|
The Naked Man (1998)
Starring Michael Rapaport, Michael Jeter, John Carroll Lynch, and Rachael Leigh Cook. Cinematography by Jeff Barklage and Jim Zabilla. Edited by Tricia Cooke and Mark Cretcher. Produced by Ben Barenholtz. Written by J. Todd Anderson and Ethan Coen. Directed by J. Todd Anderson.
Edward Bliss (played by Michael Rapaport) is a scrawny redheaded kid who gets beat up by the school bullies. In hopes of defending himself he masters the art of wrestling. That, along with a vigorous weight training program, erases the target on his back and soon gets him a job as a professional wrestler. Performing as “The Naked Man”, Edward is a formidable opponent and a fan favorite.
Edward’s other interest is in holistic heath care and he trains to be a chiropractor. He decides to set up his own practice across the street from his father’s pharmacy, and all is well for a few hours. But while Edward is out, two deranged criminals enter Bliss Sr.’s pharmacy and murder everyone in sight. From there Edward goes on a rampage; killing at will while preaching the advantages of a well aligned spine.
J. Todd Anderson has worked as Joel and Ethan Coen’s storyboard artist since their 1987 project Raising Arizona. In the early nineties Anderson started work on his own feature film debut, The Naked Man. With help from his friend Ethan Coen, Anderson structured his bizarre story into script form.
In 1997 producer Ben Barenholtz purchased the film, who in turn sold it to the independent film company October Films. October proudly announced it along side their other recent acquisitions The Apostle and Twentyfourseven. The film was produced but things went downhill from there.
In the later part of 1997 October went on a dry spell with one horrible release after another and The Naked Man was put on the back burner. Shortly thereafter Barry Diller purchased October Films, along with Gramercy Pictures and Propaganda Films, and created USA Films. With the costs of releasing a film now topping those of their productions, The Naked Man’s future looked grim.
For almost two years Anderson didn’t know if anyone would ever actually see his film. But a couple years later The Naked Man was brushed off and sold to the Encore cable television channel where it experienced very little airtime. It was also released on video but did very little business there as well. So after six years of work, and a lot of his own money put into the production, Anderson had himself a bona fide film failure.
Ethan Coen complimented his buddy’s efforts and has said that it “is a very funny movie. But that's all it has to offer, which, sadly, isn't enough.” If you are a fan of the Coen brothers, and you can find a copy sitting on some deserted shelf in your local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, you might want to give it a peak. It’s not a lost treasure or anything, but it’s worth a giggle or two.
Budget: $5,000,000
Total US Gross: Direct To Video Release
Genre: Black Comedy
Runtime: 98 Minutes
US Release Date: 9/28/99 (video release)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards: none
Tagline: Chiropractor By Day. Wrestler By Night.
Quote: “I’ll tell you one thing; until we catch this back-snapper, the only person who’s safe on the streets of this bird is Gumby.”
|
