Open House

The movie Open House was a fun independently made movie musical about the world of real estate, no really, it's about real estate. If you like independent film, quirky musicals, and/or good comedy then this is for you. Be warned that the movie is VERY low-budget and not everybody sings completely on tune (but they were trying). One of the songs, "Selling a Dream," was even pushed for an Oscar nomination for best song. It was one of the standout numbers. Personally, my favortites were "It's My House," and "Fantabulous." These were both sung by Anthony Rapp who played a role that will leave most fans in shock at his character Barry. The movie is strengthened by a good script, and wonderful cast. The movie stars Sally Kellerman, Jerry Doyle, Rapp and Kellie Martin among others. Everyone has at least one song to plead their side of the story and moves the plot forward. It's just fantabulous!

On Friday night October 15th, a friend and I went to the Austin Film Festival screening of Open House. I'd read that it was a no-budget musical, and I wasn't expecting a lot. What I saw was clearly made on the cheap. But it was also funny, weird, and totally fresh.

The movie starts with a clever montage of that suburban ritual-the placing of open house flags and signs. Most of the main characters are introduced here. We see real estate agent Barry(Anthony Rapp) set up an open house. Yes, there are finger sandwiches. A couple(James Duval and Kellie Martin) argue over the home listing while in bed. Dave(Jerry Doyle)robs a jewelry store, then gets stuck when his junky car won't start.A pair of dubious cops(Robert Peters and Hedy Burress) play slap and tickle while investigating the jewelry store.

All these characters collide at Barry's open house. It becomes clear that nobody is who they seem. I could never predict what was going to happen next. The craziness, lies, and musical numbers spill over into other houses. We meet drunken real estate agent Marjorie(Sally Kellerman), hilarious as she shamelessly flirts while offering home shoppers drinks.

"Open House" is like "Mad Mad Mad MAd World" meets "Rent" All the characters get cool musical numbers and funny one liners, even as their deep, personal flaws/secrets are revealed. Writers Mirvish and Maddox keep the story zipping around corners you won't see coming, and they also score with some nice songs.

"Sellin' A Dream," Kellerman's duet with Doyle, even made me a little teary eyed. The film has some low budget problems( the sound mix was iffy),but I liked it anyway. It's not for everyone,but if want something that defies convention and categories, check this one out.

This movie is excellent. I suggest anyone watch it and laugh at the fact that most of the actors and actresses cannot sing worth a damn. Its wonderfully silly!! You must watch it!!I love the way Anthony Rapp played Berry. He was so cute. And the couples are funny. Watch out for a few shockers, trust me, nothing is what it seems in this movie. Watch it once sober and once drunk, and then you will understand it. I know, sounds weird, right, but trust me on this. FINGERSANDWITCHES!!! You must must must see this movie. Dan is amazing for making such a sugary sweet nonsensical musical. You should congratulate him on his genius. Dan is the coolest guy ever...and I mean ever.

Who knows how you came to hear about this movie. Maybe you know someone who worked on it. Maybe you're a follower of LA's underground film scene. Or, like me, maybe it caught your eye at a video store going out of business sale. Aside from those possibilities there aren't a lot of ways to know about this great gem of a flick. But whatever brought you here, you'll be grateful for it after you see this film.

Not since discovering Christopher Guest ("Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", "A Mighty Wind") have I been so blown away by a new approach to comedy. The approach? Completely unpretentious, not afraid to make fun of itself, not creatively hindered by any constraints. The result is a comedy with the honesty and authenticity of a home movie but surprisingly impressive on a technical & artistic level. As long as you're not one of those moviegoers who insists on big budget Hollywood gloss and sweeping orchestral scores in every scene--as long as you're not a Kenneth Branaugh minion--you'll get a kick out of this flick.

"Here's the budget for this film," says writer/director Dan Mirvish in the behind-the-scenes feature, pulling out a crumpled wad of fives & tens from his pocket. The film's "production office" was literally the garage of his house packed with a crew of volunteers working for free. Actors were paid on average $75 per day, and the entire thing was finished in 17 days. Dan operated the camera (a Panasonic DV-100 which nowadays will run you about $65 on ebay). And the "soundtrack" was recorded live with the actors singing their lines to a guy playing an electronic keyboard off to the corner while filming. But you'll be absolutely amazed at how well it all came together, due to excellent camera-work, great acting and perhaps most of all a GENIUS script.

Yes, this was a no-budget production, but that seems to have squeezed out superhuman efforts from the entire cast & crew. If you're the sort of person who enjoys browsing Youtube for hilarious skits, you'll get a lotta laughs from "Open House". At times it seems to be making fun of itself with actors deliberately off-key or with ridiculous "choreography" (I love seeing police brutality to the tune of a bouncy C), but there are also some suddenly sobering moments like Sally Kellerman's beautiful singing of "Selling a Dream" or Anthony Rapp's stunningly dramatic monologue near the end. The story is surprisingly clever, unexpected and even action-packed. I daresay it's the most interesting real estate comedy I've ever seen. And of course there's the anthemic toe tapper "Fantabulous" which you can find with a google video search. If you like that scene, you can expect a bunch more like it. And then some.

For me, the highlights were Sally Kellerman (famous as "Hot Lips" on MASH & also Rodney Dangerfield's love interest in "Back to School") playing a hilariously cynical but spunky real estate agent, and the other knockout performance was Anthony Rapp ("Rent", "A Beautiful Mind" and does anyone remember the kid Daryl in "Adventures in Babysitting"?). Anthony plays the nerdy, spazzy, hyper-enthusiastic realtor with a very interesting secret to reveal by the end.

If you're a fan of the aforementioned Christopher Guest flicks, do not hesitate to check this out. I'm also reminded of the obscure comedy gems "Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance" (about a misfit girls' dance troupe competing in Australia) and "Believe!" an oddball comedy about multi-level-marketing salesmen. Watch them all be reminded that creative, low-budget films may ultimately be the saviors of cinema!

I first had an interest in this movie after doing a search for my favorite actor, Anthony Rapp. I originally rented the movie and after renting and watching it several times , I fell in love with Open House. So much so that I immediately purchased my own copy, as my friends and I watch Open House with veneration. This is the general consensus of everyone I know who loves this movie. My friends and online buddies and I quote the lines all the time. The entire concept of a real estate musical is pure genius. The movie starts on a "high note" and doesn't disappoint. Open House is refreshing because of the absence of "cool special effects". The movie has a loose plot at best, dorky but lovable characters, and is entertaining in that it does not seek to 'wow' its viewers. So, not only was the film fun for the whole family and all of my friends, but it was also original and innovative, an instant classic in my movie collection.