Editing This Is Spinal Tap (section)

==Reception and legacy==

===Contemporaneous  reviews===
[[File:Spinal Tap The Gazette Thu Apr 19 1984.jpg|thumb|Newspaper article from 1984]]
At the time of its release, [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film four out of four and wrote "''This Is Spinal Tap'' is one of the funniest, most intelligent, most original films of the year. The satire has a deft, wicked touch. Spinal Tap is not that much worse than, not that much different from, some successful rock bands."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19850301/REVIEWS/503010301/1023 |title=''This Is Spinal Tap'' Movie Reviews |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606053541/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19850301%2FREVIEWS%2F503010301%2F1023 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Ebert later placed the film on his ten best list of 1984 and would later include it in his Great Movies list in 2001 where he called it "one of the funniest movies ever made".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041215/COMMENTARY/41215001/1023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051113143205/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20041215%2FCOMMENTARY%2F41215001%2F1023 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 13, 2005 |title=Ebert's 10 Best Lists: 1967 to Present |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |access-date=June 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-this-is-spinal-tap-1984 |title=''This Is Spinal Tap'' Movie Review |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=September 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921015131/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-this-is-spinal-tap-1984 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' also awarded four out of four, writing, "It is so well done, in fact, that unless you are clued in beforehand, it might take you a while to realize that the rock group under dissection in ''This Is Spinal Tap'' does not really exist."<ref>[[Gene Siskel|Siskel, Gene]] (March 29, 1984). "'Spinal Tap' a smashing rock parody". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 5, p. 12.</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised it as "a witty, mischievous satire, and it's obviously a labor of love."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |date=March 2, 1984 |title=Film: 'This Is Spinal Tap,' a Mock Documentary |journal=[[The New York Times]] |page=C6}}</ref>

Critics praised the film not only for its satire of the rollercoaster lifestyles of rock stars but also for its take on the non-fiction film genre. David Ansen from ''[[Newsweek]]'' called the film "a satire of the documentary form itself, complete with perfectly faded clips from old TV shows of the band in its mod and flower-child incarnations".<ref name="bestinshow">{{cite book |last=Muir |first=John |title=Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company |publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books |year=2004 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bestinshowfilmso00muir/page/31 31] |isbn=9781557836090 |url=https://archive.org/details/bestinshowfilmso00muir | url-access = registration}}</ref>

Even with cameos from [[Anjelica Huston]], [[Billy Crystal]] and [[Patrick Macnee]], ''Spinal Tap'' still managed to trick many of its moviegoers into believing the band existed. Reiner observed that "when ''Spinal Tap'' initially came out, everybody thought it was a real band... the reason it did go over everybody's head was that it was very close to home".<ref name="newsweek">{{cite book |last=Yabroff |first=Jennie |title=The Real Spinal Tap |publisher=[[Newsweek]] |year=2009}}</ref>

===Retrospective assessment===
''This Is Spinal Tap'' is widely regarded as one of the best films of 1984.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/1984.html |title=The Greatest Films of 1984 |publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC Filmsite.org]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730/http://www.filmsite.org/1984.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1984/15492765 |title=The 10 Best Movies of 1984 |publisher=[[RealNetworks|Film.com]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204103324/http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1984/15492765 |archive-date=December 4, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.films101.com/y1984r.htm |title=The Best Movies of 1984 by Rank |publisher=Films101.com |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=May 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530/http://www.films101.com/y1984r.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The film holds a 96% rating on the review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 67 reviews, with an average rating of 8.60/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Smartly directed, brilliantly acted, and packed with endlessly quotable moments, ''This Is Spinal Tap'' is an all-time comedy classic."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/this_is_spinal_tap/ |title=''This Is Spinal Tap'' Movie Reviews, Pictures |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=October 1, 2023 |archive-date=March 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322063219/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/this_is_spinal_tap |url-status=live}}</ref> On {{MC film|1=<!-- score -->92|2=<!-- reviews -->30}}<ref>{{cite Metacritic|id=this-is-spinal-tap|type=movie|title=This Is Spinal Tap|access-date=March 13, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2002, ''This Is Spinal Tap'' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the [[Library of Congress]] and was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lifewhile.com/news/1844398/detail.html |title='Spinal Tap,' 'Alien' Make National Film Registry |publisher=Lifewhile |date=December 18, 2002 |access-date=January 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127195035/http://www.lifewhile.com/news/1844398/detail.html |archive-date=January 27, 2013}}</ref>

