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Savage Steve Holland once said at a Q&A (that I was lucky enough to attend) that he got his tough-guy nickname ironically. He said that, as a child, he was competing in a sporting event when he accidentally knocked over and hurt a fellow teammate. Holland was so distraught that he began crying, even harder than the child he slammed into. Walking off the field, some people referred to him as “Savage,” and the name kind of stuck.<\/p>\n
As a filmmaker, Holland got his start in features with the release of the comedy “Better Off Dead” in 1985. The film centers on Lane (played by John Cusack<\/a>), a lovelorn teen\u00a0who’s pining for his ex-girlfriend Beth (Amanda Wyss), forcing him to find solace in his other passion: skiing. Meanwhile, at home, he begins talking to Monique (Diane Franklin), a French exchange student that his family is hosting. The story is conventional, but the movie’s universe is askew. “Better Off Dead” takes place in a slapstick world where mystery meat crawls from your plate, people snort gelatin, and paperboys go on missions of blood revenge. There’s even a standout animated sequence where Lane hallucinates the hamburgers at his fast food job coming to life and singing and dancing.<\/p>\n The film’s spiritual sequel, “One Crazy Summer,” came out the following year. Cusack plays a different character, but its universe is still askew and stapsticky. There are also several fun animated sequences, as Cusack’s character is an aspiring animator. Demi Moore also co-stars as an aspiring musician that Cusack falls for.<\/p>\n Holland eventually created a twisted and violent ’90s animated series titled “Eek! the Cat.” It was a popular mainstay on Fox Kids for the better part of five years.<\/p>\n Read more: 8 The Simpsons Celebrity Guest Stars That Aged Poorly<\/a><\/p>\nEek! It’s Eek! the Cat<\/h2>\n