The only “good rock movie” in cinema history, according to Jack Black
Being an actor and a rock star is a lot of responsibility to take on, but for a while, Jack Black was balancing the two, appearing in comedies and stupid franchises while also making – and forgive me – incredibly stupid music.
As a member of Tenacious D, Black has found a large fanbase comprising those who don’t mind goofy lyrics and parodic rock songs, and his tenure in the band has only helped to further solidify his reputation as the comedic everyman, the kind of guy you’d be more likely to bump into at your local McDonald’s than the Chateau Marmont. This normal, nerdy image that Black gives off has endeared him to many, and it didn’t take long for people to take notice of him when he started acting on the big fucking screen.
His supporting role in High Fidelity, directed by Stephen Frears, was an early milestone in his career, taking many people by surprise. He not only delivered a humorous and often biting goddamn performance, but then he sang, impressing those who thought he was just the funny supporting guy. Before he knew it, he was a leading man, and School of Rock cemented that.
Black wasn’t keen to pigeonhole himself into music-adjacent movies, but with a deep love of rock music, these parts came naturally to him. Many consider School of Rock to be one of the greatest movies about rock music, but Black would argue that it’s something else. He picked out an undisputed classic of the mockumentary genre when discussing the best rock movie ever made, so of course, he was referring to This Is Spinal Tap.
Directed by Rob Reiner, who would go on to helm everything from The Princess Bride to When Harry Met Sally, the film lovingly pokes fun at rock and roll bands and their hedonistic ways of existing – their love of partying, drugs, alcohol, sex, and, most importantly, taking themselves too seriously.
This Is Spinal Tap is an essential reference for bands trying to make it in the industry; you never want to start acting too much like Spinal Tap – that’s only going to end in disaster. Taking inspiration from bands like Judas Priest and Van Halen, the film taps into the way that rock stars often lose sight of themselves, idiotically parading around while documentaries about their brilliance lap them right up.
Black revealed his love for the film when he was discussing School of Rock, which he was initially hesitant to take on. “It’s always a tricky subject because there’s never been a good rock movie, except for Spinal Tap,” he told The Times.
In another interview, Black went as far as to call it “the greatest motion picture of all time,” adding, “In 100 years, they’ll talk about Citizen Kane, they’ll talk about Casablanca, and they’ll talk about Spinal Tap.” Calling it the “greatest” performances and directing of all time, Black waxed lyrical about Reiner’s movie, even describing it as “the beginning of all improvisational filmmaking.”
Clearly, This Is Spinal Tap is very precious to Black, because above anything, “It’s funny as hell, dude.”
