Sandwiched in between his first two "Evil Dead" movies is filmmaker Sam Raimis' "Crimewave", a silly, over the top tribute to film noir and especially slapstick comedy. (Film buffs know that Raimi is a big Three Stooges fan.) It may be a little much for some people, but it does have a lot of energy, and spirited performances.
It begins as Vic Ajax (Reed Birney), the ultimate nerd / patsy, is about to be executed for a series of crimes. He desperately pleads his case that the real perpetrators were a demented pair of exterminators / hit men, Faron (Paul L. Smith) and Arthur (Brion James) who had initially been hired just to eliminate the business partner of a man in the security business. As schmucky Vic stubbornly tries to woo the gorgeous Nancy (Sheree J. Wilson of 'Walker: Texas Ranger'), he ends up being terrorized by the gargantuan goons.
Like a lot of comedies, "Crimewave" does lose a bit of its momentum after a while. Fortunately, things pick up again for an exciting climactic vehicle chase. Overall, the movie is extremely well cast; Raimis' old pal Bruce Campbell (also the co-producer) has a recurring bit and is so funny the viewer will wish that he had more to do. Also in the cast are TV star Louise Lasser, veteran film producer Edward R. Pressman in a rare acting gig, Richard Bright, Antonio Fargas, Julius Harris, and long ago Three Stooges co-star Emil Sitka. Smith and James are hilarious and fun to watch as the antagonists, although in real life Raimi and company had their problems dealing with them: James had a drug habit during this period and Smith, supposedly believing himself above the material, gave a performance disliked by the filmmakers so much that they dubbed him for the duration of the movie.
From beginning to end, this is an effectively wild and (fairly) unpredictable affair; Raimi co-wrote with his fellow directors and friends the Coen brothers. The Coens appear as reporters, with Joels' wife Frances McDormand playing one of the nuns and Raimis' brother Ted in a bit as a waiter. They all make this a very easy to take diversion that at the very least is certainly never boring.
Seven out of 10.
It begins as Vic Ajax (Reed Birney), the ultimate nerd / patsy, is about to be executed for a series of crimes. He desperately pleads his case that the real perpetrators were a demented pair of exterminators / hit men, Faron (Paul L. Smith) and Arthur (Brion James) who had initially been hired just to eliminate the business partner of a man in the security business. As schmucky Vic stubbornly tries to woo the gorgeous Nancy (Sheree J. Wilson of 'Walker: Texas Ranger'), he ends up being terrorized by the gargantuan goons.
Like a lot of comedies, "Crimewave" does lose a bit of its momentum after a while. Fortunately, things pick up again for an exciting climactic vehicle chase. Overall, the movie is extremely well cast; Raimis' old pal Bruce Campbell (also the co-producer) has a recurring bit and is so funny the viewer will wish that he had more to do. Also in the cast are TV star Louise Lasser, veteran film producer Edward R. Pressman in a rare acting gig, Richard Bright, Antonio Fargas, Julius Harris, and long ago Three Stooges co-star Emil Sitka. Smith and James are hilarious and fun to watch as the antagonists, although in real life Raimi and company had their problems dealing with them: James had a drug habit during this period and Smith, supposedly believing himself above the material, gave a performance disliked by the filmmakers so much that they dubbed him for the duration of the movie.
From beginning to end, this is an effectively wild and (fairly) unpredictable affair; Raimi co-wrote with his fellow directors and friends the Coen brothers. The Coens appear as reporters, with Joels' wife Frances McDormand playing one of the nuns and Raimis' brother Ted in a bit as a waiter. They all make this a very easy to take diversion that at the very least is certainly never boring.
Seven out of 10.