Gas (1981) Paramount/Comedy RT: 94 minutes Rated R (language) Director: Les Rose Screenplay: Susan Scranton and Dick Wolf Music: Paul Zaza Cinematography: Rene Verzier Release date: July 24, 1981 (US) Cast: Susan Anspach, Howie Mandel, Sterling Hayden, Peter Aykroyd, Helen Shaver, Sandee Currie, Keith Knight, Donald Sutherland, Alf Humphreys, Philip Akin, Michael Hogan, Paul Kelman, Dustin Waln, Vlasta Vrana, Harvey Chao, Briane Nasimok, Vincent Marino, Carl Marotte, Bob Parson, Richard Donat, Art Grosser, Jeff Diamond. Box Office: $2.8M (US)
Rating: ***
The summer of ’79, when I was a mere lad of 11, will forever be ingrained in my memory as the summer of those long, long lines at the gas pumps. Our country was in the midst of a gas shortage brought on by decreased oil output from the Middle East in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. What I remember most is my father screaming things like, “JC, the line’s a mile long!” and “We’ll be here all GD day!” as we sat in the car awaiting our turn at the pump. While he ranted and raved, I got to thinking about the comic potential of the situation. Even at such a young age, I knew there was a funny movie just waiting to happen.
Two years later, I saw the comedy Gas listed among the major releases for that summer. I really wanted to see it, but it didn’t open at any theaters near me. In fact, I don’t remember it opening in Philadelphia at all although my friend Jeff says he saw it at a theater near him with his dad. Anyway, I finally got to see it on cable at a friend’s house (not Jeff!) in summer ’83. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but I liked it nonetheless. Jeff, on the other hand, absolutely HATES this movie. His FaceBook posts about the Canadian-made comedy are far less than kind. Okay, they’re totally brutal. His posts are what really prompted me to rewatch Gas (courtesy of YouTube). Is it really that bad and I just don’t remember? NOPE! With all due respect, I must respectfully disagree with Jeff. I laughed myself silly.
Directed by Les Rose (Hog Wild), the movie centers on greedy oil tycoon Duke Stuyvesant (Hayden, Dr. Strangelove) and his nefarious scheme to increase his profits by inventing a phony gas shortage. This, of course, creates chaos and confusion at the pumps with all the crazies trying to fill their tanks. That’s not all. A few people are on to his plan. People like freelance photographer Sarah (Currie, Terror Train) who snaps a shot of Duke in front of his supposedly empty storage tanks. He and his dim-witted sons Earl (Waln, Visiting Hours) and Baron (Vrana, Rabid) spend the movie trying to get their hands on the film while she negotiates a relationship with rectal thermometer salesman Matt (comedian Mandel) much to the ire of her jealous, ultra-overprotective brother Ed (Dan Aykroyd’s younger bro Peter). In addition, TV newswoman Jane (Anspach, Five Easy Pieces) wants nothing more than to break the story, but her boss won’t let her because Duke is one of the station’s top sponsors. That doesn’t stop her from driving recklessly around town with her frightened Asian cameraman (Chao, Videodrome) to get her story.
There’s plenty more going on in Gas. Gas station owner Ira (Knight, Meatballs) is forced into a scheme to steal and sell gas by the two proprietors of a funeral home for pets, Guido (Hogan, High-Ballin’) and Nino (Kelman, My Bloody Valentine). Yes, they’re Italian which automatically means they’re involved with the Mafia. A couple of Army guys, Lou (Humphreys, My Bloody Valentine) and Lincoln (Akin, Nowhere to Hide), need to replace the gas they sold as a side deal before inspection. A prostitute named Rhonda (Shaver, The Believers), seeing there’s money to be made from horny guys waiting in those gas lines, plies her trade from a van parked nearby. There’s also a masked bandit (Diamond), a wealthy Arab in a limo (Nasimok) and a busload of Japanese Elvis impersonators. Hovering over and commenting on the action from his helicopter is local DJ Nick the Noz (Sutherland, Animal House).
Gas came out the same summer as The Cannonball Run and Honky Tonk Freeway which also offer up a heaping helping of automotive madness. The final 10-15 minutes of Gas are wild with all the stunts, crashes and pile-ups. Somebody even knocks over a fruit stand, a cliché usually seen in chases in foreign locales. I guess Gas counts since it was filmed in Montreal.
I’ll agree with Jeff on one point; Gas is a dumb movie. HOWEVER, it seems to know it’s dumb and simply doesn’t care. It’s a cut loose and raise hell kind of comedy. It references the Three Stooges on more than one occasion. The late Knight does a dead-on Curly imitation. One of the cool things about the movie is its game cast. They’re down for anything no matter how silly, juvenile or embarrassing. Aykroyd’s character is especially over the top with all the shouting, insane facial expressions and breaking stuff. It’s weird seeing Mandel with hair. Hayden is clearly one hell of a good sport for agreeing to take part in this goofy comedy. The late Currie was an attractive woman. On top of everything else, Gas is something of a My Bloody Valentine reunion with Kelman, Knight, Humphreys and Carl Marotte (as Rhonda’s “partner”) all showing up in it.
Being an early 80s, pre-PC comedy, it also indulges in offensive stereotypes. The good news is it’s an equal opportunity offender. Nobody is safe- e.g. Italians, Arabs, Asians, Jews, blacks, gays, rednecks, women and Canadians. All that’s missing are German Nazis and Irish drunks. Gas also has a tasteless running gag involving Ed’s incestuous fixation on his sister. It’s nasty alright, but in the context of an early 80s Canadian-made comedy, it feels strangely at home.
I probably shouldn’t like Gas as much as I do, but I can’t help it. I know it isn’t particularly well made or well written. I can’t believe it got picked up by a major studio. It’s lowbrow, low class and panders to the idiot demographic. It aims low and hits its target squarely in the bullseye. That’s what I like about it! It does what it does unapologetically. It’s actually funnier than a lot of today’s so-called comedies. I’m fairly certain I’m in the minority with my love for Gas but what can I say? Movie Guy likes what Movie Guy likes.
Hey Jeff, I’d like to invite you to write a rebuttal. I know you have strong opinions too and they deserve to be heard.
