Classic Comedies, 80s Comedies Are Cult Classics From Famous Directors
Written by Robert Scucci | Published
After The Evil Dead’s commercial success, Sam Raimi was eager to work on another project with Bruce Campbell, with the help of the Coen brothers, in the 1985s. Crimewave. While this sounds like the best movie you’ve never heard of, it’s best to approach this one with guarded enthusiasm because what sounds good on paper doesn’t work as well on screen as intended. It’s not that the script isn’t funny, or that the setpieces aren’t ambitious, but rather that Raimi wasn’t allowed to edit the film due to studio interference. The result is a film that feels disjointed and incomplete despite the talent involved.
If Raimi and the Coen brothers envisioned the film later in their careers, when they had greater energy and creativity, Crimewave it would be the art of subversive comedy. All the elements that draw you in are there, but everything feels lumped together and lacks a clear sense of direction. At the end of the day, that’s pretty much what you should expect when you walk into a dark, neo-noir crime comedy inspired by Hitchcock, filtered through B-movie production values that rely entirely on slapstick comedy, like watching Laurel and Hardy slightly stretched for length.
Still, if you’re a fan of the filmmakers, it’s a creative misstep that’s fun to witness. If nothing else, it allows you to explore one of their more obscure titles, a film that never had a chance to take off when it was released, but is now revered as the cult classic it was meant to be.
A Glorious Chaos of Purpose Vs Execution
Crimewave tells its main story through flashbacks, leading up to the murder of Victor Ajax (Reed Birney), who finds himself chained to the electric chair as midnight approaches. He is also treated to the smashing of a group of monks crammed into a sedan, dashing towards the prison for reasons that will not be explained until later. Victor insists that he is innocent, and hopes that he can convince the killer to spare him by telling what really happened before he is caught and imprisoned.
Victor’s flashbacks tell the story of the murders he’s accused of committing, but given how chaotic everything is, it’s no surprise that he’s minutes away from being pulled from his death coil. According to Victor, he worked as an expert for Ernest Trend (Edward R. Pressman), owner of Trend-Odegard Security. While installing security cameras in his employer’s building, Victor is fired to track down the girl of his dreams, Nancy (Sheree J. Wilson), who happens to live in the same building. What Victor doesn’t realize is that this app is a deliberate distraction, as he has to go back to the store across the street, completely unaware of Mr. Trend already know.
Mr. Trend recently found out that his business partner, Mr. Odegard, is trying to sell the company under him. In response, he hires hitmen Faron (Paul L. Smith) and Arthur (Brion James) to kill Odegard at the store. Meanwhile, Victor tries to woo Nancy, who is clearly not interested in him, but is infatuated with Renaldo The Heel (Bruce Campbell), a corrupt rival who plans to buy the company from Odegard. With this love triangle, Mr. Trend, and the exterminators’ willingness to wipe out anyone in their way to make sure the sale doesn’t go through, Victor finds himself in the middle of a series of murders that are increasingly being slapped on the face of death, but laying the same charge.
As bedlam unfolds according to Victor’s account of events, we slowly piece together what really happened that night. Whether he’s telling the truth or not, it’s left to the judge and jury to decide as the clock ticks toward midnight.
We Were Smart, But We Got This Instead
The most disappointing feature Crimewave that it contains all the raw elements you’d expect from a Sam Raimi film written by the Coen brothers. Bruce Campbell is reliably Bruce Campbell, and the slapstick is pushed so far into question that it feels like a preview of what the Coens would later refine in similar films. Raising Arizona again O Brother, Where are you? Unfortunately, Raimi didn’t have the authority he needed to fully execute the project on his terms, and the resulting studio disruption was painful. Crimewave more than it helped.
While Crimewave it’s always a fun watch because of its characters, unusual story beats, and detailed plots, its individual parts never coming together to form something satisfying. The silver lining is that its failure inspired Raimi to go back down Evil Dead II after recovering from this production. In that sense, Crimewave it was a necessary stepping stone that pushed the franchise we know and love into bolder, more unrestricted territory.
It was necessary Crimewave developed in the 90s, 2000s, or later, the final product may have been more compact. By then, Raimi and the Coen brothers would have had enough creative control to fully embrace the silliness baked into the screenplay. Still, it’s still a Sam Raimi film written by the Coen brothers, which means you can expect a healthy dose of the offbeat, dark comedy they’ve consistently delivered throughout their careers. It just happens, in this case, to miss the mark more often than it hits, making for a messy but undeniably entertaining watch.
As of this writing, Crimewave is streaming for free on Tubi.
