On Sunday, President Donald Trump ordered 300 California National Guard troops to Portland, which Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called “authoritarian conduct” and he added: “We are taking this fight back to court.” In an interview with Ali Velshi on MSNBC on Sunday, director Rob Reiner cited Trump’s National Guard moves …
Read More »Michael McKean on 'Spinal Tap II': 'Rock Keeps You Young, But Only If You Die Young'
Does the release of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues mark the actual end of England’s loudest band? Maybe, says Michael McKean, who plays David St. Hubbins: “If you only halfway exist, then vanishing altogether is not a big chore.” McKean, whose many other roles include Charles McGill on Better …
Read More »'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues': This Sequel Goes to Two
“The review you had on Shark Sandwich, which was merely a two word review, just said ‘Shit Sandwich.’” “Where’d they print that? That’s not real. They can’t print that!” No, it’s not as bad as Shark Sandwich. Let’s accentuate the positive here. When you’re a die-hard fan of a band, …
Read More »Harry Shearer on Life as Spinal Tap's Derek Smalls — and His 'Simpsons' Future
“I promise you, after I burn,” Derek Smalls growls on Spinal Tap’s new song, “that I’m gonna be rockin’/ In the urn.” Harry Shearer, who plays Smalls and wrote the song, says the idea was simple: “I just thought it was the silliest way to say, ‘We’re never gonna die. …
Read More »Rob Reiner on 'Spinal Tap II' and His Real Rock Memories: 'I Overheard Janis Joplin Making Love!'
Director Rob Reiner has never made a sequel in his long career, and he hadn’t ever contemplated a follow-up to the most beloved rock comedy ever made, 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap. But then Harry Shearer, who plays Tap bassist Derek Smalls, fought a long battle to reclaim ownership of …
Read More »Hear Elton John Duet With Spinal Tap on 'Stonehenge'
It turns out that the real problem with Spinal Tap‘s “Stonehenge” wasn’t just that tiny onstage prop — the song was also missing some assistance from a living rock monument. A just-released new version of the track, featuring Elton John on vocals, is the first single from the fictional metal …
Read More »Kate Bush's 'Stranger Things' Resurgence Helped Inspire the Spinal Tap Sequel
When Rob Reiner and the members of Spinal Tap were trying to crack the story for the long-awaited sequel to the classic heavy metal mockumentary, they found some unexpected inspiration in Kate Bush and Stranger Things. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is slated to follow the titular band as …
Read More »Rob Reiner: 'Bruce Springsteen Is 100 Percent Right' About Trump
For legendary director and outspoken Democratic donor Rob Reiner, choosing sides between Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump in their current war of words didn’t require much deliberation.“Bruce Springsteen is a hundred percent right,” he says, in an interview for an upcoming print issue of Rolling Stone. “I mean, you have …
Read More »'Spinal Tap' Sequel Sets September 2025 Release Date
The long-awaited This Is Spinal Tap sequel is set to hit theaters this fall, and the metal greats are returning with a new set of amps that — believe it or not — go past 11. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will be released on Sept. 12, with Rob …
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