--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps not unusually for a popular film…" description: "\"Perhaps not unusually for a popular film produced over three decades ago, there have been a dizzying parade of corporate characters trading rights to '..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daf/harry-shearer-7595_doors_perhaps-not-unusually-for-a-popular-film_2198029.jpg" --- # Perhaps not unusually for a popular film produced over… ![“Perhaps not unusually for a popular film produced over three decades ago, there have been a dizzying parade of corporate characters trading rights to 'This Is Spinal Tap' through the years. Yet our requests for timely statements of the film's income have been met with a series of slammed doors.” quote by Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daf/harry-shearer-7595_doors_perhaps-not-unusually-for-a-popular-film_2198029.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daf/harry-shearer-7595_doors_perhaps-not-unusually-for-a-popular-film_2198029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daf/harry-shearer-7595_doors_perhaps-not-unusually-for-a-popular-film_2198029.jpg) > “Perhaps not unusually for a popular film produced over three decades ago, there have been a dizzying parade of corporate characters trading rights to 'This Is Spinal Tap' through the years. Yet our requests for timely statements of the film's income have been met with a series of slammed doors.” [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the difficulty of obtaining financial transparency for a long‑standing, popular movie, noting many corporate owners and blocked inquiries. **In simple terms:** Getting money info for the film is hard because many companies own it and refuse to answer. Key Takeaway Expect opacity when multiple rights holders are involved. Themes media finance transparency entertainment corporate legal Mood frustrated skeptical inquisitive Type observational critical informative When to use this quote - budget reporting - royalty negotiations - archival research - documentary filmmaking - industry analysis Key Concepts intellectual property ownership information access Questions to Reflect On - Who controls the film's profits? - How can stakeholders demand clearer accounting? A Different Perspective Limited access to data may stem from confidentiality agreements or strategic secrecy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Parade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parade/) [Popular film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-film/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Spinal tap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spinal-tap/) ## Related quotes > [I'm lucky that I can walk down the street, and maybe one person will recognise me from 'The Simpsons,' and another person will recognise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-m-lucky-that-i-can-walk-down-the-street-and-maybe-one-person-will/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [That was Embassy Pictures, they went bankrupt shortly after This is Spinal Tap came out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/that-was-embassy-pictures-they-went-bankrupt-shortly-after-this-is/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > ['Spinal Tap' began as a mock rock band that we four - Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and myself - developed for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/spinal-tap-began-as-a-mock-rock-band-that-we-four-rob-reiner/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > ['Elf' has become this big holiday movie, and I remember running around the streets of New York in tights saying, 'This could be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-ferrell/elf-has-become-this-big-holiday-movie-and-i-remember-running-around/) [Will Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-ferrell/) > [Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-gable/frankly-my-dear-i-don-t-give-a-damn/) [Clark Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-gable/) > [Our point isn't to make an examination of popular film but to illustrate that the yearning for a heroic adventure lies just beneath the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/our-point-isn-t-to-make-an-examination-of-popular-film-but-to/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [It's easy to like the most popular films, but I have a great fondness for 'A Life Less Ordinary'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/it-s-easy-to-like-the-most-popular-films-but-i-have-a-great-fondness/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [Its easy to like the most popular films, but I have a great fondness for A Life Less Ordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/its-easy-to-like-the-most-popular-films-but-i-have-a-great-fondness/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [Popular films are so powerful and compelling that it's often easier to accept their versions of history than the much more complicated true stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/popular-films-are-so-powerful-and-compelling-that-it-s-often-easier/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [Richard Donner made great movies. Seminal movies. The Academy, though, and we have to be careful here, should recognize popular films. Popular films are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-pascal/richard-donner-made-great-movies-seminal-movies-the-academy-though/) [Amy Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-pascal/) > [I think that horror, in general, is fairly popular. It's definitely popular in film. There's just not a lot of good horror on TV,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-peli/i-think-that-horror-in-general-is-fairly-popular-it-s-definitely/) [Oren Peli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-peli/) > [I always try to make popular films. Even in black-and-white and silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-always-try-to-make-popular-films-even-in-black-and-white-and-silent/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Seeing the actual, 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe', I absolutely loved it. It became one of my favorite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/seeing-the-actual-the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-lion-the-witch-and-the/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I like independent films... European films. I do go and see popular films as well because my kids force me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/i-like-independent-films-european-films-i-do-go-and-see-popular-films/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [Audience members are only concerned about the story, the concept, the bells and whistles and the noise