Crime Wave (1986), Crimewave (1985), Crime Wave (1954)

 My intention was to watch Crimewave a film I remember seeing part of as a child. That 1985 movie features Bruce Campbell, was directed by Sam Rami and written by the Coen Brothers. What I ended up seeing instead was Crime Wave a 1986 Canadian film. Both movies are currently free on IMDb TV, so I did get to watch the film I had intended to see the next day. I also became aware of another film called Crime Wave, this one from 1954 which I watched on Sunday night capping off a 'Crime Wave' weekend. 

So the Canadian Crime Wave is the story of Steven Penny a struggling "Color Crime Movie Maker" who lives in a small apartment above the garage of a Winnipeg couple. The joke is that Steven can come up with beginnings and endings fine but has a hard time time doing "the middles". He befriends his tenants young daughter who helps him creatively. The movie is very retro in style reminiscent of an old educational film. We see depictions of some of the beginnings and endings Steven writes, so I thought that this was all a framing story for the Crimewave I remember seeing part of in my youth. But then the story kept going on and on and I eventually figured out these were two different movies. But the Canadian Crime Wave was interestingly odd, I knew I would have to go back and watch it again, not approaching it as prolog, so I could absorb it more. I did that tonight and confirmed for myself that it was the best of the three 'Crime Waves' I just watched. Director star John Paizs has me curious about his other work, such an odd sensibility, in a search for a point of reference I would probably have to go with Ren & Stimpy.  

Meanwhile the Rami/Coen Brothers Crimewave is not unlike a live action Tex Avery cartoon. It was a big failure financially and one of the weaker outings for the three creatives. It has its moments but feels longer then its 80 something minute running time. You can see hints of other work by the same people, including a Hudscuker State Penitentiary. The story concerns two exterminators/ hit men who mess up a job and so seek to murder some potential witnesses, including Sheree J. Wilson from the original Walker Texas Ranger. Reed Birney is the dufus hero. 

The 1954 Crimewave is a police procedural with an emphasis on realism. An ex con and his wife are pulled into a scheme hatched by some of his former prison associates. Sterling Hayden, who I'm not a great fan of plays the police detective handling the case. He's a gruf guy, not super sympathetic, and kind of an A-hole to this poor couple at times. I guess that's part of the realism, and parts of this film work rather well, such as the depiction of a regular night at the precinct, or all of the efforts exerted when a cop is shot and killed in a hold up. 

It was an unexpected wave of Crimewaves, but it was fun. 

Crime Wave (1986) ***

Crimewave (1985) **

Crime Wave (1954) **