Those moments are sometimes more meaningful without a bunch of dialogue. Im remembering this group I had seen about a year before in Greenwich Village, Vance says. He smiles serenely, proud to know that his work is finally being heard, and then disappears into the night. It would go on to make $4.7 million in North America. What is the French language plot outline for Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)? [17] Embassy Pictures threw a promotional party for the film at a dance club in West Hollywood in September, 1983, where Cafferty and his band played. The sequel Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! And editor Priscilla Nedd-Friendly would go on to a slate of popular films, including Pretty Woman, American Pie and The Proposal. But Par never became a star. Sesame Street Takes on Game of Thrones and Westworld in Awesome New Videos, Everything We Know about Marvels The Eternals Movie So Far, Everything We Know about The Alienist Season 3, Quentin Tarantino Is Now Bashing the MCU. We had 500 extras standing around, and Michael was having a hard time finding it. Eddie and the Cruisers is a 1983 American musical drama film directed by Martin Davidson with the screenplay written by the director and Arlene Davidson, based on the novel by P. F. Kluge. Joann is a stage choreographer in Wildwood, New Jersey, and Hopkins works in a casino in Atlantic City. Eddie II also bombed. And it seemed like it was just, "Who's driving the ship here? 2023 JustWatch - All external content remains the property of the rightful owner. It should be an unknown. People want to believe it really existed. No, man. Come on. A scrappy, feather-haired TV reporter played by Barkin works the story. He had decent roles in Streets of Fire and The Philadelphia Experiment in 1984, but by 1989, he admits, his desperation to get back into film led to his agreeing to star in the ill-conceived Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! In that film, which Davidson, Barkin and Berenger stayed away from, Eddie is living in Canada as a construction worker named Joe West. Jason Scott A new Blu-ray edition featuring "Eddie" and the much-maligned 1989 sequel, "Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!" I know this to be true cause my room was directly behind Joann Carlino where she is sitting playing . It contains some strong language. Wilson and Laurance say theyve got no reservations. Like what? When their second album bombed Eddie suddenly disappeared when his car went sailing through a guard rail to crash over a causeway. A mystery man driving a blue 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible identical to Eddie's arrives at the house and calls to Joann. [12] Nine months after the film was released in theaters, the main song in the film, "On the Dark Side", was the number one song in the country on Billboard's Mainstream, Rock, and Heatseeker charts;[13] and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The film was released in theaters on September 23, 1983, and grossed $1.4 million on its opening weekend. Real high school students were used in the film. | With 18k+ articles and 40 novels written, Tom knows a little something about storytelling. 111 Eddie and The Cruisers Trivia Questions & Answers As a result, it's not something. Maggie is seen watching old tape of Eddie and the band sing "On the Dark Side", at Frank's college. There was an audience for it. The backlash followed. Release Dates "The original novel," he says, "had this great whodunit element that really propels the plot. I love Eddie and the Cruisers and plus I love the music in this film. The studio re-released the soundtrack in the fall of 1984. Eddie went to talk to Frank, who was lying on a blanket on the beach. These are John Cafferty music, not Eddie Wilson music. Cafferty eventually relented. All of a sudden, groans Vance, Eddie lives, and hes Robert Goulet., As Berenger remembers it, a scene filmed in a roadhouse features the Cruisers watching TV as the Fab Four lands in the United States. No body is found and to make matters worse the master tapes to the second album mysteriously disappear shortly after. Not even the better efforts in this genre, from ''Stardust'' and ''The Idolmaker'' to ''The Buddy Holly Story,'' have captured anything akin to the excitement of the music itself. Initially, Davidson said that the Cruisers sounded like Dion and the Belmonts, but when they meet Frank, they have elements of Jim Morrison and The Doors. It's about Eddie (Michael Pare), a New Jersey rocker who hit the big time in 1963 and then drove off a bridge. The screaming, stomping and applause became spontaneous. I was a little removed, because I wasn't on the movie the whole time, but it seemed like it was just a mess. Almost 18 years later, Satin re-releases the band's first album, which charts even higher than it did originally. "[7] Additionally, New Jersey musician Southside Johnny was hired as a technical advisor for the film.