We Are Getting A Spinal Tap Sequel and I Don't Know Whether To Cringe Or Be Excited
Hollywood Reporter - Bleecker Street has nabbed the U.S. distribution rights to the 1984 cult comedy This Is Spinal Tap and its upcoming sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
Both films are directed by Rob Reiner, with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer reprising their roles as the fictional English heavy metal band Spinal Tap in the latest outing. Spinal Tap II follows the band as they reunite after a 15-year break for one final concert, according to a synopsis from the producers.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will get a wide theatrical release on Sept. 12, and has Reiner returning in the onscreen role of documentarian Martin “Marty” DiBergi, in addition to cameos by Elton John, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.
The cast for the sequel includes Paul Shaffer, Fran Drescher, Don Lake, John Michael Higgins, Nina Conti, Griffin Matthews, Kerry Godliman and Chris Addison. Bleecker Street also plans a U.S. theatrical release this summer for the restored edition of This Is Spinal Tap, to be followed by digital and streaming play.
(Sidebar from the rip - Fran Drescher can still get it)
Hollywood just can't help themselves. They went and did it again. The bigwigs in Tinseltown have decided to dredge up another relic from the past that never needed to be touched, and like the cat that just can’t resist knocking stuff off the counter, they’ve gone ahead and made Spinal Tap II.
the iconic, genre-defining mockumentary from 1984 that didn’t just redefine rock music parodies but cemented its place in cinema history as a cultural touchstone, is getting a sequel. Forty years later. Why? Because, apparently, some things are just too sacred to leave untouched. (And Hollywood is full of hacks who have no balls tp take risks on unique and original ideas anymore, opting instead to constantly bastardize fantastic films and brands.)
Trying my fucking hardest to look at this from a glass half full point of view here, I guess the semi-good news here is that they did manage to get the gang back together. Rob Reiner, who directed the original, is returning to take the reins. The core band members- Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, are back as the lovable misfits of Spinal Tap.
The plot is being spun as "a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll, but not just any rock ‘n’ roll, the rock ‘n’ roll that no one’s asked for anymore. They're reuniting for one final concert after a 15-year hiatus."
The bad? We're getting cameos from Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Garth Brooks. Because when you think about revitalizing a beloved classic, what better way than to throw in a handful of legendary artists to make the whole thing feel a little less… desperate?
This Is Spinal Tap was perfect. It was lightning in a bottle. It was a mockumentary at its finest, capturing the absurdity of rock stardom without the need for reboots or unnecessary sequels.
The charm was in the simplicity of it all: a fictional band that felt like a real reflection of the chaotic and often ridiculous world of music. It was of its time.
It wasn't meant to be a franchise. And now, we’re faced with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. (Clever name, I will give it that)
This is a sequel that’s about as necessary as a screen door on a submarine.
Sure, there’s talk about “finding the right idea” to honor the original and “push the story further.”
But, honestly, we all know that's just Hollywood, PR bullshit they cloak their moneygrabs in. Because what are you supposed to even push when you’re dealing with a concept that was already perfect? This isn’t some Marvel franchise where you can slap a new coat of paint on an already-winning formula. Spinal Tap was a satire. The sequel is just so contrived and forced it hurts.
Hollywood loves to ruin good things by giving them a fresh coat of paint and calling it “new.” Sometimes, leaving well enough alone is the key to keeping things magical.
(I still remember the first time I saw This Is Spinal Tap, I was staying over at my aunti's house when I was a little kid. I was watching it and following along, laughing whenever her and my uncle would laugh pretending I knew what the hell was going on. I had no idea it was a "mockumentary", and was convinced Spinal Tap was a real band for like 2-3 years after that. This was also the same aunt who would let me stay up past my bedtime on Saturday nights to watch Saturday Night Live with her and let me think that Darrell Hammond and Dana Carvey were our actual presidents. Good times)
But I digress, and back to ripping Hollywood for being lazy, talentless, pussies.
Hollywood used to be a place, and a term that was synonymous with magic.
Going to the movies was an experience akin to escaping from real life and the real world for a couple hours.
Today its about money and margins, and avoiding risk. "How little can we spend in order to make the biggest return?"
They’d rather breathe life into a classic by throwing sequels, prequels, and reboots at it until it’s just a bloated carcass of its former self.
You’re telling me that with all the talent in the world, this is the best idea they could come up with? Spinal Tap II: The End Continues? You serious Clark?
Instead of using the original’s spirit as inspiration for fresh, new ideas, spinning off something new, but "inspired by", Hollywood insists on trotting out the same tired characters, stealing all the energy from what made them special in the first place. What happened to original concepts and fresh stories?
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But oh, we can't forget that the film’s being released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Spinal Tap, as if that makes it any less of a cash grab. This move reeks even more of desperation, as if the studios know they can’t come up with anything else worth talking about, so they’re hoping a touch of nostalgia and some “celebrity” cameos will somehow make us forget that it’s all just recycled content.
The film industry needs to stop thinking that all it takes to keep audiences engaged is a familiar face or a title we recognize.
Hollywood needs to stop bastardizing its own history with these half-baked sequels and remakes and start focusing on creating new worlds, characters, and stories that don’t have a 40-year-old shadow looming over them. After all, why create something original when you can simply squeeze the last ounce of life from something that didn’t need fixing in the first place?
They keep telling us how movie theatres are dying because nobody leaves their house to go to the movies anymore. Here's a novel idea- give us something worth leaving our couch to go see and maybe we will. If you build it, they will come.