Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is here, 40 years after the original film gifted musicians and movie lovers alike enough one-liners to last a lifetime. Documentarian Marty DiBergi (who bears a striking resemblance to legendary director Rob Reiner) turned his camera once more on one of rock’s most iconic bands in the leadup to a contractually obligated final performance.

Even if it was only to fulfill a clause in a decades-old legal document, Spinal Tap’s reunion is bound to please fans of Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls–ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ringers for Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer in wigs, somehow–after years of anticipation. Joining them in the film are Sirs Paul McCartney and Elton John, among others.

Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel, Derek Smalls, and David St. Hubbins as well as documentarian Marty DiBergi discussed their triumphant return to the screen for ScreenRant. The band shared advice for up-and-coming musicians and clarified misinterpreted songs, while DiBergi revealed the tragic reason behind his absence from Hollywood in between the two films.

Spinal Tap Is Okay With Being The ʙuтт Of A Joke… On One Condition

ScreenRant: I know you weren’t happy with how you appeared in the first film 40 years ago.

Derek Smalls: Hatchet job.

ScreenRant: Yeah. I saw this one. I loved it, but I’m afraid that people are going to find it very funny.

Nigel Tufnel: Well, what other people think is funny may not be funny to us as well. You realize that? It wasn’t funny in the first one that we didn’t find the stage, because that happens to everyone. It’s not funny.

ScreenRant: But if people take it that way, will that be all right with you?

David St. Hubbins: Listen, I don’t know what they’re going to see tonight. We haven’t seen it yet ourselves. We’re going to see it tonight as a matter of fact.

Nigel Tufnel: Can’t control what happens, anyway.

David St. Hubbins: We are just innocent bystanders. We are just a working-class band, trying to get through another gig.

Derek Smalls: If we get their money, they can laugh as much as they want.

Nigel Tufnel: But the key is, we probably won’t.

Filmmaker Marty DiBergi Makes The Case For Knighting Spinal Tap

ScreenRant: I noticed that there was a thread in the movie that some were worried that the guys maybe weren’t rocking as hard as they used to. Their manager, I think, was concerned with that in the film. Is there anything you would say to people who have that concern?

Marty DiBergi: I’d like to see people in their seventies and eighties get up and do what they do. I mean, these guys; they’re professionals. They’re also incredibly underrated. This is a band that has these hidden talents. They’ve been great all these years.

And, by the way, there’s a reason why Paul McCartney and Elton John come and play with them: because they know how great they are. And I think they’ve been underrated, and I hope that this film will show people exactly what they can do.

ScreenRant: How did Paul and Elton match up against your expectations as a filmmaker?

Marty DiBergi: Well, they’re legends. They’re both knighted; Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John. And, as far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason why the guys in Spinal Tap shouldn’t be knighted. I mean, they’re every bit as influential, let’s put it this way, as any rockstar from the UK.

The Song That Got Spinal Tap Canceled Was Just Misinterpreted

ScreenRant: I’ve been a fan for a long time. My dad introduced me to you guys, and he’s a songwriter. He had a song in the ‘70s that many people took as very Sєxual–that’s how they interpreted it.

David St. Hubbins: What was the name of the song?

ScreenRant: “Afternoon Delight”.

Nigel Tufnel: I heard that the other day on the radio.

David St. Hubbins: “Skyrockets in flight.”

ScreenRant: Yeah. So, people took it and put this meaning on it. Has anyone done that with one of your songs?

David St. Hubbins: Well, actually we try to preload them with Sєxual imagery. We try to beat the public to it.

Nigel Tufnel: It’s a different situation. That could’ve been taken a couple of ways.

David St. Hubbins: We’ve got your double entendre, we’re going to give it to you single.

David Smalls: You know, the one they did misinterpret was “Bitch School”.

Nigel Tufnel: Definitely “Bitch School”. They thought it was a Sєxist sort of anthem. We tried to explain that it was about training dogs, and they didn’t buy that, and we were canceled, basically, weren’t we?

