This Is Spinal Tap! Does it still go to 11?

In this episode of Almost Classic Movies, Jon and Donald crank the dial all the way up to 11 as they dive into Rob Reiner’s cult classic This Is Spinal Tap. With the long-awaited sequel on the horizon, the duo revisits the original mockumentary to unpack its satire, absurd stage mishaps, and enduring influence on rock culture.

From the infamous Stonehenge debacle to the amps that “go to 11,” Jon and Donald explore why the film still resonates with musicians and movie fans alike. They share behind-the-scenes trivia, debate whether Spinal Tap deserves a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and reflect on how eerily accurate the parody is to the real music industry.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Why Spinal Tap is both ridiculous and painfully realistic 🎸
• The brilliance of Rob Reiner’s direction and improvisational style
• Onstage disasters: cocoons, canceled gigs, and mini-Stonehenge
• Jon’s perspective as an audio engineer on just how true-to-life it all is
• The cultural legacy of “turning it up to 11”
• Should a fictional band make the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? 🤔

Final Verdict:
Both hosts land on an 8/10 — a hilarious, awkward, and oddly timeless film that every music fan should watch at least once.

📩 Got thoughts? Email the show at almostclassicmovies@gmail.com
or DM on Instagram @almostclassicmovies.

 ⭐ Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Transcript

[00:00:00] Jon: The guy was like, all right, it's in. And she's like, oh, okay. Great.

Hello, welcome back to another episode of Almost Classic Movies. The show that's almost as classic as the show, that is almost as classic as a rock bin, insisting their amps are special because they go to 11 pointless, hilarious, and eternal. This is Jern & Dern. Welcome. 

[00:00:31] Donald: Is this episode going to be as painful as a spinal tap?

[00:00:37] Jon: We'll 

[00:00:37] Donald: see. We'll see. We'll figure it out. I'm not interested though. Oh no. I never want one H. Nope. Hannah, when she gave birth, got an epidural. Yep. I could not watch the needle go in like I was. I was a. I was holding Hannah from the front supporting her. Yep. Couldn't be me. [00:01:00] 

[00:01:00] Jon: I don't mind needles. Okay. And like really at all.

And I used to be terrified of 'em. And I had to go through this program when I was in college where I'm like, just desensitized, like whatever. Um, but when I saw, 'cause my wife also. Had to do an epidural, was not planning on it, did not want to do it right at all. She hates needles with every fiber of her being, and she's like, all right, let's do it.

And so I was like sitting with her and she was sitting up on the bed and Kath was just very like, like in a trance. I saw the guy bust out the set and I just, my eyes went huge. Is, and Kath is like, are you okay? And I was like, no, we're good. This is gonna be very painless. We're good. We're good. You lied to her face.

And she didn't respond at [00:02:00] all. 'cause I think it was happening like during some of her heavy contractions. Oh, 

[00:02:03] Donald: okay. 

[00:02:04] Jon: And she's, or the guy was like, all right, it's in. And she's like, oh, okay. Great. Great. Okay. Okay. I mean, you're going through pain that I can't even imagine. 

[00:02:20] Donald: Oh, 100%. Yeah. Couldn't imagine. Nope, Nope.

[00:02:24] Jon: But yeah, we're talking about the movie. This is Spinal Tap. Uh, this is in the vein that Spinal Tap two is coming out. Yes. What's it called? Um, the, 

[00:02:37] Donald: oh, I forget. 

[00:02:39] Jon: The end continues, I think is what the subtitle is. Romo's awesome though. It's three older guys from the band and there's like on Stonehenge and it just, it looks really cool.

Yeah. Spinal tap two, the end continues. You were correct? Yes. The end continues. Uh. I enjoy this movie a lot. Yeah. [00:03:00] Uh, I had 

[00:03:01] Donald: never seen it before. Right. And, and it is a almost classic For sure. It definitely is in that, uh, yeah. It, it's nothing. I like, I've heard of it. Some people rate it really highly all time.

Mm-hmm. I think it's in like the 1001 movies you should watch before you die, 

[00:03:19] Jon: which I would agree. I don't think 

[00:03:20] Donald: it's like number. I don't think it's in the top 100. I was gonna say a hundred, but, but I could see it being in like the top 600. Yeah. I, I don't know. It'd go between those two, but yeah, I couldn't, I, I don't know what goes between like 1 0 1 and 5 99, but spinal tap's gotta be in there.

[00:03:41] Jon: Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely, uh, call following for sure. Um, actually the next movie that we're gonna do is in the same. Uh, discussion. It's almost the same. It's in the same discussion. And I think that's mostly because the topic, the genre of like music [00:04:00] related type movies in general are very like people who love it.

Love it, yeah. And people who haven't seen it just don't think twice about it. Like for example, have you seen the movie Born Again? 

[00:04:11] Donald: No. 

[00:04:12] Jon: There you go. Point Proven that has Mark Ruffo in it. Kira Knightly. Um, and also what, who's, who's the lead singer? Adam Levine. Oh, okay. From Maroon five. Yeah, he's in it.

Fantastic movie. Probably one of my favorite, like modern, well almost, uh, almost famous is almost modern, but it's a little bit more new and I really enjoy it too. Sure. So it's kind of like across the universe. Have you seen that one? 

[00:04:44] Donald: No. 

[00:04:44] Jon: There you go. Point proven further. I love the soundtrack for that one, but anyways, I think that's why, yeah, it's kind of in the discussion of almost classic because if you love it, you'll love it.

If you haven't seen it, you probably haven't thought about seeing it. Yeah. So, uh, how would you [00:05:00] 

[00:05:00] Donald: summarize it? This movie is the prime example of why going into business with friends is really difficult. 

