People are voting emotionally.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

STILL CRAZY is a film that I knew precious little about, save some of the cast members. Now having just seen it, I think it's an incredibly fun portrait of an aging rock band reliving their glory days. It follows the basic narrative trajectory that you would expect from this type of film, which is a good and a bad thing. It's good because it works with a tried-and-true formula that is entertaining, but also a little disappointing because it doesn't go out of its way to try anything new or outside-the-box. That being said, it executes the concept very well and benefits from revolving around a fictional band so that it doesn't have to be a slave to formula and history. The characters in the band (including the roadie) created by the principal actors were outstanding, and some of the best work I've seen from these people. They include Bill Nighy as the lead singer, Timothy Spall as the drummer, Stephen Rea as the keyboardist and Billy Connolly (of all people) as the roadie. They (and the other band members whose names I'm not familiar with) were all fully fleshed out and quite funny, perhaps none more so than Timothy Spall who has this great running gag which I won't spoil. They also had great chemistry on screen and made it seem like they had known each other for years. Last, but not least, the music in this film was amazing. All of it was original and I'm pretty sure that it was performed by the cast as well. The only time when the film falters, in my opinion, is the few moments in which it tries to be a little too sentimental. Again, it's par for the course when considering what genre this is, but it didn't completely work for me. Still, the finale was genuinely touching and mostly made up for the previous missteps. Overall, STILL CRAZY does suffer a bit from following the typical plot mechanics, but the performances and music are enough to highly recommend it.

When you see the poster for this movie it tells you everything you need to know. Its a mock cover of the famous Rolling Stone magazine featuring the aging 70's band 'Strange Fruit'. You can tell quite easily the movie is going to be a good laugh by the quite disturbingly haggard and unsexy looking pose from Nighy in the centre, its funny and icky at the same time.The plot, as you can imagine, is all about getting the band back together for a reunion concert. Back in the day 'Strange Fruit' were on the brink of stardom but it all fell apart when their lead singer died of a drugs overdose. Twenty years later Rea trying to get the guys back on-board whilst having to deal with each members current problems and the confrontations that have reared up again. Eventually, once everybody is brought together again, it is discovered their old lead guitarist (brother of their old lead singer) has also apparently died of a drugs overdose (as is the norm in this business). This forces the band to hire a much younger guitarist for their comeback adding more tension. Can the lads all come together and prove to themselves they've still got what it takes? or they had what it took originally to make it to the big time?I think the casting is the one main factor that makes this film work, the small British ensemble casting of Nighy, Nail, Rea, Connolly and Spall. Not only does this group of oddball character actors gel together perfectly but visually they actually look like an aging 70's rock band too. Nighy as the flaky somewhat slow long haired rock-star lead singer, Connolly has always looks the part of a hippie rock singer so no worries there, Rea with his curly Brian May hairdo, Nail the deep conscientious heart of the band, the hard worker with strong morals and family values and finally Spall looks like a dirty unwashed biker with Inland Revenue issues.I liked the whole loggerhead scenario between Nighy's character and Nail's character. Nighy's character being the epitome of a glamorous fame obsessed money grabber, his larger then life rock-star lifestyle clashing against the quiet brooding song writer of Nail's character. Nighy does tend to be the problem in the band for the most part with his overbearing wife and the fact he is still haunted by the reality that he was hired as a replacement for the bands old lead singer. He tries to elevate his performances with glam costumes and stage effects because he's insecure over his own abilities, now being much older. This in turn affects the band and their overall performances which provides both amusing and sober sequences.The situations and scenarios are really authentic within this film. The group having to slum it around backstreet nightclubs for work and recognition, dodgy stage safety, trying to re-tune their skills whilst bickering with each other, bad food on the go, little money, poor accommodation and the obligatory sex drugs and booze problems. This angle is stronger because its also about a group of old men trying to rekindle something great they once had, reigniting an old flame. The outlook on life and the music is very different from their younger days, its not all about sex drugs and roll 'n' roll anymore, there is more to it than that. Sure they wanna be like their younger selves again and uncork that lightning in a bottle but the team has to learn to settle old scores, move on and help each other with their dreams.The locations humour visuals and dialog is all typically British and it is a hoot to watch but the fall outs and reconciliations along the way do get a bit frustrating, you just wanna slap them and tell them to get on with it. The movie does tend to drag a tad through the middle, there are some nice montages and some great original musical numbers but the break up of the band midway brings with it lots of moping by Nail's character who can be overly broody. Its mainly Nail Nighy and Rea who carry the film honesty, Connolly and Spall tend to fade in and out of the background whilst Matheson does his best Liam Gallagher walk at one point. The finale and its little twist is cute but completely predictable, but we all knew it would end on a happy note I'm sure.A fantastic nod to the late 60's 70's glam rock era of course, many influences, very relatable for many I'm sure and very very very British with its dry wit and toilet humour. Personally I think the film should of been called 'Strange Fruit'...rock 'n' roll forever!8/10

