Up in Flames (film)
Encyclopedia
Up in Flames is a 1973 pornographic film.
of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
and Mr. Natural
underground comics
. However, two of the Freak Brothers have been renamed (to "Vinnie" and "Frank"), and none of the three "Freak Brothers" resembled their comic book counterparts. For instance, the actor portraying Fat Freddy was tall and thin, with straight brown hair and a small moustache. The film also did not focus on drug use, and instead consisted of the main characters "getting it on with some pretty skanky-looking chicks by 21st century standards."
. As a result, all three find themselves victims of bedroom farce
s, including successfully seducing the landlady, only still having to pay the rent.
s.
Vinnie fakes being a painter
, but his client wants other services anyway. Alas, when she later reveals she tricked him and still expects him to paint, he steals her purse.
Meanwhile, Vinnie has sex with their landlady, just to find out she still expects her rent. She does however grant a postponement of some days to a female tenant who tries the same trick.
Lastly, Fat Freddie (who is not fat) meets Mr. Natural, the 82-year-old proprietor of a health food store who dresses in a potato sack and wears a fake Santa Claus beard which he removes for the sex scenes with his two employees who don't manage to sell his vitamin
s. Fat Freddy is indeed hired by Mr. Natural. But when he wants his payment, Mr. Natural puts "vita-beans" in his hands and has his employees fake being attracted to that. Fat Freddy thus accepts it instead of money.
Mr. Natural himself then agrees to get paid not in money when he brings a personal delivery to the female tenant. But when she tells him about the brothers' situation, he feels sorry and has Fat Freddy spike the landlady's drink with the "vita-beans", rendering her sick for about a week.
Adaptation
The film is an unauthorized film adaptationFilm adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers are a trio of underground comic strip characters created by the U.S. artist Gilbert Shelton. The Freak Brothers first appeared in The Rag, an underground newspaper published in Austin, Texas, beginning in May 1968; and were regularly reprinted in underground papers...
and Mr. Natural
Mr. Natural (comics)
Mr. Natural is a comic book character created and drawn by 1960s counterculture and underground comix artist Robert Crumb. The character first appeared in the premiere issue of Yarrowstalks .-Characterization:...
underground comics
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
. However, two of the Freak Brothers have been renamed (to "Vinnie" and "Frank"), and none of the three "Freak Brothers" resembled their comic book counterparts. For instance, the actor portraying Fat Freddy was tall and thin, with straight brown hair and a small moustache. The film also did not focus on drug use, and instead consisted of the main characters "getting it on with some pretty skanky-looking chicks by 21st century standards."
Premise
The Freak Brothers are about to be evicted by their landladyLandlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
. As a result, all three find themselves victims of bedroom farce
Bedroom farce
A bedroom farce or sex farce is a type of light comedy, centered on the sexual pairings and recombinations of characters as they move through improbable plots and slamming doors...
s, including successfully seducing the landlady, only still having to pay the rent.
Plot
Dolores, the Freak Brothers' landlady, is going to evict them unless they can come up with rent money. As a result, all three brothers find themselves victims of bedroom farceBedroom farce
A bedroom farce or sex farce is a type of light comedy, centered on the sexual pairings and recombinations of characters as they move through improbable plots and slamming doors...
s.
Vinnie fakes being a painter
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, but his client wants other services anyway. Alas, when she later reveals she tricked him and still expects him to paint, he steals her purse.
Meanwhile, Vinnie has sex with their landlady, just to find out she still expects her rent. She does however grant a postponement of some days to a female tenant who tries the same trick.
Lastly, Fat Freddie (who is not fat) meets Mr. Natural, the 82-year-old proprietor of a health food store who dresses in a potato sack and wears a fake Santa Claus beard which he removes for the sex scenes with his two employees who don't manage to sell his vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s. Fat Freddy is indeed hired by Mr. Natural. But when he wants his payment, Mr. Natural puts "vita-beans" in his hands and has his employees fake being attracted to that. Fat Freddy thus accepts it instead of money.
Mr. Natural himself then agrees to get paid not in money when he brings a personal delivery to the female tenant. But when she tells him about the brothers' situation, he feels sorry and has Fat Freddy spike the landlady's drink with the "vita-beans", rendering her sick for about a week.