Recently the folks behind the Oscars run a Twitter question to have people name their favorite movie in only five words. People described the usual suspects. I added to the conversation with “Then Ron Jeremy Shows Up.” While Ron is known for his adult entertainment work, he has had a large career in regular movies including Killing Zoe. Liquid Assets does have a “then Ron Jeremy shows up” moment. But this is not an R-rated film. It’s from 1982 when movies were still occasionally shot on 35mm and did their best to have a plot that was entertaining. In the case of this film, the comic storyline might seem familiar to fans of Mel Brooks, but with a few adjustments to reflect the genre and make it not look like a pure copycat.
Mr. Cashbox (Bobby Astyr) is about to get into nasty trouble with the IRS. He’s made too much money and he’s going to pay dearly for his prosperity. But luckily for him his tax lawyer (Ron Jeremy) has come up with an amazing way to keep Uncle Sam from raiding his checking account. He can overstate his invest in a Broadway production and as long as the play shuts down on opening night, April 15 will be a day of celebration. They find the most horrifyingly bad play in town. But they also need some really bad actors to make sure the audiences are horrified. Cashbox is into the project although he quickly finds out that being a big time backer means quite a few actresses want to personally audition for him. This includes a girl from upstate who needs to be a big time actress to save the family farm. There’s also a well seasoned actress eager to get another major credit. In order to make sure the play is a bust, Cashbox hooks up with two female critics with an interesting proposition involving their reviews. But can making something so bad turn it into a must see hit?
Liquid Assets sounds a lot like Mel Brooks’ The Producers. While they share a similar plot of putting together a bad Broadway play, the adult version does enough tweaks to keep things hopping. There are a few things that even Max Bialystock wouldn’t do. Ron Jeremy goes beyond in his major scene. While today we marvel at actors working with CGI performers that were merely a tennis ball and green screen, Ron has a lusty moment with an actress that’s plastic and hot air. Ron’s game for anything that will add depth to his character. Liquid Assets ought to adapt itself to the Broadway stage although they might need more wardrobe.
The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The transfer came off the 35mm negative. There’s a warning of stability issues from the camera they rented all those years ago. But the film looks fine. The audio is 1.0 DTS-HD MA. Things sound fine for a quickie film. The movie is
DVD of the film and bonus features.
Audio commentary with cinematographer/producer/editor Roberta Findlay. She made quite a few horror films including Prime Evil and Lurkers.
Getting the Big Part (14:53) is a video interview with co-star Veronica Hart. She talks of how Roberta Findlay was more into making horror films.
Audio interview with writer R. Allen Leider (67:54) covers how he got involved in the business. He started as a writer for a legit magazine that got assigned a profile on Marilyn Chambers. He became part of the scene.
Original theatrical trailer (3:46) gives you a glimpse at most of the scenes.
Vinegar Syndrome presents Liquid Assets. Directed by Robert Findlay. Screenplay by: R. Allen Leider. Starring: Samantha Fox, Bobby Astyr, Veronica Hart and Ron Jeremy. Rated: X Rated. Running Time: 82 minutes. Released: July 31, 2018.
