Crimewave

Everyone behind Crimewave (1985) - from the actors to the executives to the Detroit teamsters who built the sets - is only too eager to tell you what a complete and utter failure it is. And in some respects, they’re right. But without Sam Raimi’s mismanaged follow-up to The Evil Dead, co-written by Joel and Ethan Coen (yes, that Joel and Ethan Coen) and co-starring Bruce Campbell, none of the talent behind the camera would be the creative force they are today. Not only did the experience give them a taste of just how nasty Hollywood could be, it’s a showcase for the sort of unhinged creative ambitions that most filmmaker’s are never allowed to dabble in. And as such, it’s a fascinating piece of show-off moviemaking that sows the seeds of what Raimi and the Coens would soon become.

A screwball comedy that plays like a combination of the Coen’s Blood Simple and Raising Arizona (with more than a little Stooges thrown in for good measure), the movie follows the exploits of mild-mannered security guard Vic Ajax (Reed Birney) who is unwittingly pulled into a botched corporate murder scheme when the two psychotic hitmen (Brion James and Paul L. Smith) who loused up the job try to eliminate the witnesses. To defend his newfound true love, Vic must man-up to save the day….and save himself from the electric chair.

Nothing about Crimewave is particularly funny but all of it is amusing. There’s a whacked-out charm that permeates every scene so that even when the jokes fall flat, one is eager to give it the benefit of the doubt. Fans who loathed the Tobey Maguire dance sequence in Spiderman 3 should consider themselves duly warned; this is Raimi’s sense of humor and you either go with the flow or get out of the way. Bruce Campbell (who was cheated out of the lead role by the studio) works best with the material, playing a lovable louse with perfect over-the-top gusto, accompanied by constant sound effects and Looney Tunes punch lines.

Visually, Crimewave is Raimi’s most elaborate film next to Evil Dead 2. Producer Edward R. Pressman (who also plays a small role in the film) worked with director Brian De Palma earlier in his career and it’s not hard to see the same sort of inventive camerawork pushed front and center. Raimi’s style is more playful but equally impressive, including big dance numbers, flying plate POVs, and a game of human dominoes. There is so much to admire here, the film should get a pass on those moments alone.

Yet Crimewave has been pretty much shelved since its inauspicious theatrical opening limited to Alaska and Kansas. The studio really hated the film. But now you get a chance to make up your own mind thanks to Shout Factory’s blu-ray / DVD combo pack which includes commentary from co-star Bruce Campbell (who’s only too happy to dish all the dirt) and an interviews with Birney and Pressman who are a little more forgiving after all these years.