High Fidelity (2000)

Tagline: A comedy about fear of commitment, hating your job, falling in love and other pop favorites.
Cusack Plays: Record Shop Owner Rob Gordon

Family Connections: Sisters Joan and Susie both appear. Susie as 'party guest' and Joan as friend Liz. Dad Dick is the Minister at the funeral.

Top 5 things I like about High Fidelity:

1. Somehow it makes you side with and root for a guy whos a bit of a bastard and done some horrible stuff to women.
2. Stars Jack Black when he was less annoying. He steals nearly every scene he's in.
3. "What Ian guy?!!" Tim Robbins as Ian/Ray is brilliant.
4. The straight to camera monologues and breaking of the fourth wall from Cusack. Brilliant acting.
5. Bruce Springsteen is in it!

I remember when I heard they were adapting Nick Hornby's book but setting it in America I scoffed. I was wrong and pleasantly surprised. Cusack co-writes and produces a film of which he was obviously passionate about and proud of. And rightly so. There are some problems (the actress playing his most recent girlfriend Laura never really connects for me) but for the most part this comedy/drama about a record shop owner evaluating his love life and relationships in light of his most recent breakup, is a great film with lots of rewatch value. This will be one of the ones he's most fondly remembered for.




Did you know? Eagle eyed Jo spotted that the actor playing young Rob was the same dude (Drake Bell) who played his son in The Jack Bull.

Cradle Will Rock (1999)

Tagline: Art is never dangerous -- unless it tells the truth.
Cusack Plays: Nelson Rockefeller

Family Connections: Joan plays Hazel Huffman

Cradle will Rock is the title of the musical at the centre of this film tackled by a talented ensemble cast, and helmed by Tim Robbins. It's based on real events of 1937 when Orson Welles took on the first production. As well as 'putting on a show' the film also touches on wider social issues of the time, including mass unemployment, unionisation and the wider global political issues of socialism and facism. Yeah, its a long way from Con Air.

Cusack's story is largely separated from the musical, although he does get to do some crazy dancing, as he plays Nelson Rockefeller (politician and patron of the arts). He enlists the artist Diego Rivera to produce a large mural for Rockefeller Centre but problems arise when Rivera insists on including Lenin in the picture. Arguments ensue.

Easy to admire but difficult to love is my verdict, and the standout performances for me were Bill Murray (ventriloquism tutor to Tenacious D duo Jack Black and Kyle Gass) and Cherry Jones.

Bob Roberts (1992)

Tagline: Vote first. Ask questions later.

Cusack plays: Host of Cutting Edge Live.

Written, directed by and starring the talented Tim Robbins, Bob Roberts is a mockumentary of a folk singer turned conservative politician and his run for the Senate. It hits all the political buttons - corruption, slander and attempted assassination. Roberts former career means that there are plenty of catchy tunes to hum along to, and the (often dirty) campaigning through music is a nice touch. Look out also for a very fresh faced Jack Black in his first film role.

Cusack pops up for a few minutes as the guest host of Cutting Edge Live, the sketch show where tempers start to flare over the messages Roberts is putting across in his appearance. He's got a scruffy thing going on in his scenes.

The Player (1992)

Tagline: The Best Movie Ever Made!" - Griffin Mill
Cusack plays: Himself in a very brief cameo

So technically (playing by my initial rules) I didn't have to watch this one as appearing as yourself means the film is not listed alongside his other movies on imdb. But I did watch all of Broadcast News only to see his back and hear one line, so why not. Plus, I remember enjoying this the first time around when I went through an Altman phase.

This is a enjoyable satire, focusing on Hollywood Studio Exec, Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) who is being sent death threats by a writer he turned down. Famous for its opening tracking shot (7 minutes and 47 seconds!) and massive number of big names, either acting in it or cameoing as themselves. I think its worn reasonably well, for being nearly 20 years old, and I enjoyed it, although perhaps not as much as the first time round.

And Cusack? He's in it near the start at a restaurant with Anjelica Huston (as herself) and Peter Gallacher (in character). He has a couple of lines when Mill spots him. You can just see him in the trailer here...

Tapeheads (1988)

Tagline: Let's get into trouble, Baby!
Cusack plays: Ivan Alexeev, one half of fledgling video production company Video Aces

If you were alive in the 1980s this has some fun retro value. If you weren't, then this probably is fairly baffling. At least a smidge of knowledge of the pop culture of the period is advised - Menudo anyone?

Cusack and Robbins are childhood friends struggling to find their path in life, working nights as security guards. But Robbins is a creative sort and Cusack's moustachioed Ivan sees a business opportunity for them to go into music video production. What follows includes carnage, death, and blackmail - all captured on videotapes. Ah glorious chunky VHS - DVDheads doesn't have quite the same ring to it....

An opportunity for Cusack to play the zany role to Robbins' straight man, I found this an ok film, but repeat viewings are unlikely for a while. Also the second (first being the dancing burger in Better Off Dead) Cusack film to feature dancing food as some fried chicken comes to life. The sobriety test scene is awesome and must have required some rehearsal.

The Sure Thing (1985)

Tagline: A sure thing comes once in a lifetime... but the real thing lasts forever.
Cusack plays: Walter 'Gib' Gibson, college student heading across the country to hook up with a stunning 'Sure Thing' (Nicolette Sheridan aka Edie from Desperate Housewives oiling herself up in her first film role)
Did you know? One of the Executive Producers of this film was Henry Winkler, yeah the Fonz!

Cusack's first leading role and very enjoyable it is too. Its the Christmas holidays and Gib is fed up not meeting girls at his East Coast college. Luckily his friend from school Anthony Edwards (Goose! Dr Greene!) is in California and tells his about a 'sure thing' who will definitely do the deed with him. To get there he has to travel across country with square Alison from his English class (Daphne Zuniga -Brooke's mum in One Tree Hill). You can guess what happens....

I enjoyed this film, Cusack gets to show off his acting chops, and it provides the first of a number of occassions where he gets all wet in the rain. I particularly enjoyed a scene where he pretends to be a crazy hitchhiker to rescue Alison from a dodgy driver. This is also the first film where Cusack appears alongside friend Tim Robbins, and I noticed Steve Pink (writer and producer of future Cusack films such as High Fidelity) is listed as 'football player'. Robbins is hilarious as his show tune singing first ride - "this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius...". Also giving them a ride is Mr Heckles from Friends.


here comes the spoilery 1980s style trailer and the funny psycho scene: