Crimewave (1985)

A pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder, who tells the story in flashback from the electric chair.

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writers:

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen,

Stars:

Louise Lasser, Paul L. Smith, Brion James

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder, who tells the story in flashback from the electric chair.

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Plot Keywords:

nerd | car chase | dishwasher | false accusation | car explosion | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Horror

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 April 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The XYZ Murders

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Embassy Films, Renaissance Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Disowned by director Sam Raimi, incensed at not being allowed to use Bruce Campbell and having editor Kaye Davis and composer Joseph LoDuca removed by the producers.

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Goofs

The door leading to the "Parade of Protection" has a mail slot, but in an overhead shot, the slot is not there.

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Quotes

Renaldo the Heel: Well, maybe I'm a heel.
Vic Ajax: Maybe I'm a guy who hates heels.
Renaldo the Heel: Maybe I'm a heel who hates guys who hate heels.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits, we see the box (with Mrs. Trend inside) in Uruguay.

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Connections

References Psycho (1960)

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Soundtracks

"Cherish"
Written by Terry Kirkman

User Reviews

Unusual, wild, kinky...and yet a little disappointing

I went through a whole lot of effort to finally see "Crimewave" (it's incredibly hard to find), but I can't help feeling a little bit unsatisfied with the result. Maybe it's only natural that it doesn't live up to high expectations, since Sam Raime had to deliver a follow-up to his downright brilliant "The Evil Dead" and that's much easier said than done. The screenplay, written by the gifted Coen brothers who just finished their dazzling debut "Blood Simple" the previous year, is overly hectic and far too absurd to summarize. I'm not even sure if this can be called a movie, as it feel more like a series of slapstick gags and insane sketches linked together by the ultra-thin premise of two professional exterminators gone berserk. Crush and Coddish are a couple of criminally insane lunies who wipe out more than just rodents, but eventually meet their equal in the nerdy bell-boy of a building complex. Some of the grotesque comedy sequences are hysterical (the slamming doors, the dance contest...) while others completely miss the mark (the whole car chase finale). The acting is tremendously over the top – what else did you expect in a light-headed project such as this? - and it looks like the entire B-cast never had this much fun in their whole lives. They're happy...we're happy, I guess.

"Crimewave" is especially worth a peek in case you're a member of the Bruce Campbell fan-club. Evil Dead's Ash steals the show as slick and obnoxious womanizer Renaldo.