Almanac Film Reviews: Spinal Tap Two – The End Continues

 

I must say as a self -proclaimed aficionado of This Is Spinal Tap, I approached this sequel with trepidation. I was always going to see it immediately but I doubt there’s been a worthy sequel to a classic movie since Godfather 2.

 

My suspicions were somewhat confirmed although Spinal Tap 2 does have plenty of laugh out loud moments. The problem I have is the subtlety.

 

The magic of the original 1984 film was that it looked and felt like a documentary. Considered the first ‘mockumentary’, This Is Spinal Tap was almost entirely improvised.

 

There is one telling scene in the original that is easily missed but it’s a dead set giveaway that what you are about to watch is not a traditional doco.

 

Director Carl Reiner’s character, Marty Di Bergi, provides the introduction and in doing so he goes to cross his arms but he is obstructed by a director’s camera lens which is attached to a lanyard hung around his neck and his arms slowly drop to his side, thinking no one will notice.

 

It signals that this would be the start of something different genre-wise for future film and television making.

 

In the sequel, Reiner attempts something similar with Marti’s introduction but its predictable and has no subtlety. It had my heckles up immediately but thankfully things improved from there.

 

The story is simple. The band get back together after forty years for a reunion concert in New Orleans. The venue, according to bass player Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) was free due to the cancellation of an Evening With Stormy Daniels event.

 

The other two members of the band, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and David St Hubbins (Michael McKean) are still arguing over nothing but they eventually find a drummer after a troubled search based on the tragic history of dead drummers. Didi (Valerie Franco) does a great job, but will she go the distance?

 

There are some excellent cameos in the sequel. A Ricky Gervais favourite, Kerry Godliman plays the former manager Ian Faith’s daughter who takes on management duties.

 

Esteemed actor and writer of The Thick of It, Chris Addison plays a narcissistic consultant for the band’s concert. Elton John, Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks are all funny in their respective spots.

 

The music is excellent, providing all the hits but the film overall feels contrived compared to the original. It’s what I expected really so I wasn’t too disappointed as I love these guys for the joy they’ve given me and Tap fans for four decades.

 

When the first film was released, it played to near empty theatres. People either didn’t ‘get it’, or they just weren’t in the mood for something as intelligent and funny.

 

Slowly but surely This Is Spinal Tap got the recognition it deserved as one of the great cult films of all time. I still find new tiny elements in it that I haven’t seen before even after 20+ viewings.

 

This is a predictable but enjoyable film especially for Spinal Tap fans. 7/10

 

 

 

If you are a Spinal Tap lover, then I can recommend a couple of other films that were produced as real docos but inadvertently feel like This is Spinal Tap.

 

The Story of Anvil (2009) is a wonderful love story between two aging heavy metal rockers who formed a reasonably successful band in Canada in the 80’s. It’s very much a David St Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel story about reforming the band, recording a new album and touring Japan. An absolute ripper of a film.

 

 

And finally Some Kind Of Monster (2004) is the story of Metallica getting back together to record an album after the lead singer returns from rehab. Former 3RRR legendary broadcaster, Leaping Larry L at the time of this film’s release said eloquently, “you would think if you were going to make a doco, the first thing you would agree on, would be, we can’t afford to look like Spinal Tap.” And that’s exactly how this comes across. It also gave the drummer Lars Ulrich the monicker of the most ‘punchable head in the world’. The scenes with the psychologist are priceless and lives of these filthy rich rock stars are at times garish and utterly non-sensical.

 

 

 

More from Ian Wilson can be read Here.

 

 

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