This lawsuit goes to 11

[JasonEvans]

What a great story! Must read (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-04-20/this-is-spinal-tap-s-400-million-lawsuit?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email)both for the history of Spinal Tap and for the incredible lengths Hollywood will go to in order to NOT MAKE MONEY on a movie.


By the terms of the contract they signed in 1982 with Embassy Pictures, the four creators of Spinal Tap are entitled to a portion of income from the film, including merchandise and music, provided certain benchmarks are hit. Given the wild afterlife of This Is Spinal Tap, it seems impossible that anyone with a piece of the movie hasn’t made money. And yet this is Hollywood, where studios have claimed that some of the highest-grossing films—hits such as Return of the Jedi, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy—somehow haven’t turned a profit. As David Zucker, one of the creators of Airplane!, once said of his own sleeper hit, “It made so much money that the studio couldn’t hide it fast enough.”

In 2013, Harcourt advised (Harry) Shearer to ask Vivendi for a complete statement of his interests in This Is Spinal Tap. Harcourt combed through the material that came back, and her conclusions were so shocking that Shearer’s response was as unprintable as some of his band’s lyrics. According to Vivendi, Shearer and his three creative partners’ share of total worldwide merchandising income from 1984 to 2006 was $81, and the total income from soundtrack sales from 1989 to 2006 was $98. That’s just dollars, with no zeros at the end.

-Jason "Spinal Tap is among the most influential comedies in history... as the article notes, we would not have The Office or Parks and Rec without Spinal Tap pioneering the mockumentary" Evans

[duke74]

-Jason "Spinal Tap is among the most influential comedies in history... as the article notes, we would not have The Office or Parks and Rec without Spinal Tap pioneering the mockumentary" Evans

And, as someone who was owned by a show dog might offer, "Best in Show" and the others with that group of actors like "A Mighty Wind."

[JasonEvans]

And, as someone who was owned by a show dog might offer, "Best in Show" and the others with that group of actors like "A Mighty Wind."

Yes, those are the clear offspring of Tap. I merely wanted to pick out some less obvious examples of how this amazing film influenced the entertainment industry.

Aside from "these go to 11," your favorite Tap moment?

-Jason "I'm going with Nigel talking about how his music is influenced by Mozart and Bach and the interviewer asks the name of his next song and he replies, 'Lick My Love Pump'" Evans

[luvdahops]

Yes, those are the clear offspring of Tap. I merely wanted to pick out some less obvious examples of how this amazing film influenced the entertainment industry.

Aside from "these go to 11," your favorite Tap moment?

-Jason "I'm going with Nigel talking about how his music is influenced by Mozart and Bach and the interviewer asks the name of his next song and he replies, 'Lick My Love Pump'" Evans

On the bass, Mr. Derek Smalls. He wrote this.....

[OldPhiKap]

I have a practical question. Does this mean we're not playing Stonehenge tonight?

[luvdahops]

I have a practical question. Does this mean we're not playing Stonehenge tonight?

With a Stonehenge monument that was in danger of being trampled by a dwarf?!#@

[OldPhiKap]

No big deal. Boston's not much of a college town.

[Clocktower]

referring to the utterly censored new album cover: "it's so black . . . it's almost white."

[mph]

Derek - "We're very lucky in the band in that we have two visionaries, David and Nigel. They're like poets, like Shelley and Byron. They're two distinct types of visionaries. It's like fire and ice, basically. I feel my role in the band is to be somewhere in the middle of that, kind of like lukewarm water."

[House P]

They can't prove whose vomit it was ... You can't really dust for vomit

[gus]

Yes, those are the clear offspring of Tap. I merely wanted to pick out some less obvious examples of how this amazing film influenced the entertainment industry.

Aside from "these go to 11," your favorite Tap moment?

-Jason "I'm going with Nigel talking about how his music is influenced by Mozart and Bach and the interviewer asks the name of his next song and he replies, 'Lick My Love Pump'" Evans

well.... (https://youtu.be/C78HBp-Youk)

[OldPhiKap]

"It's kind of a "moch(k) piece"

[cspan37421]

and never take a % of the net.

ALWAYS insist on a % of the gross. [assuming you're not being paid in cash and have to take a % at all]

It is my understanding that with a staff of attorneys and lawyers adequately compensated, just about any movie can be reported to be unprofitable, thus reducing fees paid to anyone who takes a % of net. Perhaps including the government?

Great quote from Shearer's attorney: “I always thought record contracts were mind-bogglingly abusive until I started reading movie studio contracts"

[tecumseh]

Ian Faith: Nigel gave me a drawing that said 18 inches, alright. David St. Hubbins: I know he did, and that's what I’m talking about. Ian Faith: Now, whether or not he knows the difference between feet and inches is not my problem. I do what I'm told. David St. Hubbins: But you're not as confused as him are you. I mean, it's not your job to be as confused as Nigel.

[Highlander]

Marty DiBergi: What would you do if you couldn't play music anymore?
Mick Shrimpton: As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll.

Marty DiBergi: "This tasteless cover is a good indication of the lack of musical invention within. The musical growth of this band cannot even be charted. They are treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry."
Nigel Tufnel: That's just nitpicking, isn't it?

Lt Hookstratten: I would like to get the playing on about 1900 hours, if that is satisfactory?
Derek Smalls: When will that be?
Lt Hookstratten: I make it now it is about 1830 hours.
Derek Smalls: So that's what? about 50 hours?
David St. Hubbins: 120 hours?

[Billy Dat]

All of the already mentioned segments are amazing.

I love the album reviews segment including the two word review of Shark Sandwich.

The Smell the glove album cover controversy:
"Well you shoulda seen the cover they wanted to do. It wasn't a glove, believe me."
Nigel: It's a matter of compromise, we made a joke, and it was a long time
ago, they're making it like a big deal.
David: That's true. You know, if we were serious and we said "yes she
should be forced to sniff...smell the glove" then you'd have a
point you know but it's all a joke, isn't it, we're making fun
of that sort of thing.
Nigel: It is and it isn't, she should be made to smell it, but...
David: But not you know over and over again.
The debate over why their album cover was tasteless and Duke Fame's album (Howard Hesseman) was not - "There's such a fine line between clever and stupid"

"if I told them once, I told them a thousand times, the sign needs to say Spinal Tap first and puppet show last!"

David: He died, he, he died in a bizarre gardening accident some years back.
Nigel: It was really one of those things...it was...you know...the
authorities said...you know...well best leave it unsolved,
really...you know.

Marty: Let's talk about your music today...uh...one thing that puzzles me
...um...is the make up of your audience seems to be ...uh...
predominately young boys.
David: Well it's a sexual thing, really isn't it. Aside from the
identifying the boys do with us there's also a re-reaction to the
female.....of the female to our music. How did you put it?
Nigel: Really they're quite fearful - that's my theory. They see us on
stage with tight trousers we've got, you know, armadillos in our
trousers, I mean it's really quite frightening...
David: Yeah.
Nigel: ...the size...and and they, they run screaming.