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 | Hit By Car | Technician | Strong Man | Punched In The Face

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

Also Known As:

The XYZ Murders (USA) (working title)

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:

Co-writers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen appear as newspaper photographers during the prison scenes.

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:

Renaldo the Heel: Hey baby, why don't ya come on over to my pad. We'll have a scotch and sofa.

Movie Connections:

References Un chien andalou (1929)

Soundtrack:

William Tell Overture

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