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A Canadian cult oddity where writer's block becomes a crime against cinema itself.
TMDB
64
IMDb
68
Rotten Tomatoes
93
Audience Score
93
Watch(US)

Crime Wave (1985)

DIY fever dreamdeadpan absurdismWinnipeg weird

Overview

ComedyCrime

A young director intent on making "the greatest color crime movie ever" can't seem to finish his script--he has a beginning and an end, but he can't quite figure out the middle. The daughter of his landlord, excited to have a real "movie person" living nearby, tries to help by putting him in touch with a man who wants to collaborate on a script--the strange "Dr. Jolly"

Flag of USUSFlag of CACA
Content warning
filmmakingwriter's blockwriterscreenwriterepisodic
creative paralysisthe myth of the artistsuburban desperationcollaboration as danger

Standout Aspects

Direction

Paizs crafts visual gags that Guy Maddin would later steal.

Writing

Meta-narrative about inability to write that somehow works.

Best for:Solo: Late night when you want to feel seen in your procrastination.·Rewatch: Catches new oddities each time through its episodic structure.
J

Director

John Paizs

ReleasedApr 12, 1985
Runtime1h 20m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Paceslow
Intensitylow
Tonemixed
Feellight
Favorite Films

Top Cast

Ask about Crime Wave

Opens AI chat

Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Shot in Winnipeg on weekends over two years with $35,000, this became a calling card for the 'Prairie weird' movement that later included Guy Maddin.

Trivia

The episodic Color Crime Movie segments were written and shot first, with the framing narrative built around what Paizs had already filmed.

YouTube

Crime Wave (John Paizs, 1985) | 2K Restoration Trailer

Crime Wave (John Paizs, 1985) | 2K Restoration Trailer

Gallery

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