The Dark Backward (1991)

Director:

Adam Rifkin

Writer:

Adam Rifkin

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

It's the world inside out.

Plot:

A man pursues stand-up comedy encouraged by his fellow garbage man. Though his friend, who accompanies him on accordion...

Plot Keywords:

Accordion | Freak | Surrealism | Black Comedy | Brat Pack

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Judd Nelson	...	Marty Malt
Bill Paxton	...	Gus
Wayne Newton	...	Jackie Chrome
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Rosarita
James Caan	...	Doctor Scurvy
Rob Lowe	...	Dirk Delta
King Moody	...	Twinkee Doodle
Claudia Christian	...	Kitty
Danny Dayton	...	Syd
Carrie Lynn	...	Nicolette
Anna Berger	...	Mrs. Malt
Lydell M. Cheshier	...	Dexter
Tom Hodges	...	Marjorie Zipp
Theodocia Goodrich	...	Mrs. Bielfuss
Laurianne Jameson	...	Shirley
Debra Perkins	...	Pickles
Charles Knapp	...	Sloppy
Clifford Streit	...	Raoul
Richard Morrison	...	Elvis
Charles Winkler	...	Dirk Delta's Assistant
Landon Godfrey	...	Unfamiliar Waitress
Gary Vonderlinden	...	Joey
Roberts Gannaway	...	Denny Ginkle
Marc David Decker	...	Barber
Scott Goldman	...	Mouseman
Adam Rifkin	...	Rufus Bing
Michele Rifkin	...	Seamstress
Harold Sokol	...	Apples Yonahan
Ingrid Rifkin	...	Cigarette Girl
Elizabeth Sokol	...	Lady Wrapped in Guaze
Steve Bing	...	Basketball Player
Tony Markes	...	Muscle Man
Jason Logan	...	Man Behind Counter
Milica Kastner	...	Dirk's Babe (as Milicia Kastner)
Libby White-Cooper	...	Dirk's Babe
Tony Cox	...	Human Xylophone
Tonya Reneé Banks	...	Human Xylophone (as Tanya Banks)
Cindy Sorenson	...	Human Xylophone
Arturo Gil	...	Human Xylophone
John Hayden	...	Human Xylophone
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Johnny Mask	...	Sobbing Patron (uncredited)
Nina L. Sussman	...	Garbage Dump Corpse (uncredited)
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Patron at Sloppy's (uncredited) (unconfirmed)

Directed by
Adam Rifkin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Adam Rifkin

Produced by
Lucy Ann Buffett	....	associate producer (as Lucy Anne Buffett)
Ron Diamond	....	co-producer (as Ronald J. Diamond)
Cassian Elwes	....	producer
Mark Daniel Jones	....	executive producer
Lisa Lange	....	associate producer
William Talmadge	....	executive producer
Randolf Turrow	....	executive producer
Brad Wyman	....	producer

