By Steven Suskin
10 Aug 2009

With Michael McKean's imminent return to Broadway in Tracy Letts' keenly-awaited Superior Donuts, this might be a reasonable time to take another look at This Is Spinal Tap [M-G-M/Fox], which is just now being released in the Blu-Ray format. We can't exactly call this the mock-documentary that launched a thousand spoofs, but this "rockumentary" about a fictional British heavy metal band group attracted outsized attention and a cult following when it came along in 1984. The only big name attached was that of Rob Reiner, instantly recognizable across the land as the meathead son-in-law of Archie Bunker; but Reiner was not the star. Rather, he was the director, making his first film (and appearing as documentary-filmmaker Marty DiBergi). Reiner's father was a well-known comedy writer/director, of course; but who thought Carl's son Rob would prove to be a talented and canny film director?

Reiner's "Spinal Tap" band consisted of Christopher Guest, the aforementioned Mr. McKean, and Harry Shearer, all of whom shared screenplay credit with the director. Reiner quickly went on to "Stand By Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally" and more, while Shearer went his own separate way (including long-time employment on "The Simpsons"). Mr. Guest, meanwhile, formed something of his own little rep company (including McKean) with a string of similarly offbeat pseudo-documentary peaks into neglected corners of the contemporary experience (including "Waiting for Guffman," "A Mighty Wind," and the ridiculously funny "Best in Show").

But it all started with "This Is Spinal Tap," and here it is again. This isn't the film's first release, of course, and many fans already have prior incarnations (including an excellent edition from the Criterion Collection). But this is "This Is Spinal Tap" on Blu-Ray. For those who are still not familiar with the film and its descendants — and yes, there are some diehard theatre fans who don't get around to too many movies with the words "heavy metal" in the description — this one is a treat. And welcome back to town, Mr. McKean.