Ben Stiller, Conan O’Brien, and Ricky Gervais have shared their admiration for the enduring impact of This Is Spinal Tap in a new mini-documentary celebrating the mockumentary’s influence on modern comedy.
The documentary arrives ahead of the highly anticipated sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, set for release on September 12th.
The trio, alongside Questlove from the Roots and comedian Nate Bargatze, reflected on their first encounters with Rob Reiner’s 1984 masterpiece. Stiller recalled being 19 when he first watched the film, stating “it kind of rocked my world.” O’Brien shared a similar revelation, remembering his college years when he and friends discovered the movie: “We hear about this movie. We have to see it. It was revelatory.”
Gervais revealed that his introduction came through a friend’s bootleg copy, immediately declaring it “my favourite comedy film of all time, and still is.”
The comedian was particularly candid about This Is Spinal Tap‘s direct influence on his groundbreaking series The Office. “I stole that for The Office. I loved the fact that I was doing what Spinal Tap did,” Gervais admitted. “I just had to make it look like one of those documentaries on the tellie. And it’s funny that I stole that from America and then I sold it back to them like it was my idea.”
Stiller emphasised the film’s unique approach to comedy, noting its grounded nature despite ridiculous scenarios. “There’s something that’s so grounded about Spinal Tap that you could have something that’s ridiculous, and funny, but is also very real. The mockumentary became a form that inspired so many movies and TV shows,” he explained.
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O’Brien reinforced this point by highlighting the format’s lasting influence on contemporary television. “There’s a whole generation now that’s grown up on The Office, Parks and Rec, all these shows that used the documentary-style, deadpan, awkward pauses,” he observed.
Looking ahead to the sequel, O’Brien expressed enthusiasm about the timing: “I would say it’s the perfect time for Spinal Tap 2 because it’s fantastic that 40 years have gone by. I’m fascinated to find out where they are now.”
