Better Off Dead… * (1985, John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers, Kim Darby, Amanda Wyss, Demian Slade, Aaron Dozier) – Classic Movie Review 10,707

Writer-director Savage Steve Holland’s aimless but sometimes amusing 1985 teen comedy Better Off Dead… stars John Cusack as teenager Lane Meyer, who has a crush on his girlfriend Beth Truss (Amanda Wyss) but has girlfriend trouble.

When Lane loses his girl to the boorish captain of the ski team Roy Stalin (Aaron Dozier), he decides that he’d be better off dead, and decides to commit suicide. But he gives up and tries to improve his skier skill and challenges Roy to a downhill race to win Beth back.

There are a few funny gags at the start, and a few smiles to be found later on, while the young Cusack gives an appealing star turn, but that is more or less all that this film has to offer.

Also in the cast are David Ogden Stiers, Kim Darby, Demian Slade, Curtis Armstrong, Scooter Stevens, Diane Franklin, Laura Waterbury and Amanda Wyss.

Cusack and Holland went on to make One Crazy Summer (1986) together.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,707

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