Adam Rifkin

Last updated

Adam Rifkin
Adam Rifkin.jpg
Rifkin in 2010
Born (1966-12-31) December 31, 1966 (age 58)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Other namesRif Coogan
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, producer, actor

Adam Rifkin (born December 31, 1966), sometimes credited as Rif Coogan, is an American filmmaker and actor. [1] His career ranges from broad family comedies to dark and gritty urban dramas. He is best known for writing or co-writing family-friendly comedies like Mouse Hunt and 2007's Underdog . [2]

Contents

Early life and education

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Rifkin graduated from the Chicago Academy for the Arts in 1984, after which he moved to Los Angeles. He attended the University of Southern California for one year before dropping out. He then began writing scripts and collaborating with Brad Wyman. [3]

Career

As a screenwriter, Rifkin has written several family-friendly movies. He wrote Knucklehead for WWE Studios, starring WWE star Big Show, Underdog for Walt Disney Pictures, Zoom , starring Tim Allen and two films for DreamWorks, Mouse Hunt and Small Soldiers . Continuing in the family film genre, he wrote the big screen version of He-Man for John Woo and 20th Century Fox, [4] that was let go by Fox 2000 Pictures. [5] He also wrote the unused draft of Planet of the Apes in 1988.

Rifkin's film The Dark Backward was named one of the top ten films of its year by The New York Post.[ citation needed ] He was then the director responsible for New Line Cinema's Detroit Rock City .

Directing

Rifkin directed his first film Never on Tuesday in 1989. As of December 6, 2007, he has directed eleven others, including The Chase (1994), Detroit Rock City (1999) and the Night at the Golden Eagle (2002).

Production

Rifkin began his production career in 1999 on the production of Touch Me in the Morning by Giuseppe Andrews. Preceding his completion of that project, Rifkin produced his own film Night at the Golden Eagle as well as Getting Hal by Tony Markes.

Acting

Rifkin began his acting career in 1989 with his directorial debut Never on Tuesday. Rifkin has appeared in small roles and cameos in his other films, Night at the Golden Eagle , Without Charlie, Detroit Rock City , The Dark Backward , Denial and Psycho Cop 2 . Rifkin also appeared as Croaker/Miss Spain in the 1989 film, Going Overboard , starring Adam Sandler and Burt Young.

He also wrote, directed and acted in the 2007 film Homo Erectus , in which he portrays a wimpy caveman called Ishbo, the main character in the film. The film's ensemble cast includes Ali Larter, David Carradine, Talia Shire, Gary Busey, and Ron Jeremy.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1989 Never on Tuesday YesYesNo
Going Overboard NoUncreditedCo-producer
Tale of Two Sisters YesNoNo
1990 The Invisible Maniac YesYesNoCredited as "Rif Coogan"
1991 The Dark Backward YesYesNo
1992 The Nutt House YesNoNo
1993 Psycho Cop 2 YesNoNoCredited as "Rif Coogan"
1994 The Chase YesYesNo
1997 Mouse Hunt NoYesNo
1998 Denial YesYesNo
Small Soldiers NoYesNo
Welcome to Hollywood YesYesNoCo-directed with Tony Markes
1999 Detroit Rock City YesNoNo
2001Without CharlieYesYesNo
Night at the Golden Eagle YesYesYes
2006 Zoom NoYesNo
2007 Homo Erectus YesYesNo
Look YesYesNo
Underdog NoYesNo
2010 Knucklehead NoYesNo
2011 Chillerama YesYesExecutiveSegment "Wadzilla"
2015 Shooting the Warwicks YesYesYes
2016 Director's Cut YesNoYes
2017 The Last Movie Star YesYesYes
2021 Willy's Wonderland NoNoExecutive
2023The Adam Rifkin Film FestivalYesYesYesCompilation of short films made from 1975 to 1987
TBA Last Train to Fortune YesNoYesPost-production

Acting credits

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 Sixteen Candles Head NerdUncredited
1989 Never on Tuesday William
Going Overboard Croaker / Miss Spain
1990 Disturbed Gary
1991 The Dark Backward Rufus Bing
Bikini Island Desk BoyCredited as Rif Coogan
1992Last DanceMark
1993 Psycho Cop 2 Man with Video Camera
The Flesh MerchantMan In Bondage Room
Bikini SquadSinging TeacherCredited as Rif Coogan
1998 Denial Reuben
Susan's Plan Gambler #1
Welcome to Hollywood Himself
1999 Detroit Rock City It's Raining Men Billboard ModelUncredited
2001Without CharlieNorman
Night at the Golden Eagle Man in Private BoothUncredited
2007 Homo Erectus Ishbo
2011 Chillerama Miles MunsonSegment "Wadzilla"
2015 Shooting the Warwicks Mickey Wagner
2016 Director's Cut Himself

Documentary film

YearTitleDirectorProducer
1999 Touch Me in the Morning NoYes
2004BabysitterNoYes
2006Jacuzzi RoomsNoYes
2007Garbanzo GasNoYes
2014 Giuseppe Makes a Movie YesYes

Television

YearTitleDirectorWriterExecutive
Producer
Creator
1996 Bone Chillers YesYesCo-ExecutiveYes
2010 Look: The Series YesYesYesYes
2012Reality ShowYesYesYesNo

References

  1. "Detroit Rock City + Christmas on Mars" (Podcast). April 15, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  2. Hugh Hart (December 13, 2007). "Sneaky Sex, Spooky Scenes: Look Flick Eyes Voyeuristic Surveillance". Wired.
  3. Admin (June 16, 2010). "STORMBLOG: RIFFIN' WITH RIFKIN". STORMBLOG. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  4. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/502530-woo_on_for_he_man
  5. SuperHeroHype (March 19, 2007). "He-Man Still Happening?". Comic Book Movies and Superhero Movie News - SuperHeroHype. Retrieved July 1, 2025.