This Is Spinal Tap - 35 Years Old

[gilbertharding]

Oh it's wonderful.

"I've been working with this for about half an hour..."

"Everything has to be folded..."

"Look it's no big deal it's a joke."

My favourite line is: "would you be holding this?"

"I'll rise above it."

[Jerzy Bondov]

Extended version of the bread scene featuring 'a little circular nignog going RRRR' and some other top funny racism.

[St_Eddie]

I've only just got this joke, literally just now, after killing it round my brain all day, purely on account of seeing your post.

Same here.  I also only just noticed the name of "Peter 'James' Bond" within the same scene.  There's so many hidden treasures within this classic.

"I'll rise above it."

My favourite line from that scene is "why would you keep folding it?".  Nigel's complete inability to recognise that he only needs to fold the ham and not the bread is brilliant.

...featuring 'a little circular nignog going RRRR' and some other top funny racism.

I'm glad that they cut that improvisation out of the final edit.  It might be in character but at the same time, it's important that we, the viewer, like these people.  The inclusion of those moments wouldn't have aided in that likability.

[Ferris]

Oh it's wonderful.

"I've been working with this for about half an hour..."

"Everything has to be folded..."

"Look it's no big deal it's a joke."

My favourite line is: "would you be holding this?"

"No! Exactly! So that's... A... Exhibit A..."

[gilbertharding]

I'm glad that they cut that improvisation out of the final edit.  It might be in character but at the same time, it's important that we, the viewer, like these people.  The inclusion of those moments wouldn't have aided in that likability.

I posted earlier that I'd read that they even edited the film in character - but I'd never imagined what kind of things they (Nigel, David and Derek) might have cut.

Marty:  You play to predominantly, uh predominantly a white audience,
            you feel your music is racist in any way?
David:  no!
Nigel:  No, no, of course not....
David:  We pro...we say, we say "love your brother", we don't say it,
            really, but..
Nigel:  We don't literally say it.
David:  No, we don't say it ...at all.
Nigel:   No, we don't literally mean it, but we're not racists.
David:  No, we don't believe it either, but...that message should
           be clear anyway.
Nigel:  We're anything but racists.

[gilbertharding]

Derek:  You know, we've grown musically...I mean, listen to some of
            the rubbish we did early on, it was  stupid...
Marty:  Yeah.
Derek:  ...you know. Now, I mean a song like "Sex Farm", we've taken the
            sophisticated view of the idea of sex, you know, and music-
Marty:  ...and put it on a farm?
Derek:  Yeah.

[QDRPHNC]

My favourite line from that scene is "why would you keep folding it?".  Nigel's complete inability to recognise that he only needs to fold the ham and not the bread is brilliant.

I don't think that's quite it though, it's that he realizes his mistake after Ian shows him how to fold it, but is dead set on having the tantrum he is now invested in, knowing that Ian has no choice but to indulge him.

[Ferris]

I don't think that's quite it though, it's that he realizes his mistake after Ian shows him how to fold it, but is dead set on having the tantrum he is now invested in, knowing that Ian has no choice but to indulge him.

Ooh now actually I disagree - I think Nigel is this naive. He has "folding" in his head, like he knows folding is an integral part of the small sandwich composition, but his first few cracks at it have left him too frustrated to think clearly so he is stuck in a frustrating loop of folding things and complaining to Ian about it. The setup of the scene is that Ian has been summoned to the dressing room to hear Nigel's complaints - I don't think Nige would summon him if he was aware he might look stupid (especially with a film crew about).

It's alright, it's alright... I am a professional, and I'll move past it.

[QDRPHNC]

Ooh now actually I disagree - I think Nigel is this naive. He has "folding" in his head, like he knows folding is an integral part of the small sandwich composition, but his first few cracks at it have left him too frustrated to think clearly so he is stuck in a frustrating loop of folding things and complaining to Ian about it. The setup of the scene is that Ian has been summoned to the dressing room to hear Nigel's complaints - I don't think Nige would summon him if he was aware he might look stupid (especially with a film crew about).