[8]. In the morning, they told me that Eddie was gone, and they hadn't found his body. 5. I had a line when I say, Were not great, were just some guys from New Jersey. Ill be walking down Fifth Avenue and someone will yell at me, Sal, Im from New Jersey., Early on, director Martin Davidson had been struggling to raise money to adapt Kluges book. Tell us what's wrong with this post? The album was selling 10,000, 15,000, 25,000 copies a week and would eventually be certified as triple platinum, selling more than 3 million copies. Other aspects of the film are inexplicably wrong. [18] The film was pulled from theaters after three weeks and all of the promotional ads pulled after one week.[11]. Davidson admits he pushed his star. But Eddie and I, we had a deal, we never talked about the future. Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Martin Davidson Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Music by John Cafferty Cinematography by Fred Murphy . Eddie and the Cruisers is not available for streaming. What's going on? | Moved by his story, Frank and Joann give him the master tapes. director of photography Film Editing by Priscilla Nedd-Friendly . I battered him to the point Ive never battered an actor in my life. And what about the secret tapes? "[20], In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote, "Some of the details ring uncannily true, like the slick oldies nightclub act that one of the Cruisers is still doing nearly 20 years after Eddie's supposed death. That scene never happened. When Eddie declares furiously that he wants the audience to know what he's singing about, and the song he's singing is ''Betty Lou's Got a New Pair of Shoes,'' it's hard not to feel that he's becoming a prima donna. [19], Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars. At Loews State, Broadway and 45th Street; New York Twin, Second Avenue and 66th Street; 34th Street Showplace, near Second Avenue, and other theaters. I like a real director. It's really a fun murder mystery. Rewind the locations where they filmed the 1983 Drama movie starring A television newswoman picks up the story of a 1960s rock band whose long-lost leader Eddie Wilson may still be alive, while searching for the missing tapes of the band's never-released album. ''Eddie and the Cruisers'' is rated PG (''Parental Guidance Suggested''). The girl makes me feel like I should own her, like she should be mine. Pare remembers, "The first time we played together - as a band - was a college concert. It was just so unfair. The band gets its start at a club in Somers Point, New Jersey named Tony Mart's. Eddie and the Cruisers - Wikipedia So the anachronisms are a greater mystery than that of Eddie's disappearance. See production, box office & company info, Tony Mart's, Somers Point, New Jersey, USA. Watch Eddie and the Cruisers Full Movie - Video Dailymotion "It changed my life as a kid. Then, in 1984, the HBO run sparked excitement over the movie. 10 Things You Didn't Know about Eddie and the Cruisers - TVOvermind A television newswoman picks up the story of a 1960s rock band whose long-lost leader Eddie Wilson may still be alive, while searching for the missing tapes of the band's never-released album. Cruisers Do it like I'm doing Let's rock and roll. Joann is able to complete the one piece of the puzzle that Frank could not: revealing what happened to the band's second album. I used the situation to bring him to tears. "[9], According to Davidson, when he completed the film, three different studios wanted to distribute it, and he went with Embassy Pictures because they offered him the most money. A television reporter named Maggie Foley investigates the mysterious disappearance of cult rock star Eddie Wilson. In order to get a credible looking and sounding band for the film, Davidson hired Kenny Vance, one of the original members of Jay and the Americans. Search the history of over 806 billion Like, when I'd go, I'd thinkI like to make a movie where I know who the boss is. This article was published more than8 years ago, Eight Degrees of "Eddie and the Cruisers": What you need to know about the seemingly ignored 1983 film about fictitious rock god Eddie Wilson, What:The film stars Michael Par, Tom Berenger, Ellen Barkin and Joe Pantoliano. But all Joe cared about was selling the album. | By The 80s Ruled | Facebook | So, what's not bad? In the early morning hours, Eddie's car crashes through the railing and over the Stainton Memorial Causeway. "Tom Cody, Pleased To Meet Ya! I couldnt believe it was not him singing.. Eddie and the Cruisers is the story of a band and a man that were striving for greatness but hit a serious pitfall on their way up. Eddie & the Cruisers [Original Soundtrack] Review by