One Crazy Summer

Thus starts "One Crazy Summer", the evil twin of "Better off dead..". How can any movie be bad when the opening lines are sung by David Lee Roth?

This movie is a total blast. Pairing again John Cusack with Curtis Armstrong, but this time adding Bobcat Goldwaith to the mix has great, funny results. Hyperactive Bobcat grates the nerve of everyone around, Curtis "Ak Ak" is the son of a deranged military with pacifist tendencies, and Demi Moore (with natural breasts... wow!) as the love interest of, once again, chronically depressed Cusack.

The story is, well, simple enough. The laughs are there, but both Savage Steve Holland films have a certain quality to them... they are funny, but they are also sweet. The scene where Curtis finds a blown up doll in the target practice beach, and begins musing about how a little girl won't be able to sleep was dumb, funny and touching. The animation used throughout is quite surreal. "The Boat" is hysterical (complete with Watsamatta U. sail and Odie plush doll). Overall, a fun film, though not as good as "Better off dead..."

When I watched this movie, I wasn't quite sure what to think. It is certainly reminiscent of Better Off Dead, with many of the same cast members, similar animation scenes, and the same writer and director. I adored the animated sequences (especially the one in the very beginning!) and Cusack's performances throughout the movie, but on a whole, I feel that Better Off Dead is probably the better film. One Crazy Summer's plot is sort of all over the place. It doesn't seem like the romance is built up as much as it should have been. My least favorite part of the movie, I think, is the inclusion of the Stork Brothers. While to some people they might be considered humorous, I thought they were a horrible parody of people who are mildly retarded. Perhaps that wasn't the intent, but it definitely came off that way to my companions and myself.

In conclusion, I'd recommend this movie to big Cusack fans, but I'd also recommend keeping a remote in hand to fast forward through much of the movie.

I love this movie. Why you ask, it's because this movie has a very basic storyline: guy finds girl, guy disses girl, guy wins boat race so she can buy back her home, girl and guy find romance. Bobcat Goldwaith steals this show. Rare that I can say that, but his Godzilla impression really magnifies the wild humor to fantastic movie. Rent it now.

ONE CRAZY SUMMER (1986) ** John Cusack, Demi Moore, Bobcat Goldthwait, Joel Murray, Tom Villard, Curtis Armstrong, Mark Metcalfe, Bill Hickey. Savage Steve Holland strikes again with Cusack as an aspiring cartoonist who has a wild and wacky summer vacation with nutty friends and adventures including their half-witted attempt to help rocker Moore save her family's estate from greedy land developers. More misses than hits yet Cusack is always fun to watch with his dead pan cool deliveries.

An outstanding Cusack movie with an incredible supporting cast of Demi Moore, Bobcat Goldthwait & Curtis Armstrong (Booger from Nerds). I'm not even a Bobcat fan & he is hilarious in this movie. Also a good performance by the late Tom Villard as Bobcat's "twin". The DVD also has a commentary with Bobcat, Curtis & the films director Savage Steve Holland (Better Off Dead). You will not be disappointed.