My son is supposed to watch and do a commentary on a mockumentary, for school. One of the options is This is Spinal Tap and that’s what he wants to watch because he’s heard me raving about it.
But I want him to enjoy it and he was born this millennium. He has had nothing to do with stadium rock or heavy metal or any of the bands that the movie mocks. He hasn’t heard of John Bonham or Keith Moon. His music is made by “DJs” and “producers” sitting in front of a computer. He wouldn’t know what a guitar amp was.
What’s the best documentary (or movie or whatever) to give him a crash course on why drummers continually dying, or one’s amp going up to 11, is funny?
I had no idea who John Bonham or Keith Moon were when I saw Spinal Tap for the first time. You don’t need to provide context for the jokes. He won’t get some of the references, but that’s not where most of the humor comes from. I can’t say for sure he knows what an amplifier is, but if he doesn’t, it’s definitely not because he listens to music made after 1999. He knows who Kanye West is, so he’ll get the concept of extremely limited people with a lot of fame struggling to be functional outside of their narrow discipline, which is about 50% of the humor in the movie. The other 50% is how the entertainment industry is full of amoral scumbags, which also hasn’t changed at all.
Just show him the movie. If you explain the joke first, he won’t find it funny.
My first thought was to watch The Song Remains the Same, but he probably will be bored with the music. So have him watch the informal banter that was filmed between the concert footage.
Just for reference, my mother knows nothing about rock music, but she watched Spinal Tap and liked it. I think the film is very accessible, the majority of the jokes can be understood without prior reference.
I think if your son appreciates mockumentary style humor (in this case, “rockumentary”) in general, he will do fine. You could add to his knowledge of the notorious, devil-may-care lifestyles of many metal bands simply by explaining it to him. Perhaps find some YouTube videos showcasing the antics of Ozzy Osbourne as examples.
Also explain the 27 Club to your son to drive home the frantic and dangerous results of many rock and roll lifestyles. Then find some videos highlighting the wild antics of John Bonham and Keith Moon in particular as examples of talented but reckless drummers (though due to their ages of death, they aren’t included in the 27 Club).
I love Best in Show. Fred Willard (RIP) is hilarious in that movie. I love all the films by the Christopher Guest et al comedy troop.
If your son would better understand a mockumentary about the pretentious world of national dog shows, Best in Show would be ideal. If he would better understand the humor of marginally talented amateur play productions, Waiting for Guffman would be perfect. A Mighty Wind would be great to use as a lampoon of folk music. Assuming these films are available for your son’s project, that is.
Have him watch Get Back, so he can see how brilliantly Spinal Tap mocked an actual band situation. At least he’ll get the jokes about David St. Hubbins’ girlfriend screwing everything up…
Between that and The Song remains the Same, it’s amazing how much of TiST comes directly from reality.
But I’d recommend it the other way. Spinal Tap first, then the others. That way he won’t know what to believe. “Is this another parody, dad?” “No, son, this is real. These people paid money to allow other people to make a movie that allowed themselves look this bad.”
Look up some videos of Peter Gabriel era Genesis and some other 70s prog rock bands with outrageous theatrics, to give him a better appreciation of “Stonehenge”, the pods that won’t open/close on cue, etc.
That’s probably best. There are a lot of great suggestions here: Decline of Western Civilization II for the ridiculous excesses of metal like drugs, groupies, and hair; Get Back for band conflicts; the Zeppelin and Who movies for the typical rockumentary; something about prog for the theatrical aspect of concerts in the 70s.
But that’s a lot material for anyone, especially a teenager. It was more about the accumulation of all the bits and pieces over time, not something you can cram in a weekend. I think he can appreciate it fine coming in blind.
Bonus, it will give you something to talk about after the movie. You can give him the history of drummers dying, bands split up by girlfriends, etc.
Agree with everyone that says send him in cold. Half the fun will be watching him figure out some of the jokes. You don’t need prep to get “These go to 11” or “Lick My Love Pump.” Although it would help if he knows Boston has 35 colleges/universities.
