Open House

Description

"A crowd favorite." -- S. Mark Rhodes, Films in Review "A funny, fast-paced and above all very unique film. A film filled with interesting and hilarious songs about real estate that you won't be able to get out of your head! It works beautifully. Every musical number resulted in an eruption of applause from the audience. Kellerman is simply on fire!" -- FilmThreat "A must-see favorite! Super cast! Kellie Martin scores as a yuppie fond of quickie sex in strange houses; Sally Kellerman, as a boozy, unsuccessful agent, delivers a torchy realtor's lament; and Ann Magnuson shows up very late and nearly walks off with the whole movie." -- Baltimore CityPaper "A triumph...unique and flavorful! The show is clearly stolen by Kellerman whose "Sellin' A Dream" song is the most completely marketable and pleasing thing in the movie. Hopefully, the Academy will remember it come nomination time because a proliferation of films like 'Open House' could usher in a new era in the musical genre." -- Jonathan Hickman, Einsiders.com "Among its many send-ups are a showstopping duet, 'Sellin' a Dream,' performed by Sally Kellerman and Jerry Doyle." -- Regina Weinreich, The East Hampton Star "Awesome! This is a hilarious, crazy movie! Thumbs up to director, Dan Mirvish; Sally Kellerman is excellent!" -- Jim Muscarella, The Improper "In a rare and demanding move, all singing was performed and recorded live on set. Lovely!" -- Variety "It's Fantabulous! With OPEN HOUSE, Dan Mirvish has crafted the first great musical of independent film. Amongst a great cast, Sally Kellerman, Ann Magnuson, and Kellie Martin shine as they deliver Mirvish's toe-tapping tunes which you won't be able to get out of your head. Stylistically, it's a ingenious blend of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Preston Sturges, and Robert Altman. One of the songs is entitled 'Do You Love this House?' And the answer is a definite yes!" -- Terry Keefe, Venice Magazine "Mirvish, who is perhaps best known for co-founding the Slamdance Film Festival, creates a very funny and sardonic atmosphere that will have you laughing throughout....A genuine delight! The musical numbers are nothing short of hilarious." -- Larry Katz, WTTR Radio "People loved it. It was funny. And it's about time somebody made a Real Estate Musical!" -- Carloss James Chamberlin, Senses of Cinema Dan Mirvish's "fatabulous" musical comedy Open House, is a tangled tale of intrigue, romance, lost love and the one thing everyone has in common: the American dream of finding a home. We meet Barry (Anthony Rapp, Rent) - the eager-to-please real estate agent desperate to sell a house. There's Debbie and Joel (Kellie Martin, ER and James Duval, Donnie Darko) - two "Sexy Swipers" who spend their Sundays making quick love in open houses and then stealing trinkets to put in the next house. Down-on-his-luck jewel thief Dave (Jerry Doyle, Babylon 5) has a broken-down getaway car, so he pretends to be an endocrinologist interested in buying a house. There's Ron and Gloria - a couple of adulterous cops trying to break a big case. And finally we meet Marjorie (Sally Kellerman, M*A*S*H), a dispirited realtor with a penchant for younger men and tequila. This disparate group of strangers comes together in the search for true love, a bag of jewels and the perfect two-story colonial Review: More than "cute" - I have read some reviews where people are applauding "Open House" for being a 'cute,' 'silly' movie. Which I suppose it is, on the surface. But, when I watched this film, I felt that there was a deeper message being communicated. This film made me think about what home really means to me, and how America has placed such emphasis on the idea of home, family, and ownership. Anthony Rapp's character, and his epic song 'My House,' are incredible statements on how our lives can be boiled down to one certain event, place, or person that impacted us. Another aspect of the film that I loved was the casting of non-singers in singing roles. The rawness and relative unprofessionalism of their musical performance adds to the film's honesty. The entire film was shot in digital as well, and I loved the effect. As for the reviews I have read that are proclaiming 'Open House' as a worthless movie, I think that they are missing the point. Perhaps they expect that movie musicals are traditional, formulaic, and easily explained. 'Open House' presents a fresh use of the genre, with fantastic results. Review: What a huge disappointment! - I'm a RENT fan, so when I found this Anthony Rapp musical movie I had never heard of I was pretty excited. When I watched it I couldn't believe how bad it was. The story line has some (but very little) potential, but to call it a musical is being very, very generous. The "music" is pathetic as are the lyrics. As for the singers, Anthony Rapp does the best he can with the weak material. The rest of the singers' voices are as bad as the "songs" they are singing. I finished watching it because I had invested in it (my mistake) but it was actually hard to get through it. I felt so sorry for Rapp to have been in such a low-budget, poor project; he is so very talented. If you are an Anthony Rapp fan, do yourself a favor, continue to enjoy him in RENT recordings and don't spoil your image of him by watching this fiasco.