This Is Spinal Tap

[the science eel]

Some of the things people said to / about me on the old Withnail and I thread...

'You are a truly horrible, nasty human being I want nothing at all to do with.'

'I will not concede most of the other shit he writes. Especially as he is a paedophile.'

'This is the behaviour of an unredeemable [sic] wanker.'

Meant to say - altho' I'm another who loves Withnail, I'm not blind to its flaws. Richard E. Grant's performance has most of them, I think.

But if you've got anything negative to say about Uncle Monty then I'm afraid me and you are going to have words...

[the science eel]

oh,

NEW PAGE SIMON

or whatever nonsense you cunts like to say

[checkoutgirl]

I agree For Your Consideration is complete underpants. Just flat and rubbish with added Gervais jumping on the Guest bandwagon a decade too late.

[Sydward Lartle]

It's not Richard E Grant's performance that grips my shit (delightful phrase) in Withnail and I so much as Paul McGann's. As a gay friend of mine once said "McGann's adorable but he can't act for shit".

[mobias]

One of the best scenes from A Mighty Wind is one thats not even in the actual movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK5GNNZfsfE

I'd like to see Waiting for Guffman again. I think I've only seen it once.

[xxxx xxx x xxx]

or whatever nonsense you cunts like to say

Can I raise a practical question at this point?

[DrGreggles]

For me 'This Is Spinal Tap' is the greatest comedy film ever made.
So many memorable moments/scenes/lines/performances.
It's as close to perfection as a comedy can get IMHO.

I actually briefly met Harry Shearer a few years ago and asked him where the twin-necked bass was now.
He just said "I wish I knew".

[DrGreggles]

Oh, and 'A Mighty Wind' is ace too.
Not as ace as all Guest's other films*, but still ace.

*I've chosen to pretend that 'For Your Consideration' never happened

[Ringside]

The legend "Puppet show and Spinal Tap" is a bit good though isn't it?

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

sorry an almighty bump, and fuck knows I don't want to set eel off again, but does anyone here have/know where to download the 4-5 hour first cut/work print? One of my all time favourite films but I've never managed (bothered hard enough) to find the longer one. I'm aware of the sometimes dire quality but I watched the film for the first time in ages the other week and fancy blowing an afternoon off on the longer version and finally getting it out of my system.

Was an edit ever made using the finished film, criterion/mgm deleted scenes and what was left over from the work print? I imagine it'd be irritating flashing between three very different sources over 4 hours but still..

[Shit Good Nose]

It must be out there somewhere cos I've seen it, albeit a ropey high generation VHS copy.

From memory, the best of the cut stuff is all on the Criterion and subsequent special edition releases, whilst the remaining hour or so that has yet to be officially released on anything is a bit of something and nothing - existing scenes that carry on unnecessarily and without further punchline, joke set-ups that never really get there, repetitions of jokes and moments from elsewhere in the film...  There are a few wry smiles, but no guffaws, and everything that was brilliant in amongst that extra footage IS in the final film, even if it's only snippets.  It's a bit like the Apocalypse Now workprint - all the good and/or thematically important stuff made it into Redux, whilst everything else has just stayed as dodgy archive images and really is diminishing returns.

Honestly, The Return of Spinal Tap (which I like an awful lot, and have never really understood the drubbing it got from critics and fans alike) is a better watch.

[Blumf]

There's a 270min workprint on MySpleen

[manticore]

I wished I hadn't watched the out-takes on the 'special edition' because they show the group members being horrible in classic rock star fashion to various people, which undermines the proper film's portrayal of them as essentially likeable characters, which was part of its charm. I also hate the whole Spinal Tap industry that came after, which undermined the critical content of the film.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

It must be out there somewhere cos I've seen it, albeit a ropey high generation VHS copy.

From memory, the best of the cut stuff is all on the Criterion and subsequent special edition releases, whilst the remaining hour or so that has yet to be officially released on anything is a bit of something and nothing - existing scenes that carry on unnecessarily and without further punchline, joke set-ups that never really get there, repetitions of jokes and moments from elsewhere in the film...  There are a few wry smiles, but no guffaws, and everything that was brilliant in amongst that extra footage IS in the final film, even if it's only snippets.

Oh yeah, course, I'm certainly not expecting to sit there aghast thinking "this is all gold!" I was just utterly obsessed with the film when I first watched it as a teenager, read about the first cut in the Spinal Tap A-Z and that itch has been there unscratched ever since haha. Luckily my expectations are a lot more realistic 15 years later!

I've seen the full Rainbow Trout Studio scene and post Stonehenge argument and I certainly agree that they used all that was necessary from each in the final film but it's still interesting to see the rest.

[Paaaaul]

There's a 270min workprint on MySpleen

Blimey. I uploaded it there 10 years ago and it's still going!

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

Ha! How easy is it to get on myspleen?

[Blumf]

Ha! How easy is it to get on myspleen?

Looks like their invites are off at the moment (and have been for a while), so.... Paaaaul?

[Paaaaul]

Yep, I can't do an invite either.
Rich Uncle Skeleton - PM me your address, and I'll send you a DVD copy.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

Thatd be really kind thanks a lot I'll PayPal you the postage