US EditionReview: Spinal Tap Sequel Doesn't Come Close to 11
The sequel revisits the fictional band's reunion sparked by a viral cover, but critics note it lacks the original's freshness and humor, reflecting challenges of legacy sequels.
- Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is now playing in theaters, reuniting Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls for a New Orleans concert after a Garth Brooks cover went viral.
- The reunion stemmed from a contractual reunion clause, and Marty Di Bergi captures the band reuniting after years apart with Faith pushing the comeback.
- The sequel features cameos from music stars such as Paul McCartney and Elton John, and much of the cast improvised scenes while CinemaBlend interviewed the bandmates in character.
- Critics argue the sequel relies too heavily on nostalgia, with one screening showing an empty IMAX cinema and audience members notably absent.
- The original This Is Spinal Tap remains a cult classic with deep cultural influence and institutional recognition, and the Criterion Collection released it on 4K UHD Blu-ray concurrent with the sequel.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Spinal Tap is not responsible for your spontaneous combustion
In 1984, a film premiered that would bring the mockumentary format into the mainstream. Parodying music documentaries such as The Song Remains the Same (1976) and The Last Waltz (1978), it would go on to be a massive cult classic, inspiring such shows as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family. This film was called This is Spinal Tap, a fake documentary following a band struggling to stay together amidst the trials and tribulations o…
41 Years Later, The Most Absurd Movie Experiment Of The '80s Just Got A Huge Upgrade (And A Sequel)
Authorized Spinal Tap LLC/ShutterstockDirector Marty Di Bergi first unleashed This is Spinal Tap on the world in 1984. A documentary chronicling the final North American tour by the titular fading British heavy rock outfit, the film is a look at the flatulent inner workings of the veteran group as the band members’ relationships fray, and everything that could go wrong — from too-small lunch meats in the dressing room to a too-small stage prop f…
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues – laughs are sadly ‘thin on the ground’
It’s hard to overstate the “cultural significance” of Rob Reiner’s spoof “rockumentary” “This Is Spinal Tap”, said Wendy Ide in The Observer. An account of a disastrous US tour by a clueless English rock band, the 1984 film has become “an endlessly quoted cult classic”, regularly cited as one of the funniest comedies ever made. Now, 40-plus years on, Reiner and his cast have reunited for a sequel and, alas, it is unlikely to inspire any such dev…
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