That’s all I should have to say. 18″ high Stone Henge, and you will know the movie I watched last night for the 20th time.
The image of that tiny Stone Henge descending behind Michael McKean is one of the funniest visual gags I can think of. Funny, because the humor has already been set up in the scene between the artist (Anjelica Huston) and the producer. You suddenly realize that Christopher Guest had given her incorrect specs … and so once the concert begins you wait for the appearance of the tiny Stone Henge. And no matter how many times I’ve seen it, it doesn’t lose its funniness.
And then come the RIDICULOUS dancing dwarves who knock over the Stone Henge … and Michael McKean’s irritated comment after the show, “No, the real problem out there was that two dwarves knocked over our Stone Henge.”
More funniness:
— Fran Drescher as the record company exec, explaining why the album cover for Spinal Tap’s latest (called Sniff the Glove) is sexist and offensive.
— Billy Crystal as the pissed-off mime catering manager. hahaha
— All of them trying (and badly) to harmonize “Heartbreak Hotel” while standing over Elvis Presley’s grave.
— Rob Reiner, in general
— Anjelica Huston’s one teeny scene. It is so funny. How she realizes, with horror, that she has built the Stone Henge too small. “What do you mean – the real thing? This … this is the real thing…”
— the one random scene where they’re all at the zoo, and they start talking about apes, and Christopher Guest says casually that apes can speak, they can say little things like “Yes, please” and “no” – it’s just that they CHOOSE not to speak.
— the concert scene at the Air Force Base where they sing “Sex Farm” to a horrified military public. hahaha “Sex Farm”.
— Christopher Guest showing off all his guitars to Rob Reiner, and then there’s the one that is so special that Reiner can’t touch it – and can’t even look at it
— Harry Shearer caught inside that chrysalis-thing onstage during a performance. His desperation growing, banging on the inside to be let out, the stage-hand finally coming on with the blowtorch … hahahaha
— oh, and Bruno Kirby as the irritable Frank Sinatra-loving limo driver, who confesses, quietly, to the producer of Spinal Tap: “These guys don’t know, do they?” “Know what?” asks the producer. Kirby answers, “That this is all just a fad.”
Conventional of me, but I loooove the dial that goes to 11 on the amp.
What’s the song they sing about sleeping with a fat girl? “Flesh pillow,” or something?
There’s that whole song about Butt Cheeks. Maybe that’s the one?
And yeah, the whole 11 thing …
I also enjoy the deaths of all the drummers.
“He died in a mysterious gardening accident.”
“Yeah, it’s one of those things where the authorities said it’s best to leave it unsolved.”
How on earth did they manage to keep straight faces? I’d love to see the outtakes.
“…when you’ve loved and lost the way Frank has…”
Smell the Glove….
“On what day did God create Spinal Tap and couldn’t he have rested on that day too?”
“If we had made you the victim on the album cover, and not the woman, we would have gotten away with it.”
“Oh, right, see how they twist it … you just have to twist it a bit …”
“Right, right.”
Hahaha. Nigel’s completely clueless expression: “What’s wrong with being sexy?”
“If I’ve told them once, I’ve told them a thousand times, Spinal Tap first, then puppet show.”
“SexIST. Not sexy … she said sexIST.”
hahaha
How about during the credits, when they’re asking the guys what they would do if they weren’t in a band.
“I’d be a full time dreamer.”
And the drummer in the bathtub: “As long as there was still sex and drugs, I could do without the rock and roll.”
Nigel, at his piano, playing that soft, beautifully melodic song. “This one is called ‘Lick My Love Pump.'”
ALL of these movies–Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind…are almost too fucking funny to handle.
A couple others you might like if you like these: Election, Drop Dead Gorgeous (sorry if you’ve already seen them).
I love Election! Such a wicked little movie. Awesome stuff.
And back to Spinal Tap – how ’bout the random moment when Rob Reiner, in his commentary at the beginning, crosses his arms, and then awkwardly uncrosses them?
I don’t know why that is so amusing, but it makes me laugh every time I see it.
Sheila,
Does the version of the movie you have feature the “Bitch School” video at the beginning? Where they’re meeting with a director to talk about the concept, which is, of course, entirely stupid, but very true to the heavy metal “artsy” genre. Afterwards, they pan the guys’ faces and they’re all in tears…
Yes – but then they ask to be told the plot of the video AGAIN – because “we don’t really understand it yet …”
Like: Guys. What is there not to get??
hahaha
Since you brought up Bill Crystal, I have to write it, just to get it out of the way.
“Mime is money.”
Did you catch the very young Dana Carvey?
Y’all know you can’t dust for vomit, right?
Anne,
I think the song you’re referring to is ‘Biig Bottoms’
Have you got the DVD with the audio commentary track where Shearer, Guest, and McKean do the commentary in character? It’s hilarious, especially when it starts to dawn, decades later, that they’ve been had.
Emily – was he the other mime waiter?
“He died in a mysterious gardening accident.”
Close – Bizarre Gardening Accident. I’ll never forget that because friends of mine had a band named Angry Salad, which broke up after a bit of a major-label drubbing; they named their second (independent) record Bizarre Gardening Accident. It had a photo of the band standing in a field or garden of some sort, and in the upper corner there was a picture of a cow falling in their direction…
I love Ian, the manager. After you’ve dealt with a couple of real music managers you start to realize just how good the movie really is: way too close to the bone to ignore.
Sheila – yep, that’s him.
Chris – whenever those guys would show up to do anything promotional for the movie or a tour, they remained in character. It’s hilarious.
Has anyone else seen the clip of them grilling Metallica? “Hmmm…an entirely black album cover. I wonder WHO thought of that!”
Another cool thing about the DVD is the Deleted Scenes feature. There is practically a whole extra movie there, including a deleted plot line involving the limo guy.
Linus –
hahahahaha “bizarre” is, indeed, much funnier.
And yes, poor Ian. He really tried to do his best. He was awesome. How ’bout Paul Shaffer as the failure Chicago producer guy?
“KICK MY ASS. No, I’m begging you. KICK MY ASS.”
Spinal Tap: Best Rock Movie Ever in recent poll.
“Look… the meat… it’s too big for the bread. I can’t eat it.”
George –
HAHAHA Every time I see that scene, I am amazed by how long it goes on. It just keeps going and going …
“But … why would you keep folding the bread?”
I love the patient way Ian listens to him explain the deli tray “catastrophe,” as if he were talking about some great suffering or true disaster.
“When you’ve loved and lost like Frank has…”
Derek: “He died by choking on vomit. Not his own vomit. It was someone else’s vomit, actually…”
I use that one in meetings once in a while…
Big Bottoms
drive me out of my mind.
How could I leave this
behind
Don’t know why, but my favorite scene is the one where the get lost backstage and go in circles.
“Cakes and cups… Cups and cakes… Ate so much, now my belly aches…”
Damn, this thread makes me wish I unpacked my DVD player… And my speakers… and my cables… and my DVDs…