This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition)

A must see for anyone who was ever in a "ROCK" band and or who has been associated with bands for more than a couple of years!!!

This is "Behind The Music" before VH1 and MTV!!! Every facet of every scene was true of someone you may have known, which makes it even more hilarious as all the character's, confrontations, trial's and tribulation's all come together at once... here and now so to speak.

This movie is a highlight reel!!! Too real... too funny ...too close to home!!!

LOVE IT!!!

Does anyone know if this release contains the out-of-character commentary from the critereon?

(the version that came out before the special edition (which featured the hilarious in-character commentary)??

I remember catching this film on MTV many years ago; I caught it about midway through, watched the rest of it (while laughing me bum off), then made a mental note to myself ("I've got to get this movie!"). Well, some twentysomething years later, I now have the Special Edition of THIS IS SPINAL TAP. Better late than never, as they say; was it ever worth the wait.

Tongue-in-cheek parody is comic gold when done well; and this spoof of the heavy metal hair bands of the Eighties simultaneously pokes fun at the genre while paying reverent homage. (Heck, the actors even play their own gigs and songs.) An alleged "documentary", brought to us by legendary (in his own mind) producer/director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner, who did indeed direct the film), THIS IS SPINAL TAP tells the story of England's "loudest" rock band--and of its three core members: lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest); co-lead guitarist and vocalist David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean); and heavily-moustached bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer, whose poorly-played rifts are hysterical). The band is in America on tour to promote its latest album ("Smell The Glove"); over the course of this tour Murphy's Law reigns supreme, to the detriment of the band--and to the delight of the viewer.

From Guest's outlandish lead solos, to McKean's horrific lyrics, to the actors' over-the-top Manchester accents, to "flashbacks" depicting the 18-year history of the band (and its 37 drummers, all victims of bizarre accidents), this "rockumentary" is hard core comedic bliss. All the scenes are improvved; how the actors got through them with straight faces beats the stuffings out of me. (I'm still in stitches over the scene where the band gets lost trying to find the stage from the dressing room.) Oh, and look for brief appearances by the likes of Bruno Kirby, Ed Begley, Jr., and Billy Crystal. Yet after the movie's over, it gets even better. . .

Special features. This Special Edition includes numerous outtakes (some entertaining, some not so entertaining), some "music videos", some "commercials", the theatrical trailers, and a special commentary that puts the proverbial cherry on this sundae. Voiced over by Guest, McKean, and Shearer, the actors reprise their roles as Nigel, David, and Derek, and comment about the film expressing righteous indignation over the "hatchet job" director DiBergi did about their beloved band. Their ad libbed voice-overs, from scene to scene, are just as entertaining as the film itself, making THIS IS SPINAL TAP a crowning comedic experience.
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning

I'd give Tap eleven stars if I could. I'd rate my purchase from Amazon Marketplace (from chinaski77) that high as well. Be sure to know exactly what the seller of this rarer version is ready to give you for your money. Fortunately, I got the best deal I could have imagined. My copy looks like it's missing only the original shrinkwrap. The price I paid is not much more than the original price that Criterion lists. As superior as this version is to the "Special Edition," it's not worth being snookered into paying $100+ for it. Shop with vigilence as much as with "confidence."

Now for the movie. Nothing more to say about Spinal Tap than has already been regurgitated for almost 25 years. You either revere it or don't get it.

As for the difference between Criterion's version and the recent "Special Edition," the former includes a terrific commentary track by director Rob Reiner and his production crew, and an equally great one by actors Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Sheerer. These commentaries go a long way toward giving viewers insight into the creative process gone through to make such a complex comedy. The latter DVD release contains neither of those tracks. Instead it replaces them with one done by the actors in character: Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls commenting on "rockumentary" director Marty DiBergi's portrayal of them. The mock track did nothing special for my viewing experience.

More simply put, if Tap is on your must-have list, the Criterion Collection's release is the one to buy. Finding a rental is very difficult.

This is Spinal Tap has the distinction of being the funniest rockumentary ever created. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer literally become the heavy metal band that they are playing. The movie shot in verite documentary style by Rob Reiner never ceases to hit all the situations of life on the road of a touring band on its last tour. In addition there are many cameos by some of Hollywoods funniest stars.

The disc that I viewed is the MGM Special Edition and it does not disappoint. In addition to a new digital transfer of the film we get the presentation in Dolby 5.1 which adds a lot to the "heavy metal" concert footage.

The disc features an audio commentary done by the band in character, over an hour of deleted scenes, music videos, commercials, an updated interview with Rob Reiner in his Marti DeBergi persona and more.

This is one that is worth checking out.