Savage Steve Holland

The 1980s spawned some of the most popular and celebrated teen comedies of all time ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "The Breakfast Club," "Porky's," "The Last American Virgin," etc.). But certainly one of the more off-the-wall of the bunch was "Better Off Dead...," written and directed by Savage Steve Holland. Born in 1960, Holland's first movie job (in terms of both writing and directing) also happened to be "Better Off Dead...." Released in 1985, the movie (which starred John Cusack) went on to become a cult classic via numerous airings on HBO over the years. Holland followed "Better Off Dead..." with another odd but fun comedy, 1986's "One Crazy Summer," which again starred Cusack (as well as Demi Moore). And like its predecessor, it garnered a cult following via subsequent airings on HBO. Holland would go on to write and/or direct television shows, including "The New Adventures of Beans Baxter," "Eek! the Cat," and "Lizzie McGuire." In 2010, it was announced that Holland had signed on to help write a new version of the aforementioned "Porky's" (linked to DJ/TV personality Howard Stern).