The Comic Critic Reviews This Is Spinal Tap

Mockumentaries have been around for a long time, since the ‘60s. The earliest music-themed one I can think of is “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles. This is Spinal Tap breathed new life into the genre in the ‘80s. The movie created a set of memorable scenes and enduring lines of petulant behavior, making it an immediate sensation. A flood of mockumentaries, followed, each seeking to make its own mark on the genre. But few would break away from the formula of success blazed by Spinal Tap. Decades later, in a world filled with found-footage, reality-footage, and YouTube videos, Spinal Tap remains at a pinnacle that other faux attempts still attempt to achieve.