The Dark Backward (1991) - Adam Rifkin

May 24, 1990

THE DARK BACKWARD

Screenplay by Adam Rifkin

Synopsis by Brian Aldrich

MARTY MALT is a garbage man by day and an awful stand up comic by night. His friend and co-garbage man, GUS, a slimy "yes" man and an accordion player, constantly encourages Marty by telling him he's a great comedian. When Marty finds a chewed-up oriental rug in the garbage, Gus gives it away to his ten-ton girlfriend, NICOLETTE. Marty's girlfriend, ROSARITA, is a waitress in a greasy spoon where Marty and Gus hang out. Marty is a rotten comic, but for some unknown reason SYD, the owner/manager of Syd's nightclub, has given Marty two nights a week for ten dollars a night. Marty realizes that the audience doesn't laugh at his jokes, but Gus convinces him that his humor is too sophisticated for the crowd. One day, Marty notices a lump on his back. He goes to DR. SCURVY, a quack with a horny nurse who tries to seduce Marty. The doctor tells Marty it is nothing to worry about, gives him a band aid, and charges him $250. Gus runs into a talent agent, JACKIE CHROME, and convinces him to see Marty's act. After two of Marty's jokes, Jackie is out the door. One day, Marty wakes up to find a third hand sticking out of the lump on his back. Dr. Scurvy tells him it is nothing to worry about. Rosarita leaves him because of the hand. Syd fires him.

Gus gets a great idea to promote the hand as part of Marty's act. Marty continues to tell his dumb jokes as Gus plays the accordion. Gus takes Marty to see Jackie Chrome who agrees that Marty's third hand is a great act. Jackie gets them some club dates and a local TV show billing Marty as "Desi, the three armed wonder comic." Marty and Gus's career actually starts to get off the ground. Jackie tells them about a Hollywood offer, but they only want Marty, not the accordion player. Marty stands his ground for his buddy and the Hollywood people decide to include Gus. Suddenly, Marty wakes up and the hand has disappeared.

Hollywood decides they don't want Marty without the hand, but they still want the accordion player. Gus and Jackie take off for Hollywood without Marty. Marty goes back to his garbage job, but Rosarita has left for good. He goes back to Syd's nightclub. A change has come over Marty. When he does jokes about the arm and what happened to him, he is funny and the audience laughs.

Summary Criticism: While the subject matter is delightfully peculiar, the characters are one-dimensional and unsympathetic. While an intriguing concept, this is an unfunny script about an unfunny character.

The Dark Backward (1991) - imdb

Adam Rifkin - wiki