Better Off Dead...

Synopsis

High school student Lane Meyer sinks into suicidal depression when his girlfriend dumps him for jock Roy Stalin, the high school ski racing champion. Meanwhile, he has to deal with his eccentric family, a tenacious paperboy and an obnoxious neighbor whose mother is hosting a beautiful French exchange student named Monique.

Trailer

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Cast

John Cusack

Lane Meyer

Amanda Wyss

Beth Truss

Diane Franklin

Monique Junot

—

Aaron Dozier

Roy Stalin

Curtis Armstrong

Charles De Mar

David Ogden Stiers

Al Meyer

Kim Darby

Jenny Meyer

Demian Slade

Johnny Gasparini

—

Laura Waterbury

Mrs. Smith

Dan Schneider

Ricky Smith

Yuji Okumoto

Yee Sook Ree

Brian Imada

Chen Ree

—

Scooter Stevens

Badger Meyer

Chuck Mitchell

Rocko

—

Frank Burt Avalon

Roy's Ski Buddy #1

Vincent Schiavelli

Mr. Kerber

Taylor Negron

Mailman

E. G. Daily

Elizabeth Daily

—

Joe W. Davis

Roy's Ski Buddy #2 (as J. Warren David)

—

Peter Ellenstein

Roy's Ski Buddy #3

Crew

Art

• Gary Moreno Set Decoration
• Herman F. Zimmerman Production Design
• Bud Peifer Jr. Assistant Property Master
• Art Lipschultz Property Master
• Drew Struzan Art Designer

Camera

• Isidore Mankofsky Director of Photography
• Jim Dunford Dolly Grip
• Frank M. Holgate Second Unit Director of Photography
• Jan Gould Grip
• Tom Kessenich Key Grip
• Rick Neff Camera Operator
• Frederick Hamm Second Assistant Camera
• Malcolm Brown First Assistant Camera

Costume & Make-Up

• Georgina Williams Hairstylist
• James R. Scribner Makeup Artist
• Brad R. Loman Costume Design
• David Roester Costumer

Crew

• Bill McIntosh Stunts
• Tom Morga Stunts
• Bill Hart Stunts
• Jean Coulter Stunts
• Wally Rose Stunts
• Keith Harvey Stunts
• Johnny Hock Stunts
• A. Michael Lerner Stunts
• Greg Wayne Elam Stunts
• George Fisher Stunts
• Wayne King Stunts
• Harvey Parry Stunts

Directing

• Savage Steve Holland Director
• Maria Lease Script Supervisor
• Yudi Bennett First Assistant Director
• Jann Dutmer Second Assistant Director
• Fred Lerner Second Unit Director

Editing

• Alan Balsam Editor
• Nancy Forner Associate Editor

Lighting

• Jake Jarrell Gaffer

Production

• William Strom Associate Producer
• Caro Jones Casting
• Andrew Meyer Executive Producer
• Michael Jaffe Producer
• Gil Friesen Executive Producer
• Huw Davies Location Manager
• Jack Clements Unit Production Manager

Sound

• Rupert Hine Original Music Composer
• Richard Tyler Sound Re-Recording Mixer
• Dick Vandenberg Sound Effects Editor
• John L. Mack Sound Re-Recording Mixer
• William Hooper Supervising Sound Editor
• Don MacDougall Sound Re-Recording Mixer
• Bud Alper Sound Mixer
• Gene Ashbrook Boom Operator
• Ted Roberts Music Editor
• David Anderle Music Supervisor

Visual Effects

• Bill Kopp Animation
• Jimmy Picker Animation

Writing

• Savage Steve Holland Writer

Photos