Eddie and the Cruisers

Rating:
Summary: So Where's The Sequel?
Review: Despite what others may say - great movie, great soundtrack. Hey, everyone has a right to their own opinion and that's mine! Maybe the plot is just a little off-the-wall and stretches things a little, but it is plausible although highly unlikely. Compared to some other rock and roll oriented movies, this one is a classic. If you enjoy good music in a dramatic setting, you'll probably like this one. Now, just one question: When do we get Eddie II, Eddie Lives?

Rating:
Summary: Eddie Rocks
Review: For those who love classic rock, this movie is a must see. Eddie Wilson personifies what a rock n' roll musician should be. It's all about the music. Like everyone else who loves this movie, I hope that the second movie, Eddie Lives, will be released on DVD soon. This is also a great movie for those who love rock music.

Rating:
Summary: For Determined Dreamers
Review: A GREAT MOVIE! Well thought out story of a band trying to make it. Eddie the leader has visions beyond the present but the so called "Expert Producers" of his time are too narrow minded to see beyond their noses. They destroy his dream along with the band that was going to get them to the top.

Rating:
Summary: Ok film but a little too on the philosophical side
Review: I can't usually stand films from the 80's (or later) about the 1960's. These films tend to be so mindless and with the idea that sex, drug, rock'n'roll, and bad assed attitudes are good things. EATC does have a good story and acting (specially Joe Pantoliano as Doc). The period flavor of the early 60's seems nearly faultless. But the advocacy of being a bad ass in the head of the rock band (eddie) is a turnoff. Also, the story teeters on being mindless itself.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie BADDD DVD
Review: Eddie And The Cruisers is a tradition in my family. Literally every year on my birthday no matter where I am I sit down with a piece of cake (cupcake, dinner, whatever food's handy really) and relive 22 years of memories through this movie.

The premise reminds me of a simpler time when Sex and Drugs weren't rampant over movies (don't get me wrong those things have their place in modern cinima as well). A young man named Frank Ridgeway comes of age during the sixties while playing with a rock band named Eddie and The Cruisers. 20 years later he relives that time through stories and memories.

Strong performances make this movie believable. Well okay Berenger's "Jersey" is a little forced, and while I loved Helen Schnieder's performance, You could tell she and Matthew Lawrence were lip singing through a couple of songs, but hey every movie has it's flaws. Michael Pare delivered a strong performance in this movie, but hey I've only had a crush on this guy forever.

However if you are buying the DVD for the so-called Extra's buyer beware. I'm sorry to say that the DVD's only extra's are a so-called widescreen format and the theatrical trailer. I myself would have loved to have seen interviews with the cast. You know maybe in like 2008 they can put out a 25th anniversary DVD and convince the entire original cast to come back and do interviews since even though this movie never made it big in theaters it did make it big on the big screen.

Rating:
Summary: Highly entertaining
Review: Now if they'd only release "Eddie Lives" which is a much better movie....after the lead singer of The Cruisers disappears, a reporter and the band's lyricist try to figure out what happened. Is Eddie alive or dead? This movie always gives me an eerie reminder of Kurt Cobain, who also hated fame and the sacrifice of good music on the altar of commercial entertainment. Highly recommend

Rating:
Summary: Cruisin' for a Bruisin'
Review: The media is a frenzy of knowledge used to gather the truth about our society. It is now time for them to find the truth about Eddie and his group of instrument toting friends. Hot on the case is Maggie Foley (Ellen Barkin), a reporter that is out to discover the truth behind the band. Their music is slowly being revived, and she wants the "hottest" news possible. So, she begins interviewing the remaining members of the band. Everyone is accounted for except for Eddie, whose questionable death lead to the breakup of the band. Foley's mission is to discover if Eddie is really dead, or if it was just an opportunity to leave his life behind.

It was very strange to hear that this film had a "cult" following, because of the very poor story, acting, and drama that it contained. There was nothing about this film that was different or innovative. I thought that with a focus to change the image and sound of the band, the director would also want to do it with the film that he was creating. This was not the case at all. Instead, it fell into clichéd plots, defined characters, and a strange aftertaste that made you wonder if you had just watched a live-action version of "Scooby-Doo". I don't want to give too much of the ending away (for those music fans out there), but I kept waiting for Foley to rip off the mask of the culprit as he shouts, "I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you pesky band and your lost second album". Alas, it never occurred, and I was forced to see Hollywood botch up another ending with darkened cars, suspicious music, and a twist that has been done time and time again.

Overall, Eddie and the Cruisers was a poor attempt to bring mystery and suspense into the music genre. I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, but I needed more than what was presented. It was an idea that had a bit of potential, but the execution left much to be desired

Grade: * out of ****