My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

For starters, this book goes to 11. I feel that much is obligatory. I'm writing this review the same weekend that the new Naked Gun movie came out, a fitting double feature of things if there ever was one. If you're interested in how a short skit in a show that no one really remembers became a thing we can all still quote ad nauseam, this is truly the text that serves as the fine line between stupid and clever. I already have a copy pre-ordered as a gift for the person responsible for making me like both the previously mentioned films but it was good to read this in advance. I hope there's an audio book, but I imagine that would be hard for things like the Real Life Tap stories of other bands and the initial courtship of Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest.

Make sure to stay after the credits for the in-character Smell The Book.

A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever, by Rob Reiner, is so much more than just a "making of..." book, it gives personal backgrounds as well as behind the scenes stories.

I did leave one thing out of the opening paragraph, and it took this from a very good book to an awesome book. Reiner, in character as Marty DiBergi, interviews the members of Spinal Tap, in character. You can hear the voices as you read it and some lines just cracked me up.

But the main part of the book is wonderful, told in a casual tone and with a lot of respect for everyone involved. I also found the interlude to be nice, hearing what some rock stars thought of the film and for a couple comparing their view of it before major touring then their appreciation after realizing how spot on it was.

If you're a fan of the film, you will love this book. If you're one of a handful who aren't fans or haven't seen it, I think you'll still enjoy the book and it will make you rethink your opinion or your decision to have not watched it yet. For fans like me, it will make you watch it yet again.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

A fun and insightful journey behind the curtain of comedy classic. This book takes the reader through the engaging and interesting stories about the behind the scenes process of making the film, which as a teacher of film making, would be very helpful to use in my classroom. The most important takeaway, was the insights into how to access creativity from these masters of improv and comedy. Reiner shares some of the methods used by Chris Guest and the rest of the cast that could help me students create meaningful and relatable characters and stories for their projects. This title has me ready for the sequel!!

My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advance copy of this dual look at the making of the classic documentary about a band, a tour, and the importance of knowing the differences between inches and feet, along with additional interviews with the band and the director, showing how their lives have been since the film.

Many a review for this book will probably start with "This book goes to 11." I am going to try not to do that. Comedy is hard. To make a person laugh is a skill, to be able to improvise something on the fly, to make a situation go from normal to abnormal to bizarre is a talent that few have. I remember watching the movie This is Spinal Tap with my Dad on HBO, just when I was starting my love of music, but before I was aware of the behind the scenes tales involving musicians. I know we laughed, the rock stuff might have gone over my head, but the verbal interplay, the physical comedy brought us both to tears. As I have gotten older and learned more about rock and or roll, I can see even more jokes, more Easter eggs in the story. Especially with all the different editions that have followed. Few movies hit so hard, and even more create their own movie genre, the mockumentary, one that has continued with many successes to this day. Spinal Tap was truly ahead of its time, and now we can learn about the difficult birthing of the film. Almost as if a the movie was trapped in a pod and couldn't get out. A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap by director Rob Reiner with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, is a tale of a labor of love, one that might have sunk all their careers, but one that like a mighty phoenix, was burned super bright and gone to 11 in our hearts.

The book begins with a man trying to be more than a Meathead. Rob Reiner had left a successful show, one that had made him familiar to many, but Reiner, like so many had a wish to direct movies. The only thing was he lacked the experience and an idea to get attention. During his time Reiner helped create a skit for a little watched television show featuring a band Spinal Tap, one that stayed in his mind. The idea that he fleshed out with co-writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer all of which were making their names in Hollywood was something like a fake documentary based on classic rock and roll films, like The Last Waltz or Don't Look Back. The movie would be a final tour, and it would be improvised, building on ideas the boys had developed, with no more than three takes to make it work. Funding wasn't easy, but enough was gained to film a demo reel, which got them the attention of a real studio. Who had no idea what they had. The movie came and went, but somehow built an audience. Rock stars were mad that their tour lives were being parodied. The English got it right away. And slowly a cult was begun, one that the members of Spinal Tap began to exploit, with further albums, tours, and shows, culminating in a planned sequel for 2025. In addition to the making of the book features a dual biography of the fictional band and fictional director, tying up some dangling issues from the movie.

I have read a lot of making of books about movies, and I can't remember any outside of Star Trek movies that features the director writing his own book. Reiner goes deep into the creation of the movie, detailing problems, money studio interference, law suits, and a lot of good times. There is plenty behind the scenes stuff, but even more a lot of how the movie was created. The sessions that gave them ideas. How actors were able to improvise so quickly, and the one actor that needed a script. Reiner looks at his fellow actors, sharing stories about their lives, marriages, and who dated who and when. Hints from the sequel are dropped, and the fictional follow-up interview with band and director is pretty funny.

Fans will enjoy this quite a bit. The jokes come fast, the stories are very good. I enjoyed this quite a bit, and hope the sequel will be better than I fear. Not just enjoyable but filled with lots of information about improvising, making a movie, Hollywood financing, and fighting for one's vision.

"This is Spinal Tap" is arguably the funniest movie ever made, so I absolutely devoured this book. Director Rob Reiner tells the backstory of how the film was made. The second part of the book is a series of interviews with the band being questioned by Reiner's director character Marty. The book really captures the humor and tone of the movie. This is the perfect thing to get you ready for this fall's Spinal Tap sequel (which includes Sir Paul McCartney!). I loved this book and if you like the movie, you will too. They also let you know some funny things that didn't make it into the film. Another treat is some rock stars share their most "Spinal Tap" moments from their career.

Netgalley provided me a free e-galley of the book in return for this honest review.