Adam Whybray An absolute peach of a film about a "quiet man" Steven Penny (played by director John Paizs himself) and his desires to pen the greatest colour crime movie ever told. His attempts are lovingly documented by his chipper and inquisitive neighbour Kim (Eva Kovacs), who becomes fascinated by Steven after reading scraps from his discarded screenplays, which Steven has thrown to the trash. For you see, Steven is a tormented artist. He can write the beginnings and endings of screenplays, but not the middles... and what screenplays they are! They tell sordid tales of hapless and violent Elvis impersonators; murderous Amway recruits; self-destructive self-help gurus! Yet, however sordid these cutaways become, the film retains a giddy innocence amidst the darkness. It also achieves a feat that very few films achieve, which is to use kitsch in a way that is wholly earnest and sincere, rather than ironic. The whole film has the feel of an after-school special, or those awkwardly mannered edutainment titles reserved for the classroom, but the spirit of parody remains wholly affectionate and the film is often touching and beautiful. This is especially impressive for a film with such strong meta-fictional elements, since it would be easy for such an exercise to become distanced and cynical. However, when Kim educates the viewer about persistence of vision, passing on the knowledge given to her by Steven, we are simply caught up in the joy of it, rather than smirking some knowing smirk as to how clever-clever the enterprise is. With the entrance of criminally insane script doctor Dr. Jolly (Neil Lawrie) the film threatens to become rather dark, yet still retains a lightness of touch. It's a magical piece of filmmaking, quite unlike anything you've ever seen before, one infused with the joys of filmmaking, friendship and the wonder of childhood with the experience of being an adult. It's a beaut.

PeterHoltHoffman As far as commenting on the film is concerned, I can only echo what others have already said. "Crime Wave" is brilliant and beautifully filmed. I watched the film today and I found the Kodak film used is no longer available so perhaps another film with just this look will never be possible again?Now to the exciting news: I have just purchased (and received on 8 February 2009) copies of "Crime Wave" and "Springtime in Greenland" on DVD.The guidelines prevent me from linking directly to the site but just use Google and look for "John Paizs" and "Crime Wave". I hope the 'availability' clause still won't prevent this comment from appearing.

constantcreations I just watched this film today at school. The professor brought it out to cheer the class up since it had been raining and cold all day. He labeled it as the funniest Canadian movie of all time and he really wasn't far from the truth. The beginning of the film is a bit weird and campy, and it's hard to imagine that it will actually produce real laughs. By the end of the first scene, however, you'll have laughed out loud and will be in anticipation for what will happen next. This continues for th entire movie. Every scene has at least a few great moments in it that are really funny (mostly in strange, sometimes uncomfortable, and unexpected ways). Some of the greatest moments happen while Kim reads the "middles" that have been discarded. The Halloween party is also fantastic. When the film ended the effect on the entire class was clear. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and making comments about the very last joke in the film. The rainy day had been forgotten and some students were even whistling the music that had accompanied the end credits. The film is a must see at any time, but even more so when you need something to bring a smile to your face.

jz1360 I happened to catch part of Crime Wave on CBC late one night in the 80s and I was hypnotized by it's underground feel and truly offbeat humor. Then I didn't think about it again for about fifteen years until I came across a used copy in a video store that was going out of business. I have watched it a few times and each time my eyes widen like a little child. John Paizs as Steven Penny is a deadpan delight, future anchorwoman Eva Covacs is perfect as the precocious Kim. And of course there's Dr. Jolly. The cornfield scene is probably the weirdest scene of any film I've ever seen.Overall if you appreciate low-budget comedy miracles, this is a prototype.