Rob Reiner: Trump, Elon, and ‘Spinal Tap 2’

Obsessed: The Podcast

The Daily Beast

Tv & Film

4.5 • 686 Ratings

🗓️ 17 September 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Rob Reiner has directed some of the most beloved and acclaimed films in Hollywood history. But he had never directed a sequel until ‘Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues.’ In this episode, Reiner breaks down why he decided to reunite with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer for one last mockumentary 41 years after they invented the genre with ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’ He talks about how the comedy of the film has evolved now that they are in their 70s and 80s, and the secret to playing the straight man opposite someone as effortlessly funny as Guest. Reiner also gets into the state of America under Trump 2.0, how Elon Musk drove him away from Twitter, and what he learned about being a politically outspoken celebrity from Norman Lear and Jane Fonda. Finally, he reflects on his relationship with his late father Carl Reiner, recalls the first time he met Mel Brooks, and considers the enduring legacy of classic films like ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ah, Benny's parents, thanks for coming.
0:02.3	Hiya.
0:02.9	So, Benny has really blossomed this term.
0:05.6	You're telling me, he outgrew his bike. We sold it, on eBay.
0:09.6	Oh, that's not quite what I meant.
0:11.1	It's free to sell on there?
0:12.3	Free to sell?
0:13.5	Easy too. Sold Benny's bike, your guitar, my jacket.
0:16.8	You sold my guitar?
0:19.9	Shall we talk about Benning?
0:22.1	When it's this easy to sell for free, you can't help but say when it's eBay.
0:26.7	Things people love.
0:28.1	Teas and Seas Apply, Exclusive vehicles.
0:30.2	Hey, it's Theo, Luke and Joe from the Waffling podcast, and our podcast is currently sponsored by Audible.
0:35.9	Want your next thriller fix?
0:37.3	Check out the dropouts, the debut novel by screenwriter Liv Parkinson.
0:41.5	Kaylee Morris is just trying to survive her first year at uni.
0:43.9	A blur of social anxiety and parties.
0:46.1	But when she becomes the talk of the campus, Kaylee retreats and shuts herself away.
0:50.0	That is until she is chosen for a new module to try a new psychedelic drug, believed to cure anxiety.
0:56.5	But soon, the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur.
1:00.3	And she feels the pull of a new dangerous obsession.
	...

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