William Ruhlmann There was a year's delay before this film, which concerns the mysterious death of a fictional '60s rock star, took off via video and cable TV, but when it did, the soundtrack album, featuring such songs as "On the Dark Side" and "Tender Years" by John Cafferty & the Beaver . "It changed my life as a kid. The radio station used wasnt realistic in its range. That sparked the soundtrack, recorded. Was Two-Face Treated Properly In The Dark Knight? Some of the details ring uncannily true, like the slick ''oldies'' nightclub act that one of the Cruisers is still doing nearly 20 years after Eddie's supposed death. She reveals it was in fact she who took the master tapes for the album from Satin Records, hiding them in the Palace of Depression, where she felt they belonged. He talked to George Thorogood and the J. Geils Band before finding Kenny Vance, who then found Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. To get him to where he had to be, Ive never had to work quite as tough. In one scene, Eddie takes the stage after a friend has died. Frank, now an English teacher, remembers his time with the Cruisers in a series of flashbacks. A new building now stands there. Kenny and Sal are making fun of it, making fun of his English bull----, rock-and-roll. Eddie's music sounds good, but it also sounds a lot like Bruce Springsteen's, and it would not have been the rage in 1963. in 1989. Im looking at it. , I watched it maybe a year and a half ago, Berenger says. Synopsis. Mr. Davidson obviously cares a lot about the era, and there's plenty of other evidence that he knows how it looked and sounded; the same can be said for John Lyon, a k a Southside Johnny, who served as the film's technical adviser. followed in 1989. The White Lotus Season 3 Cast: Who Could Return. Eddie wants to be great, but bassist Sal replies, "We ain't great. We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us! Par thought playing Eddie Wilson again could spark his own comeback. The scene in Eddie and the Cruisers where they are practicing On the Dark Side was a 100 percent filmed on the roof of Tony Mart's. You can see Dolphin Dock across the street and Tony Marts House (A Red 60s House) Tony's son still lives there. Davidson argued with Cafferty over two songs, Tender Years and Wild Summer Nights, which the band had already released as a 45. Videocassette recorders, in just 1 percent of American homes in 1980, were in 20percent by 1985. on April 1, 2022. [5] Tom Berenger has said that he did not try to learn piano for the film but did practice keyboards for hours in his trailer. At first, the extras simply did what they were told. Davidson met the band and realized that they closely resembled the band as described in the script, right down to a Cape Verdean saxophone player, whom he cast in the film. The film didnt really take off until it hit cable and then people loved it. We certainly hadn't told them to do that. The fraternity house is actually the home of the Haverford college president. Eddie and the Cruisers is the story of a band and a man that were striving for greatness but hit a serious pitfall on their way up. Of Course He Is, Kick Off Your Christmas Countdown with These 5 Seasonal Horror Movies. (as Priscilla Nedd) Casting By Hes taking it seriously.. Thanks to pianohandsam for her tutorial, which helped me learn this. That sparked the soundtrack, recorded by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, to become an unadulterated smash, rising into the Top 10. Mr. Pare makes a fine debut; he captures the manner of a hot-blooded young rocker with great conviction, and his lip-synching is almost perfect. Joann Carlino: [narrating] There were so many things I wanted to say to him, so many questions I wanted to ask. [23] Looking back, Davidson said, "that picture should have been a theatrical success. Then Im looking at Eddie and hes not laughing. But, you know, what was always inspiring to me was the whole through line of Rimbaud and the poet and the fake suicide, that was the only way to sort of have artistic freedom. Eddie and the Cruisers the word man bar scene Precision Computing 334K views 5 years ago Runaround Sue John Cafferty - Topic 466K views 7 years ago EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS 2 : RUNNING THRU. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Similarly, Eddie's final declaration, ''If we can't be great, then there's no point in ever playing music again,'' stretches the material's potential for melodrama to its limit, and beyond. Spot-on perfect, she said. Instead of coming out as originally scheduled during the summer of 83, Eddie got a late September release when kids were back in school. My agent said Eddie II was my way back to studio movies, Par says. "It was haunting and it was about two things," he says. Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) - IMDb Eddie makes it clear that if the band cannot be great, there is no reason to ever play music again. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). [2] The article highlighted the 35th anniversary of the film and details how life changed for the people involved. "[21], Gary Arnold for The Washington Post wrote, "At any rate, it seemed to me that what Eddie and the Cruisers aspired to do was certainly worth doing. Theyre sort of staring at me, Oh, another bull---- story. The band is left to break up and go their own way. As a novelist and a screenwriter, he enjoys promoting one story or another. Kluge Stars Tom Berenger Michael Par Joe Pantoliano INTERVIEW: Michael Par talks with TV STORE ONLINE about the cult classic STREETS OF FIRE", "Eddie and the Cruisers 35th Anniversary", "Ellen Barkin on great directors and her favorite roles, from Diner to Buckaroo Banzai", "Casey Kasem's American Top 40 10/27/84", "Casey Kasem's American Top 40 11/3/84", "Casey Kasem's American Top 40 1/12/85", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eddie_and_the_Cruisers&oldid=1148799347, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 April 2023, at 12:01. How did it become a beloved cult film? On the Dark Side was a very dirty, sexy song to me. As of October 2018, the film holds a rating of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 reviews. "[3] He optioned P.F. And if you see me onstage with her, its not like Sonny and Cher.. The other Cruisers members share similar stories. He said of his role in the film that it was "a thrill I've never experienced. [11] The film had its world premiere at Deauville. [13] Embassy Pictures re-released the film for one week based on successful summer cable screenings and a popular radio single, but it once again failed to perform at the box office. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Nobody wanted to put out the soundtrack at first, says Vance. To the point it was almost too unkind. If you take it too seriously. on the Internet. Leaning over Frank, Eddie said, "What I want is songs that echo. Essential reporting from around the world. [4] He wrote the screenplay with Arlene Davidson and decided to use a Citizen Kane-style story structure. Berenger, choking back tears off-set after his real-life marriage fell apart, served as the tightly wound Frank Ridgeway, the wordman. He would soon star in Platoon and Major League. Pantoliano played crooked manager Doc Robbins. I would have applauded that scene. The film bombed at the box office, grossing less than $4 million during a short run in 1983. Flashbacks dramatize Eddie's life and the rise and fall of his rock and roll band, Eddie and the Cruisers. Frank Ridgeway, Tom Berenger Eddie Wilson, Michael Pare Doc Robbins, Joe Pantoliano Sal Amato, Matthew Laurance Joann Carlino, Helen Schneider Kenny Hopkins, David Wilson Wendell Newton, Michael (Tunes) Antunes Maggie Foley, Ellen Barkin Lew Eisen, Kenny Vance Keith Livingston, John Stockwell Lois, Joe Cates Barry Siegal, Barry Sand Gerry Rivers, Vebe Borge, See the article in its original context from. I don't know. Cut to New Jersey shore, 1963, Par in sleeveless T-shirt as rock hero Eddie Wilson. 6. He was understandably upset and a couple of days later he went out to dinner and met a secretary who had worked on his first film. The film bombed at the box office, grossing less than $4 million during a short run in 1983. Ive got up to Page 78, he says. When their second album bombed Eddie suddenly disappeared. I am crazy enough that I probably would, he says. The sequel Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! Vance began to get calls. Doc works as a radio disc jockey in Asbury Park, New Jersey. I was at this very college Im teaching at now when the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, he says. Company Credits Eddie and the Cruisers Tender Years piano solo - YouTube A lover of great stories and epic tales, Tom is a fan of old and new-school ideas. Director Martin Davidson Writers Martin Davidson Arlene Davidson P.F. And what about the secret tapes? Do You Believe The Theory That Arthur Fleck Wasnt The Real Joker? Eddie vanishes without a trace, his body never found. I dont know what to think of it. In a relatively short time, a deal was struck with Aurora and Davidson was given a $6 million budget. Eddie and the Cruisers didnt actually play the songs, they were played by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. You know, 50 Shades of Grey didnt come out for 30 years, he says. We are working with the actual locations managers or other crew where possible. But when it was over, we hugged, and I knew I had a scene which would work in the movie., Barkin, a late bloomer nearing 30, played the hard-smoking reporter. In September 2018, Tommy Marz released a series of interviews he conducted