This Is Spinal Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

This Is Spinal Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever."

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 23, 2025

Rob Reiner’s debut film This Is Spinal Tap didn’t invent the mockumentary, but it remains a genre standout whose influence can still be felt in modern films and TV shows. Co-written with stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, Reiner used improvised dialogue, authentic documentary-style cinematography and editing, and, most importantly, genuinely great music to craft the fictional history of one of England’s loudest bands, who enjoyed early success as clean-cut lads before reinventing themselves as flower-loving hippies, glittery glam rockers, sex-obsessed metalheads, or whatever then-current trend required a drastic change in tone and costume. During its taut 82-minute runtime, This is Spinal Tap follows the band on their North American tour where they face dwindling crowds, critical drubbings, and production snafus that expertly toe the line between winking satire and believable realism.

For a full synopsis and appreciation of This is Spinal Tap, please see Martin Liebman’s review of MGM’s 2009 Blu-ray. I’m in total agreement and would never consider this film as anything less than a five-star comedy classic; it's infinitely quotable and absolutely trimmed of all fat. Culled from dozens of hours of footage and originally built from a 20-minute short film that was pitched to several uninterested major studios, the effectiveness of its story is so high that, prior to my first viewing of it via Criterion’s 1998 DVD edition (which was more or less a straight port of their excellent 1994 laserdisc), I was one of many who believed Spinal Tap was a "real" band... which they were, of course.

The boutique label’s long-standing ties to this film, despite a more than quarter-century gap between releases, make Criterion’s long-awaited three-disc 4K/Blu-ray combo pack (which is also available as a separate Blu-ray edition) feel like a long-overdue reunion for long-time fans of the film. What’s more is that it’s sourced from a recent 4K restoration supervised and approved by Reiner, includes two lossless audio tracks, and herds together a terrific collection of new and returning bonus features curated from the last 40+ years of Spinal Tap's storied history.

This Is Spinal Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the included Blu-ray, also available separately and reviewed here.

In the accompanying insert booklet, Criterion states the following information regarding This Is Spinal Tap's brand-new 4K remaster, which was used for both the UHD and Blu-ray discs:

"This is Spinal Tap" is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Supervised and approved by director Rob Reiner, this new 4K restoration was created from the 16mm original camera negative and a 35mm blow-up interpositive. The feature is presented in Dolby [sic] Vision HDR (high dynamic range) on the 4K Ultra HD disc and high-definition SDR (standard dynamic range) on the Blu-ray.

Like the very best 4K remasters, Criterion's treatment of This Is Spinal Tap inarguably gives the film a more authentic appearance in the areas of film grain and stability, bringing its look much closer to a theatrical-grade presentation than any previous home video editions. Regarding aspect ratios, it does indeed differ slightly from Criterion's 1998 DVD in that the film is now framed at the generally accepted "original" 1.85:1 rather than the DVD's slightly taller 1.70:1 but, minor framing differences aside, it absolutely catapults past both that disc and MGM's 1.85:1 2009 Blu-ray from every conceivable perspective. The combination of source materials unavoidably leads to a bit of detail and grain fluctuation here and there, as does the inclusion of purposely degraded music video footage such as "Gimme Some Money", which looks to mimic a kinescope, and as well as " (Listen to the) Flower People" and its fuzzy videotape origins. These are small and mostly purposeful speed bumps during what's otherwise a very consistent satisfying presentation, one that combines respectable fine detail (again, relative to the source material) and terrific color representation, especially in regards to flamboyant costumes and clothes, stage makeup, and of course vivid concert lighting.

The HDR layer, which runs in either HDR10 or Dobly Vision depending on your setup, breathes new live into these colors without compromising integrity while also tightening up some of the trickier moments where blown-out whites and deep blacks might otherwise threaten adjacent fine detail. While there are moments where the picture seems a touch too dark overall, that may very well be Spinal Tap's intended look and a more accurate representation than the previous DVD and Blu-ray's potentially boosted levels. In all regards, it's a damn fine presentation of this low-budget wonder and, all things considered, only aids the film's effectiveness and time capsule appeal.

Regarding disc compression, Criterion's bit rate teeters dangerously close to overkill and runs at a whopping 90Mbps+ on average; this means that compression issues such as macro blocking and posterization aren't an issue, even during select scenes bathed in heavier amounts of grain or a depicting a wide variety of color values.

This Is Spinal Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Perhaps an even bigger upgrade from previous releases -- and rightly so -- is the choice of audio options, which include DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio as well as the original LPCM 2.0, which again hasn't been heard since Criterion's laserdisc and DVD. Both are great options and feature much fuller bass and a richer dynamic range than previous mixes, lending the concert footage in particular a substantial boost in clarity and weight. The two-channel mix was my go-to option, which delivers a decidedly front-heavy but still wholly effective presentation, whereas the 5.1 mix brings in sporadic amounts of appreciated discrete activity in the form of crowd ambience, be it at a concert or party. Either way, having both is an absolute win in my book, as purists and surround enthusiasts can each be happy with their favorite.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

This Is Spinal Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This three-disc set ships in a beefy fold-out Digipak case with a slipcase sporting new artwork by Dan Goldsworthy including a cover that's closer in tone to MGM's Blu-ray than other earlier home video editions that kept it simple with the band's iconic logo. The 4K disc sits on the left side in its own hub with both Blu-rays on overlapping hubs beside it, and we also get the pack-in bonus of a booklet that mimics a 1982 music magazine with band photos, quotes, in-joke advertisements, memorabilia, and a brand-new essay by film critic Alex Pappademas. Great stuff.

