The Dark Backward Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
It's the world inside out.
A man pursues stand-up comedy encouraged by his fellow garbage man. Though his friend, who accompanies him on accordion, continues to tell him how great he is, he actually stinks. When the "comedian" grows a third arm out of his back, the friend uses this twist to get him signed up with a sleazy talent agent, and it begins to look like his career is on the move, even though his girlfriend has left him.
| 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 |
| Adam Rifkin |
4.30 out of 10 (1623 votes)
Visitor Reviews
dark & backward
posted on 14 Jul 2009I didn't like this, and I'm not sure why, because it has plenty of elements that I like, sort of David Lynch-type surrealism and a strange cast, including James Caan & Wayne Newton? Huh. Anyway, Judd Nelson & Bill Paxton play garbagemen, one of whom (Nelson) moonlights as a stand-up comic, and bombs very badly, always. Until he sprouts a third arm,which changes everything. Paxton is a delight as he makes love to a woman's body at the dump, and raids the fridge in his buddy's apartment and chows down on leftover chicken that's so spoiled it's falling off the bones. Yeow. The whole atmosphere is dark, grubby, and sweaty, and made my skin crawl to watch it. Anyway, with Nelson sprouting his third arm and becoming a sensation, he & Paxton move on to the finer things in life, like entertaining plus-size groupies back at the bachelor pad. Bleah. This is a parade of one grotesque thing after another, but somehow it never seems to come off very well. Somehow David Lynch portrays grotesques much better using similar themes, I guess, but this lacks his masterful touch, I reckon.
If you like to squirm, maybe this is for you, but I found it to be just juvenile and disgusting.
Calling this a comedy is gross misrepresentation! A totally unfunny, weird, self indulgent boring mess of a movie.
posted on 30 Jan 2009I only know Adam Rifkin as the director of the unforgettable 'Detroit Rock City', and wasn't aware of this earlier effort of his until it was recommended to me by a buddy as a "VERY weird movie". And it is VERY weird, no doubt about it. But it is also very dumb, very boring, very gross and TOTALLY devoid of any laughs whatsoever. 'The Dark Backward' is set in a strangely stylized surreal world somewhere between Pee-wee Herman, 'Repo Man', and 'Motorama', but without the wit and entertainment value of any of them. It also at times (e.g. Bill Paxton making out with a corpse found on a garbage dump) almost a precursor to 'Freddy Got Fingered' in its lame attempts at outrage and bad taste. Judd Nelson, an actor I loathe, plays Marty Malt, a painfully unfunny comedian encouraged by his loudmouth accordion playing buddy Gus (Paxton). Both are inept garbage collectors, though Marty is as introverted as Gus is extroverted. Things don't go too well for Marty until he begins to grow an arm out of his back. Yes, that's right, an arm. He then gets management from talent agent Jackie Chrome (Wayne Newton!) and things begin to look up career-wise, even though his girlfriend (Lara Flynn Boyle) dumps him, and his invalid mother (Anna Berger) can't even bear to look at him. This utterly idiotic movie rambles on and on, Nelson bores the pants off you, Paxton becomes increasingly more irritating as the movie "progresses", and there are cameos by actors that should have known better (I mean, James Caan! C'mon, this must be a real career lowpoint for him.). This is an awful movie by any standards, ane of the worst so-called comedies I've ever sat through. Amazingly enough Rifkin's career wasn't killed stone dead after this turkey! Highly UNrecommended!
A deeply bizarre film.
posted on 25 Jun 2008I'm not sure I can exactly recommend this film. This just is not the kind of film you "recommend" to anyone.If you're in the mood for something you're going to be scratching your head over for a few days, go ahead and rent this one. It is visually interesting, character rich (though incredibly odd), and is one of the most convoluted plots I have ever tried to follow.Try this: a lousy comedian-wannabe (Jud Nelson "The Breakfast Club," "Suddenly Susan" {TV Series}) grows a third arm one day. Suddenly, his opportunities in the world of comedy and show biz begin to take off. His peculiar side-kick starts to see the profitable opportunities, and urges his friend to capitalize on this good fortune.I can't say I laughed at all through the film (of course, I didn't laugh anywhere in "Man Bites Dog," either).Leave it to those Australians to produce the most bizarre films on record.
