If I had to pick one film to top them all, it’s Rob Reiner’s film directorial debut, the 1984 rockumentary “This is Spinal Tap”. The first of a brilliant series of improvisational films made with the core of of comic actors (Christopher Guest (who sent a copy of Spinal Tap to convince his wife Jamie Lee Curtis to come out on their first date), Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Ed Begley, Jr.)  Rob Reiner went on to other endeavors, but Christopher Guest took over the director’s chair and the group was joined by Fred Willard, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy, and Catherine O’Hara, among others to make three other classics - Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000),  A Mighty Wind (2003), and the disappointing For Your Consideration (2006).

Each of the films is a mock documentary which parodies a different subculture of American life - Heavy Metal (Spinal Tap), small town community theater (Waiting for Guffman), dog shows (Best in Show), folk singing (A Mighty Wind). and the Hollywood Academy Award buzz (For Your Consideration).

This is Spinal Tap was almost completely improvised, therefore there was no script, but a group of obsessed Spinal Tap fans led by Svein Halvorsen produced a transcript of the movie which you can view here.  You gotta love these guys.

For the truly obsessed, visit the official Spinal Tap website (which is currently on hiatus) and the unofficial Spinal Tap fan site for all things Tap.  Listen to the sustain.