Better Off Dead

Better Off Dead


Starring:John Cusack, Demian Slade
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Lane Myer (John Cusack) is stuck in a personal hell. A compulsive, adolescent Everyman growing up in Suburbia, USA, not only does he fail to make the prestigious high school ski team (again), but his beloved sweetheart, Beth, also leaves him for Roy, the team's popular, arrogant captain. If this isn't bad enough, he's stuck with a mother who frighteningly experiments--rather than cooks--with food, a brother who builds rockets out of models, and a best friend so desperate for drugs that he settles for snorting powdered snow. Faced with these prospects, Lane opts to end it all ... until he comes up with a ridiculous plan to gain acceptance and win Beth back. Director Savage Steve Holland warps this simple, clichéd premise, letting his wacky imagination twist it into a fairly original, slightly dark, and completely hilarious '80s teen comedy. Not as serious a "suicide-attempt" movie as, say, Harold and Maude but just as funny, the film's more a collection of screwball sketches than a narrative. Holland livens the high jinks with surrealistic fantasy touches, including Jell-O that crawls, a hamburger that sings Van Halen, drawings that mock its creator, Japanese race-car drivers who only speak Howard Cosell, and a psychotic paperboy seeking blood over a missing $2. Cusack puts the whole thing on his shoulders and carries the insanity with another one of his touching, obsessively romantic performances, which, along with Say Anything, The Sure Thing, and One Crazy Summer, made him the quintessential (and appealing) personification of lovestruck adolescence and suffering. --Dave McCoy
Better Off Dead
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Better Off Dead
    Starring: Yano Anaya , Curtis Armstrong , Frank Burt Avalon , John Cusack , and Elizabeth Daily
    Director: Savage Steve Holland
    Manufacturer: Paramount
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
    TeenTeen | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
    School DaysSchool Days | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
    GeneralGeneral | Romantic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
    John CusackJohn Cusack | Comedy Stars | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
    Anaya, YanoAnaya, Yano | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Armstrong, CurtisArmstrong, Curtis | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Cusack, JohnCusack, John | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Darby, KimDarby, Kim | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Franklin, DianeFranklin, Diane | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Little, RichLittle, Rich | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Mitchell, ChuckMitchell, Chuck | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Negron, TaylorNegron, Taylor | ( N ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Okumoto, YujiOkumoto, Yuji | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Stiers, David OgdenStiers, David Ogden | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    All ParamountAll Paramount | Paramount Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
    ComedyComedy | Paramount Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
    DVDs Under $9.99DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
    GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
    Romantic ComediesRomantic Comedies | Comedy | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
    TeenTeen | Comedy | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
    ( B )( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
    Similar Items:
    1. One Crazy Summer
    2. Say Anything
    3. Real Genius
    4. The Sure Thing
    5. Sixteen Candles (High School Reunion Collection)

    ASIN: B00005JKFA
    Release Date: 2002-07-16

    Amazon.com

    Lane Myer (John Cusack) is stuck in a personal hell. A compulsive, adolescent Everyman growing up in Suburbia, USA, not only does he fail to make the prestigious high school ski team (again), but his beloved sweetheart, Beth, also leaves him for Roy, the team's popular, arrogant captain. If this isn't bad enough, he's stuck with a mother who frighteningly experiments--rather than cooks--with food, a brother who builds rockets out of models, and a best friend so desperate for drugs that he settles for snorting powdered snow. Faced with these prospects, Lane opts to end it all ... until he comes up with a ridiculous plan to gain acceptance and win Beth back. Director Savage Steve Holland warps this simple, clichéd premise, letting his wacky imagination twist it into a fairly original, slightly dark, and completely hilarious '80s teen comedy. Not as serious a "suicide-attempt" movie as, say, Harold and Maude but just as funny, the film's more a collection of screwball sketches than a narrative. Holland livens the high jinks with surrealistic fantasy touches, including Jell-O that crawls, a hamburger that sings Van Halen, drawings that mock its creator, Japanese race-car drivers who only speak Howard Cosell, and a psychotic paperboy seeking blood over a missing $2. Cusack puts the whole thing on his shoulders and carries the insanity with another one of his touching, obsessively romantic performances, which, along with Say Anything, The Sure Thing, and One Crazy Summer, made him the quintessential (and appealing) personification of lovestruck adolescence and suffering. --Dave McCoy
    Better Off Dead [Region 2]
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • One for your collection
    • This flick is genius! TWO DOLLARS!
    • Classic 80s
    • rofl
    • One of the best 'dumb movies'
    		 Better Off Dead [Region 2]
    Starring: John Cusack , David Ogden Stiers , Kim Darby , Demian Slade , and Scooter Stevens
    Director: Savage Steve Holland
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
    Armstrong, CurtisArmstrong, Curtis | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Cusack, JohnCusack, John | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Darby, KimDarby, Kim | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Franklin, DianeFranklin, Diane | ( F ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Mitchell, ChuckMitchell, Chuck | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Okumoto, YujiOkumoto, Yuji | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Schiavelli, VincentSchiavelli, Vincent | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Stiers, David OgdenStiers, David Ogden | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    Wyss, AmandaWyss, Amanda | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
    ( B )( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
    Similar Items:
    1. One Crazy Summer
    2. Say Anything
    3. Real Genius
    4. The Sure Thing
    5. Sixteen Candles (High School Reunion Collection)