[00:05:09] Jon: I would agree to that. Yeah. Yep, yep. Uh, for those who haven't seen it, it's basically a satirical mockumentary about the fictional band Spinal Tap chronicling their disastrous American tour.

Fragile egos in absurd stage antics, ultimately poking fun at the rock.

[00:05:27] Donald: What I will tell you, one thing that I appreciate, you appreciate, what I appreciate about this movie and, and, and the movie to follow, is that it's a rock and roll movie and they make sure they go to where the heart and rock and roll to is. Nice. Cleveland. 

[00:05:45] Jon: I totally missed that part. Yeah. Because I, I, I forget that that place exists.

[00:05:50] Donald: Yeah. Just saying, anytime that you give me a bone to bring Cleveland up, we may get one star ratings because of that, and I don't [00:06:00] care. I'm going to do it. 

[00:06:01] Jon: You could give this episode a five star rating. You could 

[00:06:03] Donald: give this episode a five star, and honestly I think you should because it's gonna be a great episode.

[00:06:07] Jon: Yeah, 

[00:06:08] Donald: but I, the, that's me a little plug real quick. The harder rock and roll is still beaten. Sure. And from what I see, I believe him. Okay. So is this movie a 10 Outta 10? Uh, if every movie that had Cleveland related got a 10 outta 10, they would be like, you would be booed out of this. That would probably be like five movies that have ever gotten tens.

I'm surprised you're giving out 'cause that's not true. There's more than five movies that take place in Cleveland. 

[00:06:46] Jon: I, I don't know what you're talking about. 

[00:06:49] Donald: Honestly Cleveland. Yeah. Honestly, nobody else does. Where is that? Shut up. Never heard of it. Major League Draft Day. This is Spinal Tap. [00:07:00] 

[00:07:01] Jon: Technically 

[00:07:01] Donald: Superman, technically, but we want, they have a statue of Superman in Cleveland now.

Have you seen that? No. 

[00:07:09] Jon: They. That's awesome. Yeah. There's a FedEx, is it? Is it of the What's his face? Yes. Okay. That's so good. All right. You got it. You got me. That's good. Oh, I got, that's good. Alright, so let's talk about the movie. Let's talk about the movie finally instead of Cleveland. Good grief. All right, so the bands rise in tour begins filmmaker Marty Degi, I think is how you pronounce it.

Documents, the British Heavy Metal Band Spinal Tap on their US tour Bandmates David St. Hubbins, vocal guitar, Nigel Null, uh, lead Guitarist and Derek Smalls Bass present themselves as rock. Gods Past their Prime. Their latest album smells like Smell. The glove is being promoted despite controversy over its sexist cover.

Yes. Yep. It [00:08:00] was. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um,

I'm trying to think of like high points to this. The struggle that I'm gonna have with this movie, so I'll say this really quick, I should have brought this up beforehand, is that for me and this movie in the next, coincidentally, I had to do both of these movies for homework. Oh. Which is really funny because, uh.

If for, for those who's not following the, um, almost classic lore. I went to school for audio engineering and specifically I finished up my school in basically what you would call music production bootcamp. Sure. Like our final exam was doing a tour, like an actual, we win two places and set up a stage and like performed.

We tore it down and then went on to the next city. Yeah. And we did it for a week. That was our final exam. [00:09:00] And so going through that whole process, like, you know, whoever we were, the audio engineers, whoever they were assigned to for like the talent, the band, whatever you wanna call it, like we had to produce a single mix, master publish, publish, quote unquote, the whole nine yards.

So for me and I, and I got a bit of trivia that goes along with this too. Later. But for me, when I watch this, it's like they're not wrong about like any of this. So for me, when I'm like their latest album, smell, the glove is being promoted despite controversy over its sexist cover. That literally is actually happening right now, or has happened with Sabrina Carpenter.

Oh my gosh, that is so, it's like that is a wild cover. So it's like Uhhuh. Yeah. Like, I'm gonna read through these. I'm like, no notes. No notes. Sure happened. Yeah. Um, but I will [00:10:00] say I do like the production of this movie a lot, and you can really feel it right off the top. Again, with, we're gonna kind of go through this in the production of the movie more so later as well.

But it's like a lot of the production is very on the fly, and so when it feels weird, like they're, like the band is kind of stilted, it's like they're kind of actually catching the actors in the moment as well. So they're kind of just like riffing a lot. Improv, yeah. Is the word for it. Like they're just kind of doing it.

This 

[00:10:38] Donald: script has to be like either incredibly like nuanced or non-existent. Like there's nothing in between. 

[00:10:46] Jon: So we'll get into that. Yeah. But I really appreciate that the start of this movie is very much so like off the top you can feel that this guy is like getting into this band's world. Yeah. [00:11:00] And it feels like the guy shouldn't be there.

Yeah. And that's correct because a lot of roadies are either in or they are very far out and it's kind of obvious that they're just like, I don't know what to do with this guy. Like he's not one of us, or the crew, or whatever you want to call it. Yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? So I love it. 

[00:11:22] Donald: It's great.

Yeah. I think the opening conversations with, you know, Rob Reiner as Marty. Explaining what you're about to see. Mm-hmm. Was really cool. First off, I thought that was a really cool scene. 

[00:11:40] Jon: Also, Rob Reiner, 

[00:11:43] Donald: brilliant Mac guy. I like him a lot. He's an incredible actor. 

[00:11:46] Jon: Zoe's dad from New Girl. 

[00:11:48] Donald: Yeah. Awesome. Um, he's also in Wolf of Wall Street.