Be careful what you wish for....
posted on 14 May 2008Had to comment on this one due to "The Dark Backward" being nothing like I thought it might be. I was shocked, touched, and amazed at the realism and the depth of the portrayal of characters by the actors. It had well developed characters, relationships, irony, dark humor, sex, desperation, hope, sadness, and the occasional weirdness that accompany a cult classic. I watched it on VHS after having it special ordered at the mall,(DVD movies weren't made for the public yet). I had never seen anything like it, then or since. I won't spoil it for you, but I can tell you it was well worth the $22.00 set back. In fact I'm going to pull out my old VHS and watch it again, kind of like visiting an old friend. Enjoy!!! All star cast and and more. Must see. No regrets.PS NOT FOR CHILDREN
Dark and beautiful
posted on 30 Mar 2008I absolutely adore this movie.It's campy, it's quirky, it's dark, yet beautiful. From beginning to end it never ceases to keep you entertained. The cast is fabulous. I loved Bill Paxton's over acting as Gus, the accordion playing garbage man and best friend of Marty Malt(Judd Nelson). All the odd characters are reminiscent of a Fellini movie. I have turned a lot of my friends on to this flick. Most of them loved it, the others were just stunned. I can't really compare it to any other movie. It's definitely one of a kind. Adam Rifkin, if you read this, please put it on DVD! And don't forget to add a commentary with you, Bill Paxton and Judd Nelson. Please add lots of special features too. I highly recommend this movie to everyone. It's a cult classic for sure.
Okay, We'll Take the Accordian Player
posted on 14 Apr 2007Easily one of the strangest flicks ever - think Eraserhead meets Lenny. Dark and twisted, equal parts bizarre character study, buddy flick and flat out black comedy. If plot and narrative are your bag, look elsewhere.And even though the movie features Judd Nelson, fear not, for it's Bill Paxton who steals the bacon here, providing the most laughs since Kelly LeBrock turned him into a human pile of dung.Difficult to find, especially since it has not been released on DVD (a commentary track would be ever so interesting), and never appears on cable - but definitely worth a 90 minute investment for fans of twisted cult films.
Dark Comedy & Carnivalesque
posted on 17 Aug 2006Cult director Adam Rifkin (Never on a Tuesday, The Chase, Detroit Rock City) delivers once more. Those of you familiar with his work will undoubtedly be familiar with his oddball characters and outlandish plots. For those of you new to his work, 'The Dark Backward' is the best place to begin. Marty Malt (Judd Nelson) is the worst stand-up comic in the entire world. He is equally terrible at his day job, a garbage collector. It seems that Marty is not destined for stardom ... until one day something strange happens that changes his life forever. His accordion playing, garbage-collecting co-worker, Gus (Bill Paxton), notices a lump growing out of Marty's back while they are doing the rounds. This odd growth is diagnosed by the disturbingly incompetent Doctor Scurvey (James Caan) as a third arm. What would normally be an embarrassingly freakish human deformity, turns out to be Marty's comedic calling. Before, Gus was his sole fan; now he has a mass following. Enter the slimy Dirk Delta (Rob Lowe), who offers Marty the chance of Hollywood stardom. So begins a successful career in comedy ... ? Seemingly straight out of a Ray Bradbury short tale, Rifkin's film is furnished with carnivalesque characters. You will be astounded and revolted by characters like 'the fat woman', 'the muscle man', and 'the human xylophones'. Rob Lowe is unrecognizable in his role as slick Hollywood bigwig (a role he would later reprise in 'Wayne's World','Tommy Boy', 'Austin Powers' 1-3 and 'Thankyou for Smoking'). James Caan is frighteningly brilliant as Dr. Scurvey, and leading man, Judd Nelson, puts in his best performance since 'St. Elmo's Fire' and 'The Breakfast Club' (look out for Judd's oddball cameo in Rifkin's 'Never on a Tuesday'). 'The Dark Backwards' is arguably Rifkin's best film, not having directed anything since to equal it. It is certainly his strangest movie since 'Never on a Tuesday'. If you are a fan of cult movie directors like David Lynch and John Waters, check this film out. If you are afraid of zombies, freaks, midgets and men with three arms I suggest you look elsewhere. Cast: Judd Nelson, Bill Paxton, Rob Lowe, James Caan, Lara Flynn Boyle, Wayne Newton, et al Matthew J Lee-Williams, Review.
