The greatest movie where a bunch of little people dance around a comically small Stonehenge model turned 30 today. Yes, three decades ago, Christopher Guest’s brilliant mockumentery This Is Spinal Tap taught us about sex farms, shark sandwiches, and getting lost backstage at your own concert. The film is massively popular and effective: no less a rock god than Ozzy Osbourne mistook it for an actual documentary. Then again, Ozzy thought a coat rack he stumbled into in 1983 was real for five years, so maybe he’s not the most reliable of sources. But if influence can be measured in mailed panties, then This Is Spinal Tap is the MOST influential.
And very educational. Here’s what it taught us about being a rock star.
1. What’s better than playing one instrument? Playing TWO instruments.
2. Don’t listen to the haters.
3. One lyricist’s genius is another songwriter’s stupidty.
4. Rock stars are people, too — they explode like the rest of us.
5. If you’re gonna go out like a Golden God, make sure it’s on your own vomit.
6. Theatricality is everything. But so is perspective.
7. Turn everything up to 11…
8. …even IMDb ratings.
