Spinal Tap II chat

[santellavision]

No spoilers here, just fun chat.

Just watched the latest Spinal Tap II. Just great. Laughed the entire time.
Some cool axes in the movie. Christopher Guest plays a ton of different MusicMan and Ibanez guitars. Michael McKean pretty much plays a single PRS the whole time. 
And two funny scenes with Guest about his pedal board, like the old 'Goes to 11' thing. 

I really enjoyed it. We chatted after and I must have missed a ton of funny shit as a friend said, "did you see this and that" and I say, no, I missed it and they missed stuff I caught. There is a TON of subtle signage and quick bits that you really have to watch it a few times to catch it all.  And, watch it all the way, there's some funny interview stuff at the end too.

Can't wait till it comes out to rent.



 

Edited September 13, 2025 by santellavision

[alantig]

Saw it Friday.  I'm sure I missed a lot.  I enjoyed it very much.  There were a couple bits that didn't need to be there, and a couple that could have used a little more fleshing out.  But I wasn't disappointed at all.

McKean used one PRS for the rehearsal stuff (SC245 or SC250 - couldn't read the TRC), and a McCarty SC594 onstage.  Very similar, but different.  I think there was a third as well, plus he also had a Union Jack EBMM onstage when Nigel had the Union Jack St. Vincent.

Can't wait for the Blu-Ray, and I think I'm going this week to pick up the Criterion Collection Blu-Ray of "This Is Spinal Tap".

And yes, the pedalboard thing hit a tad close to home...

Edited September 14, 2025 by alantig

[DaveH]

I might have to check it out. I figured it would be the typical "can't go home" crappy sequel.

[cmatthes]

I saw it on Wednesday with the family and we all enjoyed it.  Seeing it again with our neighbors tonight...

[tommy p]

The critics' reviews have not been good.  I was wondering if people who played would like it more than the average schmo, and I'm glad that's the case.  I won't see it in the theater but I will definitely jump on it as soon as it hits streaming.

[santellavision]

It's just silly humor and lots of musical jokes that musicians get that the average film reviewer wouldn't understand. It's not the 'Godfather' or '2001'.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now, I have to get this t-shirt.

 

[alantig]

2 hours ago, tommy p said:

The critics' reviews have not been good.  I was wondering if people who played would like it more than the average schmo, and I'm glad that's the case.  I won't see it in the theater but I will definitely jump on it as soon as it hits streaming.

Critics rarely appreciate comedies, especially comedies like this.  I seem to recall reading that the original got bad reviews as well.

[Brooks]

4 hours ago, santellavision said:

It's not the 'Godfather' or '2001'.

Last year I rewatched 2001, as I didn't understand it when I saw it decades ago. Still didn't. Went on a deep dive and read that they ended up editing out many scenes that held important plot info due to time constraints. So it actually doesn't make sense, its just visually stunning.

Anyway, I'm a big Tap fan and can't wait to see the new movie. We used to do "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" back in the 80s. "You're sweet but you're just four feet and you still got your baby teeth, you're too young and I'm too well hung, but Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You".......

[kizanski]

58 minutes ago, Brooks said:

Last year I rewatched 2001, as I didn't understand it when I saw it decades ago. Still didn't. Went on a deep dive and read that they ended up editing out many scenes that held important plot info due to time constraints. 

It was 2:30 long.  Imagine if they didn't edit it for time constraints?

[LucSulla]

1 hour ago, Brooks said:

Last year I rewatched 2001, as I didn't understand it when I saw it decades ago. Still didn't. Went on a deep dive and read that they ended up editing out many scenes that held important plot info due to time constraints. So it actually doesn't make sense, its just visually stunning.

Anyway, I'm a big Tap fan and can't wait to see the new movie. We used to do "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" back in the 80s. "You're sweet but you're just four feet and you still got your baby teeth, you're too young and I'm too well hung, but Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You".......

This won't help, but it's super fucking cool if you've never seen it. 
 

 

[DaveH]

20 minutes ago, kizanski said:

It was 2:30 long.  Imagine if they didn't edit it for time constraints?

Then they'd have 'Apocalypse Now'. Or at least it seemed like it was 3+ hours.

[santellavision]

Not sure if you peeps have seen the out-takes on the original Spinal Tap DVD/Bluray disc? OMG, there's about an hour of incredible extra scenes, just as funny as the original movie.

[cmatthes]

9 hours ago, santellavision said:

Not sure if you peeps have seen the out-takes on the original Spinal Tap DVD/Bluray disc? OMG, there's about an hour of incredible extra scenes, just as funny as the original movie.

I saw the band live on their 1992 "Break Like The Wind" Tour.  I honestly found the live experience to be almost as funny, if not more so, than "This Is Spinäl Täp", which has been one of my Top 3 movies since 1984.  So many obscure sight gags, and the show was so well done.  Those guys have so much raw talent.

[scottcald]

22 hours ago, alantig said:

I seem to recall reading that the original got bad reviews as well.

I find that hard to believe as director Marty DiBergi was at his pinnacle when the first movie was released.   At the time, his work was unparalleled. 🤣

[Brooks]

THE SUGAR PLUMBS ARE RANCID AND THE STOCKINGS ARE IN FLAMES,

THERE'S SOMEONE UP THE CHIMNEY HOLE AND SATAN IS HIS NAME

 

[beezerboy]

On 9/15/2025 at 7:28 AM, alantig said:

 I seem to recall reading that the original got bad reviews as well.

and some of them saying stuff like... I don't get it, why didn't you make the movie with a more popular band?  (talking to Rob Reiner)

[bry4321]

Watched it last night. It was fine. Probably unfair but their hiring of the new drummer reminded me of Rush. I had forgotten about this classic! 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2025 by bry4321
Typo

[Vintage Hamer-Lover]

[kizanski]

Finally sat down to watch it last night.
It took some doing because I wanted to first watch the original, having not seen it for several years.
What a great film that was.

The original, of course.

The sequel is pretty much exactly what I said it would be. Not that I went out on a limb in my prediction.
Sequels of this type - not that there are many 40 years after the original - are almost always money-grabs without anything of substance. This was yet another example of a movie that doesn't need to exist.
It was worth seeing once, but I'll likely never see it again.  A sad continuation to a film that most of us can quote from start to finish.

Think Godfather III.

IT wasn't all bad. I laughed a couple of times, especially when Nigel was going through his ridiculous effects setup, but I don't know how many non-guitar players would even get the joke.

And then there was this:
At the beginning of the movie, Marty Dibergi is interviewing David St. Hubbins in the "Where Are They Now" introductory scene.
Michael McKean tells Rob Reiner:

"This is something I've been working on... This is for a podcast... It's one of those murder podcasts."
"Oh yeah, people love murder."
"Yeah, they do."

I thought that was sad considering how unintentionally prophetic it was.

 

 

[santellavision]

I had to get the T-shirt.

[Spinaltap]

I finally watched it yesterday with a close friend who asked me to wait till we could watch it together.

I think it was well done, far from perfect but the story carried along well.  The cameo's were there, Sirs Elton and Paul were perfect.

It was sad to see Rob, knowing what was ahead for him.  RIP

I'll watch it again.