This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Music, Comedy • 1h 22m
Overview
"This Is Spinal Tap" shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real.
Director: Rob Reiner
Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June Chadwick, Bruno Kirby, Ed Begley Jr., Fran Drescher, Dana Carvey, Sandy Helberg, Billy Crystal, Paul Benedict, Howard Hesseman, Russ Kunkel, Joyce Hyser, Paul Shaffer, Archie Hahn, Fred Willard, Anjelica Huston, Brinke Stevens, Patrick Macnee, Tony Hendra, R.J. Parnell, David Kaff, Danny Kortchmar, Julie Payne, Zane Buzby, Paul Shortino, Lara Cody, Andrew J. Lederer, Victory Tischler-Blue, Gloria Gifford, Charles Levin, Donald Kendrick, Wonderful Smith, Kimberly Stringer, Chazz Dominguez, Shari Hall, Jean Cromie, Patrick Maher, Memo Vera, Robin Menken, Jennifer Child, J.J. Barry, George McDaniel, Anne Churchill, Cherie Darr, Diana Duncan, Gina Marie Pitrello, Gina Jourard
Director: Orson Welles
MoC 4K Blu-ray and Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are similar
Director: Orson Welles
MoC 4K Blu-ray and Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are similar
Director: Robert Wise
Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj
Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.
All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.
Director: Robert Wise
Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj
Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.
All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.
Director: André de Toth
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
Director: André de Toth
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: John McTiernan
Director: John McTiernan
Director: John Ford
Director: John Ford
1991 Warner Bros LaserDisc (for original mono track)
1996 Warner Bros 25th Anniversary LaserDisc has isolated music and effects track (incorrectly labeled "music minus vocals") not present on any other release
1991 Warner Bros LaserDisc (for original mono track)
1996 Warner Bros 25th Anniversary LaserDisc has isolated music and effects track (incorrectly labeled "music minus vocals") not present on any other release
Director: Alfred E. Green
Director: Alfred E. Green
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: Rob Reiner
Director: Rob Reiner
Director: Rob Reiner
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or German Capelight 4K Blu-Ray?
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or German Capelight 4K Blu-Ray?
Shout! Factory Blu-ray has exclusive extras the Kino Lorber/Capelight release doesn't
Director: Rob Reiner
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or German Capelight 4K Blu-Ray?
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or German Capelight 4K Blu-Ray?
Shout! Factory Blu-ray has exclusive extras the Kino Lorber/Capelight release doesn't
Director: Rob Reiner
Sony 2023 Steelbook 4K Blu-ray
Sony 2023 Steelbook 4K Blu-ray added Dolby Vision and more extras
The DVD has an isolated score track
Director: Rob Reiner
Sony 2023 Steelbook 4K Blu-ray
Sony 2023 Steelbook 4K Blu-ray added Dolby Vision and more extras
The DVD has an isolated score track
Director: Rob Reiner
Turbine Germany 4K Blu-ray has a few exclusive extras
Director: Rob Reiner
Turbine Germany 4K Blu-ray has a few exclusive extras
Director: Rob Reiner
Director: Rob Reiner
Director: Jean Renoir
The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray
The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.
Director: Jean Renoir
The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray
The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
Director: David Lynch
Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray - subtle difference in encoding to the Criterion in encoding, trading blows in different shots, with Plaion taking a slight edge with less highlight blocking
1993 MGM LaserDisc/2000 Region 1 MGM DVD
Criterion's 2.0 sounds muffled due to noise reduction and EQ.
Plaion's 2.0 lacks bass and has a very bright EQ, more resembling the 5.1 remix. Plaion’s 2.0 doesn't have any filtering unlike the Criterion, see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23831289&postcount=110
Director: David Lynch
Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray - subtle difference in encoding to the Criterion in encoding, trading blows in different shots, with Plaion taking a slight edge with less highlight blocking
1993 MGM LaserDisc/2000 Region 1 MGM DVD
Criterion's 2.0 sounds muffled due to noise reduction and EQ.
Plaion's 2.0 lacks bass and has a very bright EQ, more resembling the 5.1 remix. Plaion’s 2.0 doesn't have any filtering unlike the Criterion, see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23831289&postcount=110
Director: David Lynch
Criterion 4K Blu-ray is closer to the original DVDs than the 2015 Criterion release, not sure about whether the StudioCanal 4K is like the Criterion 4K/original DVD
Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL
Director: David Lynch
Criterion 4K Blu-ray is closer to the original DVDs than the 2015 Criterion release, not sure about whether the StudioCanal 4K is like the Criterion 4K/original DVD
Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL
Director: Ridley Scott
Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Ridley Scott
Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Chen Kaige
Director: Chen Kaige
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
1954 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
1954 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Edit History
10/11/2025
Best Audio Release
From
1998 Criterion DVD Stereo https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2025/09/this-is-spinal-tap-1984.html
To
1998 Criterion DVD Stereo
From
1998 Criterion DVD Stereo https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2025/09/this-is-spinal-tap-1984.html
To
1998 Criterion DVD Stereo
blah-ray
Added
https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2025/09/this-is-spinal-tap-1984.html
Added
https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2025/09/this-is-spinal-tap-1984.html
10/4/2025
Best Audio Release
From
To
1998 Criterion DVD Stereo https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2025/09/this-is-spinal-tap-1984.html
From
To
1998 Criterion DVD Stereo https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2025/09/this-is-spinal-tap-1984.html
9/18/2025
Best English-Friendly Release
From
New resto, only old BD https://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/s/QiPtEJ3MTo
To
Criterion 4K
From
New resto, only old BD https://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/s/QiPtEJ3MTo
To
Criterion 4K
Best Video Release
From
New resto, only old BD https://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/s/QiPtEJ3MTo
To
From
New resto, only old BD https://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/s/QiPtEJ3MTo
To
9/18/2025
Format
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1080p Blu-ray
To
UHD Blu-ray
From
1080p Blu-ray
To
UHD Blu-ray
