John Cusack Once Named the Film He Couldn’t Stand

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I first discovered John Cusack in the hilarious teen comedy Better Off Dead back in 1985. It was directed by Savage Steve Holland, and I’ve been a fan ever since!

The movie centers on Lane Meyer, played by Cusack, as he deals with a difficult breakup and complicated family issues. While intended to showcase Cusack’s acting ability, he later expressed significant dissatisfaction with the final product.

Holland recounted that John Cusack left a screening of Better Off Dead about 20 minutes into the film and didn’t return, while they were working on One Crazy Summer. He shared this story with The Sneeze.

When John Cusack came back to the movie set, he apparently told director Savage Steve Holland that Better Off Dead was the worst film he’d ever seen and that he would never work with Holland again, refusing to even speak to him. This caused a tense environment, and they didn’t collaborate on any projects after One Crazy Summer.

Although John Cusack was initially disappointed with how the film was received, it later became a beloved cult classic thanks to its unique, dreamlike humor and nostalgic 1980s feel. It received mixed reviews from critics at first, with Siskel & Ebert both giving it negative reviews. However, the movie is now praised for its originality and currently has a 75% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Cusack later admitted he’d been too critical of the movie. In a 2013 Reddit Q&A, he explained, “I just thought it could have been better—I feel that way about most of my films. I don’t have anything against it, and I’m glad people still enjoy it.”

Today, Better Off Dead is celebrated as a quirky and memorable teen comedy, and it played a key role in launching John Cusack’s career in 1980s films.

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2025-12-29 11:21