Madhouse (1990 film)
Madhouse | |
---|---|
Directed by | Tom Ropelewski |
Written by | Tom Ropelewski |
Produced by | Leslie Dixon |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Dennis C. Lewiston |
Edited by | Michael Jablow |
Music by | David Newman |
Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $21.0 million (United States) |
Madhouse is a 1990 American
Plot
Stockbroker Mark Bannister and his TV reporter/anchorwoman wife Jessie are a yuppie couple with an idyllic California life. It is interrupted when Mark's cousin Fred, and his pregnant wife Bernice fly in from New Jersey. The first days are chaotic thanks to Bernice's cat Scruffy. Mark gives them $300 to spend in the city, but his alone time with Jessie is interrupted when her gold-digger sister Claudia arrives after a fight with her rich Middle Eastern husband Kaddir, whom she divorces after he cancels her credit cards. Fred and Bernice's visit, meant to last only five days, is extended when Bernice falls on the way to the car. She is instructed by her doctor, Dr. Penix, to stay put until the baby is born.
At a bar, Mark motivates Fred to quit being Bernice's pet. However, Fred takes the message too far and leaves "to find himself." Meanwhile, Mark's next door neighbor and
Days later, chaos persists, and Mark and Jessie are essentially forced out of their own home. When Mark fails to show up for work, his friend and colleague Wes finds the couple outside living like
The next day, returning to salvage what they can, Mark and Jessie hear a recording from Dr. Penix stating that Bernice was actually never pregnant, and their last shred of sanity dissolves. Enraged, Jessie catapults Bernice from her bed to the backyard and forces her to confess to knowing of this. She then ruins Claudia's expensive clothes to force her out, while Mark terrorizes Dale with an electric saw until he and his kids leave. Lastly, Jessie puts fireworks in Jonathan's cocaine bag, which explodes as he tries to flee in Dale's (loaner) Lotus. Mark and Jessie then threaten to torch their own house to keep their visitors away for good. The police arrive and apologize, stating that their only evidence—Scruffy—disappeared, and that they will pay for all damages incurred. Grindle arrives and, believing Mark meant to keep the stocks, declares that he amassed a small fortune when the scandal was found to be false. He offers Mark some of the profit and a promotion. Claudia takes the opportunity to seduce Grindle, and Dale flirts with one of the officers, much to C.K's chagrin. Scruffy returns from the police-station evidence room, but is determined to stay with Mark and Jessie. Bernice and Fred depart, with Fred taking more control than before. Jessie and Mark are about to get cozy, but first Mark smashes their ever-malfunctioning toilet with a sledgehammer.
Jessie's furious on-air outburst earns her her own TV show, and she and Mark move into a three-bedroom house in Malibu and live happily ever after, until their parents came to visit.
Cast
- John Larroquette as Mark Bannister
- Kirstie Alley as Jessie Bannister[1]
- Alison La Placa as Claudia, Jessie's sister
- John Diehl as Fred Bannister, Mark's cousin
- Jessica Lundy as Bernice Bannister, Fred's wife
- Bradley Gregg as Jonathan, Claudia's son
- Dennis Miller as Wes, Mark's colleague
- Robert Ginty as Dale, the Bannister's neighbor
- Wayne Tippit as Mr. Grindle, Mark's boss
- Paul Eiding as Stark
- Michael Zand as the voice of Kaddir, Claudia's husband
- Aeryk Egan as C.K., Dale's son
- Deborah Otto as Katy
Production
The film was written and directed by Tom Ropelewski,[2] and produced by Leslie Dixon. The cinematographer was Denis Lewiston.[3]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 0% based on reviews from 6 critics.[4] Roger Ebert gave it 2 out of 4 stars.[3] The Los Angeles Times gave it a negative review[5] and People magazine.[6]
References
- ISBN 978-0-89950-962-4.
- ISBN 978-0-8223-4878-8.
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger (February 16, 1990). "Madhouse". Chicago Sun Times.
- ^ "Madhouse". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ Wilmington, Michael (February 21, 1990). "MOVIE REVIEW: 'Madhouse' a Satire That Misses the Mark". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Novak, Ralph (March 5, 1990). "Picks and Pans Review: Madhouse". People.
External links
- Madhouse at IMDb
- Madhouse at the American Film Institute Catalog