Check the Tape

Aug 29, 2013 at 4:00 am

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Bill Fishman's cult film Tapeheads is a marvel of late-'80s filmmaking. Is it a parody of MTV, or a slyly subversive tribute to MTV's ability to make stars of the least talented people imaginable? Twenty-five years later and it's still a tough call to make. John Cusack and Tim Robbins play Ivan and Josh, two would-be video auteurs who complement each other's weaknesses. Josh is the creative genius, and Ivan has the slippery business mentality. Through sheer dumb luck, the duo film the very last video of rising band the Blender Children-- it's the last because the band is killed during the making of said video. Josh and Ivan immediately become hot properties, and they use their heat to revive the career of their favorite R&B duo, the Swanky Modes. Tapeheads screens at 8 p.m. at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood; 314-968-7487 or www.webster.edu/filmseries).
Wed., Sept. 4, 2013