Better Off Dead... (1985)

Better Off Dead...
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $10,297,601Details
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$56,371 (0.5% of total gross)
Legs:4.00 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:13 opening theaters/650 max. theaters, 6.1 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $31,269,891

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 5,301-5,400) 5,347 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 7,601-7,700) 7,623 $10,297,601

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: August 23rd, 1985 (Wide) by Warner Bros.
Video Release: July 16th, 2002 by Paramount Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 97 minutes
Comparisons: vs. The Big Lebowski
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Winter Sports, Skiing, Suicide, Relationships Gone Wrong, Foreign Language, Non-Chronological, Narcotics, Slobs vs. Snobs, Cult Movie, Black Comedy
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Black Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: CBS Films, A&M Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Columbus Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 235 $7,966,343 Oct 11, 1985 52

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 5,301-5,400) 5,347 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,160 $31,269,891
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 4,601-4,700) 4,606 $10,297,601
Top 1985 Movies at the Domestic Box Office 78 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 2,701-2,800) 2,726 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,701-4,800) 4,766 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 2,801-2,900) 2,840 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Black Comedy Movies (Rank 101-200) 101 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,044 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Warner Bros. Movies (Rank 701-800) 714 $10,297,601

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 23, 1985 31 $56,371   13 $4,336   $56,371 1
Aug 30, 1985 35 $62,880 +12% 13 $4,837   $139,078 2
Sep 6, 1985 34 $28,590 -55% 11 $2,599   $174,803 3
Sep 13, 1985 32 $20,622 -28% 9 $2,291   $200,463 4
Sep 20, 1985 33 $14,696 -29% 8 $1,837   $219,394 5
Sep 27, 1985 32 $9,172 -38% 7 $1,310   $231,730 6
Oct 4, 1985 32 $9,763 +6% 4 $2,441   $244,265 7
Oct 11, 1985 7 $2,573,297 +26,258% 650 $3,959   $2,819,675 8
Oct 18, 1985 7 $1,817,612 -29% 638 $2,849   $5,003,517 9
Oct 25, 1985 8 $1,228,281 -32% 616 $1,994   $6,615,557 10
Nov 1, 1985 10 $1,137,240 -7% 622 $1,828   $8,039,089 11
Nov 8, 1985 14 $749,254 -34% 511 $1,466   $9,066,803 12
Nov 15, 1985 15 $554,066 -26% 495 $1,119   $9,841,887 13
Nov 22, 1985 22 $317,922 -43% 372 $855   $10,297,601 14

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 23, 1985 29 $76,198   13 $5,861   $76,198 1
Aug 30, 1985 32 $70,015 -8% 13 $5,386   $146,213 2
Sep 6, 1985 30 $33,628 -52% 11 $3,057   $179,841 3
Sep 13, 1985 30 $24,857 -26% 9 $2,762   $204,698 4
Sep 20, 1985 28 $17,860 -28% 8 $2,233   $222,558 5
Sep 27, 1985 27 $11,944 -33% 7 $1,706   $234,502 6
Oct 4, 1985 27 $11,876 -1% 4 $2,969   $246,378 7
Oct 11, 1985 7 $2,939,527 +24,652% 650 $4,522   $3,185,905 8
Oct 18, 1985 7 $2,201,371 -25% 638 $3,450   $5,387,276 9
Oct 25, 1985 9 $1,514,573 -31% 616 $2,459   $6,901,849 10
Nov 1, 1985 10 $1,415,700 -7% 622 $2,276   $8,317,549 11
Nov 8, 1985 13 $970,272 -31% 511 $1,899   $9,287,821 12
Nov 15, 1985 15 $691,858 -29% 495 $1,398   $9,979,679 13

Leading Cast

John Cusack    Lane Myer

Supporting Cast

David Ogden Stiers    Al Myer
Diane Franklin    Monique
Kim Darby    Jenny Meyer
Curtis Armstrong    Charles De Mar, Lane’s best friend
Rick Rosenthal    Smitty
Elizabeth Daily    Herself
Steven Williams    Tree Trimmer
Vincent Schiavelli    Mr. Kerber
Amanda Wyss    Beth

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Savage Steve Holland    Director
Savage Steve Holland    Screenwriter
Michael Jaffe    Producer
Gil Friesen    Executive Producer
Andrew Meyer    Executive Producer
Rupert Hine    Composer

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 2nd, 2011

August 2nd, 2011

It's not a particularly strong week on the home market with only two first-run releases of note. Coincidentally, I'm waiting on screeners for both Rio and Soul Surfer. While both are likely worth checking out at the least, the latter's Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack is the best bet for Pick of the Week. Normally I'd like to wait till the screener arrives before handing out that honor, but there is a pretty big gap between first and second place this time around. More...

