DVD Corner

Better Off Dead 4K UHD Review

“Better Off Dead” is an oddball black comedy. 

Written and directed by Savage Steve Holland, 1985’s “Better Off Dead” is a black comedy/teen comedy set in the small Northern Cali town of Greendale. The story revolves around Lane- a ski enthusiast and cartoonist who has a girlfriend (Beth) that he adores. His life goes up in flames, however, when Beth dumps him for a rival ski hunk (Roy). Lane becomes distraught and suicidal, but things begin to look up when he meets a French foreign exchange student Monique (who is staying with the loathsome Ricky and his mother). In typical 80’s movie fashion, Lane is challenged by Roy to ski the K-12. Can Lane prove his worth as a skier? Will he find love with Monique? Will Beth take him back? All is revealed in the end. 

Savage Steve Holland is best known for his 2 comedy films with John Cusack- “One Crazy Summer” (which is the better of the two in my opinion) and the now cult classic “Better Off Dead.” While there were certainly many better teen comedy films in the 80’s (namely the work of John Hughes), “Better Off Dead” does stand out in the pack with its blend of black comedy about depression and suicide and it’s strange and surreal humor involving everything from an aggressive paper boy to a Van Halen cartoon burger musical number. The film is littered with strange cartoony moments as the plot navigates Lane’s teenage love life. It doesn’t always mix well together and it feels like a lot goes unexplored (we never really get an understanding of why Lane loved Beth and Beth is essentially a non-character here). Still, there’s enough weird gags here to warrant a viewing at least. 

On the cast side, John Cusack shines as Lane. It’s far from his best 80’s work (that would be “Say Anything”), but he does a good job leading the comedic flick. Curtis Armstrong (best known for “Revenge Of The Nerds”) steals every scene he is in as Lane’s Jello snorting friend Charles. He should have been in the film more to be honest. Diane Franklin is positively charming as Monique. It feels like she should have had more scenes as well.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? Fans can expect a quality new upgrade. The colors are sharper and the image quality is noticeably better (especially during the ski sequences).

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The 5.1 track is quite satisfactory. The soundtrack really pops here.

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Blu-ray copy
* Theatrical trailer (on the Blu-ray).

August 31, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | 80's Movie, 80's Teen Comedy, Better Off Dead 4K UHD Review, John Cusack, Savage Steve Holland