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IMDbPro

Big Time

  • 19881988
  • PGPG
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
836
YOUR RATING
Big Time (1988)
  • Documentary
  • Music
Bringing his unique sense of humor to this bizarre and original piece of moviemaking, Tom Waits takes the audience through a musical journey with his jazzy, quirky, bluesy tunes presented as... Read allBringing his unique sense of humor to this bizarre and original piece of moviemaking, Tom Waits takes the audience through a musical journey with his jazzy, quirky, bluesy tunes presented as you would never, ever, ever expect.Bringing his unique sense of humor to this bizarre and original piece of moviemaking, Tom Waits takes the audience through a musical journey with his jazzy, quirky, bluesy tunes presented as you would never, ever, ever expect.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
836
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Chris Blum
  • Writers
    • Kathleen Brennan
    • Tom Waits
  • Stars
    • Tom Waits
    • Michael L. Blair
    • Ralph Carney
Top credits
  • Director
    • Chris Blum
  • Writers
    • Kathleen Brennan
    • Tom Waits
  • Stars
    • Tom Waits
    • Michael L. Blair
    • Ralph Carney
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 11User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Tom Waits in Big Time (1988)
    Tom Waits in Big Time (1988)
    Big Time (1988)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tom Waits
    Tom Waits
    • Selfas Self
    Michael L. Blair
    • Self - Musicianas Self - Musician
    • (as Michael Blair)
    Ralph Carney
    • Self - Musicianas Self - Musician
    Greg Cohen
    Greg Cohen
    • Self - Musicianas Self - Musician
    Marc Ribot
    • Self - Musicianas Self - Musician
    Willie Schwarz
    • Self - Musicianas Self - Musician
    Miss Keiko
    • Featured Performeras Featured Performer
    Gerty the Monkey
    • Featured Performeras Featured Performer
    Adam Bomb
    • Spanish Announceras Spanish Announcer
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Chris Blum
    • Writers
      • Kathleen Brennan
      • Tom Waits
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Quotes

      Tom Waits: I think the question I get asked the most is, well I dunno know, it happens a lot, enough that I would remark on it - a lot of people come up to me and they say "Is it possible for a woman to get pregnant without intercourse?" My answer's always the same, I say: "Listen. We're gonna have to go all the way back to the civil war. Apparently a stray bullet actually pierced the testicle of a Union soldier and then lodged itself in the ovaries of an 18 year old girl who was actually 100 feet from him at the time. Well, the baby was fine. She was very happy. Guilt-free. Course, the soldier's a little pissed off." When ya think about it, it's actually a form of intercourse, but not for everyone. Those who love action, maybe.

    • Connections
      Featured in Tom Waits: The Acting Years (2019)
    • Soundtracks
      Innocent When You Dream (78)
      Written by Tom Waits

      Performed by Tom Waits

    User reviews11

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    i'veseenitallthroughtheyellowwindowsoftheeveningtrain
    Big Time is magnificent,A live tour-de-force by one of America's greatest performers.It is a concert film of his Frank's Wild Years Tour circa 1987,but I am not certain it was filmed live in concert.Some performances,if not all,have a staged studio feel to them,but I'm probably wrong,and it does not matter anyway,as all the performances are truly excellent representations of his songs.There are little vignettes between each number,which are strange and entertaining.A gunshot sound is heard when it cuts from one thing to another,like in Masculine Feminine,Tom Waits appears in nearly all of the between songs vignettes.In one he is seen sitting on the floor of the theater's washrooms snapping playing cards into a hat on the floor several feet away from him,saying"She loves me,she loves me not" and "ooh!Got one-lost one"when a card falls off the hat onto the floor.Symbolizing the fall of the Italian socialist-communist regime.He is seen addressing the "audience" at times in his wonderful winning style of between-song-banter,which will either make you laugh out loud or at least smile real big.In one he is the usher,telling the viewer that you are late.And then wants to sell you a watch from his catalog displayed on his forearm.In another he is working the ticket booth (presumably taking over for the mysterious Oriental lady who was seen doing it earlier in the film,and who appears a few more times)fast asleep until the phone rings and he says blearily "I'm here!" and then starts buying and selling stocks and bonds.Please do not let any of this scare you off from seeing this film,I'm just a terrible reviewer.Instead of concentrating on this little stuff,I should be describing the important stuff,which is of course the music.I would like to list the songs performed,but I don't feel like searching through my clutter for the information.But I can tell you they are all culled from Swordfishtrombones,Rain Dogs and Frank's Wild Years,w/1 or 2 exceptions.It is a shame that it is so difficult to obtain a copy of this film.There are a lot of Waits fans out there doing without.I was extremely lucky to get my VHS copy.I ordered it from Blockbuster and 3 years later they called and said it was there.40 miles away.It was well worth it.If you are a fan of Waits,you owe it to yourself to obtain a copy somewhere,somehow of Big Time.It cries out to be released on DVD,just listen...be vewy vewy quiet..."release me"...hear that?
    helpful•6
    2
    • jmj30113
    • Oct 5, 2006

    FAQ1

    • Anyone know where I can get a copy or stream this?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 20, 1988 (Netherlands)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Wielki czas
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Island Visual Arts
      • Vivid Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $148,426
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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