Tapeheads

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Tapeheads
Directed by Bill Fishman
Produced by Peter McCarthy
Written by Bill Fishman
Peter McCarthy
Jim Herzfeld
Ryan Rowe
Bill Fishman
Peter McCarthy
Starring John Cusack
Tim Robbins
Josh Tager

Mary Crosby
Clu Gulager
Katy Boyer
Lyle Alzado

Music by Fishbone
David Kahne
Mark Mothersbaugh
Distributed by NBC Productions
Pacific Arts Video
Release date(s) October 21, 1988
Running time 93 min.
Language English
Budget $343,786
IMDb profile

Tapeheads is a 1988 comedy film directed by Bill Fishman. The film features John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave), and Junior Walker. There are also a number of cameos including "Weird Al" Yankovic, Don Cornelius, Sy Richardson, Zander Schloss, Martha Quinn, Ted Nugent, Jello Biafra, Connie Stevens, Courtney Love, and the bands Fishbone and The Lords of the New Church. A song by Devo is performed, but other actors portray them. The movie was produced by Michael Nesmith who has a brief cameo role in the film as a bottled water delivery worker.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story follows the strange adventures of the fast-talking Ivan Alexeev (Cusack) and techno-whiz Josh Tager (Robbins) as disgruntled Los Angeles Generation Xers, who, after losing their menial jobs as corporate security guards, start their own video production company, Video Aces, as part of their quest to make a music video for their childhood heroes, the '70s soul duo - The Swanky Modes (played by Moore and Walker) but not before suffering the usual early professional setbacks, like not being paid for their work shooting videos of garden parties, obscure pop bands and funerals and being hustled by shady video producer Moe Fuzz (Cornelius.) The movie also features a fake ad spot for a real Los Angeles restaurant, Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles. Veteran actor Clu Gulager costars as a wacky yet powerful Senator and presidential candidate who, as Ivan and Josh soon discover, has plenty of skeletons hidden in his closet.

[edit] Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack includes the song "Repave America" written and performed by Tim Robbins, credited as Bob Roberts four years before that movie was released. "Repave America" also appeared in the Bob Roberts soundtrack with the lyrics slightly altered to become "Retake America".

[edit] External links