4/22/2010

Lane Meyer, Cinematic Soulmate

Technically, yes I am a child of the eighties. But that was eons ago when I could barely speak or walk on two legs. Recently I was asked to review a non-auteur film. I wracked my brain and out of sheer love (and laziness), I decided to churn out a small love letter to Better Off Dead (1985).

The film was directed by Savage Steve Holland. It stars John Cusack as Lane Meyer, a Colorado teen pushed to a series of unsuccessful but extremely comic suicide attempts after his perfect girlfriend Beth dumps him. It was originally written as a drama, but when the script was shown to people, they succumbed to fits of laughter. Its deadpan tone and surrealistic animation sequences (especially the hamburger stop-motion sequence) makes this a unique gem from the eighties film vault. I don't care if John Cusack doesn't want to talk about this film; nonetheless, it will make you laugh until you cry. And it has a happy ending, proving true love is out there for everyone, even hapless dreamers that can't ski the K-12. 

Find the youtube of the hamburger sequence below for your enjoyment. :)



Where is my modern day Lane Meyer, a hopeless romantic willing to mold hamburger puppet sequences for me?

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