If you can not understand why ET is an evil alien then do not see this movie!
posted on 18 Jun 2006OK, first off if you can not understand the absurd then you may want to think about something a little different. I first watched this movie at a party and totally freaked on it. I felt so dirty after watching it I had to take a shower. Any movie that affects me that hard must be good. That is what movies do after all, provoke an emotional response in the viewer.It is a simple movie about a man finding his confidence, nothing else, nothing more. Simple huh! The cast is unbelievable and the performances are so 'pulp'that this movie was cult when created. I am not sure how anyone found the budget to make it or to convince the actors to be in it. Everything in this picture is...well...here is a starter for you: Bill Paxon is licking a naked, dead woman in the middle of a trash dump within 5 min of the opening scene, and then the movie rolls down hill to a whirlwind of grime and sour flavors to twist your stomach and tickle your spine.BEWARE!! all who think this is some cheeky cult movie, it takes some getting used to, but once you have stomached the visual and dialog driven uk, you can appreciate the happiness of this tale.
a ten at four in the morning
posted on 03 Jun 2006Ninety five degrees of August heat yesterday so my wife Lynncomes down with a miserable cold and sore throat. Even thoughour crib is air conned to the max, she's restless and can't sleep.She goes downstairs at four in the morning and turns on theteevee. The Dark Backward comes on the tube as movies like theDark Backward are wont to do at four o'clock in the morning in themiddle of misery. She manages to watch this filthy three armedoddity featuring not only Judd Nelson, Bill Paxton AND WayneNewton but also Lara Flynn Boyle, James Caan AND Rob Lowe.Not to mention King Moody the original McDonald's pitchman asTwinkie Doodle. Lynn lasted about an hour, fired up the video tape.....as much toprove that this thing actually existed and wasn't an influenza stokedhallucination as to finish watching it. She started telling me aboutthe movie when she returned to bed in the darkness just beforedawn. I listened in half conscious astonishment as she describedfour hundred pound hookers, a Doctor named Scurvy and agarbage laden town called Blumph.The next morning, we went downstairs, turned on the VCR andwatched the concluding hour of DarK Backward. What a
stupendously, surreal, unapologetic and screwy film. How the helldo these thngs ever get made? Thank God they do becauseanyone might be going through hell at any particular four in themorning.
I can't justify my only grievance with this film,
posted on 12 Sep 2005This movie, from the makers of "Ren and Stimpy", is definitely worth watching for 2 reasons: it is absolutely hiliarious and you will NEVER see anything like this again in your life! The Dark Backward is so "freaky" you need a dictionary and thesaurus to describe it! Here goes: queer, grotesque, clowny, eccentric, bizarre, ridiculous, savage, buffoonery, unique, jocose, off-the-wall, witty and wild- just to name a few!Some other movies that are similar to The Dark Backward are: Beetlejuice, Weekend at Bernie's, Bill and Ted, Claymation (TV specials), Uncle Sam, Star Wars, Goonies, Naked Gun, and 3 Stooges (TV). But even compared to all of these it is still completely different! This movie makes me want to throw a "The Dark Backward" costume party with a great prize (so that everyone would dress up as "freaky" as possible. We might not all get arrested if it was on Halloween!); and then all go into restaurants eating and dancing, and just watch people scatter, scream, stare and laugh at us all! OK, I'm getting a little bit carried away, but that is THE POINT! LOOSEN UP AND GET FREAKY PEOPLE! This movie speaks to me: it says, "Break the rules every once in awhile. Do something new and exciting! Don't let life mold you- shape and mold your own life the way YOU want it to be! GO FOR IT!" Who is with me here!
1st time: hate - 2nd: favorite!
posted on 19 Aug 2005Okay, the first time I watched this thing on videotape at a friend's house, I was annoyed beyond words. I didn't even finish it. A few years later it was playing at a repertory theater nearby & for some twisted reason I decided to give it another go, this time on the big screen. And I absolutely love the film now. Maybe my tolerance for the absolutely bizarre grew by leaps or my mind opened up much more than it really should, but this blacker-than-Satan's-heart-on-a-bad-day comedy had me in awe at the absurdity present and nearly in a fetal-position in the aisle laughing my guts out. Crispin Glover may not appear in it, but fans of his MUST see this. Mainstream definitely does not apply in any way, shape, or form here. Oh, and prepare to be offended. Many times.