That's true. Yes. I just know him as Jess's, new Jess's dad, new girl. I hate, I love him. Hannah had no [00:12:00] idea that Rob Reiner is a, L is He's a solid actor. Legendary director. He was about to say he's the Dan of ing. 

[00:12:06] Jon: Oh, for sure. In a lot of ways. Yeah. Princess Bride. True. I forgot about that. He directed the Princess Brian.

I should know that. 'cause I actually took this as a note later on in the episode. A few Good Men, credible movie. That's 

[00:12:20] Donald: true. Yeah. Like he does, like he he does, he is underrated. Oh, for sure. Underrated. Yeah. Like, I'm not, like, I wouldn't put him up there with like Nolan or Scorsese or anything like that, but I'd put him like he is, he's worth the conversation at 

[00:12:36] Jon: least.

Yeah, he's like the. If you're not following, like back in these like eighties and nineties, if you're not watching like the big hits like Steven Spielberg or he's probably the biggest name during the, that era. Oh yeah. It's probably Rob Reer, at least somewhere in the mix of movies that you're kind of like, oh, for through, like you were watching one of his, [00:13:00] yeah, nobody talks about 

[00:13:01] Donald: it.

They're incredible. But so I thought that, and the way that he. Does uniquely feel make this movie feel Yeah. Immersive. The way that you kind of talked about it Yeah. Is a credit to his directing. Yeah. You really feel like you're on the fly. You do like, oh hey, we're gonna set up shop now and talk about it.

And the scenes that feel the most authentic are, are the ones that are. Where you're moving from location to location. It's not like where he's, that's where I thought you were gonna go with that statement. Yeah, I agree. Where he is not like a hundred percent in like that closet interviewing him about these cool deca guitars.

Like, 

[00:13:48] Jon: yeah, you, you, you know, when you're, you're doing talking heads either like in the office, which is like the most prime, like what's documentary Watch the Office or the paper that just came out. I gotta watch that still. I know [00:14:00] that you're gonna watch it. I struggle internally because I don't agree with the setting.

It's not Cleveland, but it's pretty dang close. Where is it? England. It's in Toledo. Is it 

[00:14:10] Donald: Toledo? Yeah. Oh, why Toledo? Why Toledo? Call it Toledo. It's fun. 

[00:14:20] Jon: No, it's in Ohio. I, I don't like that I talk most days, Tuesdays through Sundays without mentioning Ohio. Once. Every day. Day is the one day I actually brush my tongue when I brush my teeth.

'cause I gotta get all the Ohio off my, outta my mouth. Or you're just not having, I have two meanings 

[00:14:48] Donald: you or you're just not having interesting conversation the other six days of the week so you could fuck off.

[00:14:59] Jon: It was very, [00:15:00] that was really well eloquently said. You're welcome. That was very well said. Get off my back. All right. All right. We gotta talk about this movie. I'm sorry. Um, no, but do you like, yeah, this is a good, I like that they're doing it. This is before even the office, but I like that they're establishing like, what is a mockumentary?

It is like, quote unquote, real time. Moments, moments in the movie catching what is happening. Does that make sense? 

[00:15:36] Donald: Yeah. It was hard. It's hard for me though. So one before this, I had never seen the movie. Mm-hmm. But I, it has such a cultural significance that if you're not in the music scene. Or the movie scene well enough.

Right. You think Spinal Tap is a real band, right? I thought Spinal Tap was a real band. Mm-hmm. And I thought they were following a [00:16:00] real band around, 

[00:16:02] Jon: like during their tour. It's real, it's, it's so, it's a testament Al good. It was 

[00:16:06] Donald: produced right. And uh, so then when I looked them up on Spotify and saw that it was just like.

Really three albums. Mm-hmm. I was a little let down and it took me a little out of the movie for a minute, um, because I'm like, it's fake. Yeah. Like, it felt like the moment when you're like, like nine and a half and find out that wrestling is fake,

it's fake. 

[00:16:35] Jon: yeah, it is. I don't follow wrestling and I even know that though. Right. But when you, and I guess it's because I'm like fringe enough in the wrestling world. So that makes sense. AJ Lee's back 

[00:16:49] Donald: about to have like the Hatfield and the McCoys tag team match. I love that for you. It's essentially what it is.

That might be a hot take for some wrestling fans. Don't at me in the [00:17:00] comments on that one, but 

[00:17:00] Jon: no, please do. We need to call him out. Um, but all one star this episode. I'm just kidding. 

[00:17:09] Donald: No. Um, yeah. But so in the next section, if you wanna tease that one. 

[00:17:15] Jon: Yeah, yeah, let's do it. So on the road with Tap the band, the band's shows suffer from bizarre mismanagement, including being billed behind a puppet shows and canceled gigs.

I love by the I so good. Nigel unveils his amplifier, that quote, unquote, goes to 11 epitomizing. The group's overblown, cluelessness. Another so good, but it goes to 11. 

[00:17:42] Donald: But what couldn't I put the 12 there and then it would go to 12. Yeah, but this one goes to 11 

[00:17:49] Jon: on stage. Their theatrics flop, notably when they get locked.

Lost behind, sorry. Notably when they get lost backstage trying to reach the stage or trapped [00:18:00] in giant cocoons. I lost it. The 

[00:18:02] Donald: giant cocoon scene was. So awkward. I loved it. It was so good. It's so true too. Uh, I'm like, this is, this feels a little over the top and then it doesn't work, and I'm like, oh, 

[00:18:17] Jon: no. So awkward.

It's so, it's so true though, because, sorry. Why don't you go ahead and talk about you, you wanted to delete it into this, 

[00:18:27] Donald: I think. I got stuff to say though. I think that the, the manager is just so awkward and so bad. Yep. It's, it, it, it hurt for a lot of this, but then also when later on in the movie when he gets like forced, like he's kind of kicked out.

