Before We Tap into The Future, We Must Tap into The Past

 

One of the most anticipated films of 2025 is Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues, the 41st anniversary sequel to This is Spinal Tap.

To whet our appetites, This is Spinal Tap is being shown in AMC Theatres thru tomorrow. I took in a showing yesterday afternoon at AMC Boston Common. Normally, I do my best to avoid AMC theatres because of their excessive and exhaustive number of commercials. However, much to my surprise, there were no commercials or coming attractions. The film began on schedule. It was almost like being at the Brattle or the Somerville Theatre.

This is Spinal Tap is one of those movies best experienced with an audience. By my count, this is the fourth time I've seen in a theatre. The first time took place in the fall of 1991 not long after I arrived in Ottawa for my freshman year at Carleton University. I saw This is Spinal Tap at the Mayfair Theatre with a fellow named Mike "Ozzy" Drukarsh. "Ozzy" gave me the nickname "Cucumber" because I once brought a cucumber to a sexed presentation. 

I must admit a great many of my memories of my time in Ottawa and at Carleton University have faded considerably. But not this one. The main reason for this was because "Ozzy" had seen the film over 400 times and began reciting the film's lines much to the annoyance of the audience around us.

More than a decade would pass before I would see it on the big screen again. By this time, I had moved to Boston. I cannot quite remember the year though I would estimate it was in 2002. I do remember that I saw it at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline. However long I had been in Boston, by this point the line from Ian Faith (played by Tony Hendra), "Boston isn't a big college town." Not surprisingly, this was one of the big laugh lines in the entire film and was again yesterday.

Prior to yesterday, I last saw This is Spinal Tap in April 2019 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City with Dad. The screening marked the film's 35th anniversary and director Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer were on hand to talk and perform following a showing of the film. However, much to my consternation Elvis Costello made an unannounced appearance. Costello infamously cancelled concerts in Israel back in 2010 and is a supporter of the BDS Movement. Had I known he was going to be there, I would not have attended.

Fortunately, there were no unpleasant surprises yesterday. Following the screening, we were treated to a trailer featuring Rob Reiner as Marty DiBurgi promoting Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues featuring a scene with McKean, Guest and Shearer having aged considerably discussing a memorial concert in which one of the members is required to die onstage. Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues is due in theatres on September 12th. Now that I have tapped back into the past, I look forward to tapping into the future.