In 2000, the [[American Film Institute]] placed the film at number 29 in its  [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs|100 Years…100 Laughs]] list.<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=August 5, 2016 |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624052741/http://afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2008, ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine ranked ''This Is Spinal Tap'' #48 on its list of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies/ |title=''Empire's'' The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=January 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106073144/http://www.empireonline.com/500/89.asp |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' placed the film on their list of ''The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |title=The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made |date=April 29, 2003 | access-date=May 25, 2010 | archive-date=March 29, 2005 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050329013532/http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html | url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2010, ''[[Total Film]]'' placed ''This Is Spinal Tap'' on its list of ''The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/100-greatest-movies-of-all-time/page:10 |title=Total Film features: 100 Greatest Movies of All Time |magazine=[[Total Film]] |access-date=August 23, 2010 |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105235505/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/100-greatest-movies-of-all-time/page:10 |url-status=live}}</ref> When ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' compiled their list of ''The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time'', the publication included the film as "just too beloved to ignore".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=http://www.filmsite.org/ew100.html |title=Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time |publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC Filmsite.org]] |access-date=August 23, 2010 |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331185517/http://www.filmsite.org/ew100.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out London]]'' named it the best comedy film of all time.<ref>{{cite web |title=100 Best Comedy Movies |work=Time Out Worldwide |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/100-best-comedy-movies |publisher=Time Out London|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-date=January 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131112257/http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/1352/100-best-comedy-films-the-list/20|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2015, the film was ranked the 11th funniest screenplay by the [[Writers Guild of America]] in its list of ''101 Funniest Screenplays''.<ref>{{cite news |title=101 Funniest Screenplays List |url=http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=5949 |work=Writers Guild of America, West |date=November 11, 2015|access-date=April 25, 2019|archive-date=February 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202091302/http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=5949|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Stephen Sondheim]] listed it among his favorite films of all time.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Swapnil Dhruv |last=Bose |title=Stephen Sondheim once named his 40 favourite films of all time |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/stephen-sondheim-40-favourite-films-of-all-time/ |magazine=[[Far Out Magazine]] |access-date=July 1, 2022 |date=November 29, 2021}}</ref>

This Is Spinal Tap at 35: Tribeca Film Festival (The Guardian)<ref>{{cite news |title=This Is Spinal Tap at 35: Tribeca Film Festival |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/28/this-is-spinal-tap-tribeca-film-festival |work=The Guardian, West |date=April 28, 2019|access-date=April 28, 2019|archive-date=April 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428184233/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/28/this-is-spinal-tap-tribeca-film-festival|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Reactions from musicians===
{{Missing information|section|proper citations|date=July 2023}}[[File:Spinal Tap 2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Cover for ''Shark Sandwich'', one of the band's fictional albums]]
The film resonated with many musicians. [[Jimmy Page]], [[Robert Plant]], [[Jerry Cantrell]], [[Dee Snider]] and [[Ozzy Osbourne]] all reported that, like Spinal Tap, they had become lost in confusing arena backstage hallways trying to make their way to the stage.<ref>See the notes for ''Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978'', Rhino Records, 2002.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7287549/qa_robert_plant |title=Q&A: Robert Plant |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=January 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525232559/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7287549/qa_robert_plant/ |archive-date=May 25, 2009}}</ref><ref name=DuNoyer>Paul Du Noyer, "Who the hell does Jimmy Page think he is?", ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine, August 1988, p. 7.</ref> When [[Dokken]]'s [[George Lynch (musician)|George Lynch]] saw the film he is said to have exclaimed, "That's us! How'd they make a movie about us?"<ref name="bangyourhead">{{cite book |last=Konow |first=David |title=Bang Your Head |publisher=Three Rivers Press |year=2002 |pages=216–217 |isbn=0-609-80732-3}}</ref> [[Glenn Danzig]] had a similar reaction when comparing Spinal Tap to his former band [[Misfits (band)|the Misfits]] saying, "When I first saw Spinal Tap, I was like, 'Hey, this is my old band.'"<ref name="americanhardcore">{{cite book |last=Blush |first=Steven | author-link = Steven Blush |editor=George Petros | editor-link = George Petros |title=[[American Hardcore: A Tribal History]] |publisher=[[Feral House]] |year=2001 |page=207 |isbn=0-922915-71-7}}</ref>

[[Lars Ulrich]] told a press conference crowd that the 1992 [[Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour]] seemed "so Spinal Tap." This tour was in support of [[Metallica]]'s own "[[Metallica (album)|black album]]". Shortly after the tour started, Metallica's [[James Hetfield]] suffered third-degree burns on his arms after he stood too close to a pyrotechnic device. Earlier in that tour, backstage at [[The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert]], Metallica met with Spinal Tap and discussed how their "black album" was a homage to Spinal Tap's ''Smell the Glove''. This was captured on the Metallica DVD ''[[A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica]]''.

In a 1992 interview, [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] explained declining an offer to be part of the film [[Singles (1992 film)|''Singles'']]. [[Kurt Cobain]] goes on to say, "There's never really been a good documentary on rock and roll bands." [[Dave Grohl]] then cuts in saying, "Except for ''Spinal Tap'', [that] was the only rock movie worth watching," which Cobain agreed with, as well as mentioning ''[[Dont Look Back]]'', by D.A. Pennebaker.

