Back in 1991, I heard about a movie called The Dark Backward. In this movie, Judd Nelson plays a garbage man that moonlights as an unfunny stand-up comic. His act career as a comic picks up a little when he grows a third arm out of his back. How would I not be interested in this movie? Is it a surprise that this film didn’t see a wide release? It went to video soon after it was released and developed a cult following.
This movie was hard to find anywhere around 1991. None of the local video stores had it for rent. Stores that sold video tapes didn’t carry it. It was a few years before I found it on the shelf of a store selling used video tapes. In the years since then, I have been able to find a good copy on DVD. There are several reasons to that we like this movie.
First, teen idol Judd Nelson looks like a greasy dweeb in the main role of Marty Malt. After he grows the third arm out the middle of his back, he tries to spice up his act by adopting the stage name Desi the Three-Armed Wonder Comic. His fellow garbage man, Gus is played by the wonderful Bill Paxton. To try and add to the charm of Marty’s comedy act, overly optimistic Gus joins the act, playing the accordion between jokes as Marty holds out his arms while slowing spinning on stage. Another highlight of the casting of this film is Wayne Newton as their agent, Jackie Chrome.
This film does a great job of creating a sleazy, dirty world where the terrible comedy of Marty Malt is the most realistic thing you see. One of the most disturbing things you see in the film is when Gus takes Marty to party with 3 extremely large women in various states of undress.
This film is considered a dark comedy, but I think the atmosphere it creates has a horror film feel. It’s the reason that Judd Nelson scares me.
