Being the son of Carl Reiner, a pioneer in onscreen comedy, and having acted in variety shows for most of his youth, eventually playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic on “All in the Family,” throughout the 1970s, Reiner never had a problem being on screen.
It made him the perfect straight man opposite Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer in this comedy, which he also directed, about a fake band going on tour.
Essentially creating the mockumentary genre with the movie, Reiner plays a director named Marty Di Bergi who chronicles the US tour of the English rock band Spinal Tap.
The movie went on to become a cult classic. Guest has since taken the mockumentary reins, going on to create his own classics, such as the 2000 film “Best in Show” and the 2003 film “A Mighty Wind.”
