Crimewave was the second feature-length film from Sam Rami, appearing four years after the huge cult horror hit The Evil Dead. And it certainly is a very different & distinctive film from his debut- it’s a wacky crime comedy blending slapstick & comic book sensibilities, with subtle touches of fantasy & horror. Here from the folks at Powerhouse is a much needed Blu Ray release of the film- bringing together two commentary tracks, four different versions of the film, and a good selection of extras.

Crimewave( aka The XYZ Murders) appeared in 1985, and it saw Sam Rami been joined Ethan Coen & Joel Coen on the films writing credits. And unsurprisingly when the film came out, it was far from a hit- due to Rami going against what people expected from him, and the films very wacky/ love-it-or-hate feel.  I was a fan of the three Rami Evil Dead films,  what he did with the Spiderman franchise, and also enjoyed his stand-alone films like Darkman & Drag Me To Hell- seeing each of these close to when they originally came out.  But until this release, I hadn't seen Crimewave.  So it was great to finally see it, and while I can’t say I wholly enjoyed/ got everything the film has to offer, I certainly respected what Rami and Coen bros were doing - saying it’s certainly a one-off experience.

The film is set in a sort of US 1950’s gumshoe like reality- with much of the film feeling rather sound stage set, aside from the rather crazed car chase sequences. It focuses in on a pair out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen- Faron Crush( Paul L Smith), a huge beared-less Bluto like character, and Arthur Coddish(Brion James) his shrill ‘n’ sleazed rat-like sidekick. The pair kill the owner of the burglar-alarm company using their electro-exterminating tool. Then stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and Vic Ajax(Reed Birney)-a geeky & dumb nerd who gets framed for the murder.
 
The film's story is told in flashback from the electric chair, where Ajax is due to be fried. With the film opening with a car full of nuns making their way to the execution chamber- it carries on with its very playful & wacky in its tone.  Its plot is fairly loose/ thin, with really it been an excuse to play out lots of slapstick humour, and cartoon/ comic book set-ups/ action. So depending on how much you enjoy/ have tolerance for wackiness, and quicky cartoon-ness is really down to how much you’ll enjoy Crimewave.
 
Acting-wise Smith & James, are good as the OTT/ crazed exterminator- really camping it up. Birney is a nice fit, for the dumb & bumbling nerd bound hero. With supporting roles from Sheree J. Wilson as Nancy- the films love interest/ damsel in distress and Bruce Campbell as the sleek ‘n’ smug Renaldo 'The Heel'. The look of the film is certainly impressive in its comic book gumshoe feel- within the latter half featuring some quite impressive/ wacky car cases.  
 
Moving onto this new region B Blu Ray, and we get a great new high definition print of the film- which really brings out the cartoon made real quilty of the film, sadly it also highlights the more sound stage look of some scenes. There are two commentary tracks here - the first ones from 2013 with Bruce Campbell and filmmaker Michael Felsher- and as you’d expect this is most informative and amusing. Campbell talks about how he was originally meant to be the film's lead, but the studio didn’t want him, and his acting role in the film. He moves on to discuss everything from scene set-ups, effects, actors, on set issues, and much, much more. The second track is from 2021 and is with film writer James Flower, here he talks about how the film came about, the production issues, and how the original script varied to the finished film- it’s a good follow up/ addition to the Campbell/ Felsher one, and if your going to play one of the tracks it should really be that one. On the new extras, we get Rank Outsider- a ten-minute onscreen interview with critic/ writer Kim Newman- he talks about how he’d fallen out with the film Uk Distributor due to a piece he’d written, and that this was the first film after the fallout the company would let him watch. He talks about his enjoyment of the film, some of the elements he felt were less successful, and general talk about the film- as always a great bit of content from Mr Newman. Next, we get Too Much For Comfort- this is a seven-minute on-camera interview with comedian, musician and writer Rob Deering- he talks about his love for the film, it been a distinctive cheese dream of a film, and how it fits in with the Evil Dead & it’s sequel- again another most worthy extra. We get a good selection of archive extras from the films 2013 release- these take in The Crimewave Meter- sixteen minutes on-screen interview with Bruce Campbell revisits his early collaborations with  Raimi. Leading Man - a sixteen-minute interview with lead actor Reed Birney, with him talking about Crimewave and his wider career. Made in Detroit- a nine-minute interview with producer-actor Edward R Pressman discusses the making of the film. There are twelve minutes of rare on-set footage and a fourteen-minute promotional reel. There’s The XYZ Murders script gallery: complete pre-production screenplay, and Image galleries featuring promotional materials and behind-the-scenes photos. There are several trailers, including the French one. And the finished version comes with a 36-page booklet with a new essay by Amanda Reyes, selected extracts from Bruce Campbell’s If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor, a guide to the differences between the script and the finished film by James Flower, extracts from retrospective interviews with cast and crew, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

In finishing, I respected Crimewave, more than I liked it- but I’m certainly pleased I’ve got to see it, and as always Powerhouse has done a great job with the new extras and collecting together worthy archive extras. Not a film for everyone- but if the idea of a wacky crime comedy heavy with slapstick & comic book tropes, topped with sprinkles of fantasy &  horror appeals,  you be happy as Larry with Crimewave.