Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Comedy/Tapeheads
Tapeheads poster
C
Average
MASTER SCORE 48.4 / 100
1988·Comedy / Music / Drama·1h 33m

TAPEHEADS

“A FAST FORWARD MUSIC COMEDY.”

The story of Ivan and Josh, two dimwitted ex-security guards who love music videos. Out of work, with no job prospects, they form a music video production company. They soon learn the ins and outs of the business in LA, and with some help from Mo Fuzz, they soon become hot property. But not all goes smoothly when they try to resurrect the career of their favorite R&B duo, the Swanky Modes.

Above the Line
Bill Fishman·DirectorBill Fishman·ScreenplayPeter McCarthy·ScreenplayBojan Bazelli·Director of PhotographyFishbone·Original Music ComposerMondo Jenkins·Editor
Cast
John Cusack·Ivan AlexeevTim Robbins·Josh TagerMary Crosby·Samantha GregoryClu Gulager·Norman MartKaty Boyer·Belinda MartJessica Walter·Kay MartSam Moore·Billy DiamondJunior Walker·Lester DiamondSusan Tyrrell·Nikki MortonDoug McClure·Sid Tager
Full Crew
(30 credits)
Directing· 3
Bill Fishman·DirectorJan Evans·Script SupervisorJosh King·First Assistant Director
Writing· 6
Bill Fishman·ScreenplayPeter McCarthy·ScreenplayJim Herzfeld·StoryRyan Rowe·StoryBill Fishman·StoryPeter McCarthy·Story
Camera· 2
Bojan Bazelli·Director of PhotographyBryan Duggan·Camera Operator
Editing· 1
Mondo Jenkins·Editor
Sound & Music· 5
Fishbone·Original Music ComposerNigel Harrison·Music SupervisorWayne Heitman·Sound Re-Recording MixerMatthew Iadarola·Sound Re-Recording MixerJeanette Browning·Sound Recordist
Art & Design· 5
Catherine Hardwicke·Production DesignDon Diers·Art DirectionElizabeth McBride·Costume DesignElizabeth Flaherty·Art Department CoordinatorLeslie A. Leitner·Assistant Art Director
Production· 7
Michael Nesmith·Executive ProducerPeter McCarthy·ProducerVictoria Thomas·CastingRobert S. Lecky·Co-ProducerEric Barrett·Associate ProducerAndrew Z. Davis·Associate ProducerAndrew Z. Davis·Production Manager
Other Departments· 1
Glory Fioramonti·Stunts
By the Numbers
48.4
OF 100
Master Score
5.7
OF 10
IMDb
60%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
$344K
ROI -89%
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind Tapeheads's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#990099
#3399CC
#FFFF00
Mood
Quirky, Energetic, Retro
Composition
Centered
Era
1980s
Visual Style
Collage

“The poster features two men, depicted from the waist up, standing back-to-back against a solid magenta background. The man on the left wears sunglasses and has ”

comedy
Key Elements
SunglassesCigaretteBlue Suits
Atmosphere
Vibrant
Color Mood
Vibrant
Setting
Abstract
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY BILL FISHMAN

Every catalog entry where Bill Fishman is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE COMEDY

Top-ranked films inside comedy, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1980S

The best films of the 1980s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows