A Fine Line between Stupid and Clever
The Story of Spinal Tap
Published on 9. September 2025
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-3985-4931-9 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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.
Reviews / Votes
'One of the best making-of books to hit the shelves' * <I><B>Booklist</B></I> * 'A fun read . . . The book celebrates the film's enduring charm and cult status, with warmth and humour reflecting the spirit of the movie itself. A worthwhile companion for fans who want to dive deeper into the making of this comedy classic, and prepare themselves to reunite with the band on the big screen ... The book is frequently laugh-out-loud funny - not just in the retelling of some of the film's best moments, but in anecdotes from fans and amusing asides from Reiner that offer some wonderful insight into the film . . . Delightful' * <I><B>Film Juice</B></I> * 'An oral history of the UK's loudest band' * <I><B>Big Issue</B></I> * 'This book doth rock' * <I><B>Kirkus Reviews</B></I> *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
1x16pp colour plates
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
522 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3985-4931-9 (9781398549319)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Rob Reiner | Christopher Guest | Michael McKean
A Fine Line between Stupid and Clever
The Story of Spinal Tap
Book
04/2026
Simon & Schuster Ltd
€16.50
Available immediately
E-Book
09/2025
Simon + Schuster LLC
€10.31
Available for download
Persons
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.