In “Spinal Tap II: The end continues“Director Rob Reiner returns to the world of its debut function ”This is spinal crane“To see what the title characters-world’s self-described highest rock bands are up to 41 years later. Again Reiner assumes a” Mockumentary “format, which was achieved by creating an environment on the set where the actors actually felt as if they were in a documentary, without marks, no pre-writing dialogue and no prediction.
While the “Spinal Tap” films represent an extreme form of this method and are in sharp contrast to the more accurate visual design of Reiner classics such as “Misery” and “The American President”, the director told IndieWire’s Filmmakers Toolkit Podcast That he likes to create a sense of looseness even on his most detailed and stylized productions. “You try to create an atmosphere there (the actors) feel completely safe and comfortable, as if there is no crew there, no camera,” Reiner said. “You just feel like you’re in the sandbox playing.”
Reiner, who first rose to fame as an actor at Norman Lears Landmarksitcom “All In The Family”, is looking for the same type of game when he works for other directors, which he recently did on four episodes of “The Bear.” “I played a small role at ‘The Bear’, and this guy who created it and directs it (Christopher Stores) does it the same way I do,” Reiner said. “You come to work and there is no division between what you do in front of the camera and off. It’s just this floating thing, and I loved to work with it because of him.”
Reiner says that acting for other directors gives him an opportunity to observe the styles and approaches of other filmmakers – and to get a break from the pressure to install their own films. “I did one film With Ron Howard years ago, and he said, “I have this part if you are interested.” I said, “Yes, I’ll do it.” He said, “Don’t you want to read the script?” I said: ‘No, I don’t have to read the script, because if it’s not good it’s not my fault. It’s your fault. I’m just an actor. “”
This does not mean that Reiner turns off his direction -brain when he is on someone else’s set – he only respects the limits of his role, even when he suspects something can go wrong. “I remember doing this little part in the Woody Allen movie” Bullets Over Broadway, “said Reiner.” I show up that night, and it is Carlo di Palma, who is a big cinematographer, who shoots this thing. I look around and I said, “Boy, unless they have no new movie store that I am not aware of this, will not show up. It’s too dark.”
Reiner decided not to say anything. “I’m just an actor,” he said. “So I did my part, and they called me the next morning and said,” We saw the diaries. It’s a radio program. You can’t see anything, we have to go about. “
For Reiner, such moments are also part of the pleasure of working for other directors. “I find out how people do things, and it’s fun for me, I feel no responsibility,” Reiner said. One of his favorite experiences that actors played opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill in “The Wolf of Wall Street” for Martin Scorsese. “Marty Scorsese was fantastic. He lets us improvise, and if you improvise with someone who can do that, it’s like hitting tennis balls to someone who can hit the ball back.”
Reiner referred to the scene where he argues with DiCaprio and Hill’s characters about their cost account as an example where the actors’ improvisations made it the finished film. “I said,“ I don’t understand, you spent $ 20,000 (at a restaurant)? And he (Jonah Hill) says: “We ordered pages.” I said, “What kinds of pages are these? And he says,” Yes, these pages actually cure cancer. “And Marty leaves it, and you just improvise.
“Spinal Tap II: The End continues” is currently in theaters, and “This is Spinal Tap” is recently available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Criterion Collection. Listen to the “Film Maker Toolkit” section in full below.
