Comedy with a cutting edge

Press, 13 October 1987, Page 10

Comedy with a cutting edge

“Beer” treats the world of advertising like a shooting gallery. And it can’t miss. During its 80 minutes, this video takes a pot-shot at just about everything the advertising world holds dear, including its precious interpretation of the American dream. It is a comedy with a cutting edge, written by Allan Weisbecker and produced by Robert Chartoff. The film-makers cannot exactly be said to have taken an affectionate look at Madison Avenue. They have populated the film with advertising executives who are either grovelling, inadequate, out of touch with reality or just plain dim. In one memorable scene, the president of a major, brewery laments the passing of the great advertising man while the greasy junior advertising executive in his office is choking on a mouthful of raisins. Into this world storms B. D. Tucker, an ambitious executive with ideas and drive and a vision that sets her apart from her colourless colleagues. She is played with savvy and a wise mouth by Loretta Swit, “Hot Lips” Houlihan from innumerable episodes of “MASH.” The premise of the film is that Norbecker Breweries president, Adolf Norbecker, who will eventually plan his European

advertising campaign like World War 11, is dissatisfied with his uninspiring television advertising and puts the heat on his advertising agency to come up with something better. Norbecker' provides 62 per cent of the agency’s income and his displeasure prompts a rapid crisis meeting at which heads roll. B. D. Tucker emerges as a possible saviour, but still has to com? up with the idea she needs. She confides to the exalcoholic film director she hires (the magnificently grizzly Rip Torn): “Right now, concept wise, I’m winging it.” At that point, fate lends a helping hand. Three losers are in the same dark bar-room as the advertising executive when a hold-up is foiled and they somehow get the credit. Miss Tucker signs them on for a tough new advertising campaign that will destroy reality, promote frontier-style violence and offend women.

At one point, after sales of Norbecker beer have soared, Swit remarks: “Alcoholism, divorce, violence in the streets — we’re doing great!” This kind of spectacular success has to contain the seeds of its own downfall, in the style of a good tragedy. In this case, it is the sheer unreality of it all that eventually brings down the tissue paper of the campaign. The adver-

tising agency had succeeded in getting away from the old formulas of using over-exposed film stars or over-the-hill athletes in its commercials, and tried to use "real” men. But the simple reality was that they weren’t heroes either. If this video takes an affectionate look at anything, it is America’s relationship with its beer — and the commercials that sell it. Commercials punctuate the film, or at least parodies of them do. When a shot gets fired during the hold-up attempt, it is a television set showing a Budweiser advertisement that gets blown away. Subtle indeed. Kenneth Mars plays the part of the crusty brewery president, a Germanic despot, who gets some of the film’s best lines, such as: “The secret of a successful beer is advertising. All beer is essentially the same.” David Wohl also deserves mention for his portrayal of the spectacularly stupid advertising executive, Stanley Dickler, incapable of coming up with any workable ideas and completely at a loss in the cut and thrust of the conference room. This wickedly funny comedy, released by R.C.A., Columbia and Hoyts Video, carries an M rating. -D.C.