Mm-hmm. I'm. But like also you kind of deserved it. Mm-hmm. Even though like you've been there since day one. Yeah. So, no, 

[00:18:57] Jon: I know. I think, I think it's hilarious because, so[00:19:00] 

a lot of like, so a lot of the bands that I listen to further, almost classic lore, I really like alternative music. So for those who. Understand what I'm about to say. Um, like Vans, warp, tour music. So under oath? Yeah. M and m, no, under Oath plus the Fall, not the movie. Double Wars Prada. Um, or the sequel that's coming out.

Alin. I do wanna watch that. I like Double Wars. Prada the movie, but I also band a lot. There's a lot of good movies coming out this fall. Yeah, yeah. Um, a lot of those bands. Start out like their kids, like the band under oath. Like they were all like 16, 17, 18. Like Yeah, kids. Uh, AMB Lynn's first album, the drummer I think was like 14.

Wow. So they're like really young and their management more often than not. So I'm not gonna be hyperbolic about it, but more often than not. [00:20:00] Are like their friends. 

[00:20:02] Donald: Yeah. 

[00:20:02] Jon: And so they don't know what they're doing. 

[00:20:04] Donald: Yeah. 

[00:20:05] Jon: And if they get a really good manager, that's 'cause they struck luck. The label that's in them on, if they got signed to a label had a lot of confidence in them.

Otherwise they're like, just get someone that you think is really good at business stuff. So this is like spot on. Not saying that like management people are incompetent, but you will run into moments where it's like, oh, they just like. Didn't know So they screwed up. Yeah. And so now they gotta like cancel or they gotta figure out how to like, make up the money that they thought they were gonna get to kind of keep on budgeting and keep going until the next label approved.

Album or label, pushed album. So that's really funny. Uh, I really like the Ghost 11 thing too, because it's like. That's really funny in the sense of like, they just, they're kind of clueless about gear, but it also is a testament of like [00:21:00] people who are really into gear, just like get the dumbest stuff and just spend their money on it.

Like when I got into audio engineering, it's like, there's a phrase where people, like, they call 'em gear sluts. I believe that because they just buy gear that they think they're gonna need and then they're gonna sell it off like years later. 'cause like, well I didn't really need it. Yeah. Yeah. Well you didn't even use it.

Yeah. So that's very true. And then just the whole like getting lost backstage and like the whole giant cocoon's like stage mis like stage mishaps. Like something isn't timed right. Something's really awkward. I've seen like middle of shows, middle of sets just like get shut down and they had to restart and the band's like playing it off haha.

Or whatever. No. They just didn't know what they were doing. No. That's a little awkward. It's funny. Yeah. But it's like that sucks. 

[00:21:54] Donald: Oh yeah. So, well, and the stage hands are just so like awkwardly moving around the stage [00:22:00] when that kind of stuff is happening. 

[00:22:01] Jon: Yeah. And they're frantic 'cause it's like we gotta a tight schedule.

Yeah. They gotta like, they gotta be on the fly. I've done stage hands before and it's not fun. Yeah. It's for specific people. 

[00:22:13] Donald: I, I, I love the conversation about why. Uh, the album cover is banned, but then that guy that they see passed in the hotel, it's like, well, his was equally explicit, but his got approved, like, what's going on?

And they're like, and then they realize that because the singer's, the victim in the scene that's on the album cover. Mm-hmm.

And. They thought, oh, so because he's the victim and that, that conversation Yeah. Of like victim blaming and victim not, not necessarily blaming, scratch that, but like putting yourself in the victim's shoes. Yeah. Allows you to sell sex. [00:23:00] Yeah. Is a very interesting idea to be talking about in a mockumentary movie.

Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. That's what they talked about. I know. It's so dumb. 

[00:23:13] Jon: All right. Um, so next section, tensions in decline. David's girlfriend, uh, Janine joins the tour causing tensions with Nigel and influencing band decisions like Yoko and John Lennon. Is that what they're spoofing that off? Well, it's just like what happens.

It could even be, it could even be like, you know, a roadie gets involved with. Roadie being like a fan. Sure. Who's following them on their floor? I thought it 

[00:23:40] Donald: were groupies. I thought roadies were people who worked, like moved people's stuff. Sure. I didn't, I 

[00:23:49] Jon: No. Genuine. Seriously. Like I think it, I think it can be interchangeable.

Oh, I, I think, I don't, I thought 

[00:23:54] Donald: so. I thought roadies were people who, and correct us in the comments. So I thought [00:24:00] roadies were people who moved the band's equipment and set it up. I thought groupies. Were people who followed the band from city to city and, and with the intention and goal of trying to sleep with the band.

I think it's a yes and Okay. 

[00:24:18] Jon: I don't, yeah, let us know in the comments. Let us know in the comments. I always just interchange 'em 

[00:24:23] Donald: to the comments. I also 

[00:24:25] Jon: like the word roadie as opposed to groupie. Makes me think of like grouper. Reubens, like the fish sandwich groupie. 

[00:24:36] Donald: Group grouper. Yeah, I know what a grouper is.

Grouper. I just 

[00:24:41] Jon: like the word, the G words.

Ly.

No, I, that just came into my brain. I look G words. I don't, it's weird. Jeff, that is your real name. That's my [00:25:00] brother's real name. I know. Is it? 

[00:25:02] Donald: Yes, Geoff? Uh, it's, uh, Geoff. It's more, it's more appropriately pronounced. Geoff. Geoff. GEO. My name's Gev. 

