a mighty wind
A01=Rob Reiner
A02=Christopher Guest
A02=Harry Shearer
A02=Michael McKean
Author_Christopher Guest
Author_Harry Shearer
Author_Michael McKean
Author_Rob Reiner
best in show
Category=ATFN
Category=ATMC
Category=DNBF
Category=JBCC1
Category=WH
christopher guest
comedy
comedy classic
eq_art-fashion-photography
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_humour
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_new_release
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
Fran Drescher
hair metal
harry shearer
heavy metal
improv
library of congress
metal band
michael mckean
mockumentary
national lampoon
none more black
rob reiner
rockumentary
satire
Saturday night live
spinal tap
spoof
this is spinal tap
waiting for guffman
Product details
- ISBN 9781398549395
- Dimensions: 130 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 23 Apr 2026
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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‘One of the best making-of books to hit the shelves’ Booklist
For the first time, the director and co-creators of This is Spinal Tap provide the full behind-the-scenes story of the making of the groundbreaking mockumentary.
Since its original release in 1984, This Is Spinal Tap has evolved from a beloved cult film into an all-time comedy classic. It pioneered the mockumentary genre and is one of the most quoted movies. Now, Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer share clever and stupid tales of their famous collaboration – how the fictional band Spinal Tap came to be and how their low-budget indie film took on an unexpected life of its own.
Featuring never-before-seen photographs, band memorabilia and personal reminiscences of their enduring creative partnership, A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever will delight Tap heads of all ages.
‘The book is frequently laugh-out-loud funny . . . Delightful' Film Juice
Rob Reiner, a two-time Emmy-winning actor for his role in the landmark television series, All in the Family, was the acclaimed director of This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men, The American President, Ghosts of Mississippi, and The Bucket List. He also directed the Emmy-nominated documentary Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, and the sequel to This Is Spinal Tap. As a dedicated political activist, he spearheaded a tobacco tax initiative in California to fund early childhood development and chaired the state commission to oversee its implementation. In 2008, he cofounded The American Foundation for Equal Rights, which paved the way for marriage equality nationwide.
Christopher Guest is a director, actor, and musician. His films include This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, The Big Picture, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots. For the National Lampoon his albums include Radio Dinner, Gold Turkey, Goodbye Pop, That’s Not Funny That’s Sick, and Lemmings. He has appeared as a cast member on Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell and the other Saturday Night Live. He has one Emmy, one Grammy, and one Grand Clio award. He is a recipient of an honorary doctorate from The Berklee College of Music.
Michael McKean is an accomplished artist with a career spanning six decades as an actor, musician, songwriter, screenwriter, director, producer and television host. His theatre credits on Broadway and elsewhere include Hairspray, The Pajama Game, The Homecoming, Superior Donuts, The Best Man, All the Way, The Little Foxes, and currently on Broadway in Glengarry Glen Ross. His television credits include Laverne & Shirley, Saturday Night Live, Good Omens, Breeders, The Diplomat, The X-Files, and more, as well as Better Call Saul, for which he was nominated for an Emmy. His many film credits include Young Doctors in Love, Used Cars, Clue, Light of Day, The Brady Bunch Movie, True Crime, Best in Show, This is Spinal Tap, its upcoming sequel Spinal Tap: The End Continues, and others. Michael and his wife, Annette O'Toole, were nominated for an Academy Award for their song "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from Christopher Guest's A Mighty Wind, and he won a Grammy alongside Guest and Eugene Levy for the film's title track. Michael lives in Los Angeles and New York and wherever his next adventure takes him.
Known to millions for his voices on The Simpsons, Harry Shearer is an actor, author, director, musician, broadcaster, humorist, and voiceover artist. His films include This Is Spinal Tap, The Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, The Fisher King, and The Truman Show and, as a writer and director, The Big Uneasy and Teddy Bears’ Picnic. His TV appearances include The Jack Benny Program, Saturday Night Live, and Nixon’s the One. His long-running radio program Le Show recently became part of The Library of Congress archives. He also has a musical, Here Comes J Edgar; a novel, Not Enough Indians, and five albums of satirical songs to his name.
Christopher Guest is a director, actor, and musician. His films include This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, The Big Picture, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots. For the National Lampoon his albums include Radio Dinner, Gold Turkey, Goodbye Pop, That’s Not Funny That’s Sick, and Lemmings. He has appeared as a cast member on Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell and the other Saturday Night Live. He has one Emmy, one Grammy, and one Grand Clio award. He is a recipient of an honorary doctorate from The Berklee College of Music.
Michael McKean is an accomplished artist with a career spanning six decades as an actor, musician, songwriter, screenwriter, director, producer and television host. His theatre credits on Broadway and elsewhere include Hairspray, The Pajama Game, The Homecoming, Superior Donuts, The Best Man, All the Way, The Little Foxes, and currently on Broadway in Glengarry Glen Ross. His television credits include Laverne & Shirley, Saturday Night Live, Good Omens, Breeders, The Diplomat, The X-Files, and more, as well as Better Call Saul, for which he was nominated for an Emmy. His many film credits include Young Doctors in Love, Used Cars, Clue, Light of Day, The Brady Bunch Movie, True Crime, Best in Show, This is Spinal Tap, its upcoming sequel Spinal Tap: The End Continues, and others. Michael and his wife, Annette O'Toole, were nominated for an Academy Award for their song "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from Christopher Guest's A Mighty Wind, and he won a Grammy alongside Guest and Eugene Levy for the film's title track. Michael lives in Los Angeles and New York and wherever his next adventure takes him.
Known to millions for his voices on The Simpsons, Harry Shearer is an actor, author, director, musician, broadcaster, humorist, and voiceover artist. His films include This Is Spinal Tap, The Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, The Fisher King, and The Truman Show and, as a writer and director, The Big Uneasy and Teddy Bears’ Picnic. His TV appearances include The Jack Benny Program, Saturday Night Live, and Nixon’s the One. His long-running radio program Le Show recently became part of The Library of Congress archives. He also has a musical, Here Comes J Edgar; a novel, Not Enough Indians, and five albums of satirical songs to his name.
