Top 5 Films - Take 1: The John Cusack Collection

For your weekend enjoyment (and perhaps to aide in your DVD selections?) I humbly present the first in a series of Magical M's Top 5 Films.

*insert fanfare*

Given I watched one of these today, I thought I would start this series with an homage to one of the greatest teen actors to make the transition to adult actor.

Now these five films are in no particular order. I did try to rank them, but I kept swapping them around and changing my mind and I started to wig out.

So here we are. The John Cusack Collection.

First up we have One Crazy Summer.

Also starring Demi Moore (who sings!), Joel Murray (brother of Bill), Bobcat Goldthwait (master of the shoutspeak), Curtis Armstrong (mid-Moonlighting) and Jeremy Piven (who is an Evanston Illinois alumni of the Cusack's and has been in about ten films with JC over the years).

Written and directed by Savage Steve Holland. I've mentioned him before. Very clever guy.

Basic plotline revolves around our hero Hoops McCann spending the summer on Nantucket with an odd assortment of friends, who decide to take on the cute and fuzzy bunnies who are trying to destroy their happiness. Naturally they win.

Secondly, we have another Savage Steve Holland film... Better Off Dead.

John plays Lane Myer, who is obsessed with his girlfriend of six months Beth, to the point where she is literally all he ever thinks about. Of course true to form, she dumps him for the ski team champ, Roy, and he becomes obsessed with ending it all. Then along comes Monique, the funky French foreign exchange student.

You do the math as to what happens.

Curtis Armstrong also pops up in this one playing Lane's nutty best friend who wears a top hat and is obsessed with snorting stuff. His assessment of the street value of pure snow is a classic.

Now this next film may be slightly controversial... Sixteen Candles.


Technically this is not a "John Cusack film". But he (and sister Joan - a true comic genius) steal the show with their portrayals of two of the nerdiest characters.

Want proof?

He's the one on the left. The other one really is a geek.

John made his character Bryce (one of Farmer Ted's geek buddies) into one of the nerds you'd probably actually date. Well I would have.

Joan's nameless neck-braced character had me in stiches with her drinking attempts, both at the water fountain and at Jake's party. You can't see it in that picture, but the embroidered woman on her sweater has a lacy skirt which contributes to a lot of the sight gags.

Talented family.

Now we have True Colours. Or Colors if you're American and can't spell correctly.


John Cusack teams up with the ultimate 80s teen slimebag - James Spader. He's another post in himself. But for once, John's character is the slimier of the two. Nice deviation from the "All American Nice Guy" rep he was getting.

Oh and this film also stars Mandy Patinkin. What a great actor. He'll pop up again in a Top 5. Trust me.

Finally, we have Grosse Point Blank.


Another John/Joan/Jeremy collaboration. With Minnie Driver (who - dare I say it - I actually like) and Dan Ackroyd to boot.

Yes. I like Minnie. I do.

She's gone a little kooky in the last few years, but if you'd dated Matt Damon and Josh Brolin you'd be a little kooked out too. She just needs to develop better taste in men.

Anyway this is another great film. With some cool music. I'll admit that the ending was a little naff, but you have to agree that Joan's destruction of the office makes it worth sitting through.

So there you go.

And there I go. To bed.

Night all!

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