Here is another movie-related post about a film that I recently watched – Eddie and the Cruisers.
Guess maybe I should say re-watched because like Car Wash, Diner, Sideways, and The Big Chill, just to name a few, Eddie and the Cruisers is one of those movies that I can watch over and over and still enjoy it. If I were a movie critic I would have my own Rock and Roll movie genre made up of classics such as Grease, The Commitments, Spinal Tap and any Elvis movie. (Little trivia for you. Elvis wanted to stop doing the “Let-me-sing-a-song-for-you” movies and move on to do some real acting in dramatic roles, but his manager the Colonel wouldn’t let him do so (click here.)
Eddie Wilson too wanted to move on career-wise but he is more Jim Morrison than Elvis. The movie’s plot involves a two fold look back at the history of the Cruisers along with a current ongoing mystery (click here for more details.) A young Ellen Barkin plays a reporter trying to figure out what happened when the Cruisers broke up and Eddie supposedly died in a car accident. (Key word – supposedly.) If you have never seen the movie I won’t divulge anymore of the plot.
But the music is outstanding and the soundtrack contains several great songs performed by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Actor Michael Pare who plays Eddie should have received an Academy Award for lip synching. Here then is him doing On the Dark Side which was a Top Ten hit for Cafferty and his BBB.
John Cafferty is still touring and doing it (click here.) Hey, Calvert Marine Museum what are waiting for – book ’em. (Hats off to all of you who added Danno to that comment.)