that.


25 posted on 01/09/2015 6:33:36 PM PST by CodeToad (Islam should be outlawed and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: left that other site

I would rather be a drummer in Spinal Tap than someone who had access to Hillary Clinton’s Rose Law Firm records.


26 posted on 01/09/2015 6:34:31 PM PST by Sawdring
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To: Disambiguator
One louder.


27 posted on 01/09/2015 6:34:56 PM PST by CapnJack
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To: Sawdring

LOL...me too.


28 posted on 01/09/2015 6:36:13 PM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: CapnJack

In reality, If anyone ever has the chance to stand in front of a Marshall JCM 800 at 10 (or 11!) and 2 cabs...don’t.

Just....don’t.

You Will feel TeH RaWk!

You won’t HEAR it. You’ll be deaf. But you will FEEL it.


29 posted on 01/09/2015 6:38:41 PM PST by Norm Lenhart (Landru/Romney 2016: "Are you Of the Body, Brother?")
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

“My fave by those guys is, ‘Best In Show,’ hands down.”

Definitely! I almost never watch movies more than once but I’ve enjoyed ‘Best In Show’ several times.


30 posted on 01/09/2015 6:43:04 PM PST by Magic Fingers (Political correctness mutates in order to remain virulent.)
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To: Squawk 8888

My favorite scene is where Nigel is complaining about the catering.


31 posted on 01/09/2015 6:44:56 PM PST by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick

I like the Michelle Obama theme.


32 posted on 01/09/2015 6:48:41 PM PST by Norm Lenhart (Landru/Romney 2016: "Are you Of the Body, Brother?")
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To: Yardstick

Smell the Glove was a good one also.


33 posted on 01/09/2015 6:51:23 PM PST by Sawdring
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To: Squawk 8888

“But, to be fair, Hollywood comedies were generally straight-forward affairs in the ‘80s. Think Blues Brothers or Fletch. Fake documentaries weren’t a thing.”

Albert Brooks had already made Real Life in 1979 (parodying the PBS reality show about the Loud family).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8ReqVoSZOM


34 posted on 01/09/2015 6:56:13 PM PST by a fool in paradise (Shickl-Gruber's Big Lie gave us Hussein's Un-Affordable Care act (HUAC).)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

You’ve watched it 3x? But you probably never watched the 3x as long workprint edit (nearly 5 hours). It doesn’t have all of the production music. Some scenes go on a lot longer and there are some subplots that were removed for the theatrical version.


35 posted on 01/09/2015 6:58:00 PM PST by a fool in paradise (Shickl-Gruber's Big Lie gave us Hussein's Un-Affordable Care act (HUAC).)
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To: Norm Lenhart

Well at least you didn’t internally combust.


36 posted on 01/09/2015 7:01:14 PM PST by Zeneta (Thoughts in time and out of season.)
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To: SoFloFreeper

He shoved the amps up to 11 and locked us into Under Five.


37 posted on 01/09/2015 7:02:06 PM PST by ArmstedFragg (Hoaxey Dopey Changey)
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To: Zeneta

Says you ;)


38 posted on 01/09/2015 7:02:19 PM PST by Norm Lenhart (Landru/Romney 2016: "Are you Of the Body, Brother?")
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To: Squawk 8888

Spinal Tap has got nuttin’ on me!

I have an amp at home that goes to 12! Really!

And it was made in the UK 13-15 years before Spinal Tap’s girly Marshall amp ;)

A “Sound City Concord”-—Check it Out!

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjAwWDgwMA==/z/B8YAAOSwj0NUhYyk/$_86.JPG

Maybe “11” was a recycled old gag.


39 posted on 01/09/2015 7:02:42 PM PST by nvskibum
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To: Magic Fingers

Personally I thought A Mighty Wind was a hoot.


40 posted on 01/09/2015 7:05:09 PM PST by Sherman Logan
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