GET CRAZY

US, 1983, 88 minutes, Colour.
Malcolm Mc Dowell, Daniel Stern, Allen Goorwitz, Ed Begley Jr, Lou Reed, Mary Woronov, Dick Miller.
Directed by Alan Arkush.

Get Crazy would have to be an outstanding oddball film. It is difficult to detect for whom the film was made. It purports to show New Year's Eve in New York '82-'83. With the focus on a theatre (like American Hot Wax), Allen Goorwitz is preparing his 15th. anniversary New Year's Eve Show. Daniel Stern is his stage manager. Many things go wrong in the theatre, the groups put on tantrums, there is an evil group with subtitle 'The Baddies' to indicate them, led by Ed Begley, who come to a stink-bomb end, a heroine who used to work for Goorwitz and who falls in love with the stage manager, the stage manager's
star struck younger sister etc. etc.

The whole thing is presented frantically with so many touches of adolescent humour. Dialogue and subtitles are corny. Once the music starts it is of the raucous rock and punk style. The most surprising thing is the lead billing given to Malcolm McDowall? who portrays a Liverpool rock and roll star 20 years on. He has several provocative numbers - imitating various rock stars. He also has some execrable dialogue, especially in a toilet at the end.

The film has several technicians and actors and actresses from Roger Corman's New World Company. It was directed by Alan Arkush who co-directed (with Joe Dante) the satiric Hollywood Boulevard. As a curiosity item for the people involved, Get Crazy is an almost must see. However, it is fairly excruciating to sit through.