Surprising Facts About This Is Spinal Tap— The OG Mockumentary

Demo Reel

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Reiner, Shearer, McKean, and Guest were given $60,000 to write a screenplay of the film for Marble Arch Productions. After trying to write a script, they discovered that no amount of writing could effectively communicate the kind of movie they wanted to make.

They shot a 20-minute demo instead to showcase the improvisational style they had in mind. They shopped the demo around to various studios until eventually, Norman Lear decided to back the project. Many of the scenes in the demo ended up in the final cut of the film. Read ahead for Ozzy Osborne’s reaction to the movie.