Paying Tribute To Director Rob Reiner

A Man Of Many Directorial Voices

Tripwire pays tribute to Hollywood director Rob Reiner, who was murdered in his home a couple of days ago…

So the horrendous news came in earlier this week that US film director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were found murdered in their home, apparently at the hands of their son. Reiner was an actor and director with a career that spanned four decades, the son of comedy actor and writer Carl Reiner. In recent years he was still quite prolific but not as a director of films that people saw or connected with. However he made a pretty impressive run earlier on in his career including his debut, the ultimate spoof rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (1984) and then onto Stephen King adaptation Stand by Me (1986), cult fantasy classic The Princess Bride (1987), romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally (1989), the brilliant Misery (1990) and box office blockbuster A Few Good Men. Very few other directors had a run as good as him, working with some of the finest actors and screenwriters in the business and showing his versatility as a director.

If I had to choose a favourite Reiner film, it would probably be Misery as it resurrected James Caan’s career and brought King’s novel to life in one of the finest adaptations of his work ever. It also showcased just what a fantastic and versatile actress Kathy Bates. Reiner leaves an incredible legacy of work with some of the most quotable lines in any films of the modern cinema going era. The Spinal Tap sequel which came out this summer sadly is now his epitaph as it’s his final film and it was a disappointing effort but with his premature passing in such a horrible way, everyone here at Tripwire felt we had to mark his death. So we are sending our condolences to his family and friends.