Where to watch Chairman of the Board
3 Stars
Surfer and inventor Edison (Scott “Carrot Top” Thompson) is chosen by his roommates to raise rent with his outrageous (and absurd) inventions. There’s no luck in job interviews until he meets billionaire Armand McMillan (Jack Warden), who likes him, and leaves his company after his death to Edison. Edison has a lot of success with his inventions while the company’s competitors do all they can to destroy him.
Scott ‘Carrot Top’ Thompson gets his shot at the big screen in a colorful comedy that plays to the stand-up comedian’s strengths, mainly his self-deprecating humor and use of wacky props. Chairman of the Board takes inspiration from the lunacy of Tim Burton and Paul Rubens’s 1985 classic “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” mixed with the “Bill & Ted” series, and the concoction is more successful than you’d think. Thompson turns in an energetic performance that suggests he could have pursued the acting avenue instead of becoming a wealthy Las Vegas headlining mainstay.
Chairman of the Board arrived a few years too late; mainstream audiences at that time were captivated by Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler, and the film would have had a wider reach if it came out in 1993 instead of 1998. The distributor tried to bury the picture with a limited release and zero marketing for the home video premiere. All these factors give the impression that Chairman of the Board is an embarrassing dud, but I enjoyed the movie’s light-hearted tone and Thompson’s good nature on-screen. The movie’s ending sets up a sequel; I’d love to see ‘Carrot Top’ produce a sequel 30 years later as a goof, and there is still hope one day it will materialize.
Directed by: Alex Zamm
Written by: Alfredo Septién, Turi Meyer, Alex Zamm
Starring: Scott ‘Carrot Top’ Thompson, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Larry Miller