David St. Hubbins: Well, there was a fourth verse, which was about spaying and neutering, and we cut that. That would’ve explained everything.

Don’t Expect Any Deleted Scenes From Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

ScreenRant: You spent so much time with [the band], clearly. Is there anything that you caught that just didn’t make it into the film?

Marty DiBergi: No, because here’s the thing. If there’s anything salacious, [or with] nudity, Sєx, [or] those kinds of things, I put it right in. If it was there, I put it right in, because I’m not an idiot. Sєx is what sells, and I would put it in there.

But these guys are in their seventies, and Derek is in his eighties, and you tend to slow down when you get to that age. Derek tried to hit on the new drummer, Didi; he was rejected. But if he hadn’t been rejected, you can be damn tootin’ that my camera would’ve been there.

ScreenRant: I saw the [band’s] Kimmel performance last night, or two nights ago. The drummer is still kicking. How long do you give her?

Marty DiBergi: Well, you are taking your life into your hands, and there’s a reason why, when they reached out to Questlove and Chad Smith and Lars Ulrich, they got rejected. Because as much as they love rock ‘n roll and they love to play, they also love life itself.

They want to stay alive and I understand that. But Didi–she knew what she was getting into when she took the job, so we’ll see. Right now, she’s still alive.

Spinal Tap Shares Advice For Up-And-Coming Musicians: “Stop Doing It”

ScreenRant: My friends and I would watch rock documentaries to get inspired growing up. Is there anything you want people, especially musicians to take from your journey, especially in recent years?

David St. Hubbins: Do what sounds right to you.

Nigel Tufnel: Keep doing it, and then stop doing it, is what I say.

David St. Hubbins: Yeah. Eventually, you’ve got to stop. Have a lie down.

Nigel Tufnel: Because I’ve had young musicians say, “Should I keep playing?” And I say, “Yeah, if you want to play, play. If you don’t–”

David St. Hubbins: “Leave us alone.”

Nigel Tufnel: “Go away.”

Derek Smalls: You’ve got to have the energy and the stubbornness to just keep going when all the obstacles are in your way.

Nigel Tufnel: And the stupidity to keep going.

David St. Hubbins: And it’s good to set yourself some obstacles; some really stupid obstacles.

The Tragic Backstory You Won’t See In Spinal Tap II

ScreenRant: We get such a wonderful look at what these guys have been up to over the last 40 years, which is an incredible stretch of time. As a filmmaker, Marty, what have you been up to? I’ve only seen this film and the previous Spinal Tap documentary [from you.]

Marty DiBergi: Yeah, yeah. Well, it’s pretty sad, to be honest with you. I’m not going to sugarcoat this. I was hoping that the first film would catapult me; it catapulted me right into the toilet. I was hoping it would spark a traditional Hollywood career.

I got the chance to make the one movie. Everybody knows; it’s not a secret. I made the sequel to Kramer vs. Kramer, and mine was called Kramer vs. Kramer vs. Godzilla, and it didn’t do business. I mean, it died. Died quickly. And after that, it was pretty bleak.

I knocked around for a while. I tried different things. I couldn’t get arrested. Well, I did get arrested, but not for this; not for making a movie.

And then, I decided to enter a retreat, like a commune, to find myself, because I thought, “Maybe there’s another direction I can go. If I get enlightenment, I can go some other direction.” And this was a commune that was overseen by a very, very spiritual man named Baba Ram Dᴀss Boat.

I was doing pretty well, I was starting to find myself a little bit, and one morning, I was sipping on a spirulina smoothie. You know, they make them, they’re very good. And I see an article in ᴅᴇᴀᴅline Hollywood, and they’re saying that Spinal Tap’s getting back together again after 15 years of not playing.

I immediately called up Hope Faith, who’s the daughter of Ian Faith, their manager [who] pᴀssed away, and I asked her if I could do it, and she said yes. So, there I am, at this point in my life–seventy-eight–and I got another sH๏τ.

ScreenRant: Third time’s the charm.

Marti DiBergi: I’m hoping.