Chairman of the Board (film)
| Chairman of the Board | |
|---|---|
 North American theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Alex Zamm |
| Screenplay by | Al Septien Turi Meyer Alex Zamm |
| Story by | Al Septien Turi Meyer |
| Produced by | Rupert Harvey Peter M. Lenkov |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David Lewis |
| Edited by | Jimmy Hill |
| Music by | Chris Hajian |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Trimark Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7 million |
| Box office | $306,715[1] |
Chairman of the Board is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Alex Zamm, and starring Carrot Top in his sole feature-length lead role. The plot follows a surfer and inventor named Edison as he inherits and runs a billionaire's company. It was poorly received by both critics and audiences and was a box office bomb.[2][3] Both Carrot Top and Raquel Welch received Golden Raspberry Award nominations for their roles in the film.[4]
Plot
[edit]Edison is a poor, failed inventor and surf bum who has spent his rent money on another unsuccessful invention. Facing eviction from his short-tempered landlady Ms. Krubavitch, his roommates Ty and Zak insist he search for a job. After failing to make money at a variety of jobs, Edison soon runs into wealthy business magnate Armand McMillan, whose car has broken down on the side of the road. After Edison uses his inventions to assist Armand, the old man becomes impressed with his ingenuity, and the two go surfing together and quickly become friends.[5]
Later, Edison receives a letter in the mail informing him that McMillan has passed away. In a pre-recorded message, McMillan reveals that he is leaving Edison 45% of the shares in his large invention corporation, McMillan Industries, while his nephew Bradford, his only living relative, is left only a surfboard as his sole inheritance. Edison has a successful tenure as the new chairman of the company. The jealous Bradford attempts to derail Edison's success, seemingly to no avail. Soon after going on a successful date with his co-worker Natalie Stockwell, Edison invents the company's most innovative product yet - "Chef Edison"-brand TV dinners that each have a built-in television. The product is a massive success, and consequently, Edison's wealth leads him to become more selfish.
However, the company takes a sudden blow when a customer publicly alleges that the TV dinners leak radiation, claiming that he has gotten radiation poisoning as a result, evidenced by his body glowing green. The company's stock plummets, and Bradford responds by taking over as chairman and planning to sell the company for millions, having Edison escorted out of the building by security. A distraught Edison returns home to find an eviction notice in front of his residence, and that his surfboard and other possessions have been repossessed. However, Edison comes across a canister of one of his previous inventions, a special, non-toxic glow-in-the-dark makeup called "Glo-Gunk", intended for late-night surfing. Realizing that radiation poisoning would cause sickness or death, but not literal glowing, Edison deduces that his formula for Glo-Gunk was stolen and that the radiation poisoning allegation was faked, and he immediately suspects Bradford. He, along with Ty and Zak, drive back to McMillan Industries headquarters to confront Bradford.
Edison bursts into the boardroom and accuses Bradford of stealing his Glo-Gunk formula and faking the radiation poisoning case to take control of the company, demonstrating the Glo-Gunk's effects to prove it. Bradford denies any wrongdoing, but is exposed when it is revealed he is wearing another of Edison's inventions, the "Bull-shirt" - a shirt with a built-in lie detector. As a result, Bradford is arrested, with executive Grace Kosik making a deal with the company to testify against him. With the company saved, Edison appoints Natalie, now his girlfriend, to run the company.
