In 1982 legendary British heavy metal band Spinal Tap attempt an American comeback tour accompanied by a fan who is also a film-maker. The resulting documentary, interspersed with powerful performances of Tap's pivotal music and profound lyrics, candidly follows a rock group heading towards crisis, culminating in the infamous affair of the eighteen-inch-high Stonehenge stage prop.
Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>
In the course of the film, Spinal Tap has four different drummers: John "Stumpy" Pepys, Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs, Mick Shrimpton, and Joe "Mama" Besser. These names were inspired by the four different men who played the role of third Stooge in The Three Stooges films: Curly Howard, Curly Joe DeRita, Shemp Howard, and Joe Besser.
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Goofs
Continuity:
During the record company convention scene, herpes sores can be seen on the band member's lips which aren't there in most other scenes. This is because of a deleted subplot involving the band members having sex with members of another band touring with them, and they get the disease from one of the members of the other group (acknowledged by crew on Criterion Collection DVD commentary.)
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Quotes
[first lines]
Marty DiBergi:
Hello; my name is Marty DiBergi. I'm a filmmaker. I make a lot of commercials. That little dog that chases the covered wagon underneath the sink? That was mine. In 1966, I went down to Greenwich Village, New York City to a rock club called Electric Banana. Don't look for it; it's not there anymore. But that night, I heard a band that for me redefined the word "rock and roll". I remember being knocked out by their... See more »
Crazy Credits
There are no opening credits after the title is shown.
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