BIFF Retro Reel: This is Spinal Tap

US, Feature Film, 1984.0, 82 min

Rob Reiner was a beloved filmmaker and comedian whose passing is a significant loss for audiences and the film community. His directorial debut, This Is Spinal Tap, introduced his timeless, enduring humor to the world, making this screening at BIFF a joyful and fitting tribute to his lasting legacy.

This Is Spinal Tap shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real. Starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner, with cameos by Billy Crystal, Paul Shaffer, Fran Drescher, Fred Willard, and Dana Carvey.

Directed by Rob Reiner