‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Returns to Theaters for 41st Anniversary Ahead of Sequel Release

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The legendary rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap is returning to theaters this weekend to celebrate its 41st anniversary. The cult classic, directed by Rob Reiner, helped define the mockumentary genre and is now getting a theatrical re-release ahead of an upcoming sequel set to debut this September.

“We wanted to get the public reintroduced to the film,” Reiner said. “Never in a million years did we think it would become what it did.”

When the film first premiered, many audiences thought it was real. “People didn’t know it was satire. At the first screening, someone asked why we made a movie about a band no one had heard of—and one that was so bad,” Reiner recalled.

From miniature Stonehenge sets to amps that go to 11, Spinal Tap became a cultural phenomenon for its over-the-top look at life on the road with a fictional hard rock band.

Reiner says seeing the film in a theater makes a difference: “You want that shared experience. It’s not the same as watching it in your living room.”

The anniversary release is timed to build anticipation for the sequel, which will bring back original cast members for another round of over-the-top musical misadventures.

Going to 11 in Hollywood, I’m Rick Damagella.

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