One of the most memorable lines B次元官网网址� and Rob ReinerB次元官网网址檚 personal favorite B次元官网网址� of B次元官网网址淭his Is Spinal TapB次元官网网址� goes: B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a fine line between stupid and clever.B次元官网网址�

You could say the same thing about the classic 1984 mockumentary. It could have so easily not panned out. No one in Hollywood thought it was a good idea. It was saved by Norman Lear who, after Reiner made his pitch and departed, is said to have turned to the executives in the room and announced: B次元官网网址淲hoB次元官网网址檚 going to tell him he canB次元官网网址檛 do it?B次元官网网址�

The movie, itself, has no script, just a four-page outline. It was almost entirely improvised. ReinerB次元官网网址檚 first cut of the film was seven hours long. Even the jokes they did have planned B次元官网网址� like the infamous B次元官网网址渢hese amps goes to 11B次元官网网址� scene B次元官网网址� were filmed off-the-cuff.

B次元官网网址淨uick!B次元官网网址� Reiner recalls shouting. B次元官网网址淢ake an amp with an extra number on it!B次元官网网址�

But what teetered so close to never panning out in the first place, has of course become one of the most beloved comedies of the B次元官网网址�80s and a massive influence to countless mockumentaries that have followed. It is even in the Library of Congress.

Now, Reiner and company want to get the band back together for a sequel. Reiner was at the Cannes Film Festival for an anniversary screening on the beach of B次元官网网址淭his Is Spinal TapB次元官网网址� and to drum up excitement for the just-announced sequel that will also see Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest reprise their roles as band members David St. Hubbins, Derek Smalls and Nigel Tufnel.

B次元官网网址淭he bar is high. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no question about it,B次元官网网址� Reiner said in an interview by the beach in Cannes. B次元官网网址淎nd we wrestled with that forever, whether or not we should even bother to do it. But we had an idea. Over the years, people have come up and said, B次元官网网址極h, you should do a sequel.B次元官网网址� WeB次元官网网址檝e always said, B次元官网网址楴o, no, no.B次元官网网址� But as time went by, we finally had something we think can work. And weB次元官网网址檒l find out!B次元官网网址�

Reiner assures that this time, too, there will be no screenplay. He will depend on the still sharp improvisational talents of his cast, who have carried on Spinal Tap B次元官网网址� a fictional band turned into a semi-real one B次元官网网址� in occasional concerts in the intervening decades. ReinerB次元官网网址檚 character, the director Marti DeBergi (styled after Martin Scorsese in The Band concert documentary B次元官网网址淭he Last WaltzB次元官网网址�), will naturally return.

B次元官网网址淗ere we are 40 years later and Marti DeBergi B次元官网网址� who has not been the greatest filmmaker, letB次元官网网址檚 put it that way. The man made B次元官网网址楰ramer vs. Kramer vs. Godzilla.B次元官网网址� And I think he did B次元官网网址楢ttack of the 52-Foot Woman,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� says Reiner. B次元官网网址淏ecause he said thereB次元官网网址檚 going to be this reunion, we wanted to make this film, and weB次元官网网址檝e given him free reign.B次元官网网址�

When B次元官网网址淭his Is Spinal TapB次元官网网址� was first released, many thought Spinal Tap was a real band. Reiner, who studied rock documentaries like B次元官网网址淭he Kids Are AlrightB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淭he Song Remains the SameB次元官网网址� for preparation, enlisted a cinematographer, Peter Smokler, with a documentary background. What was real and what was parody was almost indistinguishable. Sting, Reiner says, has since told him he watched it countless times but didnB次元官网网址檛 know if he should laugh or cry.

And some bits were taken straight from rock B次元官网网址榥B次元官网网址� roll lore. The band getting lost on their way to the stage came from an experience by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who may have been enjoying the pre-show backstage atmosphere too much.

Asked if Scorsese ever spoke to him about ReinerB次元官网网址檚 riff on him, Reiner responds: B次元官网网址淚nitially, Marty got mad. But over the years, heB次元官网网址檚 come to love it. We did B次元官网网址榃olf of Wall StreetB次元官网网址� a few years ago and we talked about it. He said, B次元官网网址楢h, I love it. I love that you did that.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he Last WaltzB次元官网网址� will again be a major touchstone for the sequel which Reiner is developing for his re-launched production company Castle Rock. ReinerB次元官网网址檚 plan entails Spinal Tap reconvening for one last show.

Many of ReinerB次元官网网址檚 most beloved films are seemingly sequel-proof. Recapturing the tone of B次元官网网址淭he Princess BrideB次元官网网址�? Inconceivable. (Writer William Goldman did try, though.) And itB次元官网网址檚 just as hard to imagine the magic of B次元官网网址淪tand by MeB次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址淲hen Harry Met SallyB次元官网网址� being captured a second time. But B次元官网网址淪pinal Tap,B次元官网网址� Reiner thinks, isnB次元官网网址檛 done rocking.

B次元官网网址淚f you have an idea,B次元官网网址� he says, B次元官网网址渢hen you say, B次元官网网址極K.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擩ake Coyle, The Associated Press