Wonkette Movie Night Rob Reiner Tribute
This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride in one night? Inconceivable!
Rob Reiner was a creative genius, his humanity and humor an important element of some of his most beloved films. His death on Dec. 14 was deeply heartbreaking and tragic but that is not our focus tonight. We remember him for the joy he brought us and his legacy that will continue into the future, making people laugh, cry and get lost in a movie.
His films have been some of our most popular Movie Night selections going all the way back to 2022. The Princess Bride was what we watched the first time we moved out of the comments (which are not allowed) and Robyn was doing the writing. We’ve come a long way since then and it is well past time for a rewatch.
We watched This Is Spinal Tap that same year in November. The old thread of Disqus non-comments is still available at this link, just click “Oldest first” for a little time capsule of pre-Substack days.
This Is Spinal Tap is our first film in tonight’s double feature. In 1981 Rob Reiner put together a 20 minute demo reel titled Spinal Tap: The Final Tour to get financing for the longer movie that debuted March 2, 1984. A mockumentary with Reiner in the role of Marty DiBergi, a documentary producer following a rock band on their US tour, it hits on every silly trope about ‘80s rock bands that you can imagine, from dying drummers to ridiculous onstage fuck-ups. This was a spectacular start to Rob Reiner’s directing career.
His next films were The Sure Thing (1985) and Stand By Me (1986) (free links to both films included). Stand By Me was also a Movie Night selection.
Both are excellent films that were followed by the second movie in our double feature, The Princess Bride (1987).
The Princess Bride is a story of “twue wove,” heroes and villains. A sweet but hilarious take on a fairy tale story of a princess trapped by a vile prince and the man who would do anything to save her. Based on William Goldman’s novel, which Rob Reiner referred to as “my favorite book of all time.”
In a foreword to Cary Elwes’s book, As You Wish, Reiner wrote:
As I was starting my career as a filmmaker, I thought, naively, Why not make a film based on The Princess Bride? That should be easy. It’s a brilliant story written by one of America’s greatest writers. Why wouldn’t everyone just jump at this idea? Little did I know that for fifteen years it had been the story that no studio would touch. Fortunately, Norman Lear, my All in the Family boss, and the man I would come to call my second father, had faith in this wonderful fractured fairy tale.
Making The Princess Bride was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Living in England for six months, working with old friends, and people who would become old friends, creating a film based on my favorite book of all time. Nothing could be more satisfying.
What is also satisfying is quoting this film, so many great lines, laughing and repeating,
“Hello my name is Inigo Montoya you killed my father prepare to die.”
This movie holds a special spot in most of our hearts, a beautiful gift that Rob Reiner gave the world.
“So curl up in a comfy spot and have fun storming the castle.”
When writing this Rob Reiner tribute I focused on the joy his films gave others and how happy his own work made him. Understanding that little bit about Rob Reiner will stick with me. An artist is at their best when they can create what brings them satisfaction. And they are at their greatest when it does the same for others.
This Is Spinal Tap is available for free with subscription on HBO Max and Hulu; $5.99 to rent in the usual places. Free on the Internet Archive. There will be a short intermission between movies. We will start the second movie at 10:30 pm ET.
The Princess Bride is available for free with a subscription on Disney, $14.99 to rent in the usual places, free on the Internet Archive (scroll to the last page of the list).
This Is Spinal Tap stars Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Fran Drescher, and Ric Parnell. Directed by Rob Reiner.
The Princess Bride stars Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, Billy Crystal, and Carol Kane. Directed by Rob Reiner.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules go to WonkMovie.
The animated short is Under The Winter Sun by Tom Bolles.
The film originally scheduled for tonight, The Muppet Christmas Carol, will be our Jan. 3 selection.
On Christmas day we will have our traditional matinee of Die Hard at 5 p.m. ET. Free with subscription on Peacock, Hulu, Disney+ and Prime. Free on The Roku Channel. $3.99 in the usual places.
𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀:
After the film opened, several people told Rob Reiner that they loved the film but he should have chosen a more well-known band for a documentary. Some rock stars have commented on what an uncannily accurate spoof of the rock and heavy metal world this film was. Ozzy Osbourne said when he first watched the film, he was the only person who wasn't laughing; he thought it was a real documentary. U2 guitarist The Edge said, "I didn't laugh, I wept. It was so close to the truth." Marillion had five drummers in the space of a year between their first two albums, which guitarist Steve Rothery later admitted was "like Spinal Tap".
𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀:
Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean were not only comic actors and writers, but competent musicians themselves, and had played together in various configurations for both fun and parody before the film began production. They also composed and rehearsed the bands songs, did extensive research on groups of that era, and developed extensive back-stories for the band, and for each of their characters, so that during on-screen interviews the unrehearsed, unanticipated questions they were asked could be answered in complete sincerity... and hilarity.