It's alright, it's alright... I am a professional, and I'll move past it.

I think at first the problem is that he genuinely doesn't know how to fold it - but notice how he subtly shifts the goalposts after Ian shows him how it's done.

"Yes, but if you keep folding it..."
"Why would you keep folding it?"

[thraxx]

I think at first the problem is that he genuinely doesn't know how to fold it - but notice how he subtly shifts the goalposts after Ian shows him how it's done.

"Yes, but if you keep folding it..."
"Why would you keep folding it?"

"Everything must be folded"

[DrGreggles]

"I've been working with this for about half an hour..."

And you know that's not even an exaggeration.

[Ferris]

I think at first the problem is that he genuinely doesn't know how to fold it - but notice how he subtly shifts the goalposts after Ian shows him how it's done.

"Yes, but if you keep folding it..."
"Why would you keep folding it?"

I think that's a response to Ian offering a potential solution - the setup being that Nigel is affronted that anyone would even try to explain this (obviously faulty) miniature bread, especially after he, Nigel, has already investigated and found it to be lacking (and even summoned his manager to complain to about the whole setup).

The fact that it's fine has passed him by completely.

[QDRPHNC]

I do not agree with your interpretation, but I respect it.

My favourite line from that scene: SO IT'S A COMPLETE CATASTROPHE

[thraxx]

Been meaning to post that what makes the songs in this so good is that apart from the lyrics each of the songs is a really good song. Well crafted and produced. They understand that at the heart of a comedy song song, is a good song.

They easily stand on their own as songs in their own right. Rock and Roll Creation and Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight are amazing. In that one I love the way that after the guitar break down in the middle, the guitar solo struts back in to be met with the organ.

[Ferris]

I do not agree with your interpretation, but I respect it.

My favourite line from that scene: SO IT'S A COMPLETE CATASTROPHE

Rest assured, it will be the sole topic of discussion next Tuesday

[Twed]

Has anybody figured out how old the band members in Spinal Tap were supposed to be? I think it fills out the idea of them being a band with waning popularity. To me (and I could do the sums to figure it out, but it's more fun to speculate) they're early-mid 30s and facing the prospect of actual middle-age settling in.

[DrGreggles]

Has anybody figured out how old the band members in Spinal Tap were supposed to be? I think it fills out the idea of them being a band with waning popularity. To me (and I could do the sums to figure it out, but it's more fun to speculate) they're early-mid 30s and facing the prospect of actual middle-age settling in.

I think they're mid/late 30s in 1982, which would make them late teens/20 when Spinal Tap formed.

Guest, McKean and Shearer would have been about that age anyway.

[QDRPHNC]

At that party, doesn't a journalist tell them they look great for 40?

[McChesney Duntz]

Yeah, think that was John "Stumpy" Pepys. Wasn't the other one called Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs"?

The brilliance of that one - which took me years to realize - was that they were referencing the Three Stooges (Curly was replaced by "Curly Joe"). And then they topped it by naming the last drummer we see Joe "Mama" Besser, a double joke (Joe "Mama" = "Yo Mama" & Joe Besser, the guy who himself replaced Curly Joe, if I have my Stooges mythology correct).

And corrected I stand on the "jog" thing. Though, in my defense, "john" would have worked equally well given the "we don't have time for that" response. But I now prefer the "jog" interpretation - even mild implied scatology usually leaves me somewhat cold (which opens up a whole big can* of worms dubiously worthy of investigation); this improves on it.

* Which reminds me of one of two moments where the cast's otherwise-convincing Englishness falters: Tufnel referring to tuna "cans" when he'd be calling them "tins," wouldn't he? (The other being at the tour-opening party near the beginning, where they seem bewildered by the name "Soho.")

