Part of Holiday Classics and Music City Mondays
Lane Meyer loves two things: skiing and his girlfriend Beth, who dumps him just before Christmas for the handsome and popular captain of his high school ski team. Burdened further by a home life of revolting family meals and a genius younger brother, a wastoid best friend ever in search of elusive “real drugs,” a stop-motion hamburger who sings Van Halen, and frequent run-ins with a paperboy and two Japanese drag-racers, Lane’s teetering mental state and failed suicide attempts are upended by the arrival of Monique, a French exchange student with eyes for him. Siskel & Ebert gave BETTER OFF DEAD two thumbs down. Too bad. A product of the ‘80s, its soundtrack features jams by Howard Jones and the aforementioned Van Halen, soundtrack work from members of Berlin and The Fixx, plus pivotal needledrops from Hall & Oates, Jimi Hendrix, and Muddy Waters.