I finally got round to watching the Spinal Tap film this evening. A brief VPN switch and a little creative searching led me to where I needed to be - and then the local village cinema announced that it will also be screening The End Continues in a couple of weeks. Hey hoe.
It’s not a bad film - in fact it’s rather good - but it struggle to compete with the original. No shit. Sequels are rarely a good idea, especially when all that went before was groundbreaking and spawned a whole new cinematic genre.
And so I won’t compare The End Continues to the first film. Much…
But it’s impossible to escape the backstory. Even the film itself includes footage from the first Tap movie, to help fill in the gaps for anyone who isn’t up to speed.
The plot is irrelevant. For the film to work, Tap need to be back together again. A rather unnecessary hook is developed in which to hang the next couple of hours or so. All you want to do is to observe the current state of the band relationships.
And that’s what works with The End Continues. It’s a very warm, life-affirming film, more about friendships than it is about rock ‘n’ roll. Trainspotting II tried something similar, but didn’t quite pull it off. Tap get away with it.
It’s impossible not to have any love for the main characters. The axis is around David and Nigel, and their love hate relationship. Age is also a major theme. The End Continue isn’t afraid to focus on death - and not in a metal style, either.
Some of the star cameos by the likes of Macca and Elton don’t work. They feel very forced and distract from the amateurish nature of the band. The ending is predictable, but also needed doing. Look away now if you’re a drummer, etc.
It’s a lovely film that I’m sure even the stiffs in the village cinema will enjoy. All the signposts are there from the original - Nigel and his pedals, the back and forth banter, and even the structure of the end credits.
The End Continues is about growing old ever so slightly gracefully, and a little wiser. But without the drugs.