💿 Technical Specifications
The Film
"Mostly fun and handsomely produced, The Running Man suffers from a lack of conviction that robs it of urgency and impact."
This is Spinal Tap is one of the funniest films ever made; it's that simple. Directed by Rob Reiner, written by him, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, who also play the leads, it is one of the most incisive and timeless comedies, let alone mockumentaries.
Released at a time when spoof-documentaries were barely a thing, This is Spinal Tap is a hysterically funny, po-faced bit of silliness about a British heavy metal band (Spinal Tap), who return to America after a nearly two-decade break to relive their glory days. Naturally, nothing goes right, and it's a delight from start to finish.
What makes Spinal Tap so funny is how it plays everything straight, especially the bits that are outlandish. This is a film that understands that heavy metal, as any performance art, is inherently silly. It takes quite a bit of narcissism to treat it with any degree of reverence. But, at the same time, there's genuine compassion and love for anyone willing to put themselves out there in a foolish way just to entertain. In Reiner's steadfast hands, Spinal Tap is merciless, but it's never mean, and that makes all the difference.
What makes Spinal Tap even more incredible is that it was Rob Reiner's feature debut. The son of Carl Reiner, a comedy legend himself, Rob had already made a mark in pop culture due to his gregarious performances on TV. But he wanted to branch out, worried he would be forever remembered as Meathead from All in the Family.
In the decade that followed, Reiner would direct, in order: Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, and A Few Good Men. Arguably, only Spielberg could compare in terms of critical acclaim and box office. For a time, Reiner defined 80s cinema.
Featuring an incredible cast of character actors, ranging from Dana Carvey to Anjelica Huston, This is Spinal Tap is packed with gags that rival the Zucker-Abrams-Zucker productions of Airplane and Hot Shots. From the hysterical Stonehenge replica to the dangers of being a drummer, it's a film that rewards with every subsequent viewing.
Four decades later, Reiner and company got back together for a sequel, which was merely good. But even that's quite the feat, considering the first one is an all-time classic.
Video
"Authentic and richly textured visuals."
The 4K restoration of This is Spinal Tap focuses on authenticity over clarity, and the results are pretty impressive. This isn't the most pristine print you'll find, and it's not something you'll get an immediate "wow" reaction over, but it's a richly textured and nuanced remaster that is still the best the film has ever looked.
The biggest improvement is the expanded color space afforded to the picture by the HDR10 format, which really amplifies the old film stock beautifully. Every shot, especially the concert footage, seems livelier than ever before. It also causes some fuzziness in brightly lit scenes, and there's quite a bit of wonderful film grain.
All around, this is a great restoration of a classic film that deserves your time and attention, even if you've already got the fantastic Blu-ray from a few years back.
Audio
"Brilliant modern mix and a superlative original LPCM track to boot."
This is where things get really good. The 4K restoration comes with a brand new DTS-HD Master Audio track, which is excellent, but also the original LPCM 2.0 track, once only available on the original DVD. For those looking for the closest thing to the original, this is the holy grail. Like the Dirty Harry and Eastwood western releases from last year, This is Spinal Tap achieves the rare distinction of delivering on both pristine modernity and brilliant original content without any compromises.
The concert footage sounds excellent, with clear vocals and wonderful detail in every instrument. Likewise, dialogue is punchy, and there are even some jokes that I had missed out earlier that I could now pick up more easily. It's an all-around impressive package and makes this the best possible pick for fans of the film.
Extras
"No extras, not even ported from the DVD"
Nothing. Not a damn thing.
Overall
"One of the funniest films of all time gets a technically faultless 4K restoration that is completely bereft of extras."
I think you should get this copy of This is Spinal Tap, even though I find it disgraceful that a masterpiece like this is released without any extras at all. Especially when we already have a great Criterion release from last year, and multiple global versions that include a variety of extra material.
But, complaints aside, there is no better audiovisual format to experience Rob Reiner's first masterpiece. The disc could be better, but the film itself is perfect.
