Rating: 2.5/5
Ivan (John Cusack) and Josh (Tim Robbins), best friends since childhood, have a small fling for Josh’s birthday before going to their job as security guards. Ivan surprises Josh at work with a party with strangers as guests. Josh films it from the camera station and edits in real time to Betamax, cutting a sort of music video.
Their on-site boss catches and fires them. The boys hit the bar and ease their woes with beer and RVTV on the tube. Josh claims he could make better videos than what’s on TV. Ivan sees a business opportunity, and they form Video Aces, a music video production company.
They “rent” a free warehouse from some rich girl who makes art with shotguns and blowtorches. They make commercials and music videos, looking for that big break.
The movie has several fake shows and commercials, such as a commercial for one of those money books, Prosperity Through Exploitation.
The movie isn’t funny, but it got better as I got higher. If it’s trying to satirize or reference MTV culture, it feels like the filmmakers were adults when MTV debuted. So, their understanding of what the youth want is flawed (hint: it isn’t reunion shows of un-famous bands).
But if you can ignore how clever it thinks it is, it becomes mindless eye candy — tons of cameos and some odd music videos. One video is just voyeuristic zoom-ins on women’s asses.
- I keep seeing Doug McClure in things!
- Weird Al has a brief cameo where he shoves a door in John Cusack’s face. Jessica Walter!