[00:25:15] Jon: My name's G. Alright. Anyways, um, I think it's just making fun of that notion though, of someone getting into the band and kind of disrupting the vibe.

I feel like that was very common in the eighties. Yeah. Um, I'm even thinking of like what happened to Genesis. 

[00:25:36] Donald: Yeah. 

[00:25:38] Jon: So I think it's kinda making fun of that idea. Anyways, creative differences and poor management result in smaller and smaller audiences winning relevance and Nigel quitting mid tour. Their humiliations peak with a Stonehenge stage set piece is accidentally built 18 inches tall instead of 18 feet.[00:26:00] 

Which is so good. 

[00:26:02] Donald: Oh my gosh. That was, that was funny. The, the Awkward Army Base show mm-hmm. That they performed was.

Yeah, just I like, I felt so bad for them in that moment. Yeah. Like that's almost rock bottom. Yeah. Um, the mini stone hge is so good. Incredible. That's just like a glorified pie Si pie symbol. Yeah. Um, uh, but yeah, fricking um, Janine. Gosh, she's the reason, uh, that you don't shit where you eat. Have you heard of that expression?

Oh yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. You don't shit where you eat. You don't dip your pen and company ink. It's not good for you. Don't do it. It's just bad business. Donald's [00:27:00] dating tips. Don't dip your pen and company ink. 

[00:27:02] Jon: Mm-hmm. Come below my view. No, I'm just kidding. Just kidding. Awkward, awkward. Almost censored movies.

[00:27:12] Donald: Uh, I almost canceled movies. I, I've thought about a couple more that we could do for it. We should just start doing 

[00:27:17] Jon: them and save them. 

[00:27:19] Donald: We could. Yeah. 

[00:27:20] Jon: We should be fun. That would. All right, so last section and we will get into the next section. Breakup and redemption. The band appears finished after failed gigs and mounting frustrations.

Mounting frustrations. Yeah. Nigel returns with news that their single is a surprise. Hit in, uh, Japan. New hone spinal tap. Reunites for a triumphant tour overseas ending on a high note despite their ineptitude. 

[00:27:48] Donald: I, how do you feel about the Black cover? I don't know. I How did you feel? I'm, I thought it was, I'm like, this is, [00:28:00] I feel like it's on par for, I just feel like I, it's like, okay.

I feel like it was on par for the eighties to like either have like a really sex hypersexualized cover. Mm-hmm. Or like the most minimalist cover. 

[00:28:13] Jon: Yeah, that's true. Kinda like Black Sabbath had one of 

[00:28:17] Donald: those, or Elton John had just a self-titled one with 

[00:28:21] Jon: like a white album 

[00:28:22] Donald: with 

[00:28:22] Jon: Beatles. Yeah. Yeah, that's true.

I don't know. I guess that's why I didn't feel twice. Yeah. 

[00:28:27] Donald: On Spotify, the al, the album cover for the movie is just the Black album. 

[00:28:34] Jon: Okay. I'll have to check that out.

See? Yeah, 

[00:28:42] Donald: there it is. It's just. It's just the, the black album cover, nothing. 

[00:28:50] Jon: This is, yeah, that's true. Okay. I didn't really realize the break, like the break, like the wind. All right. [00:29:00] Yeah. Final thoughts? 

[00:29:01] Donald: Um, this is, yeah, so this is a movie that I probably would not have like, gone out of my way to watch.

And I know like we haven't, like really didn't like. Talk in depth about the movie like, like we would normally, it's a trickier movie to like get in depth on it, right? Because its like, it's like you 

[00:29:20] Jon: won't really know unless you watch 

[00:29:22] Donald: it, right? It's either you're talking about this movie for like two hours, which is longer than its runtime, or you're just kind of hitting the beats like we did today.

Yeah. Um.

But overall this movie was really good. I found myself laughing really hard. Uh, I think Rob Reiner is a genius. Um, even though this is a, isn't a movie, I typically wouldn't like sit down and gear myself towards. Right. I give it an eight like every day of the week. That's really where I was at it too actually.

It ain't, yeah. I don't think I 

[00:29:59] Jon: like. [00:30:00] To me, honestly, like if I didn't, if I didn't find relevance in it, like on a personal level, I probably would give a lower rating just 'cause I'm kind of like, I'm just watching stuff happen. Like that's how I normally rec, like for me with the office, when I first watched it, I was like.

I'm not really seeing where the jokes are. 'cause it is a dry show. It's very dry. But as you watch it more and more often and you can actually see the subtleties of what's going on in the movie and Michael's Yeah, that's how I respond to the mockumentaries. Yeah. Because I'm like, I'm watching it. Okay, now I'm watching again and I get it.

Um, but this one, for me, it's like I find a funny just 'cause I'm like, no, they're right. Like this is stupid. 

[00:30:44] Donald: Yeah. 

[00:30:45] Jon: The music industry 

[00:30:46] Donald: is stupid. If you say so, it's, it's probably only gotten dumber because of Spotify. Don't take us down, but like it's a fact. Yeah. Don't take us down 

[00:30:57] Jon: Spotify, please. No. Like even on the industry [00:31:00] level, not to get on a huge diatribe about it, but it's like step on that soapbox.

They. Make so musicians make so little money. Yeah, they do. And it's ridiculous that that's even true, because it's like how well, like people who do distribution like Spotify know where it's like, okay, well where are you gonna put your music in for everyone to hear it? If you don't wanna pay the rent, then you're not gonna get a place to stay.

Yeah. You gotta pay to play. So it's just. So stupid just on a distribution standpoint. It's so stupid. Musicians are awesome, 

[00:31:37] Donald: obviously. 

