There was a great movie that came out in the 80s called Spinal Tap which was put together by director Rob Reiner. The movie became a cult classic and was about (as if you haven’t seen it) the fall and rise of a fictitious band called Spinal Tap. The movie was so popular that Spinal Tap even released records and their songs can be found on heavy metal compilation albums. Some people thought Spinal Tap was a real band.

When I first saw Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, I thought here we go again a Spinal Tap rip off but no! Tenacious D is a real band consisting of guitarist/writer/backup singer, Kyle Gass, and guitarist/writer/lead singer, Jack Black; they had a TV show in 1997 on HBO and eventually released a self-titled album in 2001. They now have a huge cult following and had a hit song “Tribute” that you have most probably heard.

Kyle Gas is quite a good axeman and while Jack Black can strum along ok his main contribution is his crazy demeanor and an amazing set of vocal chords (he sounds like a cross between Ozzy Ozbourne and Ronny James Dio).

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006) is a comedy/rock musical which depicts an exaggerated history of the band, Tenacious D. The plot reveals how the two guys met and the discovery of a guitar pick that holds the destiny of becoming an awesome rock band. So the two men go out in search of this guitar pick in hopes of becoming the world’s greatest band.

This is basically just an extended, expanded and improved (subjective I suppose) version of their HBO TV series, which is why it makes it a cult movie. People who watched their TV show religiously know exactly what this band is all about; they were two ordinary pot heads constantly playing at open mic shows and acting as if they were the greatest rock band in the world. It’s all the embellished songs, trippy images and everything else that this band does and strives to be that makes this movie an instant classic.

But if I’m being perfectly honest, the watching experience of this film needs to be artificially enhanced if you get my meaning. Although there are some great cameo performances from stars like the aforementioned Ronny James Dio, Dave Grohl (my favorite guitarist - oops I mean drummer), Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller and the like the script and dialogue are not that sophisticated. So with a little help from your favorite substance the movie should keep you amused, with a few laughs on the way. One disappointment though is that the song  “Tribute”  is not in the film.

Whatever state you are in when you watch this flick you will have to appreciate Jack Black’s performance. JB is a softer version of the other JB (John Belushi). Both possessed great vocals and both, masters of physical comedy. If John Belushi were Bruce Lee, then Jack Black would be Jackie Chan. Without Jack Black in this film, the whole thing would just crumble (sorry Kyle Gass).

-Axel