Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) Review

 

Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)

Eddie and the Cruisers follows Frank and other members of the band, bouncing between 1963-1983 to uncover the secret behind lead singer Eddie’s mysterious disappearance and the lost tapes they recorded before his ‘death’.

In terms of sheer storytelling, this movie was way before its time in terms of creativity & complexity. It was like a musical biography (about a fictional band) but done in the style of Citizen Kane, which was remarkable. I love the stark contrasts between the 60s and the modern day in the film, including the music, which always alerted us to what time period we were in. Speaking of music, WOW. The original music was done by real band—John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band—and was all done for the film in such a unique way, really capturing 30 years of rock, from the 50s and 60s surf, to the pop/rock of the 80s, to the truly prophetic darker side of late-80s rock (which obviously hadn’t happened yet). It was just phenomenal and is what makes this fictional band feel & sound so real.

The cast is also great, really able to capture both time periods with their looks, sounds, and mannerism, including Joe Pantoliano, Helen Schneider, Matthew Laurance, Tom Berenger, and Michael Paré, who IS Eddie. He captures the rebellious, tortured, bad boy lead singer, while not making him seem like a dumb greaser, but a man who seeks knowledge and success in its perfection. He makes you feel the legend of the Cruisers and how they can’t survive without him. Berenger as the lead is also a great touch, having him come in as a deep thinking outsider added a lot to the one track style the band had been steering towards.

Eddie and the Cruisers takes us on a musical mystery thriller that stretches on 30 years that tells one story, while trying to uncover another. It’s so versatile in the way it uses rock music to bring us the viewers in, as well as the characters in the movie together to find the tapes & uncover the truth about Eddie’s disappearance during the resurgence of their music. It’s an instant favorite, making me think back to the old Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew days with the mystery of it all, while rocking your socks off.

9.6/10