[00:31:38] Jon: Awesome. Yeah, 

[00:31:39] Donald: go. So that's why you should go see them when they are touring. I'm doing it in two weeks. You should go buy their stuff from their me though. T-shirts are 60 

[00:31:47] Jon: bucks.

[00:31:48] Donald: Yes, 

[00:31:49] Jon: but it is for a reason. 

[00:31:50] Donald: Yeah. So like that's where they're making their money off of. If you wanna support your musicians. Support them directly. Don't go to the show. [00:32:00] Yeah. Don't li like Yes, listen to their music because it's on Spotify. 'cause it's convenient, but buy the actual copies. Right. That's partially why I like buying vinyl.

Yeah. Buy it from their store or buy it from Target. They're still making more money off of it than you streaming it a budget times on Spotify. 

[00:32:18] Jon: Right. Uh, but yeah, I'm with to see, I'm in the same boat. I'm with you as well. Eight outta 10. A hundred percent. Oh for, 

[00:32:26] Donald: and I would watch this movie again like, and I would recommend it to people.

[00:32:29] Jon: Yeah. But just like most music movies, you wouldn't think about it. 'cause Yeah. I feel like it's in that kind of weird polarizing situation of classicness. It's like people who watch it love it. People who pass it, don't think about it. Yeah. So, all right. Production overview, let's talk about it. Concept and creation.

The idea was developed by Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest. Michael McKean and Harry Schreyer, they wanted to parody both the pom [00:33:00] pomposity and fragility of rock stardom. What work did you just say? Is that how you, is that how you pronounce it? Pomposity? I've never heard of it. P-O-M-P-O-S-I-T-Y. Uh, I just never heard the, a business.

I've never heard the word before. PO and circumcision.

So the film was framed as a rocky manary quote unquote. Rry even appears on screen as the earnest filmmaker Marty d gh. I don't know how you pronounce it. De Berg, I don't know. De Berger. Um, bugger. I'm improvised dialogue. The movie had no traditional script. Instead, it was structured with an outline of scenes and beats, but nearly all dialogue was improvised.

This gave the film its natural, awkward, and hilarious tone I captured. 

[00:33:57] Donald: Got it. They all [00:34:00] understood the assignment a hundred percent. 

[00:34:03] Jon: Over a hundred hours of footage was filmed. Release the spinal tap cut. Oh 

[00:34:08] Donald: my. 

[00:34:08] Jon: Release the RiNo cut. 

[00:34:09] Donald: Release the RiNo. Cut uncircumcised release it. Are you, could you imagine like even just that's longer than a work week, even five hours.

Like five hours, give me 5% of the what you filmed 

[00:34:28] Jon: you, the editing process. Oh my. Someone did watch all 100 hours of that. Whoever that person is is probably really blessed. It better be all right. Uh, what else? Over a hundred footage, which Reiner cut down to around 82 minutes, which. Much of the raw improv was later released in special editions and home video extras.

There you go. Realistic parody. Mini gags were based on true band stories. For example, bands actually did get lost backstage as tap does in [00:35:00] Cleveland. Dunno where that is. Stage props sometimes when disastrously wrong. Sewn hedge came from an actual Black Sabbath mishap, the quote unquote drummer curse.

Each of spinal taps drummers die in bizarre accidents. Parroted, real lineup instability. 

[00:35:15] Donald: 38, wasn't it? 38 drummers I think it was up there. 

[00:35:22] Jon: That sounds familiar. Yeah, that sounds right. 

[00:35:27] Donald: Yeah. 

[00:35:28] Jon: Yeah. Music and performances all songs. Tonight, I'm gonna rock you tonight. Big bottom Stonehenge were written and performed by the actors themselves.

The band was so convincing that they later toured as a real band releasing albums break like the Wind in 1992. Whole legacy. Despite initial struggles, the film is now considered the definitive rock parody. Real musicians from Jimmy Page to the Edge have praised its accuracy. The film even influenced real life music terminology.

[00:36:00] Sound engineers still joke about turning amps up to 11, which duh, 

[00:36:06] Donald: I don't amps. Actually, some amps now have 11 on 'em. Yeah, as a joke because of it. Yep. Yes. 

[00:36:16] Jon: Which there's no actual like 1, 2, 3 version, like volume levels. It's just like, here's a point for you to reference how loud it is in the context of the amp, and then 11, and then 11's just like so loud you can't even hear it.

Yeah. They call that breaking your eardrum. Wait, what'd you say? Mm-hmm. All right. Trivia time. This is trivia. Tap

[00:36:50] Donald: Burner, burner 

[00:36:53] Jon: name. That game. 

[00:36:55] Donald: Isn't that Mario? Yep.[00:37:00] 

[00:37:00] Jon: I don't know what I'm doing. Alright. After the film opened, several people told Rob Reiner they, that they loved the film, but he should have chosen a more well-known band for the documentary. That's 

[00:37:12] Donald: what I'm saying. I love it. That's what I'm saying. I thought this was a real band. So good. I love it. It's so good.

That's, and that, again, that's a testament, Testament a 

[00:37:25] Jon: hundred percent to 

[00:37:25] Donald: what he did, but I thought it was a real band. 

[00:37:31] Jon: All right. Uh, this is the only film on IMDB with a rating out of 11 instead of 10. That's awesome. It's true. I, I double checked. I I'm gonna look right now. Yeah, do it. I'll keep going. In 2002, the Library of Congress deemed the movie, quote unquote, culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.[00:38:00] 

This is Rob Reiner's first film to be selected. The second would be the Princess Bride in 2016. Oh, 

[00:38:06] Donald: yes.

