Better Off Dead: The Questionable John Cusack Comedy Celebrates 40 Years (4K/Blu-ray)

The Film:

40 years ago, a little comedy called "Better Off Dead" was unleashed in theaters to little fanfare. It did fine at the box office, earning about $10 million altogether, but critics were rather dismissive of the film, which subsequently slipped into a kind of obscurity among all of the similar lovesick teenager comedies of the era. However, there were still those that were able to appreciate its cliched nature and non-stop run of iffy gags, causing it to gain at least a slight cult reputation over the years, and so to celebrate its special anniversary, Paramount has given the film a grand 4K upgrade just for them. So now, as usual, it's time to go back and see if the film truly deserved to be dismissed as quickly as it was 40 years ago or if it's perhaps worth taking a second look at.

The film centers on teenager Lane Meyer (John Cusack), who is absolutely obsessed with his girlfriend Beth (Amanda Wyss). However, after Lane gets rejected for his school's ski team, she dumps him for the team's captain, Roy (Aaron Dozier). This leaves him utterly devastated, causing him to attempt suicide a few times, though never in a particularly serious manner. In an effort to win her back, Lane attempts to ski the same dangerous slope that his rival has conquered, but he's just not good enough. Meanwhile, he gets to know a foreign exchange student living next door, Monique (Diane Franklin), who just happens to be quite good at skiing. Will she be able to help Lane get good enough to potentially win back his old girlfriend, or will something else perhaps develop in the meantime?

When it comes to "Better Off Dead," it's unfortunate to have to say that the criticisms the film received upon its initial release are rather justified. There's nothing particularly wrong with its set-up, as cliched as it may be, but it's the fact that the film doesn't use it to do anything new or interesting that's the issue. In this case, it's merely used as a foundation for the film's multitude of running gags, none of which are funny in the first place, such as continual damage being done to the Meyer's family garage door, repeated attempts by a newspaper boy to collect a $2 fee, and a pair of drag racers that Lane coincidentally runs into over and over, one of which only talks like Howard Cosell from "Wide World of Sports."

The insistence on these gags that aren't working just brings about a lot of eye-rolling and a strong desire for the film to get on with its plot, of which there isn't much to speak of. Still, it tries its best in that regard. The friendship that develops between Lane and Monique is sweet, and we know that there's obviously something much more brewing there than her simply helping him become a better skier, but then it just keeps getting distracted with other strange bits, including Lane getting a job at a burger joint and having a bizarre hallucination, Lane's rather unhelpful best friend Charles, who snorts everything like it's drugs, and Lane's unusual family, consisting of more running gags like a mother who can't cook, a highly-intelligent little brother who can build lasers & rocketships, and a father who has to keep fixing the garage door.

In the end, "Better Off Dead" just doesn't work, primarily due to its unwillingness to buckle down and focus on its actual story. It gets so caught up with repeating its tiresome running gags that the most important parts of it get completely drowned out and lost. Had writer/director Savage Steve Holland been able to zero in on Lane and what he's going through, there could've been a somewhat interesting film here, one that may still have been a little cliched, but also one that was at least taking a major step in the right direction. As it is, it's just something of a mess, one that fell into obscurity pretty quickly for a reason.

Video/Audio:

This edition of "Better Of Dead" comes with the film on both 4K (2160p, UHD) and Blu-ray (1080p, HD) in 1.85:1 transfers of excellent quality. There is some noticeable grain in the transfer of both formats, but for the most part the picture has been cleaned up rather nicely. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Paramount has done a great job in both departments for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

None.

Conclusion:

Savage Steve Holland's "Better Off Dead" is a rather unfortunate mess, one that wants to tell the tale of a young man trying to win back his girlfriend, but which sadly gets drowned out in a series of unfunny running gags that seem to take over the majority of the film, ultimately causing it to have a remarkably sporadic focus and a very forgettable nature.

Score: 2.5/5

Now available on 4K/Blu-ray.

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