Interviewing the "band" Spinal Tap
When Lesley Stahl arrived on the set of "Spinal Tap II: the End Continues," a sequel to the cult comedy/mockumentary film "This is Spinal Tap," she expected to meet the film's three lead actors: Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer.
Instead, she met the "band" Spinal Tap, and they couldn't resist goofing around for 60 Minutes as they prepared to film a rehearsal scene for their purported reunion concert.
Lead singer and guitarist David St. Hubbins, played by McKean, greeted Stahl in an English accent. And he claimed he was very familiar with 60 Minutes.
"It's famous the world round…you go after corruption and stuff. I hope you're not gonna find any corruption here," he told Stahl, in character.
On stage left, lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel, played by Guest, bowed to Stahl as the 60 Minutes correspondent approached.
Stahl asked whether his guitar is so loud because his amplifier dials go to 11, referring to the trademark joke from the original film. Tufnel first pretended not to be able to hear her, then gestured toward the Marshall amplifiers behind them on the stage.
"This seems a little bit weird… but if I give you a boost, would you want to check it out?" Tufnel asked Stahl.
"I thought I was interviewing Christopher Guest... I was beyond confused. Was I in the movie? Was I out of the movie?" Stahl told 60 Minutes Overtime.
After Stahl declined, Tufnel offered his lower back as a stepping stool, slapping his backside.
"Or just even one of these? No? I'm just trying to, you know, make you comfortable. But clearly, it's gone in the wrong direction, yeah?"
Director Rob Reiner watched and roared with laughter as the scene unfolded.
Reiner told Stahl the actors are great improv comedians, creating dialogue for a scene spontaneously and without a script.
"That's a natural gift," Reiner said. "It's like a jazz musician. They know how to play that. And they know how to play off each other. And that's the fun of it."
Reiner said in the first and second Spinal Tap films, there was no written script, just an outline.
Stahl asked how much time Reiner had spent editing "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues." He said the editing process takes much more time than a traditional film with written dialogue.
"It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with no picture on the box," the director told Stahl.
"All the dialogue is improvised… when we edit it together you then create the script with the pieces of film."
Stahl asked Shearer, McKean, and Guest what their favorite scenes are from the original film,"This is Spinal Tap" .
"I love Chris's solo. I can watch that over and over again," McKean answered.
In the scene, Guest, shirtless and wearing maroon leggings, plays a guitar solo, grinding a violin against an electric guitar while wagging his tongue. The scene was improvised.
Many modern sitcoms and comedy films have adopted the mockumentary style that "This is Spinal Tap" pioneered, including hits "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation."
"When you were making the first one, did you have a sense that this was gutsy, that this was on the edge, that you were creating a new genre?" Stahl asked stars Shearer, Guest, and McKean.
"No, it was fun… We loved music. We liked comedy," Guest responded.
"I remember writing in a diary at the time, 'I don't know what will happen to this, but I know that I had fun doing this.'"
"Whose diary was that?" Shearer asked.
"It was your diary. That's what was so odd," Guest replied.
"You should read it," McKean quipped.
The video above was produced by Will Croxton. It was edited by Patrick Lee and April Wilson.
Will Croxton is a digital producer at 60 Minutes.
