Suckerfish

Running time: N/A

Ever thought about the competitive aspects of the market for pet food supplies? Well then, this film should provide all the answers to your questions. Marvelously improvised, Brien Burroughs' off-the-wall comedy sheds new light on the inside workings of the "free market" in pet food. The competitive Dick Goodman, a slick shark of a salesman, and Alan Walker, his rival for business, as well as Dick's straying wife, manage to routinely fleece their gullible pet store clients with tricks and cunning. All goes swimmingly for awhile until a new competitor, Ken Preston, appears on the scene and cuts into their sales. The subsequent escalating war of dirty tricks is both mean and hilarious, and you'll never see the pet store business in quite the same way again. For a debut feature, Suckerfish packs a wallop of Bay Area talent. Not only does the black humor work symbiotically with the outrageousness of the concept, but San Francisco director, Brien Burroughs, goes to great lengths to ensure his audience does not miss a single moment of laughter. Awards: Winner Special Jury Recognition Award - Santa Barbara International Film Festival. --Brian Benston