Clare's Rating: 2 out of 2 swanky modes.
Clare's Review: This movie is juvenile. It's kinda gross. There's poop jokes and sex jokes and lots of T and A. Basically, it's a masterpiece.

But seriously folks. Tapeheads is the age old tale of two best friends who get fired from their crappy jobs and with nothing to lose try to make it big as video directors. The story isn't really that important since it's the parade of blink and you'll miss them sight gags, cameos and in jokes that really keep the movie, well, moving. Plus, Tim Robbins and John Cusack play the two best friends, Ivan and Josh and their friendship appears to be 100% genuine (not that there's much that's genuine about this very tongue and cheek script). Josh (Robbins) is the creative force of the production company (Video Aces) while Ivan (Cusack) is the one who does the leg work to get them gigs- any gigs - on their slow road to fame and fortune. Add to this a motown duo called the Swanky Modes who Ivan and Josh idolize, a high level politician's tawdry bedroom habits, a customer who dies in the middle of filming his "living" will and the fact that Menudo actually plays a key role in these shenanigans and you get the overall picture. The one liners, zings and witty repartee fly at a furious pace and really you can't help but root for these two idiots as they make their way to the big time.

Didja Notice?
Oh my god it's cameo city. Try to stay with me here. Motown legends Sam Moore and Junior Walker are the Swanky Modes. Then there's Don "Soul Train" Cornelius as the record exec who gives Video Aces their big break and Lyle Alzado as Thor. Throw in a little Sy Richardson, Martha Quinn, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jello Biafra (in a role that will surprise you!!), Weird Al Yankovic, Ted Nugent, Doug E. Fresh, Michael Nesmith (ex-Monkee and executive producer of this fine film) and Fishbone (playing a band called Ranchbone) for good measure then top it off with (according to the IMDb) a little Courtney Love action in there somewhere for added flavor, chill and serve.
Lots of stuff during the end credits

The Movie Store!
Tapeheads: Movie [VHS]
Tapeheads: Movie [DVD]

Intermission!
This movie marks the feature film debut of Bob Roberts a character Tim Robbins created and later developed into a movie (called Bob Roberts) that everyone should see in which a certain Mr. John Cusack has a cameo role.

Tapeheads is the only movie I know about wherein John Cusack has a love scene with R rated nudity in it (read "boobies"). If you know of some OTHER movie with John Cusack and nudity (and he's involved) I'll love you forever if you tell me what it is (because I'm filthy and disgusting).

In the Jackie Chan flick Rush Hour, Asian tourists ask Jackie how to get to Rosco's Chicken and Waffles, a fictitious restaurant made up for this movie. (Reader Douglas Burton wrote in: "Wonderful review of Tapeheads. I noticed one error, however. In the intermission section, you state, 'In the Jackie Chan flick Rush Hour, Asian tourists ask Jackie how to get to Rosco's Chicken and Waffles, a fictitious restaurant made up for this movie'. This isn't the case. Rosco's Chicken and Waffles was established in Hollywood in 1975 and now has three locations in the LA area. More information is at http://www.chickenandwaffles.com.")

If anyone can tell me why Jello Biafra's appearance in this film is utterly genius and hilarious, I will lavish you with all sorts of praise and affection for knowing your punk rock history.

Groovy Quotes

FBI agent: Remember what we did to Jello Biafra?

Mo Fuzz: All good things come in threes.
Josh: It's not good things. It's celebrity deaths that come in threes.

Ivan: You look ravishing and I'd like to chew on your thighs.
Samantha: I thought we had a professional relationship.
Ivan: So I'll pay.

Ivan: You, you've got no ambition! You're content just existing! You need what I've got, brother.
Josh: Herpes?

[Ivan & Josh explain their tardiness to their security boss]
Ivan: Anybody else who'd save Pablo Casales - perhaps the greatest cellist in the world with the possible exception of Yo-Yo Ma - from a fiery car wreck on Sunset Boulevard would be bragging about it, but not Josh. He didn't want to spoil the 11 o'clock news for you.
Norton: Don't bullsh** me. I'm a big cello fan! Casales died years ago!

Ditzy video girl: Teach me to read!

If you liked this movie, try these:
Being John Malkovich
Bull Durham
This Is Spinal Tap

Soundtrack Review
The soundtrack is a who's who of bands Clare loves. There's a bunch of Swanky Modes stuff that's real smooth and cool (real life motown legends - yes that's their official title - Sam Moore and Junior Walker are truly worthy of all the praise they get in this film). In contrast to this there's tracks by old school punk bands The Circle Jerks (yahoo!!), Fishbone (yeehaw!), the Dead Kennedys (oh yeah!) and everyone's favorite can't fit them into a category band They Might Be Giants (woo hoo!!). Plus a Devo song is covered at length by fake band Cube Squared.