Summary
All great directors have the freedom to pursue passion projects. Christopher Nolan unsuccessfully pitched the idea ofInceptionto Warner Bros before he released the masterpiece that isThe Dark Knight. Not even a year after Nolan’s sequel Batman film stormed movie theaters across the country, Warner Bros changed their mind aboutInception, a film that’s still heavily discussed today.
But these “out there” movies don’t always see the same great light of success as others. Sam Raimi directed an instant horror classic withThe Evil Deadin 1981. But four years later, he directed a film noir slapstick comedy that took his fans by absolute surprise. The film is calledCrimewave, and it wasn’t exactly a box office success.
Raimi brought back hisEvil Deadfranchise star, Bruce Campbell, to help with making the film, as well as screenplay assistance form the very talented Coen brothers (Ethan and Joel), who would go on to write and direct iconic films likeFargoandThe Big Lebowski. Considering the proven talent that went into producing this parody crime drama, maybeCrimewaveis worth another watch.
Sam Raimi, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast
Bruce Campbell, Reed Birney, Louise Lasser, Sheree J. Wilson, Brion James, Paul L. Smith
83 minutes
Where to watch
Available to stream onPrime Video
Crimewavetells the story of Victor Ajax, a man who has been sentenced to death for the murders of several people at an apartment building in Detroit. As Victor is on the electric chair awaiting his fate, he thinks about the events that transpired for him to end up in this predicament.
Victor worked for a security firm called Trend-Odegard Security, fittingly owned by two men named Ernest Trend and Donald Odegard. However, Odegard – unbeknownst to Trend – was in the process of selling the company to a wealthy businessman named Renaldo, but commonly went by the nickname “The Heel”. Furious, Trend decided to hire two hit-men, Arthur Coddish and Faron Crush, to take out Odegard before his plan follows through. But Trend didn’t exactly do his research on the assassins he hired.
The film goes on to follow Coddish and Faron as they extend their work beyond their original contract, all the while Victor is caught in the middle of the madness just trying to find love in a woman named Nancy. Did he commit the murders that would eventually lead him to the electric chair? Watch the 1985 crime drama spoof to find out.
57%
Audience Score
47%
When it comes to comedies and horror movies, critic scores aretypically pretty harsh, so it’s best to see the films and make an especially personal decision. As noted,Crimewavereceived a 57% critic score (“Tomatometer”) and an even lower 47% audience score. Again these scores shouldn’t necessarily determine anyone’s interest in watching the film. Just look atStep Brothers, which is rated a lousy 55% critic score, and it’s one of the funniest movies of all time! For those who won’t let a less than stellar score stop them from watching the film there are a few positive reviews from some of Rotten Tomatoes top critics.A.A. Dowd wrote about the film for AV Cluband said:
At the very least, the film is fascinating for the way it merges the dueling sensibilities of its creative masterminds, investing a quintessentially Coen plot with Raimi’s love of broad physical comedy.
Similarly,Kim Newman of Empire Magazinerated the movie 3 out 5 stars, writing:
Bizarre and entertaining little film that deserves a look.
What Did Sam Raimi Do After Crimewave?
As many know, Raimi went on to make two sequels to his highly successful filmThe Evil Dead, directingEvil Dead 2in 1987, andArmy of Darknessin 1992. For people who grew up in the 80s and 90s, these are what they thought of when they discussed Sam Raimi.
For people a little younger – especially the ones whose childhood was in the early 2000s – Sam Raimi was the mastermind behind the first ever live-actionSpider-Mantrilogy(starting in 2002) starring Tobey Maguire as the kid from Queens. Raimi seems to have been successful in forming or joining in on franchises, having dived a little deeper into Marvel and the superhero genre with his filmDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Outside of being a part of these iconic franchises, Raimi has seemed to lean more towards the horror and thriller genres, having directed the 2000 thrillerThe Giftstarring Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves and 2009’sDrag Me to Hell, as well as helping produceThe Possessionin 2012 and the 2004 American adaptation ofThe Grudge.
With such a long list of credits to his name,Crimewavejust might be Sam Raimi’s most unique film, and one that should probably be watched with a very open mind, but watched nonetheless!
MORE:Sam Raimi Horror Movie May Finally Get A Sequel (& It’s Not Evil Dead)
