the small-minded and self-important record
industry people. Though the second half of
the film recounts the tour’s crash and the
band’s disintegration, it also warmly tells a
story of friendship, change, soul searching,
and final reunion. The always-in-character
acting style, something like “the method”
mixed with deadpan comic improvisation,
derives from Peter Sellers’s style of acting in
Dr. Strangelove(1964) orBeing There(1979)
and Andy Kaufman’s television spots on the
comedy variety showSaturday Night Liveand
foreshadows Sacha Baron Cohen in the film
Borat(2006).
Impact Although Reiner later directed
other successful comedies such asThe Prin-
cess Bride(1987) andWhen Harr y Met Sally...
(1989),This Is Spin ̈ alTapspawned a series of
“reality” docucomedies, including aReturn of Spin ̈al
Ta preunion concert film in 1992. In fact, the three
lead actors, Guest, McKean, and Shearer, along with
comedians Eugene Levy and Fred Willard, later
starred in other mockumentaries directed by Guest:
Waiting for Guffman(1996), about a local theater
group;Best in Show(2000), about dog shows;A
Mighty Wind(2003), about nearly forgotten folk
singers; andFor Your Consideration(2006), about Hol-
lywood actors and awards.
Further Reading
French, Karl, ed.This Is Spin ̈ al Tap: Official Compan-
ion.New York: Bloomsbury, 2000.
Maslin, Janet. “Film:This Is Spin ̈alTap, a Mock Docu-
mentary.”The New York Times, March 2, 1984.
Occhiogrosso, Peter.Inside Spin ̈ alTap.New York: Ar-
bor House, 1985.
Joseph Francavilla
See also Comedians; Film in the United States;
Heavy metal; Mötley Crüe;When Harr y Met Sally....
Thomas, Isiah
Identification Hall of Fame professional
basketball player
Born April 30, 1961; Chicago, Illinois
Thomas became a superstar NBA player during the 1980’s,
leading the Detroit Pistons to become one of the league’s top
teams and finally winning a national championship near
the end of the decade.After leading Indiana University to the National Col-
legiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship
in 1981, Isiah Thomas signed a contract to play
in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for
the Detroit Pistons. In his first season with Detroit,
Thomas was a member of the Eastern All-Stars and
was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. In the
1983-1984 season, Thomas led the Pistons into the
NBA playoffs, where they were eliminated by the
New York Knicks. Thomas then helped the Pistons
reach the Eastern Conference semifinals against the
Boston Celtics in 1985, where they lost in six games.
During the 1986-1987 NBA campaign, Thomas
led the Pistons to the Eastern Conference finals,
where they were again eliminated by Larry Bird and
the Celtics. In 1988, Detroit made it to the NBA fi-
nals for the first time in franchise history. Although
Thomas played well, defeat came at the hands of
Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. In the
1988-1989 season, Thomas guided the Pistons to a
63-19 regular season record and again into the NBA
finals. Led by Thomas, the Pistons became NBA
champions, prevailing over the Lakers. During the
1989-1990 campaign, Thomas again led the Pistons
to the NBA championship by defeating the Lakers in
four straight games. Thomas was named the NBA Fi-
nals Most Valuable Player (MVP).
During his illustrious NBA career from 1981 to
1994, Thomas averaged 19.2 points per game; re-968 Thomas, Isiah The Eighties in America
From left: Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest as
Spin ̈al Tap.(Hulton Archive/Getty Images)