with members of the film's cast, as well as members of the production team. Vandals destroyed the Palace after his death, but the original ticket booth still stands. After storming from the studio, Eddie brought her to the Palace of Depression, a makeshift castle made of garbage and junk that he visited often as a child. Davidson, the director, didnt coddle him. THERE hasn't yet been a successful movie about the early days of rock-and-roll, even though the subject is certainly capable of generating a lot of emotion. FILM: EARLY ROCK DAYS, 'EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS' - New York Times [5] He showed Davidson his scrapbook, the places the band performed, the car they drove, and how they transported their instruments. But is Eddie dead? I wind up finding these guys and go up to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where theyre were about a day away from getting day jobs. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. A television newswoman picks up the story of a 1960s rock band whose long-lost leader Eddie Wilson may still be alive, while searching for the missing tapes of the band's never-released albu Read allA television newswoman picks up the story of a 1960s rock band whose long-lost leader Eddie Wilson may still be alive, while searching for the missing tapes of the band's never-released album.A television newswoman picks up the story of a 1960s rock band whose long-lost leader Eddie Wilson may still be alive, while searching for the missing tapes of the band's never-released album. They weren't play-acting anymore. web pages This is done through the character of Frank Ridgeway (Tom Berenger), nicknamed Wordman, who joined the Cruisers as a foil to the visceral, hard-rocking Eddie. It would have to be an incredible script. The Palace of Depression was a real place in Vineland, New Jersey. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. ilm stars Michael Par, Tom Berenger, Ellen Barkin and Joe Pantoliano. The behind-the-scenes drama - the wild ambition, the wheeling and dealing, the image making - convey such different sentiments from the music's explosive, euphoric feeling that there's bound to be . Par talks about On the Dark Side and his performance with Helen Schneider, who played his girlfriend, Joann Carlino. But as Eddie drove off, I knew, I knew it then, it wasn't gonna be any future. Ellen Barkin, as the reporter, has the film's most awkwardly written role. Tom is out of his f---ing mind., The 1989 sequel annoyed everyone involved in the original. Even the ticket booth that was used to charge admission is still there. During the documentary interviews, the band expresses a desire to relive the past, but many of their memories are humiliating. I said to John, Without these two songs, you can go home. He said, No, these are my songs. He was really worried because, you know, if Eddie Wilson didnt work, he didnt have a movie. At one point, the Cruisers got word that Pars spot was in jeopardy. [4] He told her what had happened to his film, and she gave his script for Eddie and the Cruisers to her business partners. The filmmaker told Vance to find him someone that could produce music that contained elements of these three bands. Yet when we see them at the college later in the film, no camera or film crews are in sight anywhere in the auditorium. Doc drives off into the night vowing that the Cruisers will conquer the world this time, and Joann invites Frank into her house. A homeless drifter built it out of junk, sand and clay, then charged admission for visitors. Very haunting and super nostalgic. A scrappy, feather-haired TV reporter played by Barkin works the story. It's a really weird high. honorable & thoroughly entertaining film, with a final scene that still has the . I say, No, this is for real.. The VCR turned movies into songs, into hit songs, says author Sherman Alexie, a huge fan of the book and film. | But we kept the cameras rolling. Ellen Barkin, who has the small role of the television reporter, Maggie Foley, later said that she "hated" making the film: That was what we liked to call a "pay the rent" job. But "Eddie" got a second life during the summer of 1984 on HBO. "[6], Davidson had the actors who played in Eddie's band rehearse as if they were getting ready for a real concert. [7], After successful screenings on HBO in 1984, the album suddenly climbed the charts, going quadruple platinum. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. ", The film release was bungled. In addition, the music producer/supervisor for the film, Kenny Vance, appears on screen as Lew Eisen, the 1964 record company executive who refuses to accept the band's second album. Kluge's novel with his own money and at great financial risk. I think people were all fucked up on drugs. Most of the cast stayed away, with only Laurances Sal returning.