Long awaited sequel, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” hits theaters to mixed reviews
By: Kevin Vickery
Back in early July the digitally remastered version of “This is Spinal Tap” returned to theaters for the first time in 41 years as a limited run release. Being a big fan of the original movie and having never actually seen it on the big screen, I knew I had to go see it for probably the 100th time in my life and cover it for this column so off to Muncie’s AMC Theater I went. As I said then, this re-release was really a promotional move to publicly announce the sequel, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” which is currently in theaters.
If you are unfamiliar with the original movie, here’s the concept: It is credited as being the first ever mockumentary or fake documentary. Director Rob Reiner plays the roll of Director, Marty DiBergi making a rockumentary film about the mfictitious band Spinal Tap credited as being, “one of England’s loudest bands”. He follows the band to deliver an insider’s perspective as they return to the US for the first time in several years to tour in promotion of their, “Smell the Glove” album.
The band features actors Michael McKean as frontman, David St. Hubbins, Christopher Guest as guitarist, Nigel Tufnel, and Harry Shearer as bassist, Derek Smalls. The band also features a rotating line-up of drummers who all die under unusual circumstances like a bizarre gardening accident, chocking on someone else’s vomit and on-stage spontaneous combustion.
McKean, Guest, and Shearer are all Saturday Night Live alumnus and have also collaborated as writers and actors on other similar, ensemble cast mockumentaries like, “Best in Show”, Waiting for Guffman”, and, “A Mighty Wind”, which also features the trio as another fictitious band, “The Folksmen”. There have even been a handful of live performances over the years where The Folksmen served at the opening act for Spinal Tap shows.
Like, “This is Spinal Tap” these films also feature a largely unscripted approach allowing the actors to improvise and riff off of each other as well as other actors like Jane Lynch, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard and Catherine O’Hara to find the comedic gold.
Since “This is Spinal Tap” was released in 1984, the imagery of the group is everything you’d expect from a British rock band of that era. They of course wear skin-tight spandex pants, leopard print muscle shirts, and have the signature 80’s rock and roll hair styles.
The film centers around the comedy of errors that can accompany a band on the road, giving the audience a behind the scenes view of how musicians with inflated egos handle situations like design and operation failure of stage props, getting lost trying to find the stage, band member girlfriends taking over managerial roles, and shows being canceled due to low ticket sales – even being reduced to an opening act for a puppet show.
The film’s original release found only modest commercial success but after its VHS release, it developed a cult following particularly with musicians and touring industry professionals. I know that every tour bus I ever rode in the 90’s had a copy on board and I must have watched it at least 50 times in the ‘90s alone.
The sequel picks up 15 years after the group has disbanded (even though it’s really been over 40) because they are told they owe one last show due to a contractual obligation in their agreement with former Manager, Ian Faith who has died and his daughter, Hope Faith has inherited the contract. Like the first movie, real life writer/director Rob Reiner in the roll of Director, Marty Dibergi will film another rockumentary of the band’s reunion for their final show.
He meets with the band members individually and finds guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) running a guitar and cheese shop with his girlfriend, Moira, frontman, David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) who from a home studio records background music for true-crime podcasts as well as hold music for phone calls and finally bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) as the proprietor of a glue museum.
The trio reluctantly agree to put their differences aside and travel to New Orleans where they have found an arena available due to a Stormy Daniels cancellation.
Since the band has a long history of drummers prematurely expiring, it’s difficult for them to find someone willing to take the job even for one night. This leads to some great cameo appearances from Questlove from The Tonight Show, The Red Hot Chili Peppers’, Chad Smith, and Metallica’s Lars Ulrich who all pass on the gig. They eventually audition real life drummer, Valerie Franco as Didi Crockett a young spirited and excellent musician who breathes some new life into the old band.
More great cameos ensue when they find a YouTube video of Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performing the Tap classic, “Big Bottom” on stage. The band is also treated to the legendary Sir Paul McCartney stopping by their rehearsal to offer useful advice even referring to their lyrics as, “almost literature”.
Speaking of British royalty, Sir Elton John also drops by and even sits in with the band and is playing on-stage with them during the reunion concert when disaster strikes, putting him along with the other three primary members of Tap in the hospital for the final scene.
Death is a recurring theme throughout the film, not only with the ever-present talks about the demise of previous drummers and the fear that new drummer Didi is going to choke on one of her healthy fruit and nut snacks, but also in other ways like the concert promoter suggesting that, “The best way to make the show memorable is if one or two of the members actually die on stage.” In an attempted compromise, Nigel asks, “How about a coma?”. The theme continues when Derek Smalls introduces a new song he’s written called, “Rockin’ in the Urn” and with Nigel’s girlfriend calling him multiple times throughout the movie to sadly tell him that another one of their older cheese customers has passed away.
Overall the film has been given mixed or average reviews with the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes offering that 67% of 82 critics reviewed it positively and the website Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 34 critics.
Mark Kennedy, an Associate Press writer whose take has already been featured in this publication clearly didn’t like it saying, “Forget about going to 11 – This one barely registered at 4.” Also calling it, “A movie that celebrates those whose candles cost more than the cake.” Adding, “This is a movie only for die-hard Tappers.”
During its first weekend, the film grossed $1.6 million at the box office and has now grossed over $2 million worldwide.
Personally, I liked it so that must make me one of those, “Die Hard Tappers” that Kennedy mentioned. I’m a fan of Guest, McKean and Shearer so I will always watch them anytime I get to see them working their improv style comedy together.
My honest assessment would be to say that it was good, but not great, funny but not hilarious and not as good as the original but what sequel is? I’m still glad I saw it and I know it will still strike a chord with anyone who’s ever played in a working band, especially one that reunited after a hiatus and definitely with those like me who have to deal with the concept of aging when you’re still a rocker at heart.
To keep up with all things Spinal Tap visit their official website at spinaltap.com
For the schedule of all movies and showtimes at AMC Theatres in Muncie and elsewhere go to amctheatres.com
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