Crimewave (Raimi, 1985) [C]

It’s interesting that I came across both Crimewave and Severance in the same week, mostly becuase they both illicit an uncommon sense of fear and dread from horror comedy. The difference is Raimi’s film doesn’t have any agenda or subtext on the mind, instead engulfing itself (almost too far) into a slapstick nature where crime and murder become a flimsy afterthought. Made on a shoestring budget and co-written by the Coen Brothers, Crimewave features some outstanding sequences of action, Raimi blocking the actors much how Buster Keaton would. However, the film feels so one-note the deaths and comedy start tasting like acid and vinegar, a cocktail that doesn’t match nor buzz. By the end, it’s curtains for sanity and story, and we’re left with yet another innane explosion of Raimi’s imagination.

~ by gcheath19 on September 26, 2007.