The book will be available ahead of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
For the first time, This is Spinal Tap director Rob Reiner and co-creators Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer provide the full behind-the-scenes story of the making of the groundbreaking mockumentary and its upcoming sequel. A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap, by Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer, will be available on September 9th via Gallery Books.
Since its original release in 1984, This Is Spinal Tap has evolved from a beloved cult film into a cinematic landmark: an all-time comedy classic that pioneered an entire genre, the mockumentary. Now, director Rob Reiner and his co-writers and co-stars, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, tell the complete story of the movie and its fictitious band—how they met, how Spinal Tap came to be, and how their low-budget indie film took on a life of its own. Years after the movie first came out, the Library of Congress selected This Is Spinal Tap for inclusion in the National Film Registry and Tap went on to play The Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, and to over 100,000 fans at the Glastonbury Festival in England.
Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer provide the backstories to the movie’s famous lines—among them “Hello, Cleveland!,” “None more black,” “You can’t dust for vomit,” and “These go to eleven”—and to such Tap anthems as “Big Bottom” and “Stonehenge.” Featuring never-before-seen photographs, band memorabilia, and personal reminiscences of their enduring creative partnership, A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever will delight Tap-heads of all ages—just as the long-awaited Spinal Tap sequel is hitting theaters.
The book also comes with a bonus memoir by Reiner’s directorial alter ego, Marty DiBergi, in which he interviews Tap band members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls about their musical journey and their drummers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to the rock gods.
Fathom Entertainment and Bleecker Street are bringing the remastered, remixed, and definitive 4K restoration of the cult classic masterpiece to theaters on July 5-7, ahead of the September 12th release of its upcoming sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
This fall, Reiner is returning to direct the sequel that sees Guest, McKean, and Shearer reprise their roles as the members of Spinal Tap. Reiner will also be back as Marty Di Bergi, the documentarian.
The premise involves the band reuniting after 15 years for one final show, sparked by an old Spinal Tap song going viral on social media. The daughter of their late manager, Ian Faith, has inherited a contract calling for one more performance, which becomes valuable due to the song’s unexpected popularity.
Cameos include Paul McCartney, Elton John, Garth Brooks, Questlove, and Trisha Yearwood. Fran Drescher is also reprising her role as Bobbi Flekman, and Paul Shaffer is confirmed to be in the cast, though it’s not confirmed if he’ll be reprising his role as Artie Fufkin.
This Is Spinal Tap has been beautifully restored and set for a 4K UHD three-disc release on September 16th as part of The Criterion Collection.
