The China Mail - Five Rob Reiner films that rocked, romanced and riveted

Each success was distinguished by incisive writing and a deep humanity that wove his work into the fabric of popular culture.

Few filmmakers have matched Reiner's breadth -- or left behind so many lines that endure in memory, quoted everywhere from comedy stages to political podiums.

In the wake of his shocking killing, that legacy has only come into sharper focus, as tributes pour in to a filmmaker whose work blended wit, empathy and moral clarity with rare consistency.

Here are five Reiner classics, endlessly rewatched and quoted, that now stand as both entertainment and epitaph.

- This Is Spinal Tap (1984) -

Reiner's directorial debut didn't merely lampoon rock culture -- it helped invent the modern mockumentary.

The film chronicles a hapless British heavy-metal band on a US tour gone spectacularly awry.

Initially overlooked, earning just $6 million and no major awards, it later joined the US National Film Registry for its cultural significance.

Home video and its endlessly quotable dialogue transformed it into a cult phenomenon.

Notable quotable: "These go to 11." -- Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) with a deadpan declaration about an amplifier's volume knob that has become shorthand for trying to turn everything up beyond the limit.

- The Princess Bride (1987) -

A fairy tale brimming with swordplay, true love, revenge, rodents of unusual size and -- again -- relentlessly quotable dialogue.

Another modest box-office performer at $31 million, it blossomed into one of the most cherished films of the 1980s.

Though it earned no Oscars, its cultural immortality is unquestioned.

Notable quotable: "As you wish." -- Westley (Cary Elwes) with a romantic refrain expressing his devotion to Buttercup -- later revealed to mean simply "I love you."

- When Harry Met Sally... (1989) -

Two neurotic New Yorkers spend more than a decade debating whether men and women can ever be "just friends."

This became the blueprint for the modern rom-com -- sharp, adult and emotionally honest. Nora Ephron's screenplay earned an Oscar nod, and the film grossed $93 million worldwide, cementing Reiner's commercial clout.

Notable quotable: "I'll have what she's having." -- Customer (Estelle Reiner) delivers a deadpan line in an iconic diner scene that steals the movie. So beloved it was placed in the American Film Institute's list of memorable movie quotes.

- Misery (1990) -

Reiner plunged into psychological horror with this Stephen King adaptation: a novelist (James Caan) survives a car crash only to be held captive by an unhinged superfan who insists he rewrite his latest book -- or else.

It was proof Reiner could pivot from straight-up comedy into darkness without missing a beat.

He directed Kathy Bates to an Academy Award for her turn as deranged nurse Annie Wilkes and the film netted roughly $61 million worldwide on a modest budget.

Notable quotable: "I'm your number one fan!" — Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) makes a chilling proclamation of obsessive devotion that perfectly captures her menace.

- A Few Good Men (1992) -

A taut courtroom drama about a young Navy lawyer uncovering a deadly conspiracy while defending Marines accused of murder at Guantanamo Bay.

Reiner delivered a morally complex thriller at full throttle, powered by Aaron Sorkin's script and Jack Nicholson's volcanic performance.

The film scored four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and grossed $243 million worldwide -- Reiner's biggest hit.

Notable quotable: "You can't handle the truth!" -- Col. Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) with a thunderous courtroom declaration that has become one of cinema's most quoted lines, epitomizing the film's central moral conundrum.

Z.Huang--ThChM