It is, isn't that called, you do rate it out of 11? Isn't that called? I appreciate that. I appreciates that about you. I appreciates. That's a lot. It's like, I don't know if I'm the only, I'm not, I'm sure I'm not the only one that does it, but sometimes I will turn off my internet to play the dinosaur game when you're not connected to the internet.

Oh, I'm sure a lot of people do that. I love it. The only thing I 

[00:38:32] Jon: like about that game is when he ducks, it looks really funny to me. It's like. 

[00:38:39] Donald: It's like he just got wailed on the head by a boulder. I bet, I bet he did get wailed on the head. You know what I mean? All right, so last trivia bit,

[00:38:50] Jon: just moving on several. This is, this is my favorite part. I love this trivia by the way. I, I personally wrote it [00:39:00] in after reading an IMDB as opposed to copy and pasting it. Because I respect it. Several rock stars have commented on what an uncannily, accurate spoof of the rock and heavy metal world. This film was.

Ozzy Osborne said when he first watched the film, he was the only person who wasn't laughing. He thought I was a real documentary. I, yeah, U2's guitarist, the Edge, who we referred to earlier, said, I didn't laugh, I wept. It was so close to the truth. Marillion had five drummers in the space of a year between their first two albums, which guitar Steve Rothery later admitted was like, spinal Tap.

That's crazy. It's so good. 

[00:39:47] Donald: I, and I think that like for a movie director, to have such a deep understanding of what is going on in a culture and being able to capture that in [00:40:00] less than 90 minutes. Is insane. Mm-hmm. 

[00:40:06] Jon: It is wild. All right, wrapping it up. Box office and financial performance. So, skipped a couple of these.

I really wanna be a little bit more, um, detailed about this stuff. So I missed it over the last few weeks, but here's a little bit more detail for you. Budget was approximately $2.25 million, which is a modest production. For the time US gross, roughly 4.7 million. Only a modest return considered disappointing in theatrical runs and international gross minimal.

As the film had a limited release overseas, which is kind of weird. So you'd think because the ending of it is in Japan that they would do more? Well, you, you would also, so 

[00:40:50] Donald: I think it's, here's my take on why they had a limited release, because it felt so real. And [00:41:00] the low, like the lore of rock in the US is so prevalent.

Mm-hmm. That it might demystify it for the rest of the world. That's fair. Yeah. Like, 'cause I'm thinking of like when A CDC played in Russia in 91 and they played in front of over a million people. Oh wow. Yeah. Uh. Because, you know, that's the end of the I 

[00:41:29] Jon: culture is very real too, for Japan specifically.

[00:41:34] Donald: Right? 

[00:41:35] Jon: Yeah, that's true. And, and don't wanna demystify the behind the scenes stuff Yeah. For the rest of the world. 

[00:41:40] Donald: So that, that's why I think that's very fair. I like 

[00:41:42] Jon: that. 

[00:41:42] Donald: That's my reckless speculation on why it wasn't like that. 

[00:41:47] Jon: All right. The movie found its true audience on VHS cable television and later DVD, where the improvisational humor and quotable lines thrived by the 1990s.

Don't Touch My Whiskey. By the 1990s and two thousands, it was [00:42:00] frequently cited on greatest comedy of the list and recognized by the library of comedy. I already talked about all that in 2002. Sorry, hauled out. I was just tapping the top of the box. Stop. I was just joking. All right. Legacy earnings. Be on the stop.

Touching. Be on the, I'm not touching it. What's that? That somebody's show quote. Can you not, not touch it? Can you not? Not touch it. Alright. Stupid cal. So. I love that show, by the way. That does not surprise me. It's one of my favorite in my top five. Did you watch that nineties show? Yeah, I did. Okay. Yeah, I only watched the first season.

[00:42:43] Donald: I haven't watched it yet. 

[00:42:44] Jon: Yeah, it's nostalgia bait. Like Girl Meet World. Yeah. The first episode was fun. Speaking of Sabrina Carpenter, I know. Yeah. Uh, legacy Earnings Beyond the Theatrical Box Office by Own Tap has generated decades of revenue through [00:43:00] re-release anniversary screenings, soundtrack sales, and live doors by the band.

The band's cult fame was such that guest McKean and Schreyer reunited multiple times for real concerts, including at Wembley Stadium and in Glastonbury. They played Wembley, which is crazy. That's nuts. It's crazy. That's 250,000 people according to Ed Sheeran. Yeah, that's more than, uh, Zach Bryant, Notre Dame.

Oh, snap. Which 

[00:43:25] Donald: was good. Um, so I have a question for you. I has questions Yes. Regarding Spinal Tap? Yes. Do you think, 

[00:43:33] Jon: sorry, my notes say Faint Mouse. Of the Googles. Do you do I think 

[00:43:40] Donald: Think, yeah. Spinal Tap. Yeah. Belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A hundred percent. 

[00:43:49] Jon: A hundred percent. Yeah. I do. I, I, you just said it yourself.

They play it at Wembley. [00:44:00] 250,000 people. Nuts. Yeah. Who, who else? And it probably was good. 

[00:44:06] Donald: Who else is gonna do, they probably had a legit 18 inch Stonehenge there.

[00:44:15] Jon: One thing about how big that is, it's 18 inches. It's pretty big. 

[00:44:21] Donald: And it's made, it's, it's, you know, it's rock hard. It's made it stone. 

[00:44:27] Jon: All right. I'm, I'm losing it. I don't even feel buzzed. Right. No, I do think that, I think they should. I, I, I think with how much like, like it, 'cause if you can do, sorry, let me finish the thought.

If you can, if you can do Wembley like that, that alone and do it well that alone is a testament to how much, and it's a cultural shift too. Like a not real band is being a real band successfully. That's [00:45:00] nuts. 

