Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Rob Reiner might not have invented the "mockumentary," but with his first theatrical feature film, This Is Spinal Tap, he clearly perfected the artform of a fictional comedy masquerading as a factual documentary. Putting himself on camera, he portrays filmmaker Marty DiBergi, determined to capture the sights, sounds and smells of rock band Spinal Tap on their pitfall-laden U.S. tour, with much of the backstage mayhem depicted based on actual events.

From sight gags to puns to outrageous songs (alongside some real bangers), the laughs are wall to wall, aided immeasurably by the deep-in-character performances of stars/co-writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. Somewhat ironically, the plot catches the band at the twilight of their popularity, while the movie marked the beginning of an extraordinary run for director/co-writer Reiner.

Criterion released Spinal Tap on laserdisc (my band-signed copy is hanging on my wall) and on DVD, but never on Blu-ray, although MGM later released their own BD with their own master and extras. For Criterion's 4K go at one of their more popular titles, they undertook a new digital restoration supervised and approved by the director. The movie was shot on 16mm film in the Super 16 format, which yields superior image quality when duplicated for distribution. The result here is a 1.85:1 presentation with significant film grain, typical of documentaries of the era which helps to sell the illusion, yet not so much as to distract or look low-budget. There's a touch of evident video noise but color reproduction is outstanding from start to finish, and although the cinematography is never particularly crisp, this is a best-yet preservation of how the movie should look.

The soundtrack is available in our choice of remixed 5.1 or LPCM stereo and while the latter maintains a more authentic 1984 experience, it's a little flat in the modern home theater age with virtually no visceral impact when we transition from a calm interview to a live stage gig. By contrast, the multichannel mix makes thoughtful, sometimes discrete use of the surrounds to render spacious environments, be they concert halls or cocktail parties, and the bass steps up to give the songs the power and attention they deserve.

Discs One and Two carry the movie in 4K and HD respectively, each with all three legacy commentaries--the cast, with Guest, McKean and Shearer; the crew, with Reiner, producer Karen Murphy and unsung heroes, editors Robert Leighton and Kent Beyda; and the actors again but this time as the band, Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls--together in a single edition for the first time, a huge deal for collectors. Disc Three is home to the rest of the supplements, a treasure trove of archival material from across the years, highlighted by 98 minutes of outtakes. New for this This is a half-hour program with Reiner and actor/superfan Patton Oswalt plus, not surprisingly, the trailer for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. The set arrives in a digi-pack, slipcased with a new booklet full of extensive liner notes and more, designed in painstaking detail to look and feel like an '80s music magazine.

But hey, enough of my yakkin': What do you say, let's boogie!

Chris Chiarella