CRIME WAVE (1987)
- Run Time: 80 min.
- Rating:
- Director: John Paizs
- Writer(s): John Paizs
- Producer(s): John Paizs
Stills
Plot Summary
One of the quirkiest and funniest films ever made in Canada, Crime Wave follows neophyte screenwriter Steven Penny (Paizs), a strangely silent young man who aspires to make the best “colour crime films” imaginable. But Steven has one major problem: he’s only good at writing the beginnings and endings of scenes. With the help of a young neighbour (Kovacs) and the mysterious “Dr. Jolly,” Steven struggles to beat his writer’s block. Set in a 1950s fantasy world, this wryly humorous combination of post-modernism, surrealism and genuine affection for old Hollywood films is irresistible for anyone who likes unusual films with an inventive and unique take on storytelling.
“Paizs’s midnight-movie-going, crowd-pleasing aesthetic comes with a personal vision.” — Mark Peranson, Take One
About the Director
John Paizs
John Paizs is a director/writer/actor from Winnipeg. In 1985 his much-celebrated independent comedy Crime Wave was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival. He has worked on several TV series including John Woo’s Once a Thief and The Adventures of Shirley Holmes. In 1999 made another feature film Top of the Food Chain starring Campbell Scott.
Paizs is currently the director in residence at the Canadian Film Centre.
Reviews
Cathy of Northern SS said:
Thursday, Oct 16, 2008
this totally weird/hilarious film blew me away ... never seen anything like it!