Fascinating, Disturbing Ultra Black Tale
posted on 12 Apr 2005You have got to say one thing about this film whether you like it or don't. It's completely original. There's never been anything quite like it on-screen. In form, it's a Fairy Tale of the very Grimm variety. In tone, it's closest to the absurdist theatre works of Beckett, Pirandello and Ionesco. There's also a whole lot of allegory and symbolism going on here. Though everything is told simply there's a tremendous amount of depth to ponder in the issues the film raises and in the way the characters deal with living in this metaphor for Hell. Understanding the universe they are inhabiting is the key to appreciating this film.The "Dark Backward" explores a world that is overwhelmed with scum and filth. One of the characters, Gus, is so dirty he looks like a live action version of "Pigpen". As this character Bill Paxton gives one of the bravest, most fascinating performances I've ever seen. He walks a tightwire of contradictions playing a character who is at once both innocence and evil incarnate. He's loud, lustful and obnoxious. He's quiet, virginal and caring. At one moment, he's as stupid as a post; in the next, he's cunningly manipulitive and deceitful. To oversimplify-it's like being asked to play Forrest Gump AND Iago in the same character. Miraculously, Paxton not only pulls it off but makes it appear as though all these opposing traits could easily belong to a single creature. The rest of the cast is magnificent in the way they embrace the excesses of their respective characters. As mentioned earlier, this is an absurdist story and these actors realize the importance of exaggeration to make the genre work. This is also why those who have dismissed Paxton's work as over-the-top should not be heeded. This is a film that shows a world where there is no top to be gone over. There is nothing which can be considered too much.
Brilliant Social Commentary and Unique Cinematic Vision
posted on 16 Mar 2005This movie is one of my favs. It is brilliantly written, flawlessly acted, with an impressive cast, (name one other movie that has Rob Lowe, Wayne Newton AND Lara Flynn Skeleton ALL together??), and is uniquely comic, tragic and perfectly arched. Marty Mohl is a perfect protagonist, his jokes are brilliant, and his experience in the filthiest world imaginable is fascinating. Everything is owned by Blumps, or some variant thereof. Everyone is dirty and sweaty. After a while, you start thinking that his job as a garbage collector is equivalent to any other non-dirty job in our society, relatively speaking. flawless, I tells ya, flawless.
I was warned
posted on 27 Jan 2005A friend warned me that this was the worst movie he had ever seen. I was curious, because it had developed a bit of a cult status. I like a lot of odd indie cult movies so I gave it a shot. I have to agree with my friend. It is a steaming pile of dung. I am sorry to the people who love this movie, but I can recommend much better stuff if you want to watch a twisted indie cult film. Try Peter Jackson's Dead Alive (aka Braindead), Cemetery Man (aka Dellamorte Dellamore) , or Modern vampires.
It hurts bad! Do yourself a favour . . .
posted on 13 Dec 2004. . . and never, ever see it. Now, I've been watching bad scifi movies for years. I love watching bad scifi movies. I think that was the only reason I could watch this movie the whole way through. I was toughened up by "Nukie," "Indian Superman," and that awful "Fantastic Four" movie, just to name some examples. Usually, I have to beat my head against the wall after I've seen a bad movie to make some of the pain go away. No, not with this one. With "TDB," I had to hit myself in the head with a shoe in the middle of the movie. Temporary fix. I can't believe I wanted to see that. I cried. When it finished, I cried. It was horrible. It was worse than when I saw *shudders* Wil Wheaton in his underwear in "The Curse," which, by the way, never watch either. Aside from the fact that Wesley Crusher's in his tighty whiteys, it's just sooo bad. But this review is about "TDB." The worst part about it is that someone wrote this movie and said, "This deserves to go on film! It's great!" and Wayne Newton, Rob Lowe, and everyone else in the cast said, "Oh, this is what I want on my film history!" I'll watch "Indian Superman" until the cows come home, but I am never going to see this steaming pile of dren again.
This was painful to watch
posted on 29 Sep 2004I was invited to view this film at a small art museum screening. I had no clue what to expect. I was initially optimistic in the opening credits to see Judd Nelson, Bill Paxton, Wayne Newton, James Cann, Rob Lowe, and Lara-Flynn-Boyle listed. However after some very disturbing grossed-out scenes (that did not add much to the story advancement), this film quickly became a weapon of torture. The gimmick of the vestigial growing arm storyline is never really developed. I patiently kept waiting for this film to cash-in. There was a small payoff in the end, but having to invest and sit through the the endless gross, crude, sexually-perverted, in-your-face screaming, unfunny gore cost too much for me (even for a free viewing). What were these established actors doing in this awful film? The art direction was very convincing and creepy. At the very minimum, it should only be a 75-minute film. This is a film that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld would embrace.