Don't expect "This Is Spinal Tap", even though DVD packaging, advertising and movie critics might lead you to that expectation. True, "Still Crazy" is about an aging 70s rock band staging a flaccid comeback, but that's where the similarities end."Spinal Tap" delved into the utterly absurd and featured songs whose lyrics were so laughably adolescent that you'd have tears streaming from your eyes before the 1st chorus ends. What's brilliant about it is that, despite its outrageousness, "Spinal Tap" was basically a true chronicle of rock history, with only some exaggerations. It was a case of absurdity being more real than reality.Here in "Still Crazy", there are no disastrous hijinks (except maybe the first 5 minutes when the band gets struck by lightning), and the characters aren't as phenomenally thick and/or stumbling drunk as you'd expect rockers to be in a comedy. Contrast this against the reality of, say, Jimi Hendrix splitting the seat of his pants onstage at the Isle of Wight, or Ozzy Osbourne mumbling incoherently about sniffing a horse's butt (on "The Last Supper"), and immediately you get the feeling that "Still Crazy" didn't go as far as it could have.OK, that's where my criticism ends. If you can get past the idea that this is not a nonstop laugh riot, you can really enjoy the movie for its story and characters. The story is linear and mostly predictable, but there are enough twists & turns to keep you entertained. And the characters, particularly the lead singer Ray, have a way of endearing themselves to you like a lost puppy dog."Still Crazy" is not a spoof of rock music. It's a pretty realistic story of a bunch of geezers rekindling their musical dreams and having some good & bad times along the way. The music was written by Mick Jones of Foreigner, so it's pretty good with some rousing numbers toward the end. This is an entertaining film from start to finish.If you want a riotously funny spoof, check out "Spinal Tap", "The Rocker", "Music & Lyrics" or the hilarious documentary "Anvil! The story of Anvil". I would put "Still Crazy" in the category of a light comedy like "Face the Music", "Pirate Radio" or the obscure gem "Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains".

I spotted this movie in the video store a few years ago and rented it. My husband and I enjoyed it so much we bought the VHS and have enjoyed it ever since.The plot has been well-discussed, so no need in going over it again. The point is this movie deserves repeated viewings. Americans, especially, aren't going to get all the jokes the first time around. I know I didn't.This movie is funny, touching, sad-- all at the same time. When Ray proposes the toast at his daughter's wedding, it's cringe-inducing. When Karen calls Tony "Brian" as he attempts to kiss her, it's heartbreaking. When Beano is finally cornered by the woman in black, it's too funny for words.And the music: it's as good as any movie soundtrack I've heard in years. I was dancing in the living room to "All Over the World." Every performance is absolutely perfect. Bill Nighy has been justly complimented for his portrayal of Ray, a man who has had one too many bad trips. Stephen Rea is perfect as Tony, the lovable keyboard player who has carried a torch for Karen all these years. He has an appealing hangdog look that makes women want to hug him. But all the actors are equally brilliant.Ignore any pans you read about this movie and see it. It's a gem.