Super Sucker

This movie won't make a clean sweep at the Oscars. And maybe it does suck and blow at the same time. Still, plenty of women--and men--will love Fred Barlow's attachments just as much as his wife does. His housewives' little helper turned her into a real dust Bunny and put the "make" back in "homemaking."

I don't know how Jeff Daniels did it, but somehow, in a movie where the hook is a vacuum cleaner used for women's pleasure, there are plenty of bare behinds, but none of them female! Sorry, guys. You won't get to see the Super Sucker panty hose directly applied. Oh, you'll see plenty, but this isn't triple X. The film is filled with innuendo; and yet, some people think the only thing dirty about the movie is the carpet.

Despite its lack of profanity, Super Sucker isn't for everyone. Jerry Falwell will want to stay home, and we'll all be better off if Pee Wee Herman stays home, too.

Believe it or not, this outrageous tale about two competing door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesmen actually has some basis in fact. According to the "Cyber-Space Vacuum Cleaning Museum," the Kirby vacuum cleaner used to come with a "Swedish Massage" attachment. But, kids, don't do this at home! If you're foolish enough to find out if it's really true that nobody does it like Hoover, you may not be able to reproduce--and that's a good thing for all of us.

One movie-goer commented that the beginning of Super Sucker was great, but then it slowed down the rest of the way. My fiancé loved it, though, and I thought it really picked up in the end.

No this was no great achievement in cinema and would certainly never win any awards. But I am a "vacuum cleaner salesman." And it was so accurate it was obscenely funny. Now I have never sold anything for self-pleasure but the idea that it would boost sales to the level they achieved makes me want to consider my own "homemakers little helper." Hey, sex sells. Some of the more accurate statements made: "Negativity: we deny its very existence." And "Hello, my name is (your name here) and I'm POSITIVE!!!! Anyone who has ever done any type of sales job will appreciate the constant bits of hilarity and already know that "nothing is as important as winning a contest!" Cult classic, at least in the sales world.

I was able to view this film at CineVegas 2002, and I will say it wasn't a waste of time, but I am not sure I would pay to see it again in the theaters.

Jeff Daniels plays a middle class, vacuum sales person who is losing business to his cross-town competitor. Until this point, the movie is pretty, well...boring.

At this point the movie turns to the extreme and becomes pretty funny in a "stupid movie" sort of way--you don't want to laugh but you just can't help it. I will not go any further as I do not want to ruin the film for anyone.

Daniels plays a good role and is funny in it, and if you go into this film not expecting a whole lot, you shouldn't be disappointed.

In the vein of Kingpin, Office Space and Airplane. Super Sucker isn't as funny as any of those movies but, considering it's budget, is still pretty impressive. Fans of "dumb" comedies will probably like, not love, this move.

I just saw the Super Sucker world premiere in Ann Arbor, Michigan (where Jeff Daniels grew up and now runs Purple Rose Films) and it is absolutely hilarious. Sidestepping all the toilet-level humor and midwestern-centric culture which made Escanaba in da Moonlight a less-than-perfect success, Super Sucker is a sharp comedy for the American everyman. Daniels stars as Fred Barlow, a vacuum salesman with an life-long passion for his trade. When Johnsonville, Michigan proves not big enough for both Barlow and his arch rival salesman (Harve Presnell), their boss creates a contest in which the man with the most sales wins exclusive rights to the city. Barlow is out of luck until he discovers a drapery attachment that pleases housewives in more ways than one. But will the "American Association for the Abuse of Household Appliances" approve? And will Barlow's rival let such a gimmick steal his loyal customers? The plot twists, turns and tickles brilliantly. I must say, for an independent film, this is one marvelously professional production which easily outdoes most contemporary Hollywood comedies. Direction, cinematography, sound, editing and writing are all top notch. Not to mention the cast, a classic lineup of wacky salesmen, chock-full with comedic talent. You get to love them all. Matt Letscher especially shines as Daniels's eager and naive sales apprentice. Above everything, let's not forget Mr. Daniels. I'd go so far as to say that this film is his crowning achievement on many levels. Not only has he crafted one of his funniest roles and films ever, he's finally starred in a comedy that you're not ashamed to admit liking. I interviewed Daniels for Ann Arbor's CURRENT magazine a few weeks before the premiere and he said that if there's one thing he knows how to do, it's to make people laugh. The proof is in the pudding. You won't need a drapery attachment to get absolute pleasure from Super Sucker.