Okay, fellow tapeheads, let’s rewind to a time when teen comedies could be truly, wonderfully weird. Forget the slick formulas; tonight, we're popping in a tape that gleefully throws logic out the window and drives over it with a beat-up Camaro. I’m talking about 1985’s darkly hilarious, utterly surreal gem, Better Off Dead...
Remember pulling this one off the shelf at Blockbuster, maybe drawn in by the slightly ominous title or a young John Cusack on the cover? It promised teen angst, but delivered something far stranger, a concoction brewed from heartbreak, absurdity, and… claymation hamburgers? This wasn't your typical John Hughes flick, folks. This was something else entirely.
Teen Suicide? Let’s Make it Funny (Sort Of)
The premise, on paper, sounds bleak: High schooler Lane Meyer (John Cusack) gets dumped by his girlfriend Beth (Amanda Wyss) for the arrogant captain of the ski team. Utterly devastated, Lane decides he's, well, better off dead. But Better Off Dead... takes this dark setup and spins it into pure comedic gold, largely thanks to the singular vision of writer-director Savage Steve Holland. This film is less a sensitive portrayal of depression and more a hyper-stylized, almost cartoonish exploration of teenage misery, where every attempt Lane makes to end it all backfires in increasingly ludicrous ways.
Holland, who famously based much of the script on his own painful teenage breakup (ouch!), directs with a manic energy that infuses every frame. Forget realism; this movie lives in a heightened reality where moms (Kim Darby as the hilariously oblivious Sunny) concoct gelatinous meals that crawl off the plate, dads (David Ogden Stiers providing sheer comedic brilliance as Al) struggle to communicate beyond clichés, and little brothers build space shuttles out of household junk. It’s this commitment to the absurd that makes the film so unique.
Cusack's Reluctant Charm
At the center of this maelstrom is John Cusack in one of his earliest leading roles. His performance as Lane is a masterclass in deadpan exasperation. He’s the relatable anchor in a sea of insanity, his quiet suffering contrasting perfectly with the chaos around him. It’s fascinating to know that Cusack reportedly hated the film after seeing the final cut, feeling it was too goofy and made him look silly. He apparently walked out of a screening and chewed out Holland, feeling tricked. While he seems to have softened over the years, you can almost see that youthful embarrassment bubbling under the surface, which paradoxically makes his performance even funnier. He perfectly embodies that feeling of being the only sane person in a world gone mad – a feeling many of us probably remember from our own teenage years.
The Symphony of Strangeness
Where Better Off Dead... truly shines is in its parade of unforgettable, bizarre moments. Who could forget the relentless paperboy (Demian Slade) demanding his two dollars, popping up like a slasher villain on a BMX? Or the two Japanese exchange students who learned English entirely from watching Howard Cosell on Wide World of Sports? And then there's the food. Oh, the food! Sunny Meyer's culinary experiments are legendary, culminating in that infamous claymation sequence where a Van Halen-esque hamburger shreds a guitar solo. That brilliant bit of stop-motion, by the way, came courtesy of the Chiodo Brothers, the same geniuses who would later unleash Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) upon the world. Pure 80s practical effect magic!
The supporting cast is equally dialed into Holland’s wavelength. Curtis Armstrong (Booger from Revenge of the Nerds) is perfectly cast as Lane's best friend Charles De Mar, a guy whose idea of a good time involves snorting powdered snow directly off the mountain. And Diane Franklin is luminous as Monique Junot, the French exchange student who lives with the Meyers and helps Lane find his confidence (and fix his iconic black 1967 Camaro – a car that, fun fact, actually belonged to Holland himself before production bought it from him!).
From Box Office Blip to VHS Cult Classic
Critically, Better Off Dead... wasn't exactly embraced upon release in 1985. Many reviewers just didn’t get its blend of dark humor and surreal gags. Siskel & Ebert famously gave it two thumbs down. But audiences, especially those discovering it on VHS rentals or cable TV reruns, felt differently. This was a film that found its tribe in the home video market, passed around between friends like a secret handshake. It became a definitive cult classic, precisely because it wasn't like everything else. Its weirdness was its superpower. I distinctly remember renting this tape multiple times, drawn back by its sheer unpredictability and quotable lines ("I want my two dollars!").
The ski sequences, particularly Lane's disastrous attempts to win back Beth on the slopes (including the infamous K-12 run, reportedly filmed on genuinely perilous terrain), feel perfectly pitched between awkward teen comedy and slightly dangerous physical stunt work. It’s not polished, but it feels real in that charmingly analog way.
Rating and Final Thought
Better Off Dead... is a glorious time capsule of 80s weirdness. It's laugh-out-loud funny, endlessly quotable, and possesses a unique charm that hasn't faded. While Cusack may have initially balked, his performance anchors the absurdity perfectly, and the sheer creative guts of Savage Steve Holland deserve major props.
VHS Heaven Rating: 9/10
Justification: This rating reflects the film's status as a near-perfect execution of its bizarre vision, its enduring cult popularity, fantastic comedic performances (especially from Stiers and Cusack), and its sheer rewatchability. It loses a point perhaps only because its niche humor isn't for absolutely everyone, but for fans of quirky 80s comedy, it's essential viewing.
Final Thought: Forget smooth edges; Better Off Dead... thrives on its glorious, hilarious jaggedness – a reminder that sometimes the weirdest trips down memory lane are the most fun. Now, does anybody have two dollars?