Original Music by
Marc David Decker

Cinematography by
Joey Forsyte

Film Editing by
Peter Schink

Casting by
Tony Markes

Production Design by
Sherman Williams

Art Direction by
Wendy Guidery

Costume Design by
Alexandria Forster

Makeup Department
Margaux Andersen	....	additional makeup artist
Sheryl Berkoff	....	key hair stylist
Sheryl Berkoff	....	key makeup artist
Michael Burnett	....	special makeup effects artist
Kelcey Fry	....	additional makeup artist
Tony Gardner	....	special makeup designer
Lesa Ann Pedriana	....	additional makeup artist (as Lesa-Ann Pedriana)
Nina L. Sussman	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ron Diamond	....	unit production manager (as Ronald J. Diamond)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Edmonds	....	first assistant director
Katie James	....	second assistant director
Ann C. Salzer	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Marc Alexandre	....	carpenter
Aram Allan	....	construction coordinator
Noah Burke	....	additional prop assistant
Stanton Chaney	....	set dresser
Brian Clarke	....	artist: Blumps artwork
Daniel E. Espinosa	....	carpenter
Robert Falls	....	set dresser
Hassan Ali Fatemi	....	art department assistant
Amanda J. Flick	....	billboard artist
Robbie Freed	....	on-set dresser (as Robert Freed)
Steven Metz Freiman	....	leadman
Matthew Haynes	....	carpenter
Paul Holman	....	set dresser
Claire Kaufman	....	key scenic artist
Charles Mehling	....	set dresser
Kenny Minster	....	property master
Bradley James Norlander	....	scenic artist
Jeffrey Paul Norlander	....	scenic artist
Dan Povenmire	....	storyboard artist
'B.' Umberto Rozzo	....	set dresser (as Be Rozzo)
Bruce Sulzberg	....	art department assistant
Jesse Vare	....	assistant to production designer
Dara Waxman	....	assistant property master (as Dara Lauren Waxman)
Tim Worman	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Paul Aronoff	....	foley recordist
Brad Blake	....	foley recordist
Tom Caton	....	boom operator (as Huck Caton)
Mary Jo Devenney	....	sound mixer
Patrick M. Griffith	....	supervising sound editor
J. Stanley Johnston	....	technical support
William B. Johnston	....	technical support
Gerry Lentz	....	adr recordist
Gerry Lentz	....	sound recording engineer
Paul Vik Marshall	....	boom operator
Dean Minnerly	....	foley artist
Robert Muchnicki	....	foley artist (as Rob Muchnicki)
Derrick Perkins	....	digital sound designer (as Derrick C. Perkins)
Ken S. Polk	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ken S. Polk	....	sound recording engineer
Christopher B. Reeves	....	dialogue editor (as Christopher Reeves)
Scott Sanders	....	adr recordist
Steve F.B. Smith	....	consultant: Dolby stereo

Special Effects by
Gary F. Bentley	....	special effects
Paul Salamoff	....	special effects makeup
A.J. Workman	....	puppeteer
A.J. Workman	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Jeffrey A. Okun	....	montage optical designer (as Jeff Okun)

Camera and Electrical Department
Stephenie Blakemore	....	best boy electric (as Steph Blakemore)
Anderson Broussard III	....	electrician (as A. Broussard III)
Stacey Cohen-Maitre	....	first assistant camera (as Stacey Ann Cohen)
Jerome Fauci	....	Steadicam operator
Juan M. García	....	best boy grip
Dean Jackson	....	grip
Scott C. Johnston	....	dolly grip
Scott C. Johnston	....	key grip
Rachel Kligerman	....	assistant still photographer
Dan Kneece	....	Steadicam operator
William K. Koski	....	electrician
Kevin McNeil	....	grip
John C. Nadeau	....	electrician
Gerry O'Malley	....	first assistant camera
Heather Page	....	second assistant camera
Lesa Ann Pedriana	....	still photographer (as Lesa-Ann Pedriana)
Denny Ray	....	camera production assistant
Brett Santucci	....	grip
Roger Schweitzer	....	video playback operator
James H. Sweeney	....	electrician
Newton TerMeer	....	gaffer
David Valhalla	....	production lighting
J. Wesley	....	grip
John Willis III	....	electrician (as John 'Jay' Willis III)
Ignacio Woolfolk	....	grip (as Nacho Woolfolk)
Robert D. Yeoman	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Robert Yeoman)

Animation Department
Carol Ann Coates	....	cel painter
Shannon Dye	....	cel painter
David Kuhn	....	animator (as Dave Kuhn)
Dan Povenmire	....	animator
James Pyper	....	cel painter
Fred Stringer	....	cel painter
Gary Vonderlinden	....	cel painter

Casting Department
Adele Daniller	....	casting assistant
Nicole Nathanson	....	casting assistant
Robin Strober	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lesley Aitken	....	wardrobe assistant
Terry Binder	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Alicia Lunes	....	seamstress
David Rotman	....	wardrobe: Mr. Rifkin

Editorial Department
Mike Donahue	....	assistant editor (as Michael Donahue)
Julia Gray	....	first assistant film editor
Robert O'Haver	....	apprentice editor
Jill K. Pontiff	....	apprentice editor
James Sheridan	....	negative cutter
Chuck Winston	....	color timer
Peter Yanovitch	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Joe Boemecke	....	musician: accordion
Marc David Decker	....	conductor
David Jenkins	....	music producer
David McKelvey	....	music coach: harmonica, Bill Paxton
Melba Yale	....	music coach: accordion, Bill Paxton

Transportation Department
Mitchell Bergman	....	transportation coordinator
Jeff Freitas	....	driver
Sam McCutchen	....	driver
John F. Teeple	....	driver: honeywagon (as John Teeple)

