Better Off Dead

Director: Savage Steve Holland

Overview

"One would think that a film as popular as Better Off Dead would receive decent treatment on the DVD. Sadly, that is not the case. The highlight (if it can be called that) of this disc is the image, which is anamorphic and framed at the original theatrica

Product Details

Release Date:	07/16/2002
UPC:	0097368719149
Original Release:	1985
Rating:	PG
Source:	PARAMOUNT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:37:00
Sales rank:	328

Special Features

Closed Caption;Widescreen version enhanced for 16:9 TVs; English subtitles; Dolby Digital English Stereo

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

John Cusack	Lane Meyer
David Ogden Stiers	Al Meyer
Kim Darby	Jenny Meyer
Demian Slade	Johnny
Amanda Wyss	Beth
Curtis Armstrong	Charles De Mar
Scooter Stevens	Badger Meyer
Diane Franklin	Monique
Dan Schneider	Ricky Smith
Laura Waterbury	Mrs. Smith
Aaron Dozier	Roy Stalin
Vincent Schiavelli	Mr. Kerber
David Vaughan	3rd Jock
Taylor Negron	Mailman
Chuck Mitchell	Rocko
Yuji Okumoto	Yee Sook Ree
Tina Littlewood	Chris Cummins
Jonathan Charles Fox	Nerd
Darren Harris	Nerd
Toby Iland	Nerd
Steven Williams	Tree Trimmer
Frank Burt Avalon	Ski Buddy
J. Warren David	Ski Buddy
Peter Ellenstein	Ski Buddy
Joey Tushnet	Paperboy
Yano Anaya	Paperboy
Sebastian Dungan	Paperboy
Rima Delane	Joanne Greenwald
Sam High	Jock
David Vaughn	Jock
Randy Stoklos	Jock
Brian Imada	Chen Ree
Stuart Robinson	Tree Trimmer's Helper
Edward Mehler	Buster
Thomas Rollerson	Roller Skater
Rick Rosenthal	Smitty
Rich Little	Voices
E.G. Daily	Herself
Rupert Hine	Composer

Technical Credits

Savage Steve Holland

Savage Steve Holland	Screenwriter
Roy Downey	Special Effects
Gil Friesen	Executive Producer
Michael Jaffe	Producer
Andrew Meyer	Executive Producer

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Beating the Paperboy
2. Cereal and Boiled Bacon
3. Howard Cosell Impersonators
4. Ski Team Tryouts
5. Death Attempt by Hanging
6. Green Goo With Raisins
7. Nose Wiping Incident
8. "I Want My Two Dollars!"
9. Chalkboard Fantasy
10. Mr. Kerber Asks to Date Beth
11. Cartoon Fantasy
12. Death Attempt by Jumping
13. White Trash
14. Christmas Miracle
15. Mailman Asks to Date Beth
16. Father/Son Talk
17. High School Dance
18. Meeting Monique
19. Attack of the Paperboys
20. A Man Alone
21. Everybody Wants Some
22. Barney Rubble Asks to Date Beth
23. "Franch Fries, Franch Dressing, Franch Bread"
24. K12 Challenge
25. Persistent Paperboy
26. Big Faker
27. Lane Wins the Drag Race
28. Romantic Frozen Dinner
29. Sliding Down the Mountain
30. Paperboy on Skis
31. Lane Wins the Ski Race
32. Language Lessons
33. One Look

Menu

Side #1 --
Play
Set Up
Audio Option: English Stereo
Subtitle Options: English
Subtitle Options: None
Scene Selection

Editorial Reviews

Easily one of the most refreshing teen comedies ever committed to film, Better Off Dead features John Cusack as Lane Myer, a jilted, angst-ridden high schooler whose multiple suicide attempts fail miserably, to great comic effect. This decidedly black angle, in the cheery years of Ronald Reagan's second term (1985), gave this conventionally plotted flick a patina of post-punk nihilism and may have scared some ticket buyers away. But those who have come to love it from repeated TV and video airings know that this film, writer-director "Savage" Steve Holland's first, is sweet and genuine despite its darker trappings. Cusack, an awkward 18-year-old when this was filmed, embodies the Everyteen -- surrounded by idiots, unable to catch a break, and utterly devastated when his girlfriend, Beth (Amand Wyss), dumps him in favor of the far more handsome and popular ski team captain, Roy Stalin (Aaron Dozier). When she explains her decision to hook up with Stalin without mincing words (oh, and she says his car's nicer, too), you're ready to follow poor Lane right over the brink. Holland surrounds Lane with hilarious caricatures while punctuating the action with dream/fantasy sequences that underscore his hapless lot, but he affords a glimmer of hope in the cute French exchange student living across the street from Lane. Yes, Better Off Dead slips back into teen-movie conventions with the inevitable Stalin-Myer downhill ski race in the last reel, but for 85 or so minutes it's a breakneck run that you'll want to try again.