I am going to admit right here and now. Though I talk alot about my knoweledge of film and trivia about movies, even down to scenes in certain films. I have not seen the majorty of the "classics" I talk about, I often have just gathered the information from all the conversations and references to movies in other works of literature. One of these films that I had never actually seen(till recently) but knew a lot about was Spinal Tap. It is one of those classic comedies that I have heard about being one of the funniest of all time, that the jokes are laugh out loud funny and the comedic timing is brilliant. Based on that, I was expecting something far different from what I saw.

Spinal Tap is indeed a laugh out loud funny movie but not in the way I was expecting. I was expecting it to be outrageous moment after moment and not so... dead pan. You actually have to listen intently to get the full effect of the majorty of the jokes. If you aren't listening, I found that you won't get half the jokes in the film. Classic lines like "but this one goes to 11" would completely fly over you if aren't paying attention. It is the kind of movie that a friend who studies film calls "A comedians comedy". You really have to understand the ideas of comedic timing, dead pan, and most of all, sarcasm to really get the whole film.

I also wasn't expecting it to be so unbelievable in his mockumentary style. I think it is perhaps I have seen all of David Guest's later works before I saw this that I was expecting something as believable as those. I remember the first time I saw Best In Show I really thought the entire film was real and not a single person was in it was an actor. This is quite the opposite reaction I had with Spinal Tap. The entire film I knew that these people were playing characters, and though much of still felt like improv, something about it just felt off to me. Perhaps it was just how over the top it is, and the sets weren't as elaborate as best in show. I wish I could of been alive during the time the movie first arrived in theaters. The complete joy I would of had in seeing it thinking it was really one of those popular bands from the time. Without the internet as well, my friends and I probably would of gone along thinking the whole thing is real for quite some time. The joy that is contained is ignorance, is there anything better? If anything though, it is clear that David Guest matured his actors and his craft great fully over the years that led to best in show.

I still feel like kind of a prick for how long it took me to view this film. That feeling is only worsened by the fact that I don't quite feel that I totally get it. I can see why it is considered a classic as it launched David Guest's career, but I think his later films are far better than this.