The Census Taker
| The Census Taker | |
|---|---|
 theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Bruce R. Cook |
| Written by | Bruce R. Cook William Kerwin W. Gordon Smith |
| Produced by | Robert Bealmer |
| Starring | Greg Mullavey Meredith MacRae Garrett Morris Timothy Bottoms |
| Cinematography | Tom Jewett |
| Edited by | Bruce R. Cook |
| Music by | Jay Seagrave The Residents |
Production company | Argentum Productions |
| Distributed by | Seymour Borde & Associates (1984) (USA) (theatrical) Trans World Entertainment (1989) (USA) (VHS) |
Release date | July 1984 |
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Census Taker is a 1984 black comedy directed by Bruce R. Cook. It stars Greg Mullavey, Meredith MacRae, Timothy Bottoms, and Garrett Morris.[1][2] The film was The Residents' first film soundtrack commission when their participation was suggested by Penn Jillette to Cook.[3][4][5] It was released by Trans World Entertainment on VHS in 1988 under the title Husbands, Wives, Money & Murder.[6][7]
Plot
When George (Greg Mullavey) and Martha (Meredith MacRae) let Harvey (Garrett Morris), an annoying census taker, into their home, they find themselves under a barrage of increasingly abusive questions. Furious at his intrusiveness, and at their wit's end, they kill the census taker and with the help of their friends Pete (Timothy Bottoms) and Eva (Austen Tayler), must hide the body from a determined investigator.
Partial cast
- Greg Mullavey as George
- Meredith MacRae as Martha
- Garrett Morris as Harvey
- Timothy Bottoms as Pete
- Jennifer Finch as Punk Girl
- Troy Alexander as Edward
- Erin-Bruce Tolcharian as Robert
- William R. Bremer as Sheriff
Independent reviews
References
- ^ "The Census Taker (1984)". New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
- ^ Bob Michals (January 3, 1985). "Things Are Beginning To Look 'Berry Good' For Garrett Morris". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
- ^ "The Residents Historical". residents.com. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
- ^ "The Census Taker (Original Soundtrack)". progarchives.com. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
- ^ The Trouser Press guide to '90s rock (5th ed. 1997) (ISBN 978-0684814377) (noting that the Residents "corkscrewed musical archetypes for the soundtrack of Saturday Night Live Alumnus Garrett Morris' 1985 film, The Census Taker (That score wound up on the Vileness Fats CD reissue)")
- ^ O'Connor, Patricia T. (May 1, 1988). "Home Video / New Releases". New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
- ^ Terry Atkinson (April 15, 1988). "What's In Store New Releases". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 24, 2010.