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Tapeheads

Tapeheads is a 1988 comedy film directed by Bill Fishman and starring John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Sam Moore and Junior Walker. The film was produced by Michael Nesmith, who briefly appears as a bottled water delivery man.

Tapeheads
Original film poster
Directed byBill Fishman
Written byBill Fishman
Peter McCarthy
Produced byPeter McCarthy
Michael Nesmith
Starring
CinematographyBojan Bazelli
Edited byMondo Jenkins
Music byFishbone
Production
company
Distributed byAvenue Pictures[a]
Release dates
  • January 22, 1988 (1988-01-22) (U.S. Film Festival)
  • October 21, 1988 (1988-10-21) (United States)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million[1]
Box office$343,786

The film premiered at the U.S. Film Festival on January 22, 1988, with De Laurentiis Entertainment Group attached as distributor and a tentative release date of March 1988. However, due to financial concerns, distribution rights reverted to NBC Productions, which sold them to Avenue Pictures. The film was ultimately released on October 21, 1988 and was pulled from theaters only two weeks into its theatrical run. A poll of theater patrons by Avenue concluded that the film's underperformance could be attributed to the company's marketing campaign, which was described as "too hip and selective" and aimed to promote the film as more of a slapstick comedy.[1]

Plot

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After losing their jobs as security guards, best friends Ivan and Josh start a music video production company called "Video Aces". When they meet their childhood heroes, 1970s soul duo Swanky Modes, Ivan and Josh concoct a scheme to give them a new audience by hijacking a Menudo concert, getting them to perform in Menudo's place, and broadcasting it live across the country on a television satellite hook-up.

The movie also features a fake ad spot for a real Los Angeles restaurant, Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles. Notable appearances in the film include: Mary Crosby, of the soap opera Dallas; character actors Clu Gulager and Doug McClure; football player Lyle Alzado; 1960s actress Connie Stevens; Soul Train host Don Cornelius; singer Courtney Love; Navasota singer King Cotton; original "Human Beat-Box" Doug E. Fresh; ska-punk band Fishbone (who also perform the incidental score) as "Ranchbone"; The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church singer Stiv Bators; Ted Nugent; "Weird Al" Yankovic; and Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra, in a cameo as an FBI agent.

Cast

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Soundtrack

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The music supervisor for the film was Nigel Harrison. The soundtrack album was released on Island Records.

No.TitleArtistLength
1."Ordinary Man"Swanky Modes (Sam Moore and Junior Walker)2:53
2."Roscoe's Rap"King Cotton4:26
3."Surfer's Love Chant"Bo Diddley4:56
4."You Hooked Me Baby"Swanky Modes3:32
5."Betcher Bottom Dollar"Swanky Modes2:20
6."Baby Doll (Sung in Swedish)"Devo3:36
7."Slow Bus A-Movin' (Howard's Beach Party)"Fishbone ("Ranchbone")2:39
8."Audience for My Pain"Swanky Modes4:22
9."Language of Love"Swanky Modes3:00
10."Ordinary Man (Can't Keep a Good Man Down Mix)"Swanky Modes4:19

The film's soundtrack (but not the soundtrack album) 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".

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10.[2]

Notes

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  1. ^ De Laurentiis Entertainment Group was credited as distributor at the film's premiere at the U.S. Film Festival[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "AFI|Catalog".
  2. ^ "Tapeheads". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 4, 2022.  
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