Night+Day

tuesday
february 18
Hello, Cleveland! "This one goes up to 11" is the line quoted most frequently by This Is Spinal Tap fans, but the film gave us many other memorable phrases, among them "Go ahead, kick my ass. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you." The former comes from Nigel (played by Christopher Guest, director of the upcoming comedy Waiting for Guffman), the dim-bulb guitarist of faux heavy metal band Spinal Tap, in Rob Reiner's reference-laden spoof of the music industry. The latter comes from Letterman band leader Paul Shaffer, who plays a PR guy, but it could have come from the music industry itself: Spinal Tap premiered in 1984, when heavy-metal conceits like small guitars and epic balladry enjoyed renewed popularity with MTV metal acts. The '90s made a joke of the joke, as the fictional band went on an actual national tour and appeared on The Simpsons. Spinal Tap screens at 7:30 and 9:20 p.m. at the Red Vic Movie House, 1727 Haight, S.F. Admission is $4.50-6; call 668-3994.