On-disc bonus features include a brand-new retrospective interview, a handful of newly-unearthed vintage items, and several legacy extras ported over from earlier home video editions with only a few minor omissions. For more details on some of the recycled or missing content, please see Martin Liebman's review of MGM's 2009 Blu-ray.

DISC ONE (4K UHD movie disc)

• KINDA NEW! Audio Commentary #1 - This resurrected legacy track was originally recorded for Criterion's 1994 laserdisc and also featured on their 1998 DVD; it includes director/co-writer Rob Reiner, producer Karen Murphy, and editors Robert Leighton and Kent Beyda, and contains a wealth of insight while staying entertaining from start to finish.

• KINDA NEW! Audio Commentary #2 - Another resurrected legacy track from Criterion's laserdisc and DVD, this second similarly great commentary features actors Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, who likewise share plenty of (then fairly recent) memories of the film and its production.

• Audio Commentary #3 - First recorded for MGM's 2000 DVD and later included on their 2009 Blu-ray, this enjoyable in- character commentary herds together Spinal Tap's three main members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls for a delightfully fun tongue-in-cheek roast.

DISC TWO (Blu-ray movie disc)

• Audio Commentary #1 - Same as above.

• Audio Commentary #2 - Same as above.

• Audio Commentary #3 - Same as above.

DISC THREE (Blu-ray bonus features)

• NEW! Rob Reiner and Patton Oswalt (30:16) - Recorded earlier this year, this lightweight but enjoyable interview with the director/co-writer is enthusiastically hosted by Spinal Tap superfan Patton Oswalt, who brings his A-game with a wealth of knowledge about the band and its legacy. Featuring a solid amount of great stories, trivial tidbits, and relaxed camaraderie that probably could've kept things going for at least another half-hour, it also references a few vintage extras that are included on this disc as well. Speaking of which...

• KINDA NEW! The Cutting Room Floor (98:10) - Expanding on the fairly massive (68 minute) collection of deleted scenes included on MGM's 2009 Blu-ray as well as MGM/Criterion's earlier DVD and Blu-ray, this even more massive collection goes to 11 and runs longer than the film itself which, as mentioned before, was culled from several dozen hours of material. I couldn't begin to tell you what's new here but it's a substantial amount, although word has it that more than a few deleted scenes from Criterion's 1994 laserdisc aren't included here. Additionally, the A/V quality is pretty rough, so subtitles would've been appreciated.

• NEW! Spinal Tap: The Final Tour (20:45) - This 1981 short film, originally created in lieu of a script and partially funded by Rob Reiner, plays like a rough demo of the main feature to come and follows Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, Derek Smalls, Marty Di Birgi and company through a leg of their failed North American tour, and includes appearances by other actors who would reprise their roles in the finished film. A few gags are likewise "demoed" here, but it notably lacks any real semblance of an overall narrative structure.

• NEW! The Return of Spinal Tap (10:02) - This excerpt from the hour-long TV movie A Spinal Tap Reunion (1992) celebrates the band's then-recent reformation and tour in support of their album Break Like the Wind; despite its brevity (and lower quality than the main feature, due to an inflated sense of self-awareness), there's still some enjoyment to be had here. Word has it that most of the missing material is concert footage, so I'm assuming that rights issues were to blame for the reason why it's not the full show.

• NEW! Back from the Dead (56:26) - This music-free Spinal Tap reunion special from 2009 (which was curiously not included on MGM's Blu-ray released that year), originally shot in support their titular album, is essentially an extended in-character interview with Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls, who clearly share the same infectious chemistry that made the original film work so well.

• Promotional Material (12 clips, 33:24 total) - This nostalgic catch-all section features a wealth of additional material including in-character interviews, tongue-in-cheek commercials ("Heavy Metal Memories" is a personal favorite), music videos, trailers, TV spots, and more, all of which are returning from previous releases. There are a few minor omissions (No "Rockin' Rolls", sadly), but what's here is a lot of fun to dig through.

• NEW! Spinal Tap II: The End Continues Trailer (2:18) - This promotional piece can also be seen here.

This Is Spinal Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rob Reiner's immortal This is Spinal Tap kick-started the director's terrific early run of films and helped to popularize modern mockumentaries, thanks to the note-perfect performances of its cast and crew. Criterion's long-awaited three-disc 4K/Blu-ray combo pack -- which is also available as a two-disc Blu-ray edition -- quite appropriately feels like a reunion of sorts; last tackled by the studio on laserdisc and DVD in the 1990s, this new release sports very strong A/V merits and a treasure trove of bonus features from past and present. It'll certainly earn a high spot in my personal Top 10 list at year's end, but you don't need to wait that long to snag a copy. Very, very Highly Recommended.