A FINE LINE BETWEEN STUPID AND CLEVER: The Story of Spinal Tap / SMELL THIS BOOK: The Oral History of Spinal Tap
Reiner, Rob; Guest, Christopher; McKean, Michael; Shearer, Harry
Language: English
Published by Simon & Schuster, London, 2025
- First Edition
- Signed
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: Type Punch Matrix, Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.Type Punch Matrix
AbeBooks seller since September 8, 2020
Condition: Used
£ 232.76
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
First UK printing - signed by the late, great actor, writer, and director, Rob Reiner - of this behind-the-scenes acount of the making of the classic cult mockumentary. Also includes an oral history by Reiner's alter ego, Marty DiBergi, in which he interviews band members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls. Also includes a foreword by David Byrne. Original full black cloth. In original unclipped (£25) color pictorial jacket designed by John Vairo Jr. [10], 198; and [2], [X], 68 pages printed tête-bêche. Signed by Reiner to special publisher-issued endpaper. "Signed by the author" sticker to front panel, as issued. Bright, sharp, and clean overall.
Seller Inventory # 55713
- Title
- A FINE LINE BETWEEN STUPID AND CLEVER: The Story of Spinal Tap / SMELL THIS BOOK: The Oral History of Spinal Tap
- Author
- Reiner, Rob; Guest, Christopher; McKean, Michael; Shearer, Harry
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster, London
- Publication year
- 2025
- Condition
- Fine in a fine jacket.
- Dust jacket
- Dust Jacket Included
- Signed
- Signed
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1398549312
- ISBN 13
- 9781398549319
- Edition
- First edition.
- Seller catalogs
- Film & Theater, Music
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
For the first time, director Rob Reiner and co-creators Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer provide the full behind-the-scenes story of the making of the groundbreaking mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap and its upcoming sequel.
Since its original release in 1984, This Is Spinal Tap has evolved from a beloved cult film into a cinematic landmark: an all-time comedy classic that pioneered an entire genre: the mockumentary. Now, director Rob Reiner and his co-writers and co-stars, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, tell the complete story of the movie and its fictitious band – how they met, how Spinal Tap came to be, and how their low-budget indie film took on a life of its own. Years after the movie first came out, the Library of Congress selected This Is Spinal Tap for inclusion in the National Film Registry and Tap went on to play the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, and to over 100,000 fans at Glastonbury.
Reiner, Guest, McKean and Shearer provide the backstories to the movie’s famous lines – among them 'Hello, Cleveland!,' 'None more black,' 'You can’t dust for vomit' and 'These go to eleven' – and to such Tap anthems as 'Big Bottom' and 'Stonehenge'. 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 – just as the long-awaited Spinal Tap sequel is hitting theatres.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever also comes with a bonus memoir by Reiner’s directorial alter ego, Marty DiBergi, in which he interviews Tap band members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls about their musical journey and their drummers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to the rock gods.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
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.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Type Punch Matrix
Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.
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Type Punch Matrix is a rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy. Between them, they bring over 30 years of experience in the antiquarian book trade. TPM sells a mixture of beloved classics and innovative texts from throughout print history, for collectors and institutions alike. Handpress and modern books, archives and manuscripts, letterpress and ephemera: TPM aims to make collecting both more accessible and more diverse, and believes in the mindful acquisition, preservation, and celebration of the materials of our literary cultures. …
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