Better Off Dead

It seems obvious that those responsible for this movie were schizophrenics. This alone can account for why the movie seems like two different films melded together AND why the humor is so bizarre and gut-bustingly funny! The biggest downside of the film is that it has so many of the dumb 80s clichés from teen films--without the main plot, the film actually would have scored a 9 or 10! The whole business about "having to ski the K-12" was just lame and got in the way of all the wonderful weirdness! My advice is to watch the film and then try to ignore all the plot--you're better off,...really. So what was so weird about the film?! Well, apart from John Cusack, his ex-girlfriend and the "evil rival", all the other characters are almost like a combination of a normal 80s teen movie and a Salvador Dali creation! I really don't want to ruin all the many, many, many surprises, but you've got to see such things as the family's Christmas presents, the "interesting" things Lane's brother does throughout the film, the paperboy from Hell, the scene where Mrs. Smith blows up, and so many more strange bits here and there. And, most of the strange little vignettes that are irrelevant to the plot are GREAT--except for the claymation part that just seemed dull (for better claymation, see HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS). This is inspired lunacy that unfortunately barely missed being a grand-slam because of some dull plot elements and a stupid claymation dancing hamburger. BUT, because of all the weirdness and fun, this is a wonderful film that can be enjoyed by kids or those who lived through the 80s and want to relive old times and laugh at the clothes and music!

I'll just start this by saying that if you'd like to watch a really good teenage-themed movie, go for John Hughes. This is too artificial and I'd say even amateur-like directing. The story is stupid, the acting is subpar and I'd blame it to the script and the director. Just stay away. I wanted to watch a nice movie with John Cusack. This is not.

Eighties teen films, I love 'em. I never tire of this brand of entertainment that's a true product of it pop-culture times. There's something about this wonderful era. Everything about the humour had a natural build up, and even during the hits or misses it stayed consistently amusing without resorting to gross-outs. 'Better off Dead' fits that buck. Here's another cherished coming of age story through the eyes of a troubled teenager dealing with a dumped relationship and the embarrassments that seem to follow through the painful years of high school and everyday life. Wallowing in self-pity, eventually it comes to identifying self-confidence over what isn't the impossible. What am I going to type that someone hasn't already. Nothing. The plot is secondary to the oddball episodic set-pieces and comic characters, where the flow is unpredictable and original like out of some daydreaming teenager's imagination. John Cusack (a pin-up boy for these roles) has that likable, down-to-earth awe which fits. Surrounding him is a fantastically hearty support cast in David Ogden Stiers, Kim Darby, Diane Franklin, Demian Slade, Amanda Wyss, Curtis Armstrong, Dan Schneider and Laura Waterbury. Director Savage Steve Holland throws caution to the wind with his animatedly interesting style, but manages to make sure everything still comes together without really trying. Well it looks so. Visual gags also have a powerful note like the night-time chase sequence involving a persistent paperboy after his 2 dollars and the drag racing scenes with a pair of Asians. Even the ski scenes are well shot. An upbeat soundtrack pounds out the catchy, nostalgic tunes and cements an provocatively charming sincereness. It's hard to pass up this self-knowing, off-kilter teenage comedy/romance winner.

The 80's were a great time for films. Though much of what came out of the decade is now considered stupid kitsch and not worth much, some of the films remain a really good time and it's refreshing to see a movie that never takes itself seriously in this day and age; when there seems to be an unwelcome feeling that only A-grade material can truly be accepted. Better off Dead is a surreal and inventive comedy from a man calling himself 'Savage Steve Holland', that depicts teen life. Better Off Dead can be summed up as a series of genius ideas strung together around one young man's ordeal after splitting up with his girlfriend. Of course, some of the jokes are extremely lame (don't forget, it was made in the 80's), but the ones that work tend to work brilliantly and there's many funny moments in this movie. As mentioned, the plot follows Lane Meyer; a young man that is obsessed with his girlfriend. Well...until she breaks up with him because he's not popular enough, not good looking enough and doesn't drive a very nice car. And not only that, but she's left him for the captain of ski team; and he's a guy that isn't going to let Lane get away without being ribbed about it... If I were to sum up Better Off Dead in a word, I would use the word 'odd'. How many films can you think of that includes dinner walking off the plate, someone's mother being blown up and a living hamburger that has it's own girlfriend? I wager not many. While at times the film does become a little too weird, it's absurdity helps the plot as it helps to enforce the bewilderment that being a teenager can come with; and this helps to get the film's point across. Naturally, the film features an assortment of odd and wacky characters and this is always a good thing in a film of this kind. John Cusack takes the lead role in a time before he rose to superstardom, and it's roles like these early ones that shows why he did make that transition. Cusack leads the film with great charisma and always keeps you entranced with his character. This especially helps when it comes to the more touching scenes of the movie as it enables you to feel for his character and therefore get the full benefit of the scene. While Better Off Dead wont be winning any awards, it's still a wickedly entertaining movie and if you're a fan of kitschy fun movies, you cant go wrong here.

