Better Off Dead is a 1985 teen cult black comedy starring John Cusack, written and directed by Savage Steve Holland. It tells the story of a high school student who is miserable after his girlfriend breaks up with him. Savage Steve Holland is an animator and director who wrote and directed the movies Better Off Dead (1985) and One Crazy Summer (1986) and animated the Whammy on the game show Press Your Luck. ... Savage Steve Holland is an animator and director who wrote and directed the movies Better Off Dead (1985) and One Crazy Summer (1986) and animated the Whammy on the game show Press Your Luck. ... John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American film actor and writer, born in Evanston, Illinois to a liberal Irish-Catholic family. ... David Ogden Stiers (born October 31, 1942) is an American character actor, voice actor and musician, most noted for his role in the television sitcom M*A*S*H, and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone. ... Diane Franklin (born February 11, 1963 in Plainview, New York, United States) is an American actress. ... Curtis Armstrong (born November 27, 1953 in Detroit, Michigan, USA) is an American actor. ... Rupert Hine (full name Rupert Neville Hine) is an English musician and also a prolific producer in the synth pop era, helming albums such as Tina Turners Private Dancer, Howard Joness Humans Lib, Sagas Worlds Apart, and The Fixx Reach the Beach. ... Warner Bros. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A separate article is about the punk band called The Adolescents. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Black Comedy is a one-act play by British dramatist Peter Shaffer, first performed in 1965. ... John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American film actor and writer, born in Evanston, Illinois to a liberal Irish-Catholic family. ... Savage Steve Holland is an animator and director who wrote and directed the movies Better Off Dead (1985) and One Crazy Summer (1986) and animated the Whammy on the game show Press Your Luck. ... Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education. ... The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb stŭdērĕ, meaning to direct ones zeal at; hence a student is one who directs zeal at a subject. ... A girlfriend is a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship. ...

Plot

Better Off Dead takes place in a fictional town in "the state of Northern California" called Greendale and centers on high-schooler Lane Meyer (John Cusack), whose girlfriend Beth (played by Amanda Wyss) dumps him for the captain of the high school ski team, Roy Stalin. Lane cannot get past this rejection and decides that the only way out of his misery is through suicide. His half-hearted attempts at suicide always manage to leave him alive, with comedic consequences. One example is a jump off an overpass into an unseen garbage truck. Two black men trimming trees see him in the garbage truck and one says "Man, that's a real shame when folks be throwin' away a perfectly good white boy like that." John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American film actor and writer, born in Evanston, Illinois to a liberal Irish-Catholic family. ... Amanda Wyss (b. ...

One of the most memorable aspects of this movie is the ensemble of characters who surround Lane. His family is odd-- his mother may be the world's worst cook, and his genius little brother can build laser guns and attract trashy women. Lane's best friend attempts to use everyday substances, like whipped cream or snow, as drugs. And the film also introduces two Japanese drag racing brothers, one of whom learned English by impersonating Howard Cosell. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Howard William Cosell, born Howard William Cohen (March 25, 1918 – April 23, 1995) was an American sports journalist on American television. ...

A memorable scene occurs during one of Meyer's melancholy periods while working at the fast food restaurant. He imagines the food (the burger representing David Lee Roth) singing and dancing (via claymation) the popular Van Halen track "Everybody Wants Some." After this daydream, he is confronted by his boss (Chuck Mitchell, of Porky's fame) as the food has burned. In another reference from the movie to popular culture, Cusack is forced to wear a chef's hat with a pig's nose and ears attached (another reference to Porky's). Van Halen is an American rock band. ... Everybody Wants Some may refer to: Everybody Wants Some!!, a song from Van Halens 1980 album Women and Children First Everybody Wants Some, a song by Danger Danger from their 1991 album Screw It! Three songs from Galactics 1998 album Coolin Off Everybody Wants Some. ... Porkys is a Canadian film about the escapades of teenagers at a 1950s fictional Angel Beach, Florida high school. ... Porkys is a Canadian film about the escapades of teenagers at a 1950s fictional Angel Beach, Florida high school. ...

