Movie Review: 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues'
A Worthy Successor to the Original Cult Film
Some spoilers follow.
The first time I saw This Is Spinal Tap, I thought it was a real documentary and as such, I didn’t watch closely, and was a bit bored by it. One of the bandmembers depicted, David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), did look a lot like that guy Lenny from Laverne and Shirley, but even so, I was fooled. I first saw it on a VHS tape rented from a video store (probably Erol’s) in suburban Maryland in 1984 or ’85. Yet, soon after I found out that it was actually a comedy, and I watched it again, and loved it. And then again and again, and each time I saw it, I spotted new subtle, funny details, and I loved it all the more. My brothers and I purchased the soundtrack on CD, as we loved the songs from the movie as well. They were funny but also good rock-and-roll; at least we thought so. Eventually, I bought it on DVD for my collection of favorite movies. And yet, I made a point of limiting my viewings over the years for the very reason that I liked it so much.
There are now for me certain movies and songs that I have simply seen/heard one too many times. Unfortunately for me, A Christmas Story is now one of those movies. I don’t ever need to see it again, if you get my drift. It will soon be actually painful to watch. The same goes for so many classic rock anthems I used to love. Not so with Spinal Tap, because I was careful about it.
For those who haven’t seen the original, it starred Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), Harry Shearer (Derrek Smalls), Michael McKean, and Rob Reiner (Marty DiBergi), telling the story of an aging English heavy metal band, who are in the post-peak period of their careers. Rob Reiner plays a documentary director who is filming their current (and likely last) tour of the United States. They are basically loveable, dull-witted buffoons, often bickering and trading barbs at each other, the “Three Stooges” of Rock and Roll without the face slapping. They are surrounded by an incredible supporting cast, including their manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra) and the “Yoko” girlfriend of the group, Jeanine (June Chadwick), as well as a great number of guest appearances that add to the fun. These include Fran Drescher, Howard Hessman, Fred Willard, Patrick Macnee, and Billy Crystal, just to name a few.
We witness the band’s history through videos of their past hits from the 60’s, such as “Gimme Some Money” and “Listen to the Flower People.” These are spot-on and thus funny parodies of true 60’s hits (see “Money, That’s What I Want” and the Animals’ “It’s My Life,” for two).
They play their more contemporary songs at various concerts on their tour. We hear examples such as, “Hell Hole,” “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight,” “Big Bottom,” “Sex Farm Woman,” and “Stonehenge.” These are all ridiculous, adolescent, over-the-top rock anthems, that are actually not far in inanity from many real rock-and-roll tunes of the 1970’s. Just pick up any AC/DC album from that era, and you will find titles not far from these.
Spinal Tap remained in the culture in the decades that followed, with real tours and a follow-up album in the early 1990s, Break Like the Wind. Christopher Guest directed and starred in several films in the same mock-documentary style, including Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind. These were intelligent and witty, with many funny scenes. And then earlier this year, I heard they were working on a sequel to the original movie. Frankly, I was not thrilled with the news. Certainly, I would love to see more of Spinal Tap; however, good films are more the exception than the rule these days.
In spite of my misgivings, I held out hope that it might worth seeing as indeed there were many talented people involved. My only concern was whether it would be a worthy successor to the original. And after seeing it on a Saturday afternoon a week or so back, I found it to be just that. It was greatly entertaining and indeed funny, just like the original. If you’re a fan of the original, you will get an enjoyable continuation of the interactions of our favorite English buffoons, with their bickering and goofy observations. There are continual pratfalls reminiscent of the original movie as they prepare for their final concert in New Orleans.
The new supporting and guest cast are complementary to the old ones. The new manager, Simon Howler (Chris Addison), is perfectly awful. He admits at the offset that his only motive is to make as much money as he can off of this venture, that he could care less about music as he lacked even the ability to process or listen to music. One of his first suggestions to gain attention and more money would be for one of the band members to arrange to die. When one of the band suggests that perhaps they could fake a death as an alternative, Simon responds that this would actually “rather complicate matters.” He’s a perfect foil.
We also find out what the bandmembers have been doing since their retirement from the business. Each have completely ridiculous, improbable occupations that fit their goofy characters. Nigel, for example, owns a cheese shop, and we are left wondering how he could possibly support himself in this venture.
As part of the journey to have their concert is finding a replacement drummer for the gig. All past drummers, as we learned in the first film, have without exception died in bizarre accidents throughout the years. Mick Shrimpton (R.J. Parnell), their drummer in the original movie uttered some of my favorite lines in that movie. He opined that his philosophy of life was, of course, “sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll.” When asked whether he could live without rock-and-roll in his life, he responded, “I suppose that if I can still have the sex and the drugs, I can do without the rock-and-roll.”
Well, needless to say, the band has great difficulty finding a drummer willing to risk his life to play with them. They interview several well-known candidates (such as Chad Smith and Lars Ulrich), who always manage to find excuses to get out of it. The band finally finds a female drummer brave enough to take on the gig, Didi Crockett (Valerie Franco), and we spend the rest of the movie wondering when she might kick the bucket.
Not every plot element works or pans out. In one sequence, Derek propositions Didi after a recording session. Her reaction was, I thought, commendable. Taking a role as peacemaker, she responds without anger and resentment, saying only that she is incredibly flattered, but before she can give her answer, she is interrupted (happily for her) by the entrance of her girlfriend. It’s of course then awkward for Derek, but not all that shocking or amusing for the audience. After all, it’s certainly not a stretch for anyone to suspect that a leather-clad, tattooed rock-and-rolling woman might be lesbian. Not at all groundbreaking humor, if you see what I mean. Another one was a reprisal of a great blowout between David and Nigel during rehearsals for the concert. Nigel stormed off in the first film; this time it’s David’s turn. But in the original, we see the storm brewing with Nigel along the way until he’s finally had enough. In “The End Continues” it comes across rather abruptly for David, when he accuses Nigel of doing something to him in the past, and then he leaves. All is forgiven not long after that.
Of course, David was likely still nursing some resentment from Nigel’s not so constructive criticism of David’s new song. And here’s where we get the best guest in the movie, when Paul McCartney happens to arrive in the studio while they’re trying to hash out the song. They are at first all super flattered to have such a distinguished guest, that is until Paul takes Nigel’s side in the criticism of David’s song. Paul good naturedly lets the movie’s writers poke fun with that old accusation thrown at Paul that he always wants to run things and “throw his weight around.”
The other big guest star is Elton John, who is in the film for much longer, playing songs with them in studio and agreeing to come to the concert to play “Stonehenge” with them.
Here then, of course, a final pratfall occurs at the concert, of which fans of the original movie will highly appreciate. The result of it finds them all in a hospital in a scene absolutely reminiscent of the final one in “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World.” (Take special note of Elton John’s bandages.)
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I have little doubt that this film will achieve the status as a deserving sequel to the original cult film. I certainly plan to add it to my own personal collection, right next to my DVD and Blu-ray editions of This is Spinal Tap.
I was sorry, but not really surprised that it was not a major hit when it came out in early September. We must remember that the original Spinal Tap was also not a hit, but gained a following over time as a cult film. Cult films with great cultural significance have a certain audience, but apparently there aren’t enough of us these days to make it an instant hit. Let’s give it some time.
And go see it in the theater while you can!