Crimewave - Dir. Sam Raimi - 1985

Let me begin I may be a little bias with this review:

My favorite director is Sam Raimi and two of my favorite writers are the Coen Brothers. I love practically everything these guys have done. So once I heard about this film in 2004, I was all over trying to find it.

Two days ago, I did. Much elation was had on my part.

Disclaimer:

This film really isn't "trash" because of the type of movie it is and how it feels. This movie is "trash" because it has been famously disowned by Sam Raimi because of the shit the studios put him through. It didn't even get a DVD release. So that is why it is my first review.

This is a very strange film as basically all I really want to tell you about the plot (and there isn't much to begin with) is that Vic Ajax, a normal nice employee of a burglar alarm company, gets mixed up in the crazy ass shit of two exterminators who are hired to kill one of the owners of the burglar alarm company by the other owner. Also, Vic Ajax is trying to win a girl from Renaldo the Heel, the man who is trying to buy the company.

This movie is very weird for me to review because there is never a dull moment in true Sam Raimi fashion. However, if you know Sam Raimi, nothing really surprises you in this. I have to say this is the thing that disappoints me the most about the film, in that I wasn't surprised. I had spent 5 years forming in my mind what a Sam Raimi directed Coen Brother's noir comedy script would look like and this is it. That is why this feels so weird because that sentance is a huge compliment, but at the same time my least favorite thing about it.

After the first horrible 10 minutes, there are moments that are really funny. I did laugh a lot. There is a moment with a little kid that is insanely great. It is just, knowing the talent, when the little kid showed up, I knew exactly what would happen. There are really great moments peppered throughout though (and I would be lying if a handful of those great moments aren't thanks to my love of Bruce Campbell).

In fact, this is clearly a pre-cursor to "Evil Dead II" in that once the horrible set up is done, this movie really cooks and flies. It takes thirty minutes for this to happen, but once it does, man is this fun. It takes the idea of "What if we made a looney toons horror film?" but replace horror with crime and you have some idea of what happens. Seriously, the two villians are so over the top and crazy my roommmate kept going "You are fucking lying to me Rob, you are watching cartoons."

The acting in this film though, that is definitely a flaw in the film. Reed Birney as Vic Ajax isn't that bad when he interacts with people, but at points... Damn... throw this guy in "Bride of the Monster" and you got a good fit. Sheree J. Wilson gets by with good looks... barely. She isn't loveable and in fact, seems very very stuck up. Bitch ain't even a femme fatale in this noir film, so what is her point? The highlight of acting is... my friend Kyle will roll his eyes when he reads this... Bruce Campbell. He is just so funny and suave as Renaldo the Heel that damn, I can't resist him. Even though, some of his lines are delivered fairly stiffly but I love Bruce for the attitude, not the talent.

I'm sorry if this review seems a little uneven but it is because my feelings are so uneven. I can't decide of it was great or insipid. What I can tell you is that I had a good time and that it is definitely an interesting experiment of a film. Recommended to anybody who loves Sam Raimi or the Coen Brothers (but mostly Sam Raimi).