Crime Wave (1985)

A young director intent on making "the greatest color crime movie ever" can't seem to finish his script--he has a beginning and an end, but he can't quite figure out the middle. The ... See full summary »

Director:

John Paizs

Writer:

John Paizs

Stars:

Eva Kovacs, John Paizs, Darrell Baran

Cast

Credited cast:
Eva Kovacs	...	Kim
John Paizs	...	Steven Penny
Darrell Baran	...	Ronnie Boyles
Jeffrey Owen Madden	...	Skip Holliday
Tea Andrea Tanner	...	Dawn Holliday
Mark Yuill	...	Stanley Falco (as Mark Hunter)
Neil Lawrie	...	Dr. C. Jolly (as Neal Lawrie)
Bob Cloutier	...	Mr. Brown
Donna Fullingham	...	Mrs. Brown (as Donna Fillingham)
Mitch Funk	...	Young Dad
Angela Heck	...	Young Mom
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aaron Anderson
Alan Baker
Sandra Birch
Wavne Birch

Storyline

A young director intent on making "the greatest color crime movie ever" can't seem to finish his script--he has a beginning and an end, but he can't quite figure out the middle. The daughter of his landlord, excited to have a real "movie person" living nearby, tries to help by putting him in touch with a man who wants to collaborate on a script--the strange "Dr. Jolly".

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Plot Keywords:

canuxploitation | writer | wrecked car | woods | self doubt | 

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Taglines:

He was a quiet man...

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 September 1985 (Canada)

Also Known As:

The Big Crime Wave

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Favorite Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The poster for Crime Wave (depicting Steven Penny at his typewriter) was actually painted by John Paizs himself, who also wrote, directed and starred in the movie.

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Quotes

Kim: Next, Steven showed me a tape-recording of a speeding car that lost control and smashed a camera he borrowed from the National Film Board of Canada. He lost $2000, and when his movie came out almost nobody liked it.

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Connections

References Teen-Age Crime Wave (1955)

User Reviews

The best Colour Crime Film of all time!

I just watched this film today at school. The professor brought it out to cheer the class up since it had been raining and cold all day. He labeled it as the funniest Canadian movie of all time and he really wasn't far from the truth. The beginning of the film is a bit weird and campy, and it's hard to imagine that it will actually produce real laughs. By the end of the first scene, however, you'll have laughed out loud and will be in anticipation for what will happen next. This continues for th entire movie. Every scene has at least a few great moments in it that are really funny (mostly in strange, sometimes uncomfortable, and unexpected ways). Some of the greatest moments happen while Kim reads the "middles" that have been discarded. The Halloween party is also fantastic. When the film ended the effect on the entire class was clear. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and making comments about the very last joke in the film. The rainy day had been forgotten and some students were even whistling the music that had accompanied the end credits. The film is a must see at any time, but even more so when you need something to bring a smile to your face.