Wednesday, June 01, 2011

This is Spinal Tap ("It's such a fine line between stupid and clever")

I have not seen this film for a very long time… just about the only thing I remember is the basic plot, and mine (and practically everyone else’s) favorite part in the movie, the funny line of, “But these go to eleven…” If you have heard of this line before, congrats, you now know it was from Spinal Tap. If you have never heard it before, then watch the movie to understand the context. It’s funny. Regardless, everyone should just watch the movie. Go now, stop reading, just go watch it.

The film is a documentary, or rather a mockumentary. The movie makers follow the bad around and do all of the things a normal documentary would do, filming the band, interviews, filming and interviewing the fans, showing the general backstage process etc… what makes the film hilarious is the fact that it IS a mockumentary. Imagine that rocker guy from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you know, the crazy one? Ya, the one who humped the chess pieces, imagine him, but a band full of them, and slightly less sexually aware. His distinct opening line (after the music video scene) involves a lost sandal. The words he uses to describe his sandal, sort of clueless with a British accent, describing his lost sandal as the “fellow” to the other, like his lost sandal would need a description even after he holds up the other one, really reminded me of the Spinal Tap mock attitude.

My advice, go on Netflix (if you have it, if not look it up online, or rent it) and pull up Spinal Tap. Watch it. Enjoy. The audience member who enjoys this movie I feel has to be with the right sort of people, and have the right sort of attitude towards this type of comedy.

Overall, I loved watching the movie, and I enjoyed the documentary-type style of the film. The characters were quite funny, but really it was funnier also because there has to be famous people, movie stars, or rock stars, musicians, who would act this way sometimes. I suppose that’s a little disturbing too… it always makes me sad when I watch a movie and really like one of the actors or actresses and then it is revealed to me in some way or manner that that actor or actress is a jerk or an a**hole. I feel like that is disappointing because of the fantasy actors create; they play these characters and people love (or hate) them for the characters instead of the person. For some reason this film reminded me of that fact watching it this time around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll7rWiY5obI

^ the "eleven" clip

1 comment:

Vladigogo said...

Such a classic.