Tape Heads

This satire from left field starts out in high comic gear, as ex-security guards Ivan (John Cusack) and Josh (Tim Robbins) go all-out to crash the music video business (with the eventual desire to produce real "art"). But entry-level on the ground floor entails some hack work, and during the first half of the film, the boys are hilariously engaged in making fried chicken commercials, video wills, and low-budget music vids. A quirk of fate propels them into super stardom, and they land a job filming a live stage concert of Menudo (which gives them the chance to push their teenage idols, the Swanky Modes--played by Sam Moore and Junior Walker--into the limelight). Although the second half of the film drags under the weight of a ridiculous subplot involving a plan to expose a Presidential candidate who likes to be spanked, Tape Heads is still one of the most unique comedies of the season. Veering crazily between dead-on satire of the music business, and corny slapstick, it manages to stay on track enough to reward the curious viewer. Recommended for larger fiction collections. (R. Pitman)