| Other names | Rif Coogan |
|---|---|
| Birth date | December 31, 1966 (age 59) |
| Birth place | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Occupation | 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]
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 an unmade big screen version of He-Man for John Woo and 20th Century Fox,[4] that was abandoned 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
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Never on Tuesday | ||||
| Going Overboard | |||||
| Tale of Two Sisters | |||||
| 1990 | The Invisible Maniac | Credited as "Rif Coogan" | |||
| 1991 | The Dark Backward | ||||
| 1992 | The Nutt House | ||||
| 1993 | Psycho Cop 2 | Credited as "Rif Coogan" | |||
| 1994 | The Chase | ||||
| 1997 | Mouse Hunt | ||||
| 1998 | Denial | ||||
| Small Soldiers | |||||
| Welcome to Hollywood | Co-directed with Tony Markes | ||||
| 1999 | Detroit Rock City | ||||
| 2001 | Without Charlie | ||||
| Night at the Golden Eagle | |||||
| 2006 | Zoom | ||||
| 2007 | Homo Erectus | ||||
| Look | |||||
| Underdog | |||||
| 2010 | Knucklehead | ||||
| 2011 | Chillerama | Segment "Wadzilla" | |||
| 2015 | Shooting the Warwicks | ||||
| 2016 | Director's Cut | ||||
| 2017 | The Last Movie Star | ||||
| 2021 | Willy's Wonderland | ||||
| 2023 | The Adam Rifkin Film Festival | Compilation of short films made from 1975 to 1987 | |||
| TBA | Last Train to Fortune | Post-production |
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Sixteen Candles | Head Nerd | Uncredited |
| 1989 | Never on Tuesday | William | |
| Going Overboard | Croaker / Miss Spain | ||
| 1990 | Disturbed | Gary | |
| 1991 | The Dark Backward | Rufus Bing | |
| Bikini Island | Desk Boy | Credited as Rif Coogan | |
| 1992 | Last Dance | Mark | |
| 1993 | Psycho Cop 2 | Man with Video Camera | |
| The Flesh Merchant | Man In Bondage Room | ||
| Bikini Squad | Singing Teacher | Credited as Rif Coogan | |
| 1998 | Denial | Reuben | |
| Susan's Plan | Gambler #1 | ||
| Welcome to Hollywood | Himself | ||
| 1999 | Detroit Rock City | It's Raining Men Billboard Model | Uncredited |
| 2001 | Without Charlie | Norman | |
| Night at the Golden Eagle | Man in Private Booth | Uncredited | |
| 2007 | Homo Erectus | Ishbo | |
| 2011 | Chillerama | Miles Munson | Segment "Wadzilla" |
| 2015 | Shooting the Warwicks | Mickey Wagner | |
| 2016 | Director's Cut | Himself |
Documentary film
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Touch Me in the Morning | ||
| 2004 | Babysitter | ||
| 2006 | Jacuzzi Rooms | ||
| 2007 | Garbanzo Gas | ||
| 2014 | Giuseppe Makes a Movie |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Creator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Bone Chillers | ||||
| 2010 | Look: The Series | ||||
| 2012 | Reality Show |
References
- ^ Detroit Rock City + Christmas on Mars. April 15, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- ^ Hugh Hart (December 13, 2007). "Sneaky Sex, Spooky Scenes: Look Flick Eyes Voyeuristic Surveillance". Wired
- ^ Admin (June 16, 2010). "STORMBLOG: RIFFIN' WITH RIFKIN". STORMBLOG. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Woo on for HE-MAN". October 4, 2004.
- ^ SuperHeroHype (2007-03-19). "He-Man Still Happening?". Comic Book Movies and Superhero Movie News - SuperHeroHype. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
External links
- Adam Rifkin at IMDb