High Security

Crimewave (1986) was an easy sell - a noir-ish comedy written by the Coen Bros. and directed by Sam Raimi, early in their careers. In fact, it was made right after their first movies. If only Bruce Campbell was in it - wait, he's the romantic conflict? Sold.

It starts with a carload of nuns screaming through the darkened streets. In prison, a weedy looking man is going to the electric chair. This guy, Reed Birney, is protesting his innocence, and as they walk him through the prison, explains in flashback:

He worked for a security company - one of the owners found out that the other owner was going to sell the company out from under him. So he hires some "exterminators" to kill him. When it looks like Birney is going to go to the office when the killers will be there, the owner tells him to take the day off, find a cute girl. That girl turns out to be Sheree J. Wilson. 

He tries to chat her up and invites her out for drinks, but isn't too suave. She blows him off, but he later finds her in a supper club, waiting for her boyfriend - Bruce Campbell, who calls himself a heel. Oh, and he's the one buying the security company. 

Meanwhile, the exterminators are running amok, killing whoever they run across. One is a giant bruiser, the other a skinny rat0faced giggling psycho. It's going to take a lot to stop them, and Birney really isn't up to the job, no matter how much he wants to prove himself to Wilson.

This is a very silly, slap-sticky movie. It reminded me at times of the Police Squad movies. It also reminded me Coen movies like Blood Simple and The Man Who Wasn't There. And the Three Stooges, of course. The look is very retro - the guys at the club are all wearing tuxes, even Birney, who is pretty blue-collar. 

We were expecting something much more gonzo - We'd seen mention of animation, so I was thinking wacky special effects. No animation. A pretty conventional silly movie. I don't think it got very good (any) reviews. But we had fun.