Customer Reviews

Tapeheads [VHS]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

See this movie for the Roscoe's Waffles and Chicken restaurant video, if for no other reason. Roscoe was played by King Cotton, a portly, snowy-haired, senior citizen, white guy rapper who appeared (very) briefly in the 80's. You have to see it to believe it. I bought the soundtrack because of this song.

What there is of a storyline doesn't make much sense, but that's half the fun. Josh (Tim Robbins) is an aspiring moviemaker who has talent, but no ambition. His friend, Ivan (John Cusack) has PLENTY of ambition. After they lose their jobs as security guards, they decide to go into business for themselves. Unfortunately, their paying gigs are for funerals, and the only creative work they can find is "on spec."

Josh and Ivan idolize an old, out of work R&B duo, the Swanky Modes. When Josh and Ivan meet the Swanky Modes in a bar, they realize it's their golden opportunity. They just have to get the Swanky Modes back on stage...

One of my favorite scenes is in the bar, when they ask for another drink. The bartender intends to cut them off, and tells them they can't have another unless they can recite the alphabet backwards, with one eye covered, and in sign language. They get their drinks.

Throw in some Menudo jokes (if you don't remember Menudo, think five fourteen-year-old Ricky Martins), a Bruce Lee type catfight, and some truly hilarious videos, and you've got Tapeheads.

The chemistry between Cusack and Robbins is readily apparent in this off-beat comedy. The film is full of clever, yet not-so-obvious sight-gags including the casting of Zander Schloss as both a heavy-metal fan and an R&B concert-goer.

Sam Moore and Junior Walker pair up as the fictitious band "The Swanky Modes" adding a number of very soulful tunes to the soundtrack. To quote Josh & Ivan in the movie "We love the Swanky Modes."

This movie showcases the talents of Michael Nesmith mirroring the same quirky humor that made the "Monkees" television show so hilarious. The central focus of this movie is the growing music video industry during the eighties. This movie is a parody of the what the industry was like and how to two guys could make it big. John Cusak and Tim Robbins play two buddies that have dreams of making it big in the video business. They each contribute their own brand of humor. John is the slick entrepenuer and Tim is the naive but talented producer. After getting fired they decide to go into the video business. They find the business to be challenging but never allow themselves to give up. They are motivated by their love for the "Swanky Modes" (Sam Moore and Junior Walker). Nesmith uses so many funny little quirks throughout this movie that you will need to watch it at least two more times to catch everything. Each time you watch it, it gets funnier and funnier. The film is strengthened by a cast of cameos by artists such as Ted Nugent and Don Cornelius as "Moe Fuzz, President of Fuzzball Records". The film also boasts a great soundtrack. This movie is a must for anyone's collection if you are a fun of quirky humor like "Airplane" and even the "Marx Brothers".

This movie is hysterical. No other word can adequately describe this movie. John Cusack and Tim Robbins have excellent chemistry as two best friends. The handshake is enough to make you want to watch this movie. The one-liners in this movie are classic. Perfect example: The fellas ask for another drink, and the bartender says, "Brothers Against Drunk Driving have been busting my a**. So you need to have a sobriety test." The fellas say, "Ok, ok what is it?" Bartender says, "Say the alphabet backwards, skipping all the vowels, and give me the sign language version for each letter as you go past." The fellas just whip through it like they do that every day. It was beautiful. I practiced that for hours when I tended bar...

Bottom line. This movie is great. You will laugh and laugh and laugh, then be amazed that Wierd Al is in the movie, then laugh and laugh...

What is "funny" to one person may or may not be funny to another.

If you're expecting non-stop, slap-stick hijinks ala Jim Carrey - you will be extremely disappointed.

This is a lot of subtle, dead-pan, insider humor - most of it requires some knowledge of the music industry, as others have said. I *do* find the film to be very funny - for me, it was one of those movies that you watched with a buddy, and then go around and incorporate lines from it for several years to come - actually, we still do.

It works from the aspect of being a buddy movie - two better "buddy" characters, in terms of believabilty, you'd be hard pressed to find. It also works as a film that creates this absolutely ridiculous world for these characters to live in - yet they generally accept that that's just the way things are - though there's a great scene where the characters look at the camera, as if to acknowledge the absolutely ludicrous nature of the situation to the viewer. Again - that's funny, to me.

As for the actual jokes, it's not going to be a movie that makes you shoot milk out of your nose - well, there are some parts that might - but it's still "funny" nonetheless. The characters are wonderful, the cameos are great, the writing and dialogue are sharp as a tack, and the performances are truly great from the entire cast - even down to the burned out rocker at the Menudo concert.

And the commentary track on the DVD was entertaining to me. It did explain most of what they were going for - most of which I got... though some of the stories about the set design were quite amusing, and had escaped me.

Then again, if you need a joke explained to you, is it funny?

Bottom line: A fun little indie-type film that remains subtle even while drowning in a sea of absolute nonsense.

Best advice: Go rent it first, if you're on the fence. If you like it, then I'd buy it.

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.

Wittier than most low-budget comedies, this scruffy little gem has all but been forgotten by movie-goers. Too bad, it's entertaining, immensely likeable, and even kind of inspiring, (Cusack's character is brimming with confidence and a warm sense of positivity). Lots of genuinely funny moments, a terrific soundtrack, and great chemistry between the cast members make 'TAPEHEADS' worth a look for those who prefer their comedy offbeat.

This is one of my personal favorites. This humorous film wanders a bit, but somehow always manages to tie off its loose ends. It is visually pleasing, the soundtrack is excellent and John Cusack and Tim Robbins let you truly believe that two underachieving losers can make it big in the video music industry.

The comical scenes are so numerous that they can't all be mentioned. Tapeheads takes potshots at rent-a-cops, heavy metal groupies, oversexed (and corrupt) politicians and Mexican boy bands just to name a few. The scenes with the rappin' grandfather named "Roscoe" (who is a cross between "the Colonel" and "Waffle House") are the icing on the cake.

It's a rags to riches story. It's an epic music video. It's a portrayal of America's inept youth. And throughout the film's myriad scenes, you're repeatedly bombarded with great comedy.

This one's really a gem.

Tapeheads is a little-known gem that I have treasured for some time now.

After Josh and Ivan lose their jobs as security guards, they decide to open up a video production business. They get the standard awful gigs, taping parties, pet seances, etc. until a twist of fate makes them the hottest music video producers around.

This movie is the reason Devo re-recorded their hit "Baby Doll" in Swedish, and it also has a lot of other great music plus great cameos.

Once you watch this, you'll be a Swanky Modes fan for life.

Ah, great comedy. 15 years or so ago when this thing was showing in Tokyo, I wend there with my girlfriend, and nobody else was in the theater. We thought we might take advantage of the situation to pursue other activities... but then we ended up laughing so hard that we couldn't posssibly do anything else.

The movie makes fun of the video industry, and part of the charm of this movie is the part where Cusak and Robbins go out to make cheap videos for third rate bands. I guess the writers really had fun in deliberately trying to create horrible songs. The whole movie is cheaply made, but the creators know it, and they take full advantage of it by making cheap fun of everything in the way. If you can take a joke, you'll enjoy this