A MARTÍNEZ, BYLINE: A fake documentary about a fake band is getting a real sequel - one that's long overdue. More than 40 years ago, the mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap" followed the ups and downs of a once-famous heavy metal group as it launched a comeback tour.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BIG BOTTOM")
SPINAL TAP: (Singing) Big bottom. Big bottom. Talk about bum cakes, my girl's got them.
MARTÍNEZ: "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues" reunites the band for one last concert planned for New Orleans.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES")
ROB REINER: I'm curious as to why you chose New Orleans.
HARRY SHEARER: (As Derek Smalls) There was a cancellation, and opened - a date opened up at the arena.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Oh, really? There was...
SHEARER: (As Derek Smalls) Yeah.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) ...Like, all of a sudden - who was...
SHEARER: (As Derek Smalls) All of a sudden, yeah.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Who was supposed to be there?
SHEARER: (As Derek Smalls) An evening with Stormy Daniels.
MARTÍNEZ: I spoke with Michael McKean, who plays lead singer David St. Hubbins, and director Rob Reiner.
So, Rob, let's catch up on where the band is, because things have not gone very well with the band since the last time we saw them. So where are they in this film?
REINER: Nigel is a - running a cheese and guitar shop where he sells cheese and guitars. And Derek is the proprietor of a glue museum that just features the history of glue.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, Michael - OK. So your character, David St. Hubbins, is still writing music, but not exactly heavy metal. Let's listen to what he is up to now.
MICHAEL MCKEAN: Yeah.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES")
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) I'm just working on a score now for a film.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Oh, really?
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) Yeah. It's a horror film that takes place in a retirement community. It's called "Night Of The Assisted Living Dead."
Essentially, he's kind of a lonely guy. And I think all the pride that he exhibits talking about these other projects - the scoring, the podcasts and the bad horror movies - I think he would rather be doing something with a bunch of guys and having a great time.
REINER: Music is really what creates the bond, and even though they hadn't spoken or hadn't played in 15 years, it's like old friends. You know, you get together and you fall right back into what you are comfortable with, and the music unites them.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GIMME SOME MONEY")
SPINAL TAP: (Singing) Give me some money. Give me some money.
REINER: That's the good part of it. They love to play together - what Chris used to call schnadling (ph), which is, you know, just the interact...
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
REINER: ...Back and forth.
MARTÍNEZ: Christopher Guest. That's who you're talking about.
REINER: And that's where the joy comes from.
MARTÍNEZ: Rob, that's the first time I've ever heard that word, schnadling, but I understood it immediately. It makes a ton of sense.
REINER: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: So the band has a new manager, and he's got some pretty interesting ideas on how to make this comeback tour a success. Let's listen to one of those ideas.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES")
CHRIS ADDISON: (As Simon Howler) If this is the final gig that Spinal Tap do, then what we need to do is secure your legacy. Now, the simplest and most effective way...
CHRISTOPHER GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) Yeah?
ADDISON: (As Simon Howler) ...That we could do that is that if, during the gig, at least one but ideally no more than two of you were to die.
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) Yeah.
ADDISON: (As Simon Howler) It really allows for a sort of...
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) Do you mean...
ADDISON: (As Simon Howler) ...Late flowering of the...
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) ...Pretend die?
ADDISON: (As Simon Howler) It's very difficult to do a memorial concert when the person is still alive. That's just a sort of rule of thumb.
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) Would you settle for a coma?
ADDISON: (As Simon Howler) That's a great bit of thinking outside, well, the literal box, I suppose...
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) Yeah. Yeah.
ADDISON: (As Simon Howler) ...Actually.
MCKEAN: You're dealing with Chris Addison here, who is this great, great British comic actor. And we didn't know that was coming.
MARTÍNEZ: Oh, no kidding.
REINER: No, no. The whole movie is improvised, so nobody knows what anybody's going to say.
MCKEAN: It's a little tough to keep a straight face, but he was perfect. He was so, so right on the money. And the coma seemed like a pretty good alternative, as far as I was concerned.
MARTÍNEZ: Did Spinal Tap, in this film, maybe not think about getting together in a happy way, or just like, hey, we're contractually obligated for one more turn?
REINER: Well, I think they all approach it with trepidation. They were all concerned about what had gone on between the three of them. But eventually, like we say, they started to fall into the music. The one little bit of contention, where Paul McCartney tries to offer his opinion...
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES")
PAUL MCCARTNEY: (As self) You know, I was listening to what you're doing.
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) Yeah.
MCCARTNEY: (As self) And it's going along great.
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) Yeah.
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) Yeah.
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) It's got a nice...
MCCARTNEY: (As self) And then...
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) ...Tempo. Yeah.
MCCARTNEY: (As self) ...It seemed to fall apart.
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) So it's just (playing guitar, vocalizing). It's...
MCCARTNEY: (As self) That's the bit. Just lose that bit and go back to where you were.
MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) We'll take it under advisement.
MCCARTNEY: (As self) What does that mean?
MARTÍNEZ: Elton John was also in this. I mean, it just seemed like they loved being part of this not-real world.
REINER: They did. That was interesting. Paul McCartney loved being in the movie. They immediately said yes when I asked them to come aboard. But Elton John said he really liked being a part of it. Of course, I don't know if he liked what happens to him, but we're not going to talk about that. You'll see the movie.
MARTÍNEZ: So OK. I want to turn back to the original "Spinal Tap" film for just a moment, Rob. That was the first film that you ever directed, Rob, if I'm not mistaken, right? I mean, so...
REINER: That's correct. Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: How did that film set the standard for the mockumentary genre? Because I think a lot of the mockumentaries since have taken a lot of cues from what you did.
REINER: Yeah, but we didn't mean to set any standard. It was just the natural way to tell this particular story. The critics got it, but most of the public didn't get it. They just didn't understand it. People thought it was a real band, and they didn't understand why I would make a movie about a band nobody ever heard of. It took a while before people caught on to it and started realizing, oh, I get it. It's satire.
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
REINER: Since then, because over the years it became successful, it's something that you see, you know, with "The Office" or "Abbott Elementary" or "Parks And Rec."
MARTÍNEZ: "Modern Family." Yeah. Michael, how long did you have to go before people started to understand that Spinal Tap wasn't a real band? I mean, how did you - were you have to - were you having to explain to people that, hey, I made a film, not joined a band?
MCKEAN: I didn't encounter those people personally. A lot of people who played in bands got a copy of that movie on VHS, and it was part of the culture. It became part of their culture because it was about them. Not terribly flattering, but they got a kick out of it.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THIS IS SPINAL TAP")
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) If you can see...
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Yeah.
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) ...The numbers all go to 11.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Oh.
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) Eleven.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Oh, I see.
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) Eleven.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) And most of the...
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) Eleven. And then you...
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) ...Amps go up to 10.
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) Exactly.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) Well, it's one louder.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Why don't you just make 10 louder, and make 10 be the top number and make that a little louder?
GUEST: (As Nigel Tufnel) These go to 11.
REINER: I talked to Sting when I first met him. He said, I've seen this film over and over and over again. Every time I look at it, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Because it was so close to what all these rock musicians experienced.
MARTÍNEZ: That is actor Michael McKean and director Rob Reiner. Their new film is "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues." Rob, Michael, thank you.
REINER: Thanks for having us.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BIG BOTTOM")
SPINAL TAP: (Singing) Big bottom, drive me out of my mind. How could I leave this behind? Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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