Still Crazy (1998)

Fame, fortune and fornication drove the British rock band in the '70s until a divine end. 20 years later, Strange Fruit reunites and goes on a tour with ups and downs on the continent.

Director:

Brian Gibson

Writers:

Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais

Stars:

Stephen Rea, Billy Connolly, Jimmy Nail

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stephen Rea	...	Tony Costello
Billy Connolly	...	Hughie
Jimmy Nail	...	Les Wickes
Timothy Spall	...	David 'Beano' Baggot
Bill Nighy	...	Ray Simms
Juliet Aubrey	...	Karen Knowles
Helena Bergström	...	Astrid Simms
Bruce Robinson	...	Brian Lovell
Hans Matheson	...	Luke Shand
Rachael Stirling	...	Clare Knowles
Phil Daniels	...	Neil Gaydon
Phil Davis	...	Limo Driver
Frances Barber	...	Lady in Black
Zoë Ball	...	Zoë
Virginia Clay	...	Young Karen

Storyline

"Strange Fruit" had everything that makes a legendary rockband: money, fame, success, groupies, a singer who died of drugs, and even a divine ending, when lightning struck the stage during an open-air concert. Twenty years later, all of the band members are minding their own businesses, the idea of a band reunion is brought up by, well, public request. Tony Costello (Stephen Rea), the former keyboard player, sets out only to find his former friends working as a roofer, a gardener and a hotel clerk. They all became rather everyday people, married or still single, they definitely are not wild and crazy anymore. But with the help of former manager Karen Knowles (Juliet Aubrey), who is still dreaming of Brian Lovell (Bruce Robinson), the apparently deceased lead guitarist, they all, old, fat and wrinkled as they are, try to catch that spirit again.

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Plot Keywords:

rock band reunion | singer | musician | male bonding | 1970s | 

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Taglines:

A coming-of-middle-age comedy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexuality and drug content

Did You Know?

Trivia

When "Strange Fruit" are arriving for their first gig in the Netherlands, a small billboard can be seen advertising the shows of "Van Dijk" and "De Dikhout", pointing at the bands "De Dijk" and "Van Dik Hout", two famous Dutch rock bands.

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Goofs

On their way from Groningen to Antwerp the band is passing by some windmills in some typical 'polder' landscape. That sort of landscape with that sort of windmills can not be encountered anywhere along that route, while the possibility of the band having terribly strayed off, gets contradicted by the fact that the two hitchhikers are also heading for Antwerp.

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Quotes

Luke Shand: You people are really something, you know that? All you want is a few free drinks and a chance to tear people down. Those guys deserve a bit more respect. You bunch of wankers!
[reaming the journalists who just finished grilling band members at a press conference]

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits, voices are heard of members of Strange Fruit playing the Bands-with-body-parts-in-their-name game.

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Connections

References Apocalypse Now (1979)

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Soundtracks

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Written by Russ Ballard (as Ballard) and Chris Difford (as Difford)
Performed by Jimmy Nail
1998 London Records 90 Ltd.

User Reviews

More Fruit please

Hello, I was alanrickmaniac. I'm a Still Crazy-holic. It was just another movie I watched partly on TV. Then I had to get the video tape to finally find out how it ends. Then I wanted the DVD, because the tape showed first signs of decay after a few weeks. After the DVD I had to lay my hands on the soundtrack. Then on several film posters and the film script. Right now it has become that worse that I try to push other people into addiction with my website and Still Crazy parties.

How could that happen? What drove me into addiction?

OK, it's one of those funny but somehow sad and melancholic intelligent comedies like only the British can produce.

Alright, the movie is worlds apart from stuff like ''This Is Spinal Tap'', because of the characters, that aren't childish or ultra cool, but real. This is a story about men getting older, too. A story about men getting along with each other. Or don't. It contains some of the best actors possible. Tim Spall. Stephen Rea. Bruce Robinson. Jimmy Nail. And Bill Nighy. Bill Nighy who puts on one of the best performances I've ever seen in a film.

Good, the soundtrack is unbelievable. Foreigner's Mick Jones has written the songs for the imaginary band Strange Fruit. Jimmy Nail who plays bass-man Les Wickes and Bill Nighy portraying the egocentric but awkward singer Ray Simms are really singing. We know that about Jimmy Nail, but if you've only heard Bill Nighy's singing in "Love Actually", you have no idea how great and powerful his voice is.

Well, you'll fever for every scene to come for the x-th time, especially those concert scenes. You'd die to be able to really stand in the dancing crowd when Strange Fruit is doing "All Over The World", singing on the top of your lungs. You long to cry and celebrate with thousands of people the rebirth of the real Strange Fruit at Wisbech's festival stage.

It's hard but... I'm addicted to this film. I'm addicted to Strange Fruit. If there's a world where this band really exists I'd like to move there.

Got Still Crazy... anyone?

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Still Crazy

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$102,971, 24 January 1999

Gross USA:

$524,864

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$524,864

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Marmot Tandy Productions, The Greenlight Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1