Tapeheads (1988)

This underground comedy pairs two well-known actors with unique comic timing between them in a story of pursuing dreams amidst harsh realities. Two luckless life-long friends and suddenly unemployed security guards (Tim Robbins and John Cusack) seek to fulfill a lifelong dream try their hand at music-video production. Along the way they encounter the worst the music and television business has to offer, falling victim to a few scams and all the while clinging to their unbeatable optimism. Finally they hit upon an idea to resurrect a long-dead 1960s group, with predictably disastrous results. Blues legends Junior Walker and Sam Moore make appearances, and the soundtrack is a treat, featuring the likes of Bo Diddley and Devo. As a satire of the video age, it's hit and miss, but enough comic moments exist between the two leads to make Tapeheads an interesting diversion. --Robert Lane Amazon.com

great loved it.

I love this movie. I think I reveiwed this one before too. Any ordinary man would be given it up by now..right on. Great entertainment. loved the music. John Cusack is amazing talent. October 7, 2008

Junior Walker & Sam Moore-Great, Great Music In Here!!!!!

Wow-finally on DVD! I had this movie on LaserDisc and have replaced it with this DVD release. Wonderful music - the finale with Junior Walker and Sam Moore - two of the greatest R&B performers to have EVER walked this planet grace us here with their musical talents - great stuff! July 13, 2008

cameos, good music, young future stars, quirky fun

I liked this movie enough to replace it when I lent my VHS copy out to an acquaintance, and never got it back. Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles alone is worth the price of admission. The Swanky Mode's perfomance of "Any Ordinary Man Would've Given it Up By Now" has become my mantra whenever I feel stressed out at work, lol. Think of the Blues Brothers without the production value but still with plenty of soul and you have Tapeheads. March 7, 2008

Were the 80s really like this?

I hate to give a movie like this a star rating, simply because it veers somewhere between 1 star--for its chaotic script and annoying moments--and 5 stars for such great bits as the dinner and love making scene between Cusack's character and his date, a vampish blackmailer. At one point, he accidentally sets himself on fire while sipping drinks, and he later receives fellatio in a cemetery. It's that kind of movie. The plot doesn't matter. Only the gags do. They come so fast that you might need to watch this one twice. Made in 1988, Tapeheads seems to mock the excess of the 80s by being extremely excessive. It's not as funny as something like Airplane!, but it has the same manic energy and goofy confidence. Clearly, it's not for all tastes. Reviewers commonly cop-out and say that a movie is "X meets Y" (i.e., Kill Bill is Fist Full of Dollars meets Enter the Dragon, or some such). Allow me a similar cop-out. This movie is something like the Blues Brothers meets Weird Al Yankovich (who makes an appearance here if you can believe it). Tapeheads's problem, however, might not be a lack of orginality, but too much (to lift a line from Sunset Boulevard). As Johnny would say, this is "weird, wild stuff." April 22, 2006

John and Tim two funny guys

I came by this movie by accident at Kmart. I am a big John Cusack fan so I bought it. We must have watched this movie a dozen or more times. I did become a Swanky Mode fan. The music was fun. The part where they film the video was crazy.We laughed through the chicken commercial they made. Anyone who is a Tim Robbins and John Cusack fan will like this movie. My DVD came with the song "Ordinary Man" on a separate disk so we get to relive the music whenever we can. The songs are catchy and fun. ok, just buy it and add it to your collection. December 29, 2005

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