Featured Blu-ray review: Better Off Dead and Ferris Bueller's Day Off

July 30th, 2011

I'm combining the Blu-ray reviews for Better Off Dead and Ferris Bueller's Day Off for a number reasons. They were originally released in theaters less than a year apart, are coming out on Blu-ray the same day, they are both being released by the same studio, and I previously reviewed Ferris Bueller's Day Off, so that review will be rather short. Another similarity... they've both been released on DVD a number of times. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Cast & Crew
  7. Trailer

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$56,371 (0.5% of total gross)
Legs:4.00 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:13 opening theaters/650 max. theaters, 6.1 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $31,269,891

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 5,301-5,400) 5,347 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 7,601-7,700) 7,623 $10,297,601

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: August 23rd, 1985 (Wide) by Warner Bros.
Video Release: July 16th, 2002 by Paramount Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 97 minutes
Comparisons: vs. The Big Lebowski
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Winter Sports, Skiing, Suicide, Relationships Gone Wrong, Foreign Language, Non-Chronological, Narcotics, Slobs vs. Snobs, Cult Movie, Black Comedy
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Black Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: CBS Films, A&M Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Columbus Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 235 $7,966,343 Oct 11, 1985 52

Leading Cast

John Cusack    Lane Myer

Supporting Cast

David Ogden Stiers    Al Myer
Diane Franklin    Monique
Kim Darby    Jenny Meyer
Curtis Armstrong    Charles De Mar, Lane’s best friend
Rick Rosenthal    Smitty
Elizabeth Daily    Herself
Steven Williams    Tree Trimmer
Vincent Schiavelli    Mr. Kerber
Amanda Wyss    Beth

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Savage Steve Holland    Director
Savage Steve Holland    Screenwriter
Michael Jaffe    Producer
Gil Friesen    Executive Producer
Andrew Meyer    Executive Producer
Rupert Hine    Composer

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 2nd, 2011

August 2nd, 2011

It's not a particularly strong week on the home market with only two first-run releases of note. Coincidentally, I'm waiting on screeners for both Rio and Soul Surfer. While both are likely worth checking out at the least, the latter's Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack is the best bet for Pick of the Week. Normally I'd like to wait till the screener arrives before handing out that honor, but there is a pretty big gap between first and second place this time around. More...

Featured Blu-ray review: Better Off Dead and Ferris Bueller's Day Off

July 30th, 2011

I'm combining the Blu-ray reviews for Better Off Dead and Ferris Bueller's Day Off for a number reasons. They were originally released in theaters less than a year apart, are coming out on Blu-ray the same day, they are both being released by the same studio, and I previously reviewed Ferris Bueller's Day Off, so that review will be rather short. Another similarity... they've both been released on DVD a number of times. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 5,301-5,400) 5,347 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,160 $31,269,891
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 4,601-4,700) 4,606 $10,297,601
Top 1985 Movies at the Domestic Box Office 78 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 2,701-2,800) 2,726 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,701-4,800) 4,766 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 2,801-2,900) 2,840 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Black Comedy Movies (Rank 101-200) 101 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,044 $10,297,601
All Time Domestic Box Office for Warner Bros. Movies (Rank 701-800) 714 $10,297,601

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 23, 1985 31 $56,371   13 $4,336   $56,371 1
Aug 30, 1985 35 $62,880 +12% 13 $4,837   $139,078 2
Sep 6, 1985 34 $28,590 -55% 11 $2,599   $174,803 3
Sep 13, 1985 32 $20,622 -28% 9 $2,291   $200,463 4
Sep 20, 1985 33 $14,696 -29% 8 $1,837   $219,394 5
Sep 27, 1985 32 $9,172 -38% 7 $1,310   $231,730 6
Oct 4, 1985 32 $9,763 +6% 4 $2,441   $244,265 7
Oct 11, 1985 7 $2,573,297 +26,258% 650 $3,959   $2,819,675 8
Oct 18, 1985 7 $1,817,612 -29% 638 $2,849   $5,003,517 9
Oct 25, 1985 8 $1,228,281 -32% 616 $1,994   $6,615,557 10
Nov 1, 1985 10 $1,137,240 -7% 622 $1,828   $8,039,089 11
Nov 8, 1985 14 $749,254 -34% 511 $1,466   $9,066,803 12
Nov 15, 1985 15 $554,066 -26% 495 $1,119   $9,841,887 13
Nov 22, 1985 22 $317,922 -43% 372 $855   $10,297,601 14

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 23, 1985 29 $76,198   13 $5,861   $76,198 1
Aug 30, 1985 32 $70,015 -8% 13 $5,386   $146,213 2
Sep 6, 1985 30 $33,628 -52% 11 $3,057   $179,841 3
Sep 13, 1985 30 $24,857 -26% 9 $2,762   $204,698 4
Sep 20, 1985 28 $17,860 -28% 8 $2,233   $222,558 5
Sep 27, 1985 27 $11,944 -33% 7 $1,706   $234,502 6
Oct 4, 1985 27 $11,876 -1% 4 $2,969   $246,378 7
Oct 11, 1985 7 $2,939,527 +24,652% 650 $4,522   $3,185,905 8
Oct 18, 1985 7 $2,201,371 -25% 638 $3,450   $5,387,276 9
Oct 25, 1985 9 $1,514,573 -31% 616 $2,459   $6,901,849 10
Nov 1, 1985 10 $1,415,700 -7% 622 $2,276   $8,317,549 11
Nov 8, 1985 13 $970,272 -31% 511 $1,899   $9,287,821 12
Nov 15, 1985 15 $691,858 -29% 495 $1,398   $9,979,679 13

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 7,601-7,700) 7,623 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 6,601-6,700) 6,657 $10,297,601
Top 1985 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 79 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 4,001-4,100) 4,019 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 6,601-6,700) 6,636 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 4,001-4,100) 4,091 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Black Comedy Movies (Rank 101-200) 124 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,161 $10,297,601
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Warner Bros. Movies (Rank 701-800) 739 $10,297,601