There is a reason that This Is Spinal Tap is widely considered to be one of the greatest comedies ever made, and that reason lies in the context of its satire. The film – directed by Rob Reiner, and written by Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer – was released in 1984, and takes a razor-sharp swipe at rock documentaries in particular. This, in itself, makes it a great and entertaining film, but its true brilliance is earned in the margins, where its unflinching, mocking gaze falls on pop culture and its capitalist setting in general. Indeed, it is the fact that the film originally cast this mocking gaze in contemporary fashion – digging at a culture wh...

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