The group, Spinal Tap, isn’t real. In fiction, they are sort of bumbling losers who don’t get their own joke.
Their original 1984 movie, “This is Spinal Tap,” directed by Rob Reiner, remains a massive hit and the first “mockumentary.”
But the sequel, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” released this weekend by Bleecker Street Films, has been an utter disaster. More like if Spinal Tap had made a movie within a movie.
Total box office was $1,674,926 million — for four days! No one went!
Why? Because Bleecker Street dumped it without promotion or marketing. It’s their fault. The movie had decent reviews, a huge possible pool of goodwill from fans who would have gone if encouraged — or if they knew it existed.
Reiner and the cast should be properly enraged. The movie has appearances by superstars Elton John and Paul McCartney. The main cast is beloved.
This is worse than a mini Stonehenge dropped from the sky during a Spinal Tap performance, or an all black colored album cover.
Poor Bleecker Street. They must be out of money. Their own beloved leader, Andrew Karpen, died of cancer this spring, and that clearly wrecked the company.
We knew this was coming. Bleecker Street didn’t report numbers on Friday or Saturday morning. There were no ads and almost zero promotion. What could have been a very funny campaign didn’t materialize, and this is the pathetic result.
More to come…
