Dave from Ottawa A nebbishy guy is on the run from the cops after a couple of hit men frame him for their wild crime spree in this dark and quite funny action comedy from early in the careers of the Coen Brothers. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. The plotting is sharp and inventive, and the action is fast moving, with Brion James and Paul L. Smith stealing the movie as the hit men. The two young lovers who get inadvertently caught up in the intrigue are more off-the-rack as characters and thus less interesting than their antagonists, but then again, the villains always get the best material. Everything in the movie has a slightly amber hue. I'm guessing that this was meant to suggest the yellowing pages of an old pulp novel. Certainly, that is what is being both constructed here and spoofed at the same time: Pepsodent clean good guy / good girl couple in over their heads, nasty villains driving the unrelenting action, sudden violence erupting out of nowhere. It's all pretty entertaining.

Trelloskilos Crimewave has 'cult b-movie' written all over it. From the opening credits, to the crazy story, oddball characters and cheezy acting, this is a film that has no pretensions of winning any Oscars.Unfortunately, it's dated now, and hasn't held up as well as it could do. The setting may have been intended to be late 50's urban downtown America, but the whole thing has been glossed with a nasty 80's varnish that's hard to ignore.With the exception of a few standouts, the acting overall is very hammy, which is just right for this film, so no points deducted there. Paul Smith's goofy hero is likable enough as a geeky home security installer with a crush on a feisty independent girl, but Bruce Campbell's oily sleezebag heel definitely steals the show, sometimes with just a single slimy look and a self-confident guffaw.The pace of the film is pretty well established with loads of car chases & cartoon violence, but Sam Raimi has a few tricks up his sleeve. One of the more memorable, and brilliant set pieces is the chase through the 'Safest corridoor in the world', or the attack in the apartment.Some of the dialogue is a bit poor though, and very predictable, but if the verbal jokes don't make you laugh, the visual ones will.Great fun the first time around, but not exactly a film I'd want to watch again & again.

turboxiann Canadian director John Piazs made another film titled Crimewave at the same time and was unable to use the title in the states due to Dantes Crimewave. Its titles have the word "big" awkwardly pop up on the screen. The Piazs film is also a homage to pulp 50s/60s crime dramas as well as the frustration, illusion and apathy the main character goes thru in trying to realize his dream. Despite how depressing the description may seem the film is hilarious and one of my all time faves. Its narrated by the little girl who's parents rent him the attic above their garage. The film contains beginnings and endings of his films. According to the girl Kim he has problems with the stuff in between.Hence why he never finishes his Crimewave films. Piazs even filmed the movie in lavish color. Its a total classic and unfortunately even less known in the states then the Dante crimewave Thu a respected cult film in Canada. See by all means if you can find a copy

jsn_reece i seen this movie in the summer of 1988 when i was 8.i remember a lot about it cause of the 2 bad guys.and i went looking for it and i didn't know the name.i ask everyone and they never gave me a straight answer i ask about the scenes and such.in early December of 2006.i read the quotes where the hero broke one of the bad guys electric tool.and it took me to this movie and i read some comments on the movie.and it led me right to it.hopefully i can find more movies that way lady you ain't seen noting yet.and when i finally found it on e-bay it was a lot sillier than i remember it.but i don't know what else to write i half to write more because it won't let me send this comment.and it says this comment is not ready.