20130910: Comedy Review--This Is Spinal Tap

Name: This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
IMDb: link to This Is Spinal Tap page

Genres: Comedy, Music.   Country of origin: UK.

Cast: Rob Reiner as Marty DiBergi (producer of the documentary; main interviewer), Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins (lead singer), Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel (lead guitar), Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls (bass), Tony Hendra as Ian Faith (manager), June Chadwick as Jeanine Pettibone (David's girlfriend; manager while Ian was gone).

Directed by: Rob Reiner. Written by: Christopher Guest and Michael McKean (screenplay).

image courtesy of TMDb

The Three Acts:

The initial tableaux:
Camera follows the fake UK band Spinal Tap as they play at various venues in a comeback tour in the States.

Rob Reiner interviews the band outside the concerts.

Delineation of conflicts:
The band's sexist image (and the anger it generates) is dealt with again and again. The latest album is not doing well at all. These two factors contribute to internal bickering. The band's gigs were cancelled in Boston, Memphis, and just about everywhere after Ian quit.

Nigel quits.  The 'End of Tour' party starts early, and starts the 'End of Spinal Tap' discussion.

Resolution:
Nigel returns in Los Angeles, and Ian's back in Japan.  Does one hit single fix everything?

One line Summary: Comeback tour in the States disintegrates for a UK rock band on its way down.

Statistics: 

Cinematography: 7/10 There were more fluorescent green tones than I wanted to see in any one movie.  Fortunately, most of the film was fine on that score.

Sound: 4/10 Ridiculously bad.  The sound levels keep toggling between too loud (need to change the volume down to avoid the neighbors complaining) and too soft (need to up the volume to make out normal voices at all).  I gave up after a while.

Acting: 5/10 Michael McKean was exceptionally good.  Harry Shearer was in that special place he occupies between boring and repellant.  Christopher Guest is an actor I hope never to see again.

Screenplay: 6/10 The story was moderately funny throughout as the band stumbles from town to town. Chewing gum with the mouth open describes the whole experience.  The band is in a state of permanent arrested development. The film captured that strongly.  Some of the vignettes were funny, such as the Stonehenge prop in Austin, or their difficulty finding the stage in Cleveland.

Final Rating: 6/10