Better Off Dead... (1985)

Director:

Savage Steve Holland

Writer:

Savage Steve Holland

Release Date:

11 October 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

You've blown up your neighbor's mom. Your seven-year-old brother has better luck with women than you do. Your girlfriend has a new boyfriend. Relax, you're never...

Plot:

A teenager has to deal with his girlfriend dumping him among family crises, homicidal paper boys, and a rival skier.

Plot Keywords:

Exchange Student | Skiing | Suicide Attempt | Teen | Teacher

Cast

John Cusack	...	Lane Meyer
David Ogden Stiers	...	Al Meyer
Kim Darby	...	Jenny Meyer
Demian Slade	...	Johnny Gasparini
Scooter Stevens	...	Badger Meyer
Diane Franklin	...	Monique Junot
Laura Waterbury	...	Mrs. Smith
Dan Schneider	...	Ricky Smith (as Daniel Schneider)
Yuji Okumoto	...	Yee Sook Ree
Brian Imada	...	Chen Ree
Chuck Mitchell	...	Rocko
Amanda Wyss	...	Beth Truss
Curtis Armstrong	...	Charles De Mar
Aaron Dozier	...	Roy Stalin
Frank Burt Avalon	...	Roy's Ski Buddy #1
Joe W. Davis	...	Roy's Ski Buddy #2 (as J. Warren David)
Peter Ellenstein	...	Roy's Ski Buddy #3
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Mr. Kerber
Edward Mehler	...	Buster
Thomas Rollerson	...	Roller Skater
Toby Iland	...	Nerd #1
Jonathan Charles Fox	...	Nerd #2 (as Jonathon Charles Fox)
Darren Harris	...	Nerd #3
Randy Stoklos	...	Jock #1
Sam High	...	Jock #2
David Vaughn	...	Jock #3
Tina Littlewood	...	Chris Cummins
Steven Williams	...	Tree Trimmer
Stuart K. Robinson	...	Tree Trimmer's Helper
Taylor Negron	...	Mailman
Rima Delane	...	Joanne Greenwald
Elizabeth Daily	...	Herself
Ron Anello	...	The Band
Dominick Certo	...	The Band
Jude Cole	...	The Band
Robert Gianette	...	The Band
Angie Rubin	...	Backup Singer
Yano Anaya	...	Paperboy
Joey Tushnet	...	Paperboy
Sebastian Dungan	...	Paperboy
Rick Rosenthal	...	Smitty
Rich Little	...	Additional Voices (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stevie Mack	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Savage Steve Holland

Writing credits
Savage Steve Holland

Produced by
Gil Friesen	....	executive producer
Michael Jaffe	....	producer
Andrew Meyer	....	executive producer
William Strom	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Rupert Hine

Cinematography by
Isidore Mankofsky

Film Editing by
Alan Balsam

Production Design by
Herman F. Zimmerman

Set Decoration by
Gary Moreno

Costume Design by
Brad R. Loman		(as Brad Loman)
David Roester

Makeup Department
James R. Scribner	....	makeup artist (as Jim Scribner)
Georgina Williams	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jack Clements	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yudi Bennett	....	first assistant director
Jann Dutmer	....	second assistant director
Fred Lerner	....	second unit director
Scott Printz	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Rich Cline	....	swing gang (as Richard Cline)
Tom J. Furginson	....	swing gang (as Thomas Furginson)
Art Lipschultz	....	property master
Bill McLaughlin	....	leadman (as Bill McLaughlin Jr.)
Bud Peifer Jr.	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Bud Alper	....	sound mixer
Gene Ashbrook	....	boom operator
Kevin Durst	....	sound effects editor
William Hooper	....	supervising sound editor (as Bill Hooper)
Don MacDougall	....	sound re-recording mixer
John L. Mack	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Tyler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dick Vandenberg	....	sound effects editor
Earl Watson	....	sound effects editor
Cary Weitz	....	cable operator
Bill Young	....	sound effects editor
Bill Henderson	....	sound re-recording engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roy L. Downey	....	special effects (as Roy Downey)

Visual Effects by
Hoyt Yeatman	....	special optical effects: DQI (uncredited)

Stunts
Frank Beddor	....	stunts
Sandy Berumen	....	stunts
Cheré Bryson	....	stunts
Hank Calia	....	stunts
Jean Coulter	....	stunts (as Jeannie Coulter)
Greg Wayne Elam	....	stunts
George Fisher	....	stunts
Bill Hart	....	stunts
Keith Harvey	....	stunts
Kent Hays	....	stunts
Johnny Hock	....	stunts (as John Hock)
Jeff Jensen	....	stunts
Wayne King	....	stunts
A. Michael Lerner	....	stunts (as Allen Michael Lerner)
Fred Lerner	....	stunt coordinator
Bill McIntosh	....	stunts
Faith Minton	....	stunts
Tom Morga	....	stunts
Harvey Parry	....	stunts
Wally Rose	....	stunts
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts
Tanya Russell	....	stunts
Sharon Schaffer	....	stunts
Rick Seaman	....	stunts
Peter Stader	....	stunts
Neil Summers	....	stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunts
Mark Yerkes	....	stunts
Jim Dunn	....	ski double: John Cusack (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Malcolm Brown	....	first assistant camera (as Malcom Brown)
Jim Dunford	....	dolly grip
Albert Fitch	....	electrician
Jan Gould	....	grip
Frederick Hamm	....	second assistant camera
Frank M. Holgate	....	photographer: second unit (as Frank Holgate)
David Jarrell	....	best boy
Jake Jarrell	....	gaffer
Tom Kessenich	....	key grip
Greg Langham	....	electrician
Rick Neff	....	camera operator
Fred Sabine	....	still photographer
Mark Stanley	....	second key grip
Russell Wooley	....	best boy

