# I just saw Spinal Tap!!! At the movies! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173 "2007-01-30T21:45:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/21 "2007-01-31T01:06:43Z")
Who can forget this memorable exchange? Derek Smalls: We’re lucky. David St. Hubbins: Yeah. Derek Smalls: I mean, people should be envying us, you know. David St. Hubbins: I envy us. Derek Smalls: Yeah. David St. Hubbins: I do. Derek Smalls: Me too. Really says it all about narcissistic character traits, doesn’t it? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/22 "2007-01-31T02:42:04Z")
[QUOTE=wolf\_meister] Puppet Show & Spinal Tap [/QUOTE] I told them and told them: “Spinal Tap!” Then puppet show. Or something like that. Don’t have a reference close to hand. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/23 "2007-01-31T02:50:48Z")
the brilliance of this movie cannot be overstated. What’s so funny is that Christopher Guest and Michael McKean are both great guitarists - they met talking about guitars. The authenticity is clearly from deep personal knowledge…which they then twisted to their own satiric ends… ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/24 "2007-01-31T02:55:55Z")
Almost forgot – [Nigel Tufnel designed my air conditioner](http://www.sirblah.com/photo/view.php?album=Misc&pic=Misc018.JPG&picindex=17). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/25 "2007-01-31T02:57:10Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] I watched this movie for the first time in the theater when it first came out. It was me and a friend and about 8 other people scattered throughout the theater. There were only 2 people laughing. It felt a bit odd. [/QUOTE] That doesn’t mean that the movie was unpopular. No, no, no… it’s that its audience was becoming more selective. Yes, that’s right. More selective. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/26 "2007-01-31T02:57:44Z")
To me the funniest part was when they were going on stage “Yeah! Rock on! Whoooo!” and then they got lost. . … ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/27 "2007-01-31T03:02:07Z")
One of my favorite parts is when the limo driver(Bruno Kirby) meets them at the airport holding up a sign that says “Spinal Pap”. Also, Shit sandwhich always cracks me up. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/28 "2007-01-31T03:10:43Z")
Most quotable movie ever. Every time someone at work starts ranting about how much their job sucks, I say, “There’s no sex and drugs for Ian.” The sad part is how often the songs from this “fake band” get stuck in my head. [A lot of people on my Christmas list got this T-shirt this year](http://www.burnswell.com/product_info.php?products_id=2&osCsid=d53145764683f2e1f3912355639a8465). (Got one for myself as well, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/29 "2007-01-31T03:15:27Z")
Pete Townshend’s take on _Spinal Tap_, et al: Q:The internet has spawned more than a few “Greatest Rock Band of All Time” debates. So, for the record, your opinion: Spinal Tap, The Rutles, or Tenacious D? PT:They are all vital historical documents without which we would have been unable to see, and laugh at, the pretensions, pomposity and absurdity of rock stars. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/30 "2007-01-31T03:45:46Z")
The one that gets me every time is the airport security screening. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/31 "2007-01-31T04:54:17Z")
When I got the DVD, the opening menu alone is worth the price: “Oooh, black.” “Yeah, but it’s relaxing. It’s like, a pastel black.” ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/32 "2007-01-31T04:57:28Z")
I forgot to say, there’s two kinds of people in this world: the ones that think that the amps going to eleven is stupid and the ones who think it’s genius at it’s coolest. I am of the second variety. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/33 "2007-01-31T06:06:46Z")
**Hal** - that is quite the air conditioner. No doubt it has one million BTU’s of rock and roll energy. Legendary guitar designer, innovator and guru, the late Ernie Ball, made a limited edition Nigel Tufnel guitar in 2001. Click [here](http://www.ernieball.com/clb/clbspinaltap.html) to see several photos and a detailed explanation. Here’s something you might find very interesting. Here’s how Christopher Guest (aka Nigel Tufnel) met his wife. (Well actually it’s how she found _him_.) > [@](#): > > [Jamie Lee Curtis] saw her future husband Christopher Guest in the issue of “Rolling Stone” magazine (with Cyndi Lauper on the cover). Guest appeared in a promotional photo for the film “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984) in full costume and makeup as a rock star. She fell in love at first sight of the photo and gave her telephone number to his agent. … and the [link](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000130/bio) to that story. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/34 "2007-01-31T07:41:39Z")
I have seen this film about 15-20 times. It’s one of my all-time faves. Beware the “bonus” scenes that come with the DVD. They are excruciatingly bad. I wish I had never seen them. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/35 "2007-01-31T12:53:49Z")
For reasons that you don’t need to know I once watched this film (on video) with a more or less captive audience of coworkers, they had no idea that Tap weren’t a “real” band. I confused the issue by also showing _The Song Remains the Same._ They couldn’t tell the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/36 "2007-01-31T13:02:41Z")
So, did they turn the projector up to eleven? ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/37 "2007-01-31T14:43:49Z")
My husband first dusted this movie off when my son was about 4 1/2 or 5. Spinal Tap quickly became the little guy’s favorite band and “his” new band’s name became Spinal Tap also, as he announced in karate one day. I seem to recall me having to grab his arm and give him a clenched teeth warning when he wouldn’t stop singing “Big Bottom” at Baptist Day Care. Our guinea pig Arthur became Artie Fumpkin, Polymer Records. The kid gets it’s a joke now, but still loves to play whichever Tap song is in Guitar Hero II. Hey, did you see that some credit card is using “Give Me Some Money” in a commercial? ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/38 "2007-01-31T15:26:29Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Nigel Tufnel: “In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, an ancient race of people… the Druids. No one knows who they were or what they were doing…” [/QUOTE] Looks they know now. [Stonehenge village found](http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2007-01-30-stonehenge-village_x.htm) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/39 "2007-01-31T15:42:45Z")
[QUOTE=h.sapiens] Nitpick: it’s “Lick My Love Pump.” [/QUOTE] OK, smart guy: In what other movie was that song quoted? Favorite line: “I’m sure I’d be more upset about it if I weren’t so heavily sedated.” ---
**Author:** ![Barrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Barrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrington)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173/40 "2007-01-31T16:34:43Z")
In the _Spinal Tap_ genre, it’s worth mentioning [Bad News](http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bad+news+comic+strip&search=Search), a creation of the British comedy team **Comic Strip**. Their two programmes in the TV series _The Comic Strip Presents_ are pretty damned funny, although less subtle than _Spinal Tap_. The _Bad News Tour_ and _More Bad News_ episodes are better than their subsequent work, in my opinion. The parallels between this and _Spinal Tap_, such as the fact that they’re both mockumentaries of heavy rock bands, both casts play their own instruments (and later gigged in character) and so on, are remarkable in that neither production team was aware of the other’s work. A case of parallel evolution, in a sense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-spinal-tap-at-the-movies/390173.md?page=3)