This is Spinal Tap was a 1984 mockumentary film that starred Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer as members of the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap. It was director Rob Reiner’s directorial debut. While the movie only made about $4.7 million at the box office, it amassed a cult following after it was released on VHS.
According to Wikipedia, “In 2002, it was deemed ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’ by the Library of Congress, and was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry. In 2016, film critic and author Jeremy Arnold chose it as one of the ’52 Must-See Movies’, describing it as “one of the single most influential movies of the past thirty-five years” and arguing that it “effectively launched a new genre—the mockumentary”.
Enjoy this look back at our favorite scene from the movie when Nigel, the lead guitarist explains why Spinal Tap’s amp goes all the way to eleven.
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