I finally saw Spinal Tap

One movie that baby boomers often discuss at parties is the musical classic, This is Spinal Tap. Old rock fans with beer guts love to ruminate over this classic film, often comparing it to its cousin, the Ruttles All You Need is Cash. 

The film is presented as a pseudo documentay of a real band and obstensibly, Ozzy Osbourne did not know it was a spoof. In the late eighties I was watching it on tv and turned it off after ten minutes. It looked like a documentary on a band I had never heard of so I channel clicked away from it. The next day I was chastised for missing this classic. "I donnu, I never heard of Spinal Tap. I thought they rememinded me of Grand Funk Railroad. Sorry my bad." Well I didn't say my bad since that expression didn't exist yet. 

Recently I saw it on the cable tv listings and got excited. I was finally going to see Spinal Tap. Turns out it was a premium channel that I didn't get. Not to be defeated, I ordered it through Netflix. 

Finally the dvd arrived (sorry I'm technologically still living in the 00's) and I got to see this gem. It isn't bad, and it does show the banality and pretensions of the heavy rock band scene of the 70's. It has a decent story line, though and has it's moments. I especially liked the Stonehenge bit. 

I felt very clever towards the end, when they were really having trouble filling halls or getting decent engagements. Once, while visiting Japan I was told that everything that was ever big in America is still big in Japan. Folk music from the 60's, polka music, hula hoops, Dixieland, etc. are still big in Japan. I said to myself, "I'll bet they are still big in Japan". Lo and behold, the band finally finds paying gigs in the land of the midnight sun. 

Spinal Tap is, for better or worse, a decent look at the rock life styles of an earlier time. They are the sort of band people in my dorm at Rutgers listened to while smoking w--d. Along with Ummagumma by Pink Floyd. 

I can't wait til Chrismas Eve. I promised myself that I'll play the commentary. It should go well with bacala.