Crime Wave (1985)
A young director intent on making "the greatest color crime movie ever" can't seem to finish his script--he has a beginning and an end, but he can't quite figure out the middle. The daughter of his landlord, excited to have a real "movie person" living nearby, tries to help by putting him in touch with a man who wants to collaborate on a script--the strange "Dr. Jolly"
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Truly Dreadful Film
People are voting emotionally.
Let's be realistic.
Did you people see the same film I saw?
That was not good. Went into it thinking it was Sam Raimi's "Crimewave" of the same year. Decided to stick it out anyways. Wish I hadn't. Sorry, John. :(
Just one of those films you know that blow your mind, stick in your head for a year and makes all others movies look like over budget Hollywood crap. It's like watching pure imagination! One piece of advice: Stop working now and start looking for it. I found a used VHS of it years ago and since then, I can say the world dosen't look the same anymore. The top: only few people made it, and John Paizs is one of them.I know it may sound a little bit crazy but seriously, if you love movies that make you wonder how can someone could possibly think of that, give it a try.
I only saw this movie once on CBC years ago so it's fuzzy, but the scene with the cowboy and the main character has stuck with me because it has the kind of creepiness that leaves the mouth dry.Okay, Lynch may not have "ripped" the scene from this movie but when I saw the scene in Mulholland Drive with the cowboy I only took me a fraction of a second to drag out this little scene from Crime Wave which was lost somewhere in my memory banks. I think this is a good thing, because how else could I have reclaimed my interest in Piazs' film, introducing it to you now and maybe even getting you to be interested in it too?Both scenes have similar settings, a failing light from above, and both involve a meeting with a menacing character in a cowboy hat. When I saw Mulholland Dr. I just KNEW Lynch had to have seen this movie too. Anyways, you all inspire me: Maddin, Paizs, Lynch, Georges Melies, Miranda July, Godard...
Along with the brilliant Guy Madden (ARCHANGEL, TALES FROM GIMLI HOSPITAL), John Paizs is another Winnipeg native who shot his first films there. Check out his short films (especially SPRINGTIME IN GREENLAND) which are absolutely hilarious. There must be something in the tap water in Winnipeg. As for CRIME WAVE, I can't say enough good things about this movie. My VHS copy is one of my prize possessions in my movie collection. Despite its somewhat crude production values and spotty performances, it exhibits ten times as much imagination, creativity, and wit as most Hollywood comedies. TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN is also wonderful in its own schizophrenic, bizarre way.