    ASIN: B0000C88KA

    Amazon.com

    Lane Myer (John Cusack) is stuck in a personal hell. A compulsive, adolescent Everyman growing up in Suburbia, USA, not only does he fail to make the prestigious high school ski team (again), but his beloved sweetheart, Beth, also leaves him for Roy, the team's popular, arrogant captain. If this isn't bad enough, he's stuck with a mother who frighteningly experiments--rather than cooks--with food, a brother who builds rockets out of models, and a best friend so desperate for drugs that he settles for snorting powdered snow. Faced with these prospects, Lane opts to end it all ... until he comes up with a ridiculous plan to gain acceptance and win Beth back. Director Savage Steve Holland warps this simple, clichéd premise, letting his wacky imagination twist it into a fairly original, slightly dark, and completely hilarious '80s teen comedy. Not as serious a "suicide-attempt" movie as, say, Harold and Maude but just as funny, the film's more a collection of screwball sketches than a narrative. Holland livens the high jinks with surrealistic fantasy touches, including Jell-O that crawls, a hamburger that sings Van Halen, drawings that mock its creator, Japanese race-car drivers who only speak Howard Cosell, and a psychotic paperboy seeking blood over a missing $2. Cusack puts the whole thing on his shoulders and carries the insanity with another one of his touching, obsessively romantic performances, which, along with Say Anything, The Sure Thing, and One Crazy Summer, made him the quintessential (and appealing) personification of lovestruck adolescence and suffering. --Dave McCoy

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars One for your collection.......2007-06-10

    If you are looking for a corky, funny movie this is it. One of my all time favorites.

    5 out of 5 stars This flick is genius! TWO DOLLARS!.......2007-05-29

    Who else loves this film? Apparently, John Cusack doesn't. Oh well!

    The film is about a teenager, Lane Meyer, who is ridiculously obsessed with his girlfriend. After breaking up with her, he tries suicide. Of course, the attempts backfire on him. Meanwhile, she's with a new guy, Roy, captain of the ski team, and he's trying to avoid a paperboy who will try anything to acquire his two dollars, and unbearable events at his house with his off the wall family members. Fortunately, Lane's neighbors have taken in a French exchange student, Monique Junot, who seems to have a crush on Lane. Meanwhile, Lane has to defeat Roy in order to get his girlfriend's respect...

    "Better Off Dead..." is DEFINITELY one of the greatest teen comedies ever conceived. It's truly an original, off the wall, hilarious film. Cusack will always be Lane Meyer to me.

    5 out of 5 stars Classic 80s.......2007-05-23

    I love this movie! I watched several times when I was a kid and loved it. It was a must for my DVD collection. Hilarious, classic one-liners!

    5 out of 5 stars rofl.......2007-05-14

    This movie is a must for anyone with a sense of humor. Cusak is witty and funny portraying the feelings of the average teen with great skill. The plot, characters, and everything in-between are simply perfect for its time and their value still carries today.

    5 out of 5 stars One of the best 'dumb movies'.......2007-05-07

    One of the best 'dumb movies' of all time.
    Mandatory Overtime
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Mandatory Overtime

      Manufacturer: CustomFlix
      ProductGroup: DVD
      Binding: DVD

      GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
      GeneralGeneral | Romantic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
      DVDs Under $9.99DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
      ( M )( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
      ASIN: B000K15WB6
      Release Date: 2006-10-26

      Description

      Rick just saw his neighbor killed by a hit-and-run driver. He's got it in his head that he should move on to the next stage of his life, before it's too late. To Rick, that means marriage and a family, but his best friend, Todd, has other ideas. When you're looking for love and all the people in your social circle are nuts, what's a guy to do?

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