Crimewave (1985)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writers:

Ethan Coen (written by) &
Joel Coen (written by) ...

Release Date:

25 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Horror

Tagline:

Extermination is not just a business. It's a way of life.

Plot:

A pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them...

Plot Keywords:

Nerd | Electrocution | Heel | Crime Comedy | Cult Director

Cast

Louise Lasser	...	Helene Trend
Paul L. Smith	...	Faron Crush
Brion James	...	Arthur Coddish
Sheree J. Wilson	...	Nancy
Edward R. Pressman	...	Ernest Trend
Bruce Campbell	...	Renaldo 'The Heel'
Reed Birney	...	Vic Ajax
Richard Bright	...	Officer Brennan
Antonio Fargas	...	Blind Man
Hamid Dana	...	Donald Odegard
John Hardy	...	Mr. Yarman
Emil Sitka	...	Colonel Rodgers
Hal Youngblood	...	Jack Elroy
Sean Farley	...	Jack Elroy Jr
Richard DeManincor	...	Officer Garvey

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Australia:M | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Vic cries "Tally-Ho!" before jumping from car to car. Sam Raimi later had heroes yell "Tally-Ho!" before jumping in two later films: Army of Darkness (1992) and Spider-Man (2002). Vic asks Nancy if she'd like to "have lunch some evening". Raimi reused this joke in "Spider-Man" in a scene between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: While the majority of the exterior shots were filmed in Detroit, towards the beginning of the film, the night time distant shot of the city (in red glow) right before the storm hits, is clearly Chicago, as the Sears Tower is quite prevalent in the shot.

Quotes:

Vic Ajax: [after Nancy nearly got run over by the Exterminators] You maniacs! I've never seen anything like that... are you All right?
[Tries to open the door for her]
Vic Ajax: Oh, you've got the key!
Faron Crush: [the car backs up, and Crush comes out] One more thing child... don't you *ever* call me a maniac!
[Punches Vic in the face and bursts into maniacal laughter]

Movie Connections:

References For Pete's Sake! (1934)

Soundtrack:

Rialto

A cult film if ever I saw one

OK it's 'early' Coen Brothers AND Sam Raimi, BUT it's also a classic. A surreal Laurel and Hardy like black comedy horror. One of the few films I can come back to again and again. I love watching it with some one who is watching it for the first time, just to watch their reaction! God bless Brion James and thanks to Paul Smith for making me laugh so much. A ridiculously cool film even though all involved seem to shun it. Bruce Campbell is a total heel and try to spot Huggy Bear as the blind man. There are many clever scenes involving all manner of slapstick, including the unlikely survival of a severe drop from a tenement block ( almost Spiderman ), a carpet pulling extravaganza and more more more. I give it a modest 10