According to a 1997 interview in ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine with [[Aerosmith]] rhythm guitarist [[Brad Whitford]], "The first time [[Steven Tyler|Steven [Tyler]]] saw it he didn't see any humor in it." When the film was released, Aerosmith's then-latest album, ''[[Rock in a Hard Place]]'', depicted Stonehenge prominently on the cover.

[[U2]] guitarist [[The Edge]] said in the documentary ''[[It Might Get Loud]]'' that when he first saw ''Spinal Tap'', "I didn't laugh: I wept," because it summed up what a brainless swamp big-label rock music had become.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/08/it_might_get_loud_movie_review.html |title='It Might Get Loud' Movie Review: Documentary Puts Three Guitar Gods Center Stage |date=August 14, 2009 |publisher=[[New Jersey On-Line]] |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=March 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310163607/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/08/it_might_get_loud_movie_review.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2023 interview [[Chris Frantz]] of [[Talking Heads]] said "we watched ''Spinal Tap'' and I thought, ohh, I can never take myself seriously again."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tannenbaum |first1=Rob |title=A once-in-a-lifetime reunion: Talking Heads on 'Stop Making Sense', the Big Suit and their future |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-09-20/talking-heads-stop-making-sense-rerelease |access-date=20 September 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=20 September 2023}}</ref>

=== Use of ''Spinal Tap'' as a descriptive term ===
{{Missing information|section|proper citations|date=July 2023}}
It became a common insult for a pretentious band to be told they were funnier than Spinal Tap. As [[George Lynch (musician)|George Lynch]] put it, the more seriously a band took themselves, the more they resembled Spinal Tap.<ref name="bangyourhead" /> After seeing a 1986 performance by metal band [[Venom (band)|Venom]], singer [[Henry Rollins]] compared them to Spinal Tap.<ref>Rollins, Henry, ''Get In The Van: On The Road With Black Flag'', 2.13.61 Publications, 1994</ref> In their respective ''[[Behind the Music]]'' episodes, [[Quiet Riot]]'s [[Rudy Sarzo]] and [[Ratt]]'s [[Robbin Crosby]] compared their own bands to Spinal Tap to some extent. For example, as a parallel to the "Shit Sandwich" incident<!-- Any context on what "Shit Sandwich" is? Or is it a misspelling of "Shark Sandwich"? -->, Quiet Riot's fourth album ''[[Condition Critical]]'' was given the two-word review of "Prognosis: Terminal" by [[J. D. Considine]] in ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'' magazine. His review of the short-lived band [[GTR (band)|GTR]]'s eponymous [[GTR (album)|debut LP]] in the same magazine was "SHT". [[R.E.M.]]'s [[Mike Mills]] described the band's early tours as "very Spinal Tap", citing, among other things, they had played at a United States Air Force base.

[[Judas Priest]], the heavy metal band that Rob Reiner saw in preparation for the film, has had many drummers in its career (eight in total), which the website ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]'' described as "positively Spinal Tap-worthy".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/judas-priest-lineup-changes/ |title=Judas Priest Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide |work=Ultimate Classic Rock |first=Eduardo |last=Rivadavia |date=December 6, 2014 | access-date=November 1, 2018 | archive-date=October 26, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026090250/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/judas-priest-lineup-changes/ | url-status=live}}</ref> [[Marillion]] guitarist [[Steve Rothery]] later described the run of five drummers in a year between his band's first two albums as "like Spinal Tap".<ref>{{cite book |author=Sterling C. Whitaker |title=Unsung Heroes of Rock Guitar |year=2003 |page=228 |publisher=Booksurge Publishing |isbn=978-1591097587}}</ref> In the [[Pearl Jam]] documentary ''[[Pearl Jam Twenty]]'', the members jokingly refer to the fact that while the core lineup of the group has remained unchanged (singer [[Eddie Vedder]], guitarists [[Mike McCready]] and [[Stone Gossard]], and bassist [[Jeff Ament]]), the band has had five drummers. They describe this as "very Spinal Tap of us". In the documentary, a mock silent film called ''The Drummer Story'' is shown explaining what happened to their previous drummers. In it, one of them is almost eaten by a sea monster, only to be rescued by [[Eddie Vedder]], playing a lifeguard.

The Canadian heavy metal band [[Anvil (band)|Anvil]], whose drummer is named Robb Reiner, have been called "the real Spinal Tap" based on the misadventures depicted in their documentary ''[[Anvil! The Story of Anvil]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spinner.com/2010/11/25/real-life-spinal-tap-anvil-sign-record-deal |title='Real Life Spinal Tap' Anvil Sign Record Deal |work=Spinner |date=November 25, 2010 |access-date=January 7, 2012 |archive-date=March 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314125546/http://www.spinner.com/2010/11/25/real-life-spinal-tap-anvil-sign-record-deal |url-status=dead}}</ref>