Other crew
Brian Belknap	....	supplier: accordion
Elisar Cabrera	....	production assistant
Jeffrey Capp	....	production assistant
Larry Da Silva	....	production financing (as Lawrence N. Da Silva)
Miles Dougal	....	third arm anatomical reference expert
Mark Fifer	....	location manager
Jamie Geller	....	publicist
Dillon Kastner	....	production assistant
John D. Kelly	....	production assistant
Kathy Lubinsky	....	script supervisor
Susan Markes	....	unit publicist
Glenn Mason	....	production assistant
Richard McQuilkin	....	project development
Laurie Russman	....	craft service
Sandy Sanocki-Johnson	....	assistant to producer
David Silverman	....	creator: Blumps concept
David Spell	....	assistant to director
Bill Stevens	....	production assistant
Marion Weidner	....	main title treatment
Benjamin Whitehouse	....	production accountant (as Benj Whitehouse)
William W. Williams	....	production assistant (as W. Wythe Williams)
Robert Wyman	....	legal services

Thanks
Mark Barinholtz	....	grateful acknowledgment (as Mark Barenholtz)
Karen Bohannon-Gaunty	....	grateful acknowledgment (as Karen Gaunty)
Valerie Breiman	....	grateful acknowledgment
David Creigh	....	grateful acknowledgment
Larry Estes	....	grateful acknowledgment
Ken Kamins	....	grateful acknowledgment
Elliott Kastner	....	grateful acknowledgment
John Landis	....	grateful acknowledgment
Adam Rifkin	....	grateful acknowledgment (as Rif Coogan)
Marion Spiegelman	....	grateful acknowledgment
Betty Wyman Taylor	....	grateful acknowledgment
Dallas Taylor	....	grateful acknowledgment
Art Vargas	....	grateful acknowledgment
Kurt Woolner	....	grateful acknowledgment

Production Companies

• Backward Films
• Monrovia Alterian Studios

Distributors

• Greycat Films
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)

Special Effects

• Alterian
• Special Effects Systems

Other Companies

• Clein & White  publicity
• DeWitt Stern of California  insurance provided by
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• First Interstate Bank  production financing
• Hiuka America  grateful acknowledgment
• Howard Anderson Company, The  opticals and end titles (as Howard A. Anderson Co.)
• Juan's On Location Technical Security  security
• Lee Lighting  production lighting
• TM Motion Picture Rentals  production lighting (as TM Motion Picture Equipment Rentals)
• Van der Veer Photo Effects  montage opticals
• Wyman, Isaacs & Green  legal services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for brief scenes of bizarre, comic sensuality

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:R | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Backward Films

Trivia:

Director Adam Rifkin wrote the screenplay when he was 19 years old.

Quotes:

Rosarita:It's all over between the two of us. I can't love a man with three hands.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Miscellaneous Shit: Behind the Scenes of 'Detroit Rock City' (1999) (V)

Looking backward...

Adam Rifkin has a resume of films that could have been. They are inspired, ambitious, original, but at the same time almost incomplete. The Dark Backward encompasses all these qualities and more.

The film opens promising enough. Judd Nelson as Marty, looking something like Crispin Glover in Back to the Future, sweats on stage delivering some horrible stand up comedy. We then meet Gus, Marty's "friend" played with villainous comic timing by Bill Paxton. He urges Marty on to keep at the stand up.

The film plays off like a twisted moral anti fairy tale. It's the almost rags to riches story gone awry, as Nelson plays a horrible stand up comic who's only talent seems to be an extra appendage out of his back.

Rifkin's allegory is great and the ending is a spectacular take on show-business and what it truly takes to come to fame. But it's the middle that sort of fails. It's painful to watch. Such pains are great to see in some films when writers are able to spice it up with great dialogue or endearing characters, but most of it is just revolting schlock. Rifkin goes to great lengths to show how pathetic the lives of Gus and Marty are. It's a bit much.

The saving grace of the film is Bill Paxton. He makes some of the disgusting material work, going from pure disgust to some shocking laughs. Sadly, Paxton doesn't do much comedy. For better or worse, this film may be the reason why. He is unbelievable and the way he sinks into the material (and other things) makes the film almost work.

Adam Rifkin seems to be full of half baked ideas. They're good ideas and strange ones at that. His projects never seem to have a fullness to them, but they are full of strange inspired moments that are unlike any other film. I don't know if we'll ever see Rifkin's material reach their maximum potential as these ideas don't sell to the mainstream, but we should enjoy strange sick gems like the Dark Backward from time to time.