Gripping story with well-crafted characters

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

A smash-and-grab cut-rate showpiece from green-yet-enthusiastic director and co-writer Sam Raimi and his writing partners, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. Loosely-hinged tale concerns an inmate at Hudsucker Penitentiary who swears he is innocent of murder, telling his fateful story while strapped to the electric chair. Raimi and cinematographer Robert Primes treat the camera like a brand new toy, seeing its possibilities as endless. Their visual satirizing of cheap noirs and late-night thrillers is initially quite impressive; however, without a bigger budget and a sharper sense of narrative, the film simply can't sustain itself. "Crimewave" is full of whiz-bang effects, but the slapstick motifs and vignettes hold no weight--it's just a doodle. Paul L. Smith (who does a funny slow burn) and Louise Lasser have a wonderfully silly extended chase sequence, and there's a funny pay-off after the end-credits. *1/2 from ****

Sam Raimi's follow-up to The Evil Dead is a goofy, live action cartoon. Reed Birney plays a dork who is about to be executed for murders he didn't commit. Sitting on the electric chair, he tells the improbable story of how a couple of crazy exterminators went on a killing spree and in reality he was the hero who stopped them. This is an utterly bizarre film, not really like anything else I've seen (the one film I've seen that it reminds me most of is Louis Malle's underrated comedy Zazie dans le metro). I wouldn't say it's overly successful - it's annoying as often as it's funny. But still, it's amusing, and every bit as inventive as The Evil Dead and the film that followed this one, Evil Dead II. In fact, I'd say a lot of the craziness of this film fed directly into Evil Dead II, which is probably Raimi's best film (well, I'd probably say his absolute best is A Simple Plan, but Evil Dead II is the more iconic contribution to cinema). Evil Dead II is a better film in every way, but Crimewave is most certainly worth a look.

Nobody is a bigger fan of the Coen Brothers and Sam Raimi. Believe me this is no "Fargo" or "A Simple Plan". "Crimewave" is a challenge to sit through, and I have seen "Ren and Stimpy" cartoons that made more sense. The viewer is bounced back and forth between two cartoon-like stories, neither one of which is remotely interesting. My feeling is that many fans of the Coens and Sam Raimi will be curious enough about "Crimewave" to seek this out. Be warned, this film is a total mess, almost unwatchable, and to be avoided, unless you find unfunny, boorish, badly acted, films entertaining. Forget "Crimewave", I know I am trying to forget it as I write this. - MERK

It is so strange how some films never seem to catch the attention of either the public or the critics. Most would rightly assume the reason being the lack of quality of the film in question, which is indeed often the case. But not so with 'Crimewave', at least not as far as I am concerned.This film is so far out that most people never ever venture there and never will. There is scarcely anything normal about this film: even other Coen products pale into normality compared to it. And this is precisely the film's attractiveness. The situations, characters, dialogues and overall cinematographic language is absolutely unique. I cannot compare Crimewave with any other film out there, and I've seen thousands. Cartoonesque, surreal, utterly stupid, screamingly funny because not trying to be, the film boasts attributes I have not really encountered anywhere else, at least not in just the one film. Tex Avery cartoons may at times spring to mind, as may some films by French director George Lautner, or Bogdanovich' screamingly funny 'What's Up, Doc?' ... oh, and of course the equally terrific over the top romp 'Raising Arizona'!Acting as well is so totally over the top that even just trying to take it serious, merely results in total incomprehension on the part of the utterly bewildered and bemused viewer. This film is totally about style inasmuch as even its substance is style.The incredibly unreal atmosphere the film exudes is - apart from the aspects already mentioned - also due to the lavish use of alienatingly oversaturated colours: they marvellously complement the overall strangeness of the film.I have seen this film dozens of times and have never had any cinematic blinkers on me and I still get warped and thrilled out of my human, mainly logical mind by everything this jewel of a film can and does throw at me, time and time again.Approach it for yourself without prejudice, constraint or any other preconceived notion of what a film can, must, could or should be and simply enjoy 80 minutes of marvel!