Tapeheads

John Cusack and Tim Robbins have worked together numerous times. Most of the time one of them was the star while the other had a smaller role. One film however had both of them front and center and showed that they had the makings of a great comedy team, 1988's Tapeheads.

Cusack and Robbins play Ivan and Josh, two guys in their early twenties who are tired of the rat race and dead end jobs and decide to break into the music video biz. Remember, this was 1988 and MTV was still showing music videos. They start a company called Video Aces. At first, things look bleak with the two shooting videos for parties, video wills, and music videos on spec, aka for free, for a record producer named Mo Fuzz, the late host of Soul Train, Don Cornelius. When one of their clients, a metal band, dies in a plane crash, everyone is clamoring to see their final video. Ivan accidentally puts a funeral they shot over the music and everyone thinks they are artistic genius'. Now the two are the toast of the town and get the opportunity to shoot a concert of their idols, The Swanky Modes, Sam Moore and Junior Walker. They also unknowingly are in possession of a tape that has a Senator, Clu Gulager, having sex with two prostitutes, Susan Tyrell and Courtney Love. His men are gunning for Ivan and Josh and it could mean lights out before the two get to film the big show.

Cusack and Robbins work well off one another. I wish they had more films together where they were a comedy team. The film is chock full of musician cameos including Weird Al Yanovic, Ted Nugent, Fishbone, Jello Biafra, King Cotton, and Stiv Bators. The film was directed and cowritten by Bill Fishman, a former music video, and coproduced by former Monkee Michael Nesmith, two guys who defiantely know the music biz.

I love this movie. It always makes me laugh everytime I watch it.

It's available on dvd.