Animation Department
Bill Kopp	....	animator: cartoon animation
Jimmy Picker	....	animator: "Burger & Fries" animation

Casting Department
Robert Lansing Parker	....	extras casting: Los Angeles (as Lansing Parker)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marcy Lavender	....	costume supervisor
David Roesler	....	costumer

Editorial Department
William Fletcher	....	apprentice editor
Nancy Forner	....	associate editor
Susanne Gervay	....	negative cutter (as Susanne Garvay)
Patrick Magee	....	assistant editor (as Patrick W. Magee)

Music Department
David Anderle	....	music supervisor
Rupert Hine	....	music producer
Ted Roberts	....	music editor
Stan Jones	....	assistant music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Robert Elsey	....	transportation captain
Donald Haflich	....	transportation captain
David Jernigan	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Kristin Bundesen	....	production assistant
Kristin Burleson	....	production assistant
John Byl	....	craft service
Maria Cady	....	script supervisor
Stan Cohen	....	caterer (as Stanley Cohen)
Curtis Collins	....	production assistant (as Curt Collins)
Huw Davies	....	location manager
Merle L. Jackson	....	production coordinator (as Merle Jackson)
Audrey Kennedy	....	assistant to producer
Shelley Kirkwood	....	unit publicist
Mike Marvin	....	producer: skiing sequences
Dona Williams	....	production accountant
Isabell Yale	....	first aid
David E. Van Houten	....	publicity designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• A&M Films
• CBS Entertainment Production

Distributors

• Adams Filmi (1987) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Video (1987) (Belgium) (video)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (video)
• Key Video (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Showtime (1989) (Finland) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Dream Quest Images (special optical effects)

Other Companies

• A&M Records  soundtrack
• Atmosphere Agency  extras casting: Los Angeles
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  titles and opticals
• Dream Quest Images  optical effects
• Gomillion Studios  post-production sound
• I.C.P.R.  public relations
• The Motionpicker Studios  animation: "Burger & Fries"

Also Known As:

"Better Off Dead" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Norway:12 | UK:15 | Portugal:M/6 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Sandy's Char Burger - 6223 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, California, USA

Company:

A&M Films

Trivia:

This wasn't the first time Diane Franklin used a French accent in a film. For part of Second Time Lucky (1984) she played a French nurse in World War I.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Lane and Monique, in the newly-fixed Camaro, drive up to the car with the Ree brothers and their dates, the wide shot shows the foursome noticing and looking over at the Camaro. However, in the next shot they are still chatting amongst themselves and haven't seen the Camaro yet.

Quotes:

Charles De Mar:Wait, wait a minute...
[starts to snort snow off his top hat]
Charles De Mar:[sniff] Oh.
[shouts]
Charles De Mar:Oh! Ugh! Outrageous!
[raises right hand]
Charles De Mar:[shouts] I think I just froze the left half of my brain!
[waves arm in circles]
Charles De Mar:[shouts] Look! I can't move my right arm!
Lane Myer:This isn't funny, Charles! If I don't have a dream, I have nothing!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Moonraker (1979)

Soundtrack:

Mannish Boy

Bizarre. But disarmingly so.

John Cusack's girlfriend has just dumped him for the biggest jerk in school, and John deals with the depression, anger, and frustration in humorous ways. Slowly, he finds himself bonding with French exchange student Diane Franklin, a beautiful and clever young woman, that helps to build up Cusack's self-image so he can win his girlfriend back.

Better Off Dead follows a familiar basic storyline. Main likeable character is dealt a bad hand in life, pulls themselves up by their bootstraps, and ends up triumphing over the people who pushed them down. This formula led to such films as "Animal House", "Revenge of the Nerds", and "Porky's". Not that these films are bad, they are just similar in basic plot.

Better Off Dead however, adds a bizarre surreal quality unaccomplished by these other films. Perhaps this is due to the claymation hamburger sequence, or the unlikely skiing competition at the end of the film.

Or perhaps it's due to the parade of familiar faces from other 80's films. John Cusack's best friend is none other than Curtis Armstrong, best known as "Booger" in the Revenge of the Nerds movies. Next door neighbor and consummate slob Dan Schneider is recognizable as "Dennis" from the TV show "Head of the Class". Cusack's boss at the fast food joint is played by Chuck Wallace, the title character from "Porky's". And with a bit part, yet one the funniest in the whole film, Yano Anaya reprises his "Grover Dill" persona from "A Christmas Story" in the form of a vengeful paperboy. I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!!!!

Also has some of the funniest lines in 80's teen comedy, such as Franklin's accidental misuse of the word "testicles", and the comment made by an onlooker when Cusack tumbles into a trash truck.

Definitely better than the majority of 1980's teen comedies.