This Is Spinal Tap15

Directed by Rob Reiner | USA | 1984 | 1h 23m | Starring Michael McKean, Christopher Guest. Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Ed Begley Jr.

Presented as a rock documentary, This Is Spinal Tap follows “Britain’s loudest band” on a disastrous U.S. tour, skewering the egos, delusions, and chaos of life on the road in the 1980s metal scene. From miniature Stonehenge props to amplifiers that go to 11, Rob Reiner’s groundbreaking mockumentary remains the gold standard of music comedy, as sharply written and painfully funny today as it was in 1984.

Reviews

‘First of all, let’s just clarify something: This Is Spinal Tap is the funniest film ever made.’
★★★★★
Ben Falk, BBC

‘Reiner’s brilliant “rockumentary” sends up its subject matter and the documentary form, with such deft perception that confusing it with the genuine article is an easy mistake to make.’
★★★★★
Simon Braud, Empire Magazine

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed This Is Spinal Tap between September 5, 2025 and September 6, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Monday 21st September)

20:30

Bad Education 15
1h 46m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
When a filmmaker’s childhood friend returns with a story about abuse at their Catholic school, buried memories resurface. Almodóvar’s provocative blend of noir, melodrama and film-within-a-film explores trauma, identity, guilt and memory.

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Tomorrow (Tuesday 22nd September)

18:00

I Want Your Sex 18
£6 for Members / HOH Subtitles
1h 30m
Cooper Hoffman and Olivia Wilde star in Gregg Araki’s (Mysterious Skin) wickedly satirical comedy about sex, obsession and power. When a young man becomes an artist’s sexual muse, his dream job takes a dark and dangerous turn.

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20:15

Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Mias 15
£6 for Members
1h 52m
Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow) unleashes a bloody, bewildering meta-horror, as a young director and a reclusive scream queen descend into a delirious world of queer desire, fear and blood-soaked obsession. Starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!