As Lane attempts to either end his life or get his ex-girlfriend back, he also gets to know a new girl, whom he begins to have feelings for: the French foreign exchange student named Monique (played by Diane Franklin, who also starred in other 80's teen dra-medies The Last American Virgin, and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure). She is staying with Lane's neighbors across the street, who are so annoying that she pretends she cannot speak English. Monique turns out to be a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers (as she calls them) and a tough, confident soul. She helps Lane fix up his 1967 Camaro, and rekindles Lane's confidence and will to live through "language lessons" in the international language of love. Diane Franklin (born February 11, 1963 in Plainview, New York, United States) is an American actress. ... The Last American Virgin is a 1982 teen coming-of-age film in the same vein as Summer Break, Better Off Dead and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. ... Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989) is a comedy/science fiction film based on the idea of time travel. ... The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team that played from 1890-1957. ... Modified 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. ...

In the climactic scene involving a ski competition against the ski jock Roy Stalin, a treacherous slope called the K-12, a persistent paper boy who wants his two dollars (spawning the catchphrase, "I want my two dollars!" which has become more well-known than the film itself), and Lane racing down the mountain on one ski, he overcomes a life gone downhill to find happiness. A paperboy is the general name for a person (traditionally a preteen boy) employed by a newspaper to deliver papers to subscribers as assigned by streets and routes, often on a bicycle. ... A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is popularized, usually through repeated use, by a real person or fictional character. ...

Cast

• John Cusack as Lane Meyer
• David Ogden Stiers as Al Meyer
• Kim Darby as Jenny Meyer
• Demian Slade as Johnny Gasparini
• Scooter Stevens as Badger Meyer
• Diane Franklin as Monique Junot
• Laura Waterbury as Mrs. Smith
• Dan Schneider as Ricky Smith
• Amanda Wyss as Beth Truss
• Curtis Armstrong as Charles De Mar
• Aaron Dozier as Roy Stalin

John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American film actor and writer, born in Evanston, Illinois to a liberal Irish-Catholic family. ... David Ogden Stiers (born October 31, 1942) is an American character actor, voice actor and musician, most noted for his role in the television sitcom M*A*S*H, and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone. ... Kim Darby (born Deborah Zerby on July 8, 1947 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor who has starred in many films and appeared on many TV shows. ... Diane Franklin (born February 11, 1963 in Plainview, New York, United States) is an American actress. ... Dan Schneider (born January 14, 1966) is an American actor, writer, and producer of movies and television. ... Amanda Wyss (b. ... Curtis Armstrong (born November 27, 1953 in Detroit, Michigan, USA) is an American actor. ...

Location

At least some of the skiing scenes were shot at Snowbird, in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. During the sword fight with ski poles, you can see the word "Mid Gad" on the lift machinery. Mid Gad is a ski lift at Snowbird.

Most of the ski scenes were shot at Alta...the parking lot is Alta's parking lot.

Pop References

• In the Family Guy episode I Take Thee Quagmire, Peter rides Joan (the maid he won on Wheel of Fortune) to the store as if she were a horse and comes to a stop sign. Two Asian men pull up next to him, also riding a woman like a horse. Peter straps on goggles and gloves to race them, but the maid collapses underneath him. The ski race finale is also parodied in the Family Guy episode, Road to Rupert.
• In the episode "Asspen" of the TV series South Park, the kids go to a ski resort, and there are various references to Better off Dead and other 80's comedies, including a Roy Stalin-style bully who challenges Stan to a race down the "K-13."
• In an episode of The Simpsons, the title of this film is parodied in an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon as "Butter Off Dead."
• The film was directed by Savage Steve Holland. Before the film was produced, Holland's best known work was the animations of the Whammy characters on the TV game show Press Your Luck.

Family Guy is an American animated television series about a nuclear family in the suburb of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Road to Rupert is a season 5 episode of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. ... Asspen is episode 603 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ... South Park is an Emmy Award-winning[1] American animated television comedy series about four third/fourth-grade school boys who live in the small town of South Park, Colorado. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Savage Steve Holland is an animator and director who wrote and directed the movies Better Off Dead (1985) and One Crazy Summer (1986) and animated the Whammy on the game show Press Your Luck. ... Press Your Luck was an American television game show during the 1980s where contestants collected spins by answering trivia questions, and then used the spins on an 18-space gameboard full of cash and prizes. ...

