Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)

A television newswoman picks up the story of a 1960s rock band whose long-lost leader - Eddie Wilson - may still be alive, while searching for the missing tapes of the band's never-released album.

Director:

Martin Davidson

Writers:

Martin Davidson (screenplay), Arlene Davidson (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Berenger, Michael Paré, Joe Pantoliano

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Berenger	...	Frank Ridgeway
Michael Paré	...	Eddie Wilson
Joe Pantoliano	...	Doc Robbins
Matthew Laurance	...	Sal Amato
Helen Schneider	...	Joann Carlino
David Wilson	...	Kenny Hopkins
Michael 'Tunes' Antunes	...	Wendell Newton
Ellen Barkin	...	Maggie Foley
Kenny Vance	...	Lew Eisen
John Stockwell	...	Keith Livingston
Joe Cates	...	Lois
Barry Sand	...	Barry Siegel
Vebe Borge	...	Gerry Rivers
Howard Johnson	...	Wendell's Replacement
Joey Balin	...	Eddie's Replacement

Storyline

They say rock 'n' roll never dies, but one early morning in 1964, Eddie Wilson's car took a dive off a New Jersey bridge with the troubled rock idol at the wheel. His body was never found. Twenty years after the lead singer of Eddie and the Cruisers disappeared, the band's songs are hotter than ever. And renewed interest in the band leads television reporter Maggie Foley to pursue a tantalizing mystery: What if Eddie is still alive? The circumstances surrounding his death are just shadowy enough to make it a distinct possibility, and someone (could it be Eddie?) has been ransacking the homes of the surviving band members in a desperate search for tapes of the group's visionary, never-released album. As Maggie interviews the former band members, the pieces of the puzzle start to fit - but only until still deeper mysteries begin to surface.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | 1960s | rock 'n' roll | bridge | new jersey | 

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Taglines:

In 1964, Eddie Wilson had it all. He had genius. He had vision. He had the hottest rock n' roll band in the country. Then, suddenly one night, his car went off a dark New Jersey bridge. His body was never found. But his dream was never lost. And twenty years later, the mystery of Eddie Wilson begins to unravel.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Music

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eddie i krazowniki

Filming Locations:

Highlands, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,444,886, 25 September 1983, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,786,789

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aurora

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Palace of Depression was a real place in Vineland, New Jersey. A homeless drifter built it out of junk, sand and clay, then charged admission for visitors. Vandals destroyed the Palace after his death, but the original ticket booth still stands. Vineland is currently trying to rebuild the Palace of Depression.

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Goofs

Early in the movie, we see Frank in his car driving to the high school where he teaches, listening to one of the old Cruisers songs being played on New York City radio station WNEW-FM. Later, when he's reunited with Doc, he says he's teaching in Vineland (NJ). With the range of FM radio limited by "line of sight" (and not bouncing like AM signals do), there is no way he could listen to WNEW-FM that far down in south Jersey.

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Quotes

Joann Carlino: Frank, I know you're gonna think I'm crazy. But I have to tell you something. Last night, there was a car sitting in my driveway: a '57 Chevy, just like Eddie's.
Frank Ridgeway: Joann, that car was destroyed in the accident, remember?
Joann Carlino: I know, but whoever it was, must have seen me looking out the window. He blinked his headlights high, then low, then high again, just like Eddie.
Frank Ridgeway: It can't be. It can't be him.
Joann Carlino: Well, who then? Who?
Frank Ridgeway: It's not Eddie. Now, whoever it is that's watching you is looking to cash in on ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (1989)

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Soundtracks

Season in Hell (Fire Suite)
Written by John Cafferty (uncredited)
Performed by John Cafferty (lead vocal and guitar), Michael 'Tunes' Antunes (saxophone), Gary Gramolini (guitar), Robert Nicholas Cotoia (piano), Patrick Lupo (bass), Kenny Jo Silva (drums)

User Reviews

Sensational rock music film ,today considered a cult movie

The film deals a rockers band in the 1960s,the successful group is constituted by the leader Eddie(Michael Pare) and the rest band (Tom Berenguer,Joe Pantoliano,Matthew Laurance among others),but the lead singer dies in a car accident without appear mysteriously the body.Nowadays a reporter named Maggie(Ellen Barkin) is interviewing the surviving but another member has deceased by a stroke heart.Memories group are being relived by Frank (Tom Berenguer).The journalist and members of band are looking for the last unpublished tapes what turn out to be the band's final recording.The tapes have the title : ¨time in the inferno¨ like as a Rimbaud poem(written in 1873) .Maggie thinks what Eddie following the Rimbaud life(he had a tempestuous existence and was Paul Verlaine lover and disappearing early, his biography was brought to the life in a film with Leonardo DiCaprio)committed a suicide simulated and she doesn't believes to be dead.

It's an interesting film with excellent music and nowadays is deemed a cult movie.Casting is frankly enjoyable,the film results to be the best Michael Pare performance.The magnificent music is by John Chafferty and Beaver Brown Band.The motion picture is well directed by Martin Davidson,he's a director at his beginning realized good movies with known actors : Lord's of Flatbush,Hero at large and of course Eddie of the Cruisers; however today he makes solely for television episodes. The picture got a sequel with the same actors (exception of Tom Berenguer) in which Eddie emerges under a new identity in the city of Montreal and he forms a new musical group and are answered the questions of the previous film .The film will like to rockers and musical cinema devotees. Rating : Above average