that a popular film starts to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/audience-members-are-only-concerned-about-the-story-the-concept-the/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) ## More by Harry Shearer > [Music often happens even faster than comedy in terms of the creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/music-often-happens-even-faster-than-comedy-in-terms-of-the-creation/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [ There were really funny characteristics about this guy \[Richard Nixon\], chief of which would be that he seemed to devote about 85 percent of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/there-were-really-funny-characteristics-about-this-guy-richard-nixon/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [We're very pleased to be on a show which is known and loved around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/we-re-very-pleased-to-be-on-a-show-which-is-known-and-loved-around/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [The theater business is very much about "Hey, if you want our big blockbuster at Christmas time, you'll play our piece of crap in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/the-theater-business-is-very-much-about-hey-if-you-want-our-big/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [Sometimes, songs spill out of you very fast, and sometimes you have to wrangle them to the floor. But the same thing is true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/sometimes-songs-spill-out-of-you-very-fast-and-sometimes-you-have-to/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I would come back to public school for usually about half the year. It was actually better for me to be out of school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-would-come-back-to-public-school-for-usually-about-half-the-year-it/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I always thought, as a kid, if you - and the reason that I sort of stayed away from doing one character on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-always-thought-as-a-kid-if-you-and-the-reason-that-i-sort-of-stayed/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines. Nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-am-one-of-those-people-who-thrive-on-deadlines-nothing-brings-on/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I couldn't help but be struck that this guy I had thought was the embodiment of everything wrong with American politics, a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-couldn-t-help-but-be-struck-that-this-guy-i-had-thought-was-the/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [You have to do real acting, not just do a voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/you-have-to-do-real-acting-not-just-do-a-voice/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I never wanted to do a regular sitcom, because I'd be incredibly bored doing the same character week in, week out. But the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-never-wanted-to-do-a-regular-sitcom-because-i-d-be-incredibly-bored/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I was never into candy and games and clowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-was-never-into-candy-and-games-and-clowns/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I went to graduate school at Harvard for one year I worked in the state legislature in Sacramento for one year. I taught school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-went-to-graduate-school-at-harvard-for-one-year-i-worked-in-the/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I'm at a little loss in terms of my Leave It To Beaver expertise, since I never watched an episode of the show -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-m-at-a-little-loss-in-terms-of-my-leave-it-to-beaver-expertise/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [My job is to take what I think is funny and to make other people think it's funny, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/my-job-is-to-take-what-i-think-is-funny-and-to-make-other-people/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) [Explore all 89 Harry Shearer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) ## More Doors quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [When you have counted eighty years and more, Time and Fate will batter at your door; But if you should survive to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/when-you-have-counted-eighty-years-and-more-time-and-fate-will-batter/) [Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [Kindness unlocks doors that were thought to be closed forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/kindness-unlocks-doors-that-were-thought-to-be-closed-forever/) Unkown > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [I won't be managing the Mets. I am closing the door on managing the Mets and probably everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-won-t-be-managing-the-mets-i-am-closing-the-door-on-managing-the/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [The odor of bowel wind is known to every human, but the fragrance of book glue has crossed only a fraction of mortal nostrils.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-odor-of-bowel-wind-is-known-to-every-human-but-the-fragrance-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had always assumed that the right way to do it was to these engineers, put them in offices by themselves with doors that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/i-had-always-assumed-that-the-right-way-to-do-it-was-to-these/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [In the beginning I was just a makeup artist and I never really pictured myself doing anything else. But now that I have so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/in-the-beginning-i-was-just-a-makeup-artist-and-i-never-really/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [I do not chase after anyone if you wanna walk out my life then I will hold the fu\*\*\*\*g door open for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/i-do-not-chase-after-anyone-if-you-wanna-walk-out-my-life-then-i-will/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [Do you know what it is sir? Do you know what the Dance Dance Revolution is? It's not an actual revolution, so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/do-you-know-what-it-is-sir-do-you-know-what-the-dance-dance/) [Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/) Browse all 5,899 Doors quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Perhaps not unusually for a popular film produced over three decades ago, there have been a dizzying parade of corporate characters trading rights to 'This Is Spinal Tap' through the years. 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