Spinal Tap 2 Upgraded The Original's Most Famous Joke, But You're Not Gonna See It (Yet)

Over 40 years after the world was introduced to the British rock sensation known as Spinal Tap, the trio of Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) have reunited for "Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues," a sequel to their breakout documentary "This Is Spinal Tap," directed by filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner).

All right, so it's not really a documentary, but the original "This Is Spinal Tap" was executed in a guerrilla filmmaking style that was so genuine that many filmgoers thought the improvised mockumentary was following a real British rock band that simply flew under the radar in the United States. Of course, Guest, McKean, and Shearer actually perform as Spinal Tap, including playing their own instruments on top of singing together, but Spinal Tap and most of their history is largely fictional, even if the trio of stars have truly formed a real band when they perform together.

While people were unsure of what to make of "This Is Spinal Tap" back in 1984, since it was one of the first movies of its kind, critics embraced the film early on, and it eventually found an audience on home media. The movie and the band's legacy have only become more prominent in the years since that first film, including one particular moment that has become frequently referenced across every facet of pop culture.

In the original "This Is Spinal Tap," DiBergi is given a tour of Tufnel's guitars and amps. During that tour, he learns that one of Nigel's amps is particularly special because the levels can be turned up to 11. As Nigel points out, most amps only go up to 10, but "these go up to 11," a concept that perplexes DiBergi, who figures 10 could simply be made louder. The idea of turning something up to 11 has since become a common way of expressing one's desire to increase the energy to a much higher level. Even the movie's IMDb rating goes up to 11.

Well, the famous joke returns in "Spinal Tap 2" ... sort of. In truth, it would seem that any evidence of that didn't make it into the final theatrical cut of the movie. But thanks to a recent Q&A in support of the theatrical release of "Spinal Tap 2," we've now learned that Tufnel's signature amp was, in fact, given quite an upgrade.

During a Q&A that unfolded at the famous Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, DiBergi spoke with all three of Spinal Tap's members after a screening of "Spinal Tap 2," and it was live-streamed around the United States for a special advance screening for the biggest Spinal Tap fans. In their conversation, DiBergi revealed a little tidbit that didn't make it into the final cut of his follow-up documentary:

"We didn't really get into it, but you guys now have an amp that goes beyond 11; it goes to infinity."

Understandably, DiBergi didn't really understand how this amp worked either. "How loud is that?" the filmmaker asked. Nigel (seen above) responded:

"You seem upset. What's going on? It's conceptual in the same way 11 was a big jump from 10, and Marshall [the amp brand] said, 'What about infinity?' and I said, 'Definitely.' Because it's limitless, you know? I don't have to think, 'Oh, I can't go anywhere from here, I can go anywhere from here and keep going and going and going.'"

However, even St. Hubbins wasn't sure how this amp worked. "What's the limit though?" he asked, to which Nigel responded in a somewhat frustrated fashion, "Well, there's no limit. Why would there be a limit? Who cares?" 

DiBergi finally seemed to get it, when he said, "It's like the universe, the universe is infinite." And Nigel agreed, "Yeah, if you look up in the sky, it's the same thing. So that's what they did for me, and that's what I've been using. In the film, I used it."

We're assuming that this updated amp is truly in the movie, and there may even be a scene that was filmed for the sequel that just ended up on the cutting room floor. Perhaps the bit just didn't land as firmly as the film's creatives might have hoped. But that doesn't mean we won't see it at some point.

Any Spinal Tap fan can tell you that there was hours of unused footage from the original mockumentary — and since this film was improvised and shot in largely the same way, we're bound to get a look at some bonus footage, including the potential introduction of this amp that goes to infinity.

"Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues" hits theaters on September 12, 2025.