The Controversy Surrounding ‘This is Spinal Tap’

This story is straight out of Hollywood. Really! Actors Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean are suing the parent company of the music label that was involved in the classic music farce ‘This is Spinal Tap!’ They are suing for $400 million dollars for withholding millions of deserved royalties since the debut of the movie in 1989.

Here are a few movie/music details you may not have known about the classic film…

Although the movie was a wonderful spoof, a farce, a parody, most people who saw the film that the documentary was about a real group.

The film pre-screening research and focus groups indicated the audience hated the film, it bombed at the box office, but caught fire when it went to home video (do you remember home video?)

Director Rob Reiner had intended to play a member of the band, but the cast and crew talked him out of it the day he came out of makeup wearing spandex – not a pretty sight.

There was so much ad-lib dialogue allowed that the film generated over 100 hours of dailies.

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