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack was produced primarily by Rupert Hine. A number of songs that appear in the film, including Howard Jones' "Like To Get To Know You Well", Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some", Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do", Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover", Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady", Frank Sinatra singing "A Man Alone" by Rod Mckuen, and Hall & Oates' "She's Gone", do not appear on the CD soundtrack. Image File history File links Nocover. ... // In film formats, the sound track is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Better Off Dead is a 1985 comedy film, written and directed by Savage Steve Holland. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... A minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour and to 60 seconds. ... Look up second in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A&M Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Universal Music Group. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Rupert Hine (full name Rupert Neville Hine) is an English musician and also a prolific producer in the synth pop era, helming albums such as Tina Turners Private Dancer, Howard Joness Humans Lib, Sagas Worlds Apart, and The Fixx Reach the Beach. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... // In film formats, the sound track is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Rupert Hine (full name Rupert Neville Hine) is an English musician and also a prolific producer in the synth pop era, helming albums such as Tina Turners Private Dancer, Howard Joness Humans Lib, Sagas Worlds Apart, and The Fixx Reach the Beach. ... Howard Jones can refer to three different people: Howard Jones, the British pop singer. ... Van Halen is an American rock band. ... Neil Sedaka 2005 Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American pop singer, pianist, and songwriter often associated with the Brill Building. ... Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was a jazz oriented popular singer and Academy Award-winning actor. ... Hall & Oates is a popular music duo made up of Daryl Hall and John Oates. ...

The opening track, "With One Look (The Wildest Dream)", was produced by Hine and features Cy Curnin and Jamie West-Oram of The Fixx on lead vocals and guitars respectively. Hine had previously worked with Curnin and West-Oram, and also contributed vocals to the song. The following track, "Arrested By You", as well as "Better Off Dub (Title Music)" and "Race The K-12 (Instrumental)" were performed solely by Hine. The cover of The Fixs first single from 1981: Subsequently the band would change their name to The Fixx, after learning of another band with a prior claim on the name The Fix. ...

"Dancing In Isolation" features Terri Nunn of Berlin on lead vocals. Hine produced the song and was reportedly under consideration to produce an album for Berlin. Terri Nunn (born June 26, 1961 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress and singer. ... Not to be confused with the band Anberlin. ...

"Come To Your Rescue" was performed by Thinkman, a group formed by, and including, Hine for the purpose of restoring his solo career without the music press knowing about it.[1] West-Oram also provided guitar work to this song, as well as the instrumental "The Falcon Beat".

The only two tracks on the CD without Hine's involvement are "A Little Luck" and "One Way Love (Better Off Dead)."[2] Valley Girl's Elizabeth Daily, credited on the soundtrack as E.G. Daily, sang lead vocals on both songs and also performed them "live" in the film during the high school dance scene. Movie poster for Valley Girl (1983) Valley Girl is a 1983 romantic comedy movie, starring Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, E.G. Daily, Cameron Dye, and Joyce Hyser. ... Elizabeth Ann Guttman (born September 11, 1961)[1], better known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, and singer. ... Elizabeth Guttman (born September 11, 1962), better known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, and singer. ...

Track listing

1. "With One Look (The Wildest Dream)" (3:26) (written by Torrence Merdur/Rupert Hine)
2. "Arrested By You" (5:07) (written by Torrence Merdur/Rupert Hine)
3. "Shine" (3:49) (written by Martin Ansell
4. "Better Off Dub (Title Music)" (3:48) (written by Rupert Hine)
5. "Dancing In Isolation" (4:04) (written by Torrence Merdur/Rupert Hine)
6. "Come to Your Rescue" (5:03) (written by Jeanette Therese Obstoj/Rupert Hine)
7. "A Little Luck" (4:21) (written by Angela Rubin)
8. "The Falcon Beat (Instrumental)" (2:37) (written by Rupert Hine)
9. "One Way Love (Better Off Dead)" (3:33) (written by Steve Goldstein/Duane Hitchings/Craig Krampf/Eric Nelson)
10. "Race The K-12" (3:49) (written by Rupert Hine)

• Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 produced by Rupert Hine.
• Tracks 7 and 9 produced by Steve Goldstein.

External links

• Better Off Dead at the Internet Movie Database
• Fan site
• Soundtracks for Better Off Dead
• Story about the Camaro's escapades post-production
• Better Off Dead at TopTenREVIEWS