Review of This Is Spinal Tap (1984) by Brendan D — 26 Dec 2012
This mockumentary remains fresh for a few reasons. First, the writing really is funny, and the best jokes don't require any knowledge of 70's/80's Rock n' Roll. Second, the characters are ones we hate to love: the egotistical idiots who take themselves too seriously.
Will Ferrel has made a career off of this archetype and the actors of Spinal Tap embody it perfectly. The film also works thanks to the fact that it feels like a real documentary. It's shot flawlessly, that is, in standard documentary style.
While the writing can be ridiculous, the actor's performances are so pathetically honest that they manage to maintain a sense of reality. Perhaps the ultimate reason why Spinal Tap remains topical is that with the domination of reality TV personalities like on "Jersey Shore" and "Housewives," it's (upsettingly) easy believe these people could really exist.
This review of This Is Spinal Tap (1984) was written by Brendan D on 26 Dec 2012.
This Is Spinal Tap has generally received very positive reviews.
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