A new year has come and before it ended, we lost someone big. Rob Reiner. Son of Carl Reiner who also worked with comedies, giving Dick Van Dyke his own show....it Rob wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. Before being known as a director of certain movies...he went into acting being a character in a seventies show and known only as "meathead'
All in the Family came out long before I was born. It was about a family with a bigoted man (played by Caroll O'Conner) who had a daughter who married Rob Reiner's character. They butted heads, but in real life, he and Caroll got along.
The show lasted a few years until the early eighties. After that, Rob Reiner went into directing
Rob felt as if he was meant to be behind the camera than in front of. I'm like that with writing. Some people have a face for the camera...and some...feel they have something bigger than being known as 'Meathead'. That was Rob.
In 1984, the year I was born, there was a mockumentary created by Christopher Guest. It was about a rock and roll band that starred him, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean. All three of them are still alive.
It was very funny, I enjoyed it. Rob Reiner was in a few scenes...one having a quote saying, "this goes to eleven." Referring to how loud the sound of a guitar ap should go. This is one movie you need to see.
In 1987, there was a movie based on a Stephen King short story called The Body. It was called Stand by me. Staring Wil Wheaton, the late River Pheonix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell. All in search of finding a dead body one of them heard from their older brothers.
They go on a long journey to find it, almost costing their lives in the process. Keifer Sutherland players a bully who wants to find the body too. Rob chained the ending to suit how it should end. Stephen King saw it, took a few minutes to collect his thoughts, and went back to hug Rob saying that it was the portrayal of his book he had ever seen.
After the success of "Stand by me", Rob Reiner got to direct Misery another book by Stephen King that involves and author and an obsessed fan. Kathy Bates portrayed the fan as the late James Caan was the author.
It was good; not as great as stand by me, but still worth seeing. Kathy Bates frightens people in this role. Stephen King thought she was the right choice. Let's just say...never piss Kathy Bates off.
This movie is a story within a story. A grandfather reads The Princess Bride to his son, and another world opens up.
Carey Elwes portrays a masked man who was once a stable boy who was rumored to have been killed. Robin Wright was Princess Buttercup. Mandy Patakin portrayed one of the thieves who has a vendetta over the man who killed his father. He finds the man, portrayed by Christopher Guest, and kills him.
Andre the Giant, God rest his soul, was another thief who turned good at the end.
He directed other movies like "A few good men", "The American President", "When Harry met Sally" and much more.
The quotes are memorable from Rob's actual mother saying, "I'll have what she's having" at the diner scene in Where Harry met Sally to "You can't Handle the truth" quoted by Jack Nicholsen in "A few good men"
His final project was the sequel to "This is Spinal tap" called...."The end Continues." with aging actors portraying their rock and roll selves as they look for what has happened in the last 41 years. Let has say, a lot has changed...but the comedy is still there. It's sad that was Rob's final directing as the movie was made right before his tragic death.
It is dedicated to him as the man that started Spinal Tap.
We are all still grieving from this tragedy that was caused by his own son who is now in jail. Rob was also an activist as his wife, who passed away as well, was helping to making America better. Let's just say...a certain someone made him mad...and even after his death...that certain someone did not care.
I do. He was a part of my childhood with all the movies he directed. Everyone is still grief stricken. His own daughter, who is an actress as well, has been telling people to always remember her family for the good things. I will. We will miss you...Rob. You and your wife.