Savage Steve Holland's sensational 'Better Off Dead...' is another one of my favourite teen films. I had seen this movie decades ago but didn't catch the name. I've been looking for the nameless film for years and only recently I found out the title and got it immediately. Ah, the nostalgic 80s when kids knew how to be young rather than spend their days on the cellphone or behind the computer. The film delightfully spoofs those teen angst movies that were so popular at the time. Lane's ex-girlfriend giving him an excuse that she dumped him for someone better looking and more popular, Lanes failed suicide attempts, Lanes cartoons are among some of the most amusing sequences. Holland gives the film a unique treatment. 'Better Off Dead...' has an innovative quality that makes it one of a kind. It includes the adorable claymated romantic Hamburgers, cartoons, a stalking paperboy, a ski competition on one leg, a little brother who's a silent genius and an international language. Holland put a lot of heart in the writing and some of the lines had me rolling on the floor laughing. The acting is splendid. The character Lane seems tailor-made for John Cusack. I've always thought of Cusack as an underrated actor and 'Better Off Dead...' is one of the few movies that does justice to his talents (even though this is perhaps one of his first roles). A vivacious Diane Franklin is supercute and she has the loveliest smile. The chemistry between her and Cusack is undeniable and both have excellent comic timing. David Ogden Stiers and Kim Darby are hilarious as the nutty parents. Curtis Armstrong provides some morbidly funny moments. To say it in one sentence, 'Better Off Dead...' is one of the rarest examples of teen movies at its best. It already is a classic and while many of us watch it for nostalgic reasons, others may like it simply for the heart and humour.

Better Off Dead (1985): Dir: Savage Steve Holland / Cast: John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers, Kim Darby, Diane Franklin, Curtis Armstrong: Pitiful comedic waste about hope, which is difficult to take seriously given that every character in this film is a full blown moron. John Cusack plays Lane Myer whose girlfriend breaks up with him in favor of the bullying ski champion. In answer to this he makes several attempts to commit suicide but one wonders if that was just Cusack trying to distance himself from this crap. Suicide is not a funny topic so when the film plays this theme up for laughs, it is disturbing. David Ogden Stiers plays the one character worth watching here. He plays Lane's frustrated father whose battle with the paper boy has him making failed attempts to protect his garage windows. Kim Darby plays mother who cannot cook and this becomes an over the top joke that drags on like overcooked food. Curtis Armstrong was so good in Risky Business so it is a shame to see him reduced to Lane's jello snorting best friend. Diane Franklin plays a foreign exchange student who is living with a mother / son combo that is another poorly executed array of warped personalities. With all this hassle one would think that Beth, Lane's ex-girlfriend would have a personality but she is as lame as the rest. Theme regards moving ahead of emotional tragedy but unfortunately this film is better off not seen. Score: 4 ½ / 10

Sitting in my flat one night restless and unable to sleep, I decided to watch Better off Dead, a film I had not seen since my carefree days as a Youth in the glorious 80's. Well I'm glad I did! Better Off Dead Is without doubt one of the funniest films ever made, from the moment Lane's Mother accidentally. nearly hangs him while she is hovering, I was hooked. This film manages to capture everything that was good and bad about your Teenage years in the 80's in a very. very funny way. Bizarre as they are I can Relate to all of Lane's situations and problems from the Cotton Buds scene to the trouble your first love brings. There are so many scenes and quotes from this film that had me laughing and I still laugh at them after numerous viewings 'It gets Better the more you watch it' All the characters in the film are Hilarious from Lane's family his wacky neighbours Ricky and his Mom. I don't want to spoil the film for anyone by saying anymore except just watch it and enjoy... And then watch again and you too will be hooked... Here is some of my favourite quotes 'Come on my little Buckaroo', "Gee, I'm sorry your mom blew up Ricky ... guess she'll have to lay off the Spicy foods for a while", 'Buck up little camper, we'll beat that slope Together', "Right Off", " Do you have any idea what the street value Is of this mountain", "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through Life, son, 'Everybody will be wearing one', "A got it for my Christmas' .. Ps ... I never slept all night due to laughing and watching twice.

This movie is a poor man's (or woman's) version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or Fast Times At Ridgemount High -- without the humor, heart, soul, charm, music, screen chemistry, or creativity of those films. It's a sophomoric attempt, at best, to display high school heartache, that fails miserably. There is not a single solitary likable character (with the possible exception of Monique); and I use the term character rather loosely when it comes to this disaster. The so-called characters are less dimensional than cartoon characters. In fact, I've seen Saturday morning cartoons that are better than this. (Hint: Beep-Beep) As such, there is no empathy evoked for any of them. Just the opposite -- I felt nothing but contempt and disdain for the characters, the writers, and the director. Coupled with the fact that the humor is Neanderthal-like (i.e. slipping on a banana peel), this apparent spoof is nothing but a colossal flop. It strains the mind trying to grasp how in the world this movie rates as high as it does on IMDb.

I've seen bits of this before, and it always seemed amusing. Watching it in whole, though, I was very unimpressed. It has a very unique and quirky sense of humor, but, in my opinion, it hardly ever works. John Cusack plays a teen whose super cute and popular girlfriend dumps him for a jock. He spends the rest of the movie moping while cute French exchange student Diane Franklin starts to fall for him. The movie tries to set itself apart from the John Hughes comedies with its oddness, but in reality it reinforces the same stereotypes that every other 80s teen comedy does. Some of the cast is amusing, especially fat dork neighbor Dan Schneider, whose mother hosts Franklin almost as if she's ordering a male order bride for her social outcast son, and Kim Darby as Cusack's spaced-out mom. Curtis Armstrong pretty much reprises his role as Booger from Revenge of the Nerds as Cusack's best friend. I barely laughed at all during the flick. Even stuff that seemed amusing wasn't doing anything for me. I've seen Holland and Cusack's followup film, One Crazy Summer, and I remember liking that one better.

I never saw this when it came out in 1985, it seemed lame at the time. And now at long last it is every bit as lame as I thought it was. In the years since it's release I've read accounts of how funny this movie is. It is low budget crap that is one lame scene after another. John Cusack was a relatively new actor on the scene when he starred in this turkey. So I can understand how he took any role he could get in his salad years. The demure Diane Franklin was a favorite of mine at the time. She is seriously underused here. David Ogden Stiers and Kim Darby seem brain dead in this outlandish farce. This movie makes a case for why bad screenwriters exist.