Cast
[edit]- Carrot Top as Edison, an aspiring inventor and surf bum
- Courtney Thorne-Smith as Natalie Stockwell, Edison's co-worker and love interest
- Larry Miller as Bradford McMillan, an executive at McMillan Industries, Armand McMillan's nephew and sole living relative
- Raquel Welch as Grace Kosik, an executive at McMillan Industries
- Mystro Clark as Ty, one of Edison's roommates
- Jack Plotnick as Zak, one of Edison's roommates
- Jack Warden as Armand McMillan, the chairman of McMillan Industries who leaves the company to Edison when he dies
- Estelle Harris as Ms. Krubavitch, Edison's landlady
- Bill Erwin as Landers
- M. Emmet Walsh as Freemont
- Jack McGee as Harlan Granger
- Glenn Shadix as Larry
- Fred Stoller as Toby, McMillan Gate Guard
- Taylor Negron as Mr Withermeyer
- Jack Riley as the Condom Boss
- Rance Howard as Rev. Hatley
- Mark Kriski as a Newscaster
- Cindy Margolis as a Tennis Instructor
- Butterbean as a Museum Security Guard
- Little Richard as Himself
Production
[edit]Phillip Goldfine, who served as senior VP of Trimark Pictures, is credited with green lighting the film.[6] The film was shot in Southern California whereas Carrot Top himself comes from Florida.[7]
On May 15, 1997, Courtney Thorne-Smith made a guest appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to promote two projects she was involved in: the season finale of Melrose Place and Chairman of the Board. Comedian Norm Macdonald was a fellow guest on that night and, sitting next to Thorne-Smith, he heckled both Carrot Top and the film Thorne-Smith was promoting, incredulous that Thorne-Smith had left Melrose Place to star in a film with Carrot Top. When O'Brien asked Thorne-Smith the name of the film, Macdonald interjected, "If it's got Carrot Top in it, do you know what a good name for it would be? Box Office Poison."[2] After Thorne-Smith revealed the Chairman of the Board title, O'Brien challenged Macdonald to make fun of it; Macdonald immediately quipped, "I bet the 'Board' is spelled 'B-O-R-E-D!'"[2] Macdonald said he apologized to Carrot Top, saying he "felt kind of bad after that" and that he had not considered that Carrot Top might have been watching that night.[3]
On September 14, 2021, Norm Macdonald died and Carrot Top did a tribute to him during a show that night. Carrot Top referred to Macdonald as a "friend" and said that his 1997 roast of the film was "great" before playing clips from the Conan episode on a screen for the audience.[8][9] Courtney Thorne-Smith also gave a tribute to Macdonald in Vanity Fair,
Every once in a while, I'll run into Conan and he'll apologize, and I say, "That was one of my favorite moments of my life." Teased by Norm Macdonald? Are you kidding? I did The Tonight Show once, and Don Rickles made fun of my father, and my father never stopped talking about it. This is my version of that.
I told a story about my father telling a joke at my sister's wedding, and then Don Rickles just went off on my father being crazy, and it was the high point of my father's life. That's how I felt when Norm teased me. It didn't even occur to me that it could possibly be negative. I was beside myself.
I was there to promote Chairman of the Board. I was not thrilled about having to do it, so when Norm took over, I'm like, Oh, thank you, God and Norm Macdonald. It was a blessing. Look—had I thought that Chairman of the Board was my path to an Oscar, I might have been offended. I did not. So it was a joy to be teased about it. Because I didn't know what I was going to say [on the show]. I was like, good, Norm, you take over.[10]
Reception
[edit]Chairman of the Board received negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 11% based on reviews from 9 critics.[11]
David Kronke of the Los Angeles Times referred to the film as "a standard-issue rags-to-riches plot, enlivened by only by a tchotchke-heavy production design that might engage those entranced by bright, shiny objects", and compared the film to "Good Burger, but with French tickler jokes."[12] Jay Boyar trashed the film in the Orlando Sentinel, giving the film just one star.[7] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a D−.[13]
Carrot Top was nominated for Worst New Star, and Raquel Welch was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress at the 1998 Golden Raspberry Awards.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Chairman of the Board (1998) - Financial Information". Archived from the original on 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
- ^ a b c Parker, Ryan (September 14, 2021). "Norm Macdonald Famously Roasted Courtney Thorne-Smith on 'Conan O'Brien' for Carrot Top Film". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ a b Chamberlain, Adrian (March 18, 2010). "Comedian goes for blunt laughs". Times Colonist. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
- ^ "The Razzies!". The Razzies!. Archived from the original on 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
- ^ Gates, Anita (1998-03-14). "FILM REVIEW; An Inventor and Heir Nonapparent". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
- ^ Variety Staff (April 25, 1997). "Goldfine joins Seagal-Nasso". Variety. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Boyar, Jay (March 13, 1998). "Carrot Top hits rock bottom in unsophisticated comedy". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ https://dailysoapdish.com/carrot-top-pays-tribute-to-norm-macdonald-by-reliving-the-classic-bit-on-conan-obrien/
- ^ https://imgur.com/gallery/carrot-tip-gives-tribute-to-norm-GCs4hbo
- ^ Liebenson, Donald (September 15, 2021). ""Thank You, God and Norm Macdonald": Courtney Thorne-Smith Loved Being Roasted by Norm". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
- ^ Chairman of the Board (1997), archived from the original on 2019-04-30, retrieved 2023-08-18
- ^ Kronke, David (March 16, 1998). "Carrot Top Bottoms Out in 'Chairman'". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
- ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (Mar 27, 1998). "Chairman of the Board | Movie Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2009-04-11. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ "Topic Closed1998 RAZZIE® Nominees & 'Winners'". Archived from the original on 2012-08-31.
External links
[edit]