[00:45:02] Donald: So, spinal Tap is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, the fictional band was introduced into the fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a creation from the mockumentary.

This is Spinal Tap. That satire is the music industry. I 

[00:45:20] Jon: I think they should, I think they, I bet they will after this movie, if the movie does well. Oh, for sure, because that means they're gonna do another tour of some kind after this. 

[00:45:30] Donald: However, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has also referenced. A fictional band and a promotion for their new sequel.

So the, the Hall of Fame has acknowledged the band's and movies' existence. But I think if you, that says enough Yeah. For 

[00:45:46] Jon: their 

[00:45:46] Donald: future. I mean it like, if the band, the, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will do things based off of rock and roll culture. Yeah. Like they have done everything from covering rolling, like covering.

The Rolling [00:46:00] Stone magazine mm-hmm. To having all of the rock and roll pinball machines mm-hmm. In the, in the museum so that you can play them mm-hmm. From the orig, from, you know, the sixties and seventies to today. Yeah. Um, I don't know. I think, I mean, I could see a lot of people getting mad for certain bands that aren't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet.

That should be, but also. Have they done for the culture what Spinal Tap has? And I would argue Spinal Tap has done a lot for the rock and roll culture. Yeah. They played in Cleveland. Well, sounds like we need to get out. 

[00:46:47] Jon: Everybody's played Cleveland, everybody. I, I've, I've seen shows in Cleveland, it's probably one of the greatest shows you've ever seen in your life.

Is uh, is it Bogart says in Cleveland. Or am I thinking of [00:47:00] Cincinnati? No, I think I thinking of Cincinnati, I've seen one of my favorite shows was at Bogart's and it was a hilarious, retrospectively, it was a hilarious show. I think Bogart's is in Cincinnati. Is it? I don't think it's in Cleveland. I, no, I've seen more shows in Cincinnati than Cleveland.

That's a sad, I've seen a lot more folks in Cincinnati than, than in Cleveland. That festival that I have a post driven. 

[00:47:27] Donald: Yeah. Bogart's isn't Cincy. Yeah. Okay. That makes sense. Uh, no, we gotta get you to the Agora. Oh yeah, you told me about that. We gotta get you to the, to the Beachland. To the grog shop.

Panic at the disco. Did a popup concert at the grog shop. I like panic at the disco that's on you. 

[00:47:45] Jon: I liked, I liked them before it was just Brandon Yuri. That's fair. 

[00:47:49] Donald: Nine and a half When 

[00:47:50] Jon: Spencer left. You are out Panic at the Yuri is all they were to me. Yuri at the pan. Yuri at the disco[00:48:00] 

[00:48:02] Donald: panic. 

[00:48:03] Jon: It's only Yuri.

All right. Uh, that's a good question though. 

[00:48:10] Donald: Yeah. 

[00:48:10] Jon: What do you guys think? Do you think Spinal Tap should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Do you think they will? 

[00:48:15] Donald: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:48:16] Jon: Uh, leave a comment on Spotify. Uh. Rate us on Apple Podcasts. Really appreciate it. Um, feel free to message us almost classic movies at Gmail, at almost classic movies on Instagram.

You will get Donald, you will not get me. You'll get me on email though. If you wanna talk to me. Email, if you wanna talk to Donald Instagram. 

[00:48:39] Donald: Yeah, 

[00:48:40] Jon: you there is a right answer here. People choose email wisely. 

[00:48:49] Donald: Um, have you listened to Hello? From the Magic Tavern? Mm-hmm. Uh, it's a comedy mockumentary podcast.

[00:48:59] Jon: Oh, okay. [00:49:00] 

[00:49:00] Donald: Uh, that takes place in a fictitious land of food. And so they have, so Arnie Knee Camp mm-hmm. Created who helped like actually create Jackbox games. That does, yeah. I like Jackbox games. So it's the people who did Jackbox games. Whiplash is so good. Did this. Did this, uh, uh, pod do this podcast? It's an improv fantasy podcast.

Oh, 

[00:49:23] Jon: I 

[00:49:23] Donald: have heard of this. Yes, yes, yes. And so they have, so they have two, the show has two emails. They have, uh, hell of from the Magic tavern@gmail.com or something like that. It was a random, obscure email. And then the other one was, uh, chun@gmail.com, but it was with six Ts. Oh, so C-H-U-N-T-T-T-T-T t@gmail.com.

That's crazy. 

[00:49:52] Jon: Yeah. You guys can email us almost custom movies@gmail.com, Instagram direct message. Um, [00:50:00] comment on, yeah, please comment. Let us know what you think about, uh, rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Let me, let us know 

[00:50:07] Donald: if you like this movie or not. Yeah. Hey, rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If you hear from us and want us to do like a remote review of Spinal Tap two, let us know.

We'll make it happen. We'll for it. I will pay for it. Yeah, you don't, you don't need to pay a dime. Yeah. I mean, you have your, you have the studio that you do recording interviews out of. I know. I've seen it. Um. Days have 10, still days. Have family who live, you have 10 days in Cuyahoga County. So you always in for free.

If you live in Cuyahoga County, you get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for free. Oh for real? Oh cool. That's cool. I didn't know that. It's part, it's part of, it's a, it's a benefit for you paying taxes to the county. Oh, that 

[00:50:45] Jon: makes sense. Yep. Uh, with that being said, we'll see you in the next episode.

I've already given the hint like five times. You've said the movie. I even joked about how I misspelled it in my notes. [00:51:00] Yeah, we referenced it a couple times. Yeah. But yeah. Anyways, we'll see you in the next episode. This has Bjourn during I almost spill my soda. Bye.