One Crazy Summer ** (1986, John Cusack, Demi Moore, Bobcat Goldthwait, Curtis Armstrong, Joel Murray, Linda Warren, William Hickey) – Classic Movie Review 10,717

Writer-director Savage Steve Holland’s bright and lively 1986 romantic comedy One Crazy Summer stars John Cusack, Demi Moore, Bobcat Goldthwait, Curtis Armstrong and Joel Murray, who give fresh performances and are good company. Holland’s script is good natured and humorous. Also on the plus side, they use several locations on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and the film has a score by Cory Lerios.

John Cusack stars as recent high school graduate Hoops McCann, who wants to write and illustrate a love story for his application to be admitted to the Rhode Island School of Design, so his friend George Calamari (Joel Murray) invites him to come with him and his sister Squid Calamari (Kristen Goelz) to spend the summer on Nantucket, picking up young rock singer Cassandra Eldridge (Demi Moore) along the way.

The main cast are John Cusack as Hoops McCann, Demi Moore as Cassandra Eldridge, Linda Warren as Mrs McCann, Curtis Armstrong as Ack Ack Raymond, Bobcat Goldthwait as Egg Stork, Joel Murray as George Calamari, Kristen Goelz as Squid Calamari, Sky as Boscoe, William Hickey as Old Man Beckerstead, Joe Flaherty as General Raymond, Mark Metcalf as Aquilla Beckerstead, John Matuszak as Stain, Kimberly Foster as Cookie Campbell, Matt Mulhern as Teddy Beckerstead, Rich Little as Radio contest DJ, Tom Villard as Clay Stork, Jeremy Piven as Ty, Kimberly Foster as Cookie, Rich Hall as gas station attendant Wilbur, Taylor Negron as gas station attendant Taylor, Billie Bird as Grandma Calamari and Bruce Wagner as Uncle Frank.

The director disliked Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert’s criticism of his 1985 film Better Off Dead, hence the gag with the two bunnies resembling the two movie critics being blown up at the end of the movie.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,717

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