Fire Sale
(1977)
Director:
Alan
Arkin
Cast: Alan Arkin, Rob Reiner, Vincent Gardenia
From the same demented writer(*) who
brought you
the cult classic Where's Poppa? comes the overlooked
movie
Fire
Sale, with Reiner and Gardenia also returning, though in bigger
parts this time. Comparing the two movies, one is struck by some
similar
themes, including two conflicting brothers and senile parents. So how
is
this movie compared to Where's Poppa? Well, the PG
rating
prevents there being any really serious attempts at raunchy humor. But
despite this, it's an absolutely hysterical movie, with absolutely
insane
characters and situations. I haven't laughed so long and so much at a
comedy
for ages, and I think it's a shame this movie is not available on video
and is rarely given any kind of screening.
One of the great things about Fire Sale is
that its storyline
can't be properly summarized in a few sentences. The opening of the
movie
is fairy easy to describe; grumpy and crusty store owner Benny
(Gardenia)
and his wife Ruthie are preparing to go on a road trip to Florida, with
Benny demanding his "putz" of a son Russell (Reiner) to only
open
and close the dying store while he's gone. On the other side of town,
Benny's
other son, the disowned Ezra (Arkin), struggles to keep his job as a
high
school basketball coach (with only two wins in his career) while being
frustrated by his wife's constant demands to have a child. ("Why not
get
a hobby?...You want [a baby] now? Okay, get up on the table! Let's go,
take your clothes off!") That's how the situation is at the beginning,
but as things progress, the movie gets more special. That's because at
no time in the movie can the viewer predict what is going to happen
next.
The movie boasts several plotlines (all interrelated), each progressing
to add additional characters and new problems for the original
characters.
When a character or new situation is introduced, the subplot in
question
is suddenly given a new spin, pointing in a direction that isn't
familiar
to viewers. After each new twist, I was thinking, that the movie
couldn't
possibly get more demented and complex. Subsequently, I was proven
wrong.
The characters introduced later in the movie fit right
into the crazy
characters. As Benny's brother-in-law Sherman, Sid Caesar is very funny
as a World War II veteran who is still trying to fight the war, when he
doesn't have the stump of his amputated leg planted in a flower pot in
an effort to grow it back. (His best scene is when he tries to pull off
the first part of his secret plans while drugged.) Alex Rocco has a few
amusing scenes as a sleazy wholesaler who tries to get Russell to
replace
the store's crappy merchandise with some more modern stuff. Byron
Stewart
does well as the young basketball playing "Captain HOOONNNKKK"
(you'll
understand when you watch the movie), who catches the eye of Ezra; his
casualness and occasional eye rolling make his straight role generate
its
own share of laughs. I thought that the character of Virginia (Barbara
Dana), Russell's girlfriend, was pretty much a waste, with some poor
acting
on Dana's part. Otherwise, it's amazing just how good and funny
everyone is in this movie. Kay Medford, playing Benny's wife,
pulls
a Where's Poppa? in the middle of the movie, becoming
hopeless
to communicate with. Reiner's wimpy demeanor and constant asthma
attacks
never stopped being funny. When he and Arkin are finally united
onscreen,
their scenes just burst with comic energy, with their verbal scraps a
joy
to listen to.
It's not just the characters and the actors that are
funny, but the
situations they go through in the movie. It's not just verbal duels and
one-liners, but also scenes of pure slapstick, starting with Ezra one
morning
using the hair dryer to warm the toilet seat, then fighting for his
life
with the water pik. Bizarre situations about, sometimes not bothering
to
give us an explanation, though that doesn't stop us for laughing; while
Ezra and his wife are at the breakfast table arguing about having a
child
or not, several rocks thrown from the outside break their windows. They
pay no attention to this and keep talking. This by itself is funny,
though
when we get the eventual explanation for this, it only adds to the
hilarity.
There are several sight gags to keep your eye out for, one being the
name
of the store; though it is a somewhat obvious gag, for some reason I
thought
it unbearably funny each time I saw it. At no time is the movie afraid
of doing too much; at one point, Benny is helpless as basketball
players
practice in his living room while the house painters continue painting
and his wife is at his side planning his wake, with the insurance men
coming
over - and it isn't even near the climax! This is one of those rare
movies
where it gets better and better as it movies along.
I will say no more about Fire Sale except
to say again
it's a comic masterpiece, absolutely jam-packed with humor and a cult
classic
in the making. Yes, in the making, because for some reason, 20th
Century-Fox
has done almost nothing since its theatrical release to make it better
known. You'll be very lucky if you see an authorized screening of it
anywhere;
it's a movie that you'll probably have to beg, borrow, steal, or even
burn
down the front doors of the studio to see. And then afterwards, you'll
be lucky just to find another person who has seen it. Add fuel to the
fire,
spread the flames, and let this movie be better known.
* Robert Klane, who also gave
us Weekend
at Bernie's and Weekend at Bernie's II,
though
let's not think about those two movies, okay?
Check
for availability on Amazon.
Check for availability of the original Robert Klane novel
See also: The In-Laws, Let It Ride, Real Men
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