GORE OF THE ROSES

WAR OF THE ROSES (1989)
dir: Danny DeVito

THE GORE OF THE ROSES
MAD #296, July 1990
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Mort Drucker

The movie is a story told by Gavin D'Amato which he tells a client a about a marriage gone wrong before the guy considers a divorce himself. The story begins with a colleague of his, Oliver Rose (Michael Douglas), whose marriage to Barbara (Kathleen Turner), starts out perfect when they meet at an antiques show, buy a house, have kids, and hire a maid. Things begin to begin going downward after an argument in bed one night.

After a heart attack, Oliver is rushed to the hospital and Barbara didn't visit him because she says things were too hectic, then she confesses she wants a divorce. Neither wants to give up the house and there's no way either of them is obligated to give it up, so they finally agree to live in it separately, This results in endless fighting including his not telling her he ran over the family cat. They assure the kids (Sean Astim, Heather Fairfield) it isn't that bad and even try to reconcile.

Douglas and Turner had been in Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile together. He appeared in Fatal Attraction which had a scene where his mistress boils the family's pet rabbit. In the scene where the Roses try to reconcile, she serves him pate which she says is from the dog. Later a scene of the dog outside is edited in, and I'll wager that it was done at the last minute because of comments from test audiences

Oliver embarasses Barbara at dinner, she retaliates by running over his sports car. They continue to destroy each others' silverware, ornaments, furniture, and other possessions. Barbara hides in the attic. Eventually they find themselves hanging from a chandelier which Oliver and the maid try to rescue them from, but it's too late and they fall to their death.

Here Gavin has been telling the story to Mike Tyson who was going through a divorce case of his own during this time and served several years for domestic violence.

There are appearances by Geraldo Rivera and Bob Vila here. Zsa Zsa Gabor was arrested in 1990 for hitting a cop.