Editing This Is Spinal Tap (section)

===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>