Imagine you are a film producer, and a film you produced 38 years ago–in 1985–had traditional distribution challenges, but then you wake up one day in 2023 and your film is ranked in the top five on Apple TV +.
This is exactly what happened to SCAD film and television professor Andrew Meyer, who was an executive producer on the ’80s cult classic “Better Off Dead.”
“I woke up to this, and it came out of nowhere. It was also picked up on Paramount+, Showtime Anytime, and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hulu, among others,” said Meyer.
“Better Off Dead” starred John Cusack in one of his breakout roles as Lane, a heartbroken teenager who has lost the will to live after a breakup.
“It's like ‘The Breakfast Club,’” said Meyer. “There's somebody to relate to in the movie, and everybody could relate to being dumped by a partner and it's just really funny.”
In the movie, when Lane’s former girlfriend finds a new love interest, he joins forces with French exchange student Monique and his best friend Charles on a mission that pushes him to find the will to live again.
SCAD will present a cast/crew reunion and screening, along with a conversation about the ’80s comedy at the university’s historic Trustees Theatre on April 28 at 7:00 p.m.
“This event is a rare opportunity to see this epic '80s film on the big screen and hear stories from the iconic stars who were so instrumental in keeping it alive across multiple generations," said Meyer. "I can't wait to experience this classic film with my students at SCAD at the Trustees Theater….”
This special screening is part of the university’s ongoing SCAD Cinema Circle programming which looks to bring award-winning, innovative films to Savannah from all over the world.
The film has rarely been screened over the years. Occasionally, some members of the cast will host different midnight screenings of the film with a following of fans that has formed over the decades. But, more recently, audiences have discovered the film through clips on YouTube.
Meyer said perhaps it is the relatable power of the story that keeps audiences–young and old–engaged with the film.
“People are still relating to the story and watching it. That universal theme for one is the concept of somebody being so obsessed with someone and having dumped them and how they react in a very comedic fashion,” said Meyer.
Meyer will introduce the film and join a special Q&A with the film’s director, Savage Steve Holland, and stars, including Diane Franklin (Monique), Amanda Wyss (Beth), Curtis Armstrong (Charles De Mar), and other special guests, moderated by fellow professor of film and television Michael Chaney.
“What a thrill it is to be invited to the ‘Better Off Dead’ screening at SCAD. As an actor and acting teacher, this is the perfect opportunity to tell my ‘Monique stories,’ as well as give SCAD students advice on how to pursue their own dreams,” said actress, author and educator Diane Franklin.
Also, the iconic 1967 Chevy Camaro that featured heavily in the film will be parked outside Trustees Theater beginning at 5 p.m. on April 28.
Meyer, who also served as executive producer on “The Breakfast Club,” went on to produce other hit films such as the Oscar nominated “Fried Green Tomatoes.” But he said, up until January “Better Off Dead” was–pretty much–out of his life. The last time Meyer said he joined some of the cast for a midnight screening of the film was about ten years ago in Pasadena, Ca.
“We're going to have the cast there, and we're going to have generations of SCAD students, their parents and some grandparents coming. It's just so fun for me to have this kind of reward all of these years later,” said Meyer, who is looking forward to sharing the film with old and new fans.
The film was written and directed by then 24 year-ol dHolland, (his first film) who went on to have a fruitful career in film and television. Meyer was impressed by a short film that Holland created called “My 11 Year Old Birthday Party,” which featured animation alongside live-action.
“I watched the short, and I just thought it was great. I said to him let's make a movie. We got together and wrote the script for “Better Off Dead,” said Meyer.
It took three years for Meyer to convince someone to allow Holland, a newly graduated animation major, to direct the live action feature. Eventually someone did grant permission and backed the project.
“I finally did find somebody to put up a couple of million dollars and make it with John Cusack and a lot of the character actors who are famous now from the movie,’ said Meyer.
As soon as they finished the film, the production company (CBS Films) went out of business, and though there was money to create the film, this left them without a distributor for the film for nearly 40 years.
“It makes me so happy that this film is still being celebrated,” added Franklin.
Tickets for the April 28 screening can be purchased at the Savannah Box Office, 216 E. Broughton St., online at savannahboxoffice.com, or by phone at 912-525-5050.
