‘Spinal Tap’ Sequel Proves Box Office ‘S*** Sandwich’
Follow-up to beloved '80s mockumentary can't draw a crowd
Let’s hope they got a bigger dressing room than the puppets.
“Spinal Tap: The End Continues” bowed in theaters two weeks ago, roughly 41 years after “This Is Spinal Tap” introduced mockumentaries to the masses.
And nobody cared, apparently.
The new film has brought in $2.5 million since its Sept. 12 debut, a paltry sum given the first film’s devoted following and the lack of blockbuster competition.
The original “Tap” wasn’t a box office hit ($5.8 million US), but it became a cultural obsession. Endlessly quotable, the faux documentary captured ’80s metal with a wink and a nod.
Director Rob Reiner’s sequel hoped to capitalize on decades of goodwill. The film reunites the key members from the 1984 comedy – Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest – along with bit players like Fran Drescher and Paul Shaffer.
Plus, new cameos from Elton John and Paul McCartney spiked the marketing punch. At least in theory.
So why didn’t the new film draw a crowd? Some theories:
- It’s Better on Streaming: Nostalgia sequels like “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” and “Happy Gilmore 2” wowed with their home debuts. A second “Tap” may have made a far bigger impact had it followed that route. People like comfort food cinema at home.
- Reiner’s TDS: The film’s director may have the worst case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, something which could have turned off potential moviegoers. The trailer’s brief Stormy Daniels quip suggested Reiner might turn the sequel into an anti-Trump affair. Reviews suggest nothing of the sort happened, but the director’s divisive politics (along with McKean’s X feed) didn’t help.
- The Original Is Lightning in a Bottle: Some movies are so perfect as is, or at least perfect for the time in question, that the notion of a sequel seems absurd. If rock isn’t dead in 2025 it’s on life support, and many of the music tropes the first “Tap” mocked are no longer in play. A “Spinal Tap” sequel doesn’t make sense from a cultural standpoint.
- The Critics Didn’t Sell It: A huge review hug might have told wary audiences that this sequel rose above expectations. Instead, “The End Continues” snagged a modest 65 percent “fresh” rating at Rotten Tomatoes along with plenty of catcalls. Plus, even the positive reviews were far from fawning.
The sequel sucked. You could see that from the trailer, which is why so many people stayed away.
The sequel was not a bomb, it’s just that Tap’s appeal is becoming more selective.
Perfectly said!
I call a big BS on the TDS crack. I’ve got news pal.. His numbers are tanking. There is a lot of voter remorse. He certainly lost the Kimmel battle. He and MAGA are losing ground daily. IN OTHER WORDS… A GREAT MANY MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU THINK HAVE TDS! Beside that…if you look at the entire country, voters and non voters it tallied up to only 31% for Harris, Barely 32% for Trump and 37% not voting. I suspect some of that 37 will be Dem at the midterms because their reckless actions have negatively impacted many. plus..THEY LIE!
Keep coping, nobody has ‘voters remorse.’ You can make up all the excuses you want. Reiner is massively tainted and nobody wanted this dud of a sequel. Enjoy the next three years, pal.
This didn’t age well. Care to revise this after the Peace Deal? Besides, I voted for everything you claim I now regret. You, sir, are awarded no points. And Spinal Tap should have been left alone, no sequel necessary.
Yes…TDS is a massive turnoff.
I’ve seen so much promotional material on YouTube and broadcast TV for this, so marketing can’t be at fault. The main culprits for me are:
1. Timing – 41 years is too long to rely on nostalgia from your original audience
2. SPOILERS The movie just wasn’t that good (to your 4th point). There were things that had no kayfabe reason to exist (the cheese rolling) or too broad/dumb (the fart machine). David saying “delete my browser history” as his possibly-dying words (to someone else who may be dying) makes no sense to his character and is an overdone joke anyway. Why are they playing “Cups and Cakes” and “Listen to the Flower People” when they’re supposed to be a metal band now? Why did they care that Simon left before the show when he was no help? There was no heart. The David/Nigel conflict was resolved in minutes! “You slept with my wife” “No I didn’t” “Well, I forgive you anyway” was the extent of emotional resonance. I would’ve loved to see the whole concert instead of just a minute of each song.
it was in competition with another even older crowd draw … Downton Abbey, which won.
I took my father who (showed me the original when it was first released on VHS, ‘though he has no recollection of that – he’s 83) and we enjoyed it along with the 4 others in the audience.
There’s barely enough good material for its running time of 87 minutes but seems like they should have spent more improv time to hit the comedy gold nuggets that are too infrequent. Would have been a stronger 60 minute special.
It hard to compete with a classic, but also seemed to lack that spark of fun. Which was present when I saw them live in So Cal for the Break Link the Wind concert way back in 2000(ish).
You can’t improve on perfection, and there’s no new story to tell, so I’m not interested in seeing this. Reeks too much of shameless cash grab.
Going in with lowest expectations for most of the reasons CT cited, plus as the original Tap ranks as my favorite comedy ever I figured it couldn’t be topped, I laughed a lot and took the movie for what the creators may have been shooting for: an extended addendum/bonus feature, including a few deep-cut nods to the original’s first trailer.
Get more in-depth reviews at the All Over the Place YouTube channel, @AOTPfunsanity.
The audience has changed. They have died.
I had no idea this was even a thing and I will continue to go with having no idea this is a thing. There is only 1 Spinal Tap movie and there will always only be 1 Spinal Tap movie. It will join the long list of sequels that will be forgotten and left in the trash bins of history.
Honestly, I was not even sure when it was coming out, and was surprised to find out it was already.
I am a huge fan of the original. In college, I would rent it and try and get people to believe it was a movie about a real group. I had a lot of people going for it.
The rollout for this one was muted … took forever to get the trailer out and it didn’t get a ton of publicity. Reiner’s appearance on Bill Maher’s podcast came AFTER the film’s release date.