TAPEHEADS
US, 1988, 97 minutes, Colour.
John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Doug Mc Clure, Connie Stevens, Jessica Walter, Susan Tyrell.
Directed by Bill Fishman.
Tapeheads is the story of two young men with ambitions to make videos. It is a film made by and for young adults. It starts with a home movie about the growing up of the two young men, continues with their exploiting their job as security guards and the attempts to get themselves well known in the video market field.
The film highlights the nature of the media, especially home movies, home videos, exploitative videos and the music video. By 1988, when the film was made, music videos and video clips were taken for granted. It means that, in some ways, the film is behind the times with its presentation of video clips as if they were the latest thing, as well as the spoofs on the excesses. (The genuine articles have gone far beyond these spoofs in reality.)
The film also has a pot-shot at hypocritical American morals, especially with political figures and their cover-ups (and the role of video for blackmailing purposes as well as exposure purposes). John Cusack gives an uncharacteristic performance, full of push and liveliness. Tim Robbins also plays against type, being rather withdrawn and eccentric. (One of his songs, Repave America, was later used in his Bob Roberts.) The supporting cast includes Mary Crosby as a video agency femme fatale, Clu Gulager as the hypocritical politician (and Susan Tyrrell glimpsed briefly as his nemesis), Jessica Walter as the madam, Connie Stevens and Doug Mc Clure appearing briefly as Robbins’ parents.
The film has a frantic tone, highlights the ambitions of the young men, highlights the craziness of the media world. It is often frequently amusing and, when not, hurries on to the next plot development.
1.Entertaining film about film and video? Young adults film? The media, creativity, business?
2.The American city, studios, mansions and clubs, the media? The musical score and its range? Serious music, spoofed music?
3.The significance of video and its accessibility? Home movies? Surveillance movies? Spying movies? The importance of editing, special effects? Computer graphs? MTV? Video styles, visuals, vocals?
4.The opening home movie, the passing of the decades, Ivan and Josh as children, their friendship, always being together, sharing experiences? The contrast with their parents – Ivan’s father in show business and his wariness? Josh’s parents being conventional and their not approving what he was doing? The party, his father’s attack on him? Their work as security guards, fixing up the links and the connections and obscuring the party? The partying, their being discovered, sacked? Their decision to become the Video Aces? Josh creative, Ivan businesslike? The image, dress, the collage of Ivan’s visits and his failures, people avoiding him, kicking him out?
5.Ivan and his push, image, the jargon?
6.Josh, awkward, imaginative and shy?
7.Their making the videos after getting their premises, sharing them with Belinda? The interview with the man who wanted to do the trilogy `on spec’: the group, pouring the paint on them? The more sexy ad? The looking at the chicken franchise ad – and jazzing it up as a rap ad? Photographing the dying man and his will – propping him up and moving his jaw after his death?
8.Samantha, the invitation to do the video of the group, the mess? The news of the group’s dying at the Greek theatre? The movie of the funeral, editing it with their sound effects? The acclaim, the awards, fame and contracts?
9.Norman and his political ambitions, the video with the kids? His deviant behaviour in the mansion? Nicky and the tape, the confrontation, hiding the tape? The house, its owner – the exposure and her calling her lawyers? Samantha discovering the tape, the Hit Men and their infiltration, performance? Searching for the tape? The security guards, the shoot-out? The playing of the offending tape, it going out on satellite – and President Reagan’s reaction!?
10.Belinda, her art, her letting them share the premises, relationship with Josh, anger at Samantha? The irony that she was Norman’s daughter?
11.Contracts, their going after celebrities, the black singers in the club, their discussions, their reputations, hiring them? The Hit Men arriving and the black men running away? Their turning up for the performance, satellite concert? The audience and their response?
12.The glimpses of Josh’s parents, ordinary, conventional, disapproving? At home, seeing him in the tub with Belinda, at the premiere concert?
13.The young poking fun at the so-called respectable people, behaviour of the politician, using the security guards, foul-mouth in private, threats? Being literally exposed on television?
14.Verbal humour, visual humour, video humour? How realistic? How much spoof?
