EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS is a film I have such fond memories of, however, this may be because of my love for the soundtrack. Which came first, the music or the movie??? I think I saw this one in a cinema but apparently it wasn't until it was released on video that it became a hit, and sadly I have chewed through way too many brain cells since then to recall the exact details. It has been many years since my last viewing but I have a distinct memory of Micheal Pare on stage belting out 'Tender Years'. The soundtrack is a much more recent memory.
The story, for those not remembering or too young to know!
They say rock 'n' roll never dies, but one dark night in 1963, Eddie Wilson's car took a dive off a Jersey bridge with the troubled rock idol at the wheel. His body was never found. Tom Berenger , Michael Pare and Ellen Barkin star in this cool, compelling classic that really rocks! Twenty years after the lead singer of"Eddie and the Cruisers" disappeared, the band's songs are hotter than ever. And renewed interest in the band leads TV reporter Maggie Foley to pursue a tantalizing mystery: What if Eddie is still alive? The circumstances surrounding his death are just shadowy enough to make it a distinct possibility, and someone (could it be Eddie?) has been ransacking the homes of surviving band members in a desperate search for tapes of the group's visionary, never-released album. As Maggie interviews the former "Cruisers," the pieces of the puzzle start to fit...but only until still deeper mysteries begin to surface.
Michael Pare still acts and seems to have a fairly consistent presence in features, not necessarily the 'A' list ones, but he is certainly not an out of work actor! He has created quite a niche for himself as the star of modestly budgeted straight-to-video action films. And apparently made alot of money appearing in ads in Japan!
The music in this film is all done by a band called John Rafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. They were supposedly approached after Bruce Springsteen, who was originally asked to do the music, suggested them. They do sound not unlike the E Street Band!
WARNING: If you love this Film, do not be tempted by EDDIE LIVES the sequel. You have been warned!!!
I watch this film on a yearly basis and it has cult status in our family. I must admit I even own 'Eddie Lives'! Putting the CD on now - thanks for the memories. Ripper of a choice as usual.
ReplyDeletePS. Eddie Wilson is HOT!!!! I used to listen to 'On The Dark Side' in my room, in the dark, when I was trying to be an angsty teenager.
ReplyDeleteOh my god, you are so good at bringing back those fabulous memories. Now it's an about last night and an Eddie and the Cruisers night.
ReplyDeletelesley