[a duncandisorderly]

B.A Robertson interviews one of the possible inspirations for tufnel, dave edmunds, who one found captain sensible lying in his own vomit "or possibly someone else's".

I often though tufnel was based on jeff beck- he certainly looks like him, but here's dave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-KjEiB2oTQ

[Ferris]

B.A Robertson interviews one of the possible inspirations for tufnel, dave edmunds, who one found captain sensible lying in his own vomit "or possibly someone else's".

I often though tufnel was based on jeff beck- he certainly looks like him, but here's dave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-KjEiB2oTQ

I'll second the Jeff Beck assumption. They have the same hair and everything

Edit: come on

[dallasman]

Man, there's a lot of "contact high" laughs in this thread, just being reminded of things you've laughed at countless times before.

"I'll rise above it."

I like the emphatic "it's not gonna affect my performance", but it's hard to single out the best line from such a hilarious performance, and they come thick and fast there in the wrap-up.

Derek:  You know, we've grown musically...I mean, listen to some of
            the rubbish we did early on, it was  stupid...
Marty:  Yeah.
Derek:  ...you know. Now, I mean a song like "Sex Farm", we've taken the
            sophisticated view of the idea of sex, you know, and music-
Marty:  ...and put it on a farm?
Derek:  Yeah.

Another favourite bit! Reiner is an incredible straight man in these, as has been noted.

Nigel Tufnel is obviously a take-off on Eric Clapton, both being london place names.

Not obvious to all; that's good trivia. Or theory, depending. They must have been asked about the names?

I also note with some regret that everyone seems to have skipped my post where I explained the Isle Of Lucy joke. And the one with the whole bread bit written out. Ignore script strikes again, I guess. Look, I don't know what you've heard, but I'm a nice guy with things to contribute. If someone told you I am a troll from somewhere called DSMO, they're repeating a rumour started by an unbalanced person, based entirely on their own demented imaginings. It's not true, and my avatar is just a funny face I painted for fun. Enough with the persecution! Turn off your ignore scripts and let me delight and inform you as you delight and inform me....I'm joking of course.

[dallasman]

Tufnel referring to tuna "cans" when he'd be calling them "tins," wouldn't he?

Can a tuna can tuna violin?

[dallasman]

On second thoughts, I think I'll go along with "why would you keep folding it?" because Tony Hendra is so great at letting Guest just go, while still seemingly trying to sort it out and appear understanding.

[Doomy Dwyer]

It's ridiculously perfect, just overflowing with riches, repays repeated viewings and is only 1hr twenty minutes long.

One of my favourite bits is Davids hurried disavowal of Jazz Odyssey -

"On bass, Derek Smalls. He wrote this." Not so much accrediting as accusing.

Then there's the confusion over the intricacies of the twenty-four hour clock during the gig at the military base -

"So that's... forty hours?"

"A hundred and twenty hours??"

For a band famed for their punctuality, that's unforgivable ignorance.

[St_Eddie]

Ooh now actually I disagree - I think Nigel is this naive.

Agreed.

[famethrowa]

Agreed.

Well it's not your job to be as confused as Nigel!

[Jerzy Bondov]

How great is Fred Willard in this? All of this:

'May I start by saying how thrilled we are to have you here. We are such fans of your music. All of your records. I'm not speaking of yours personally but the whole genre of the rock and roll and all the exciting things that are happening in music today. Now let me tell you a bit about what's going on. This is our monthly at-ease weekend. It gives us a chance to kind of let down our hair, although I see you all have a head start on that. *Laughing* You guys wouldn't pass military muster, believe me. Although I shouldn't talk, my hair is getting a little shaggy too. Better not get too close to you, they'll think I'm part of the band. I'm joking of course.'

AMAZING

[DrGreggles]

How great is Fred Willard in this?

He's amazing in all the Guest films too.
A real Tour de France.

[Jerzy Bondov]

Hey, wha' happen?!