This Is Spinal Tap

Poll: What’s Your Favorite Film Directed by Rob Reiner?

12.29.25 | Gary Cahall | Tags: A Few Good Men, Misery, Movie Polls, Rob Reiner, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally | no comments

By far the most surprising Hollywood death of 2025 was that of Rob Reiner. The actor/director was killed alongside his wife, photographer Michelle Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles home on December 14. Born into a show business family…

Rob Reiner Remembered

12.16.25 | Gary Cahall | Tags: A Few Good Men, All in the Family, Misery, Rob Reiner, Stand By Me, The American President, The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally | no comments

The entertainment community–much of the entire world, in fact–is still numb over the circumstances regarding the death this past weekend of actor-turned-director Rob Reiner. The details to date are that Rob and his wife Michelle Singer Reiner were found…

What’s Your Favorite Michael McKean Performance?

05.27.20 | Jon Morgereth | Tags: A Mighty Wind, Best In Show, Better Caul Saul, Clue, Coneheads, Laverne and Shirley, The Brady Bunch Movie, This Is Spinal Tap | 3 comments

After becoming a household name for his role as the bumbling Lenny Kosnowski on Laverne & Shirley, Michael McKean has gone on to an incredible career as an accomplished character actor — shining as everyone from David St. Hubbins in…

Poll: What’s Your Favorite Fred Willard Performance?

05.18.20 | Jon Morgereth | Tags: A Mighty Wind, Anchorman, Best In Show, Christopher Guest, Fernwood 2 Night, Fred Willard, mockumentaries, This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Wall-E | 4 comments

Fred Willard, comedic character actor great, has died at the age of 86 of natural causes. With a career lasting from 1967 to this year (his final performance will be a recurring role in the upcoming comedy series Space Force,…

What Are Your Top Five Favorite Films?

03.18.20 | Chris Cummins | Tags: Aliens, Big Trouble in Little China, Goodfellas, The Empire Strikes Back, This Is Spinal Tap | 15 comments

Here’s a fun midweek question for you: What are your top five favorite films of all time? This is a very tricky question to be sure. So much so, that when I was coming up with this post I had…

Who Is Your Favorite Spinal Tap Band Member?

03.03.19 | Chris Cummins | Tags: 1980s Films, Christopher Guest, cult classics, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, This Is Spinal Tap | 1 comment

It’s been 35 years since Rob Reiner‘s hugely influential “rockumentary” This Is Spinal Tap was released. The comedy classic chronicles the music-packed misadventures of “England’s loudest band” as they tour America and prepare for the release of their album “Smell…

The World According to Spinal Tap

05.13.18 | Jim Brymer | Tags: 1980s Films, Anjelica Huston, Bruno Kirby, Christopher Guest, Cult Films, Dana Carvey, Fran Drescher, Fred Willard, Harry Shearer, Howard Hesseman, Michael McKean, Patrick Macnee, Paul Benedict, Paul Shaffer, Rob Reiner, This Is Spinal Tap | 1 comment

Author’s note: This is Spinal Tap is a pretty raunchy movie. If you are the least bit prudish, I suggest you avoid this movie. In fact, it might be prudent to skip reading this review, as I will be quoting several lines that…

Open Thread: What Is Your All-Time Favorite Movie, And Why?

05.07.17 | Chris Cummins | Tags: Open Thread, This Is Spinal Tap | 3 comments

There are certain films that one of never tires of. These are movies that become more than just entertainment, they become a part of who we are. As someone who loves watching movies, loves writing about movies, loves thinking about…

Great Movie Scenes: Spinal Tap Goes to Stonehenge

01.11.17 | Chris Cummins | Tags: Christopher Guest, cult movies, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, This Is Spinal Tap | 1 comment

“I think that the problem may have been, that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf.” And so we have one of the most iconic scenes from This Is…