Better Off Dead

John Cusack.

I had to see this movie - I loved it when it came out in the 80's and I love it now. (Wait a minute - I just wrote that in my blog post for Cinema Paradiso . . . oh well, it's true for both)

While the clothing does appear dated (definitely 80's) but the themes are not - teenage years, obsessive crush on girl, school bully, terrifying newspaper boy.

In fact, there is no such thing as a paper boy any more. That's a rather sad commentary on our culture. Regardless, though, perhaps this movie could be seen as a period piece, of the intrisically bizarre alternative universe of the ReaganEighties . . .

whatever - it's funny. It's funny in a deadpan funny. It's John Cusack funny. It's littered with oddball characters who simply enhance the hapless anti-hero, who can't seem to kill himself in any halfway decent fashion . . . even his parents and his little brother (who is a supergenius who never speaks) augment the insanity of his world. In fact, what makes it so funny is that he IS the only sane one in this world, and he's trying to kill himself OUT of it.

And what I have to tell everybody about the premise an the title is that it is nowhere near as morbid as any explanation would make it seem to be. It IS indeed a movie that you really should watch.

Even if just for the tentacle trying to climb its way out of his mom's cooking pot.

Just remember the tag line "TWOOOOO DOLLLLARS!!!"

Once you see this movie, that will become two of the most terrifying words you'll ever hear!

VG