Crimewave (1985)

Today's movie of the day = Crimewave. It is available to watch on Amazon Prime with commercials. Directed by Sam Raimi and written by him and the Coen Brothers I was expecting a very different film, to be sure!

This one starred Brion James (you'd know him from Blade Runner and The Fifth Element), Paul L. Smith (Bluto in the Popeye film), Bruce Campbell, and the 1973 Oldsmobile Delta.

To say this movie is odd and surreal is an understatement. I don't truly know how to classify this one. It's listed as a comedy, and there are comedic elements, but it is weirder than that. My biggest thing is that it was all over the place. It's like Raimi had ADD and couldn't focus on a single scene without bouncing to another one. It really screwed up the flow of the film.

There were some funny elements in it here and there. There was also a definite post-The Evil Dead vibes in certain scenes as Raimi used some similar screen tricks. I wasn't feeling the Coen Brothers side of things here BUT...I can see that if this was done with a more serious tone, it could easily fit in their wheelhouse.

The film focuses on a character named Vic Ajax who gets put on death row for the murder of his two bosses. As he's walking to the electric chair, he continues to profess his innocence and tells his story.

Overall it was a very odd film and I don't really know if I liked it or not. Every once in awhile I run across these to where there are some elements that scream mid-1980s comical farce. It has some feels of the Zucker Brothers.

I am hesitant to give my approval on this one. On one level, there were some laughs. On another, it's just so haphazard with the editing that it's hard to focus on. This one is right in the middle between recommending and not. If you have the extra time, maybe it's worth a view. If not, it is not hard to miss out on it.

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