'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' Review: 41 Years Later, The Greatest Fake Band Ever Still Rocks

The year is 1984, and an actor-turned-filmmaker by the name of Rob Reiner has just made their directorial feature debut with a little movie called This Is Spinal Tap. At first glance, it appears to be a competently made documentary about a somewhat amateur rock band. In actuality, it was a revolutionary, inventive, and groundbreaking trendsetter for the mockumentary genre that functions as both a loving tribute to the music world and a subsequent skewering of the industry's silliest aspects. Not only did it launch the directorial career of Rob Reiner, who would go on to have an unprecedented run of classics that include Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and more, but it also turned Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer into improv legends.