Crimewave (1986)

Good movie but grossly overrated

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Sandwiched in between his first two "Evil Dead" movies is filmmaker Sam Raimis' "Crimewave", a silly, over the top tribute to film noir and especially slapstick comedy. (Film buffs know that Raimi is a big Three Stooges fan.) It may be a little much for some people, but it does have a lot of energy, and spirited performances.It begins as Vic Ajax (Reed Birney), the ultimate nerd / patsy, is about to be executed for a series of crimes. He desperately pleads his case that the real perpetrators were a demented pair of exterminators / hit men, Faron (Paul L. Smith) and Arthur (Brion James) who had initially been hired just to eliminate the business partner of a man in the security business. As schmucky Vic stubbornly tries to woo the gorgeous Nancy (Sheree J. Wilson of 'Walker: Texas Ranger'), he ends up being terrorized by the gargantuan goons.Like a lot of comedies, "Crimewave" does lose a bit of its momentum after a while. Fortunately, things pick up again for an exciting climactic vehicle chase. Overall, the movie is extremely well cast; Raimis' old pal Bruce Campbell (also the co-producer) has a recurring bit and is so funny the viewer will wish that he had more to do. Also in the cast are TV star Louise Lasser, veteran film producer Edward R. Pressman in a rare acting gig, Richard Bright, Antonio Fargas, Julius Harris, and long ago Three Stooges co-star Emil Sitka. Smith and James are hilarious and fun to watch as the antagonists, although in real life Raimi and company had their problems dealing with them: James had a drug habit during this period and Smith, supposedly believing himself above the material, gave a performance disliked by the filmmakers so much that they dubbed him for the duration of the movie.From beginning to end, this is an effectively wild and (fairly) unpredictable affair; Raimi co-wrote with his fellow directors and friends the Coen brothers. The Coens appear as reporters, with Joels' wife Frances McDormand playing one of the nuns and Raimis' brother Ted in a bit as a waiter. They all make this a very easy to take diversion that at the very least is certainly never boring.Seven out of 10.

Crimewave has 'cult b-movie' written all over it. From the opening credits, to the crazy story, oddball characters and cheezy acting, this is a film that has no pretensions of winning any Oscars.Unfortunately, it's dated now, and hasn't held up as well as it could do. The setting may have been intended to be late 50's urban downtown America, but the whole thing has been glossed with a nasty 80's varnish that's hard to ignore.With the exception of a few standouts, the acting overall is very hammy, which is just right for this film, so no points deducted there. Paul Smith's goofy hero is likable enough as a geeky home security installer with a crush on a feisty independent girl, but Bruce Campbell's oily sleezebag heel definitely steals the show, sometimes with just a single slimy look and a self-confident guffaw.The pace of the film is pretty well established with loads of car chases & cartoon violence, but Sam Raimi has a few tricks up his sleeve. One of the more memorable, and brilliant set pieces is the chase through the 'Safest corridoor in the world', or the attack in the apartment.Some of the dialogue is a bit poor though, and very predictable, but if the verbal jokes don't make you laugh, the visual ones will.Great fun the first time around, but not exactly a film I'd want to watch again & again.

This is a fabulously unique film and I guarantee you have never seen anything like it. It's virtually a live action cartoon which proceeds at breakneck speed and is hilarious to watch. It's one of the most 'cinematic' films you will ever see and every scene uses colour, imaginative camera work and scenic design to optimum effect. The only downsides are the casting of Reed Birney in the lead when the part really calls for someone with more charisma. The sense of period becomes very fuzzy and the music score is a little too overpowering and becomes quite wearing after a while. But don't let anything put you off seeing this film if you get the chance because there is so much to enjoy. You will gasp at the sheer inventiveness of it all and Bruce Campbell fans will lap up his appearance here which he plays to absolute perfection.

It is so strange how some films never seem to catch the attention of either the public or the critics. Most would rightly assume the reason being the lack of quality of the film in question, which is indeed often the case. But not so with 'Crimewave', at least not as far as I am concerned.This film is so far out that most people never ever venture there and never will. There is scarcely anything normal about this film: even other Coen products pale into normality compared to it. And this is precisely the film's attractiveness. The situations, characters, dialogues and overall cinematographic language is absolutely unique. I cannot compare Crimewave with any other film out there, and I've seen thousands. Cartoonesque, surreal, utterly stupid, screamingly funny because not trying to be, the film boasts attributes I have not really encountered anywhere else, at least not in just the one film. Tex Avery cartoons may at times spring to mind, as may some films by French director George Lautner, or Bogdanovich' screamingly funny 'What's Up, Doc?' ... oh, and of course the equally terrific over the top romp 'Raising Arizona'!Acting as well is so totally over the top that even just trying to take it serious, merely results in total incomprehension on the part of the utterly bewildered and bemused viewer. This film is totally about style inasmuch as even its substance is style.The incredibly unreal atmosphere the film exudes is - apart from the aspects already mentioned - also due to the lavish use of alienatingly oversaturated colours: they marvellously complement the overall strangeness of the film.I have seen this film dozens of times and have never had any cinematic blinkers on me and I still get warped and thrilled out of my human, mainly logical mind by everything this jewel of a film can and does throw at me, time and time again.Approach it for yourself without prejudice, constraint or any other preconceived notion of what a film can, must, could or should be and simply enjoy 80 minutes of marvel!