Looking backward...
posted on 27 Aug 2004Adam 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.
SUCH a dark and creepy comedy, sets its own grotesque standard of excellence.
posted on 27 Aug 2004"The Dark Backwards" (starring Judd Nelson, Bill Paxton, Wayne Newton, James Caan and Rob Lowe) is SUCH a dark and creepy comedy, I personally think it set its own grotesque standard of cinematic excellence when it premiered to no particular acclaim in 1992.Any summary of "The Dark Backwards" is practically impossible without divulging what may be considered "spoilers," as the film is comprised of one macabre, revolting and fascinating scene after another. I will, therefore, exercise the utmost restraint. The story revolves around a cast of abysmal characters, notably "Marty" and "Gus" (Nelson and Paxton), a pair of garbage men who aspire to reach the glamour of Hollywood and its riches. Problem is, Marty is positively the WORST standup comedian in the universe, and Gus is a revolting PIG of a human being. Their path to fame and fortune is thus fraught with obstacles, as you might well imagine. Until, that is, unkind Fate hands Marty a truly BIZARRE anatomical windfall. Our intrepid garbage men are then swept up in a rush of cheesy appearances in cheesier venues, managed by the cheesiest talent agent of all time (played to perfection by Wayne Newton). James Caan makes a surprising appearance as Marty's less-than-capable physician, and an almost unrecognizable Rob Lowe hams his role as the Hollywood talent scout who offers to make the boys' fondest dreams come true.Overall, "The Dark Backwards" is BEYOND weird and BEYOND tragicomical, as it draws the viewer into a surreal world of pathetic hopes, dashed dreams, remarkable characterizations and a number of dark, riveting sequences that will NOT leave your memory any time soon, I can promise you.I admit that I am a fan of Bill Paxton, and any commentary I render on this movie is necessarily colored by my admiration of the fellow and his astonishing performances. For the Paxton lover, "The Dark Backwards" is a tour de force of WILD BILL, with the accent on WILD. Paxton's role as "Gus" is stunningly, shockingly, embarrassingly GROSS, and I confess that I love it more than his portrayal of the vampire "Severen" in "Near Dark." Frankly, if the two characters, Severen and Gus, sat down to dinner together, I guarantee you that Severen would become ill watching Gus eat. And THAT is BAD! Indeed, if you haven't seen "The Dark Backwards" yet, you HAVE NOT SEEN Wild Bill at his worst/best.
Might be the funniest, most nauseating movies ever made
posted on 19 Jun 2004I flipped onto this movies about 10 years ago and only caught the scene where Bill Paxton is eating the dog crap and castor oil mess and smearing it all over the 3 immense women that are laughing the whole time. Well that was enough for me at the time. I recently watched the whole movie and it made want to puke as I was laughing uncontrollably. Everyone in the movie(except Wayne Newton, with his concrete hair-do) is made up to look as bad as possible. I mean, come on, how often is it that you can look at Lara Flynn Boyle and say she looks bad? Anyway, the combination of hilarity and nausea is hard to describe, SO JUST WATCH THE MOVIE!
Not "cult" awful, just awful.
posted on 14 Jul 2009OK, fans, it's out on DVD. But the only reason to watch this is 1) to say you did (due to its notoriety), or 2) if you're a hardcore Bill Paxton fan. I am not a hardcore BP fan but he was fun to watch and it was the only thing that kept me from turning this off from sheer boredom. It's a shame, because this could have been a good movie with some script work and if made by someone with some intelligence (and with a cast led by someone besides the totally miscast and talentless Judd Nelson). Sure it's gross, but it's BAD, and not in a good way. If after reading all the comments on how bizarrely revolting and dystopianly filthy this movie is you are still interested, do yourself a favor and see some GOOD bizarre revolting dystopian filth instead. Films by John Waters, David Lynch, Peter Jackson's "Braindead", Henenlotter's "Basket Case", etc., all come to mind. There's lots better out there.