8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A spoof documentary about a once-famous, now almost forgotten British heavy metal band returning to the United States after 17 years for a concert tour.
Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June ChadwickMusic | 100% |
Documentary | 67% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: LPCM 2.0
French, German, Danish, Finnish, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Rob Reiner's cult "This is Spinal Tap" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The disc is loaded with supplemental features: an audio commentary, six featurettes, a number of outtakes, trailers, TV Spots, music videos, and more. Subtitled in Danish, French, German, Finnish and Swedish (but not English). Region-B "locked".
Funny?
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rob Reiner's This is Spinal Tap arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
This is a good transfer. Given how the film was shot (16mm), contrast, clarity and detail are all satisfying. The color-scheme is fairly consistent, with reds, blues, greens, yellows, blacks and whites looking - as intended by director Reiner - slightly faded. More often than not, film grain is noticeable. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern, though a few times I was able to spot its presence. Macroblocking does not plague the transfer either. I noticed a few tiny flecks popping up here and there, but large debris, scratches and dirt are nowhere to be seen. Finally, when blown through a digital projector, the film looks remarkably stable. All in all, This is Spinal Tap probably looks the best it ever has. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" disc. Therefore, unless you have a native Region-B or Region-Free player, you will not be able to access its content).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0 and French LPCM 2.0. I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English LPCM 2.0 track for the purpose of this review.
Generally speaking, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds very good. The bass is surprisingly potent, the rear channels a lot more active than I expected them to be, and the high frequencies not overdone (there are absolutely no distortions that I detected). The dialog is crisp and easy to follow. Additionally, there are no serious balance issues either. For the record, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings.
The English LPCM 2.0 track is very strong. In fact, there are a number of scenes (the Stonehenge gaffe) where I thought that the English LPCM 2.0 track was a lot more effective than the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Specifically, to my ears the dynamic amplitude of the English LPCM 2.0 track felt a lot more natural than that of the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. So, experiment with both and see which one appeals to you better. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional Danish, French, German, Finnish and Swedish subtitles. Strangely enough, there are no optional English subtitles.
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them. All supplemental features, including the audio commentary, are subtitled in French and German.
Audio commentary - if you enjoyed the film, then you would love this commentary. The members of Spinal Tap deliver a mock commentary where they "recall" how the film was made, what made their characters fascinating to behold, etc. After awhile, however, the mocking gets pretty annoying.
This is Spinal Tap - some well known celebrities talk about how incredible the film is. (1 min).
Sprinkle some ****in' fairy dust on it - Reg Pressley from the band Troggs talks about a well known incident that was immortalized by Spinal Tap in This is Spinal Tap. (5 min).
2007 Live Earth - director Reiner introduces Spinal Tap at Live Earth. (7 min).
The Return of Spinal Tap - Bob Geldof introduces Spinal Tap at Blighty for another memorable doze of humor and music. Additional interviews with director Reiner and members of the band are included. (58 min).
Stonehenge Interview With Nigel - an interview in five parts with some not so intelligent, but occasionally hilarious, comments about Stonehenge. (10 min).
Outtakes - a massive gallery of cut scenes. (68 min).
Original theatrical trailers - two trailers (5 min).
Music Videos - "Gimme Some Money", "(Listen To The) Flower People", "Hell Hole", "Big Bottom"
Creative Meeting and Bitch School Video - the famous sexy video (5 min).
TV Spots -
Heavy Metal Memories - yet another spoof. (2 min).
Cheese roll trailer - cheese and This is Spinal Tap, what do they have in common? (2 min).
Flower People Press Conference - (2 min).
Featurettes - "Home Video and DVD", "The Controversy", "Back From The Dead", "Influence", "Mick Fleetwood", and "Music".
During the years, This is Spinal Tap inspired legions of fans who remain convinced that it is one of the funniest films ever made. I am not one of them. To this very day, I find the overwhelming amount of the humor in it to be incredibly poor. I also find the film's message to be painfully misleading. To each his own, I guess. Nevertheless, those of you who hold This is Spinal Tap in high regard will definitely be pleased with Optimum Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release - it looks and sounds great!
Up To 11 Edition | Limited Marshall Amp
1984
30th Anniversary Edition
1984
Talking Heads | Restored Edition
1984
2010
1981
1988
2016
1976
2018
Twenty Feet from Stardom
2013
3 Disc Collectors Edition | Limited Edition
2013
1989
2013
1981
Special Edition
2021
Masters of Cinema
1978
2008
2008
The Rolling Stones
2008
1978
Bruce Springsteen
1977-2009
1980