If you are looking for this film on VHS or R0 DVD or a CD transfer of the soundtrack just email me.
Cast | Foreign Titles | Formats | Interviews | Lyrics to Hot Shot | Malcolm's Introduction | Notes | Pictures | Q&A with Malcolm | Quotes | Soundtrack | My Summary | My Review | Taglines | Together Before

Cast

 Directed by Allan Arkush
Written by David Opatoshu, Henry Rosenbaum & David Taylor

Foreign Titles

Finland - Star Gang
Spain - Volverse Loco

Formats

Beta / VHS - NTSC + PAL - All OP

Interviews

1982 Daily Express
5/23/83 Toronto Sun Sunday Showcase

Lyrics to "Hot Shot"

I am the future and I love to hear the crowd roar!
The sole survivor of a 100 rock and roll wars!
I'm the legend that shines, I am a one of kind - institution.
Don't I fill you with love? I'm a miracle of evolution!

You know I'm a…
Hot Shot!
And I'm burning with fire now!
Hot shot!
I've got all your desire now.
Hot Shot
And I do what I wanna do.
Hot Shot!
I'm bigger than life can be.
I'm a rock and roll fantasy
Hot Shot!
And I'm just a reflection of you!

I am the spectacle when love and power collide!
I make you feel the things you only dreamed of inside!
I'm a mystical sage of a nuclear age in seduction.
I can take any heart, I've mastered the art of corruption!

Hot Shot!
And I'm burning with fire now.
Hot Shot!
I'm all you desire now.
Hot Shot!
And I do what I wanna do!
(repeat)

What am I?

Hot Shot!
And I'm bigger than life can be.
Hot Shot!
I'm a rock and roll fantasy.
Hot Shot!
And I'm just a reflection of you.

Malcolm's Introduction

    It's getting harder to pick this microphone up. It is an odd little film as Joanna said. It doesn't really compare to the body of work you've seen before.  I am fairly proud of it. There is a great story that goes with it, but I'll save it until the end because it is one of the best stories I have. It really is hilarious and it is about this. It is like an actor prepares...oh yeah? A bit like that. 
    I wasn't gonna do this film because they weren't going to pay the money I demanded because I didn't really want to do it. It was presented to me as an American comedy. I'm sitting on the beach at Malibu flicking through this American comedy and not one titter did I have. Not even half a smile! So I'm going, "Maybe it's going to come off the page a little better than this." I just called the agent, "I think it must be me. I don't get this sense of humor." It's much better as a film. Much, much better. It was great fun - I got to sing my own songs.  That was when I decided to do it. I don't want to get too much into the story because that would ruin it. They came over to the house I was renting and they hired a rock singer for the part on the cheap because he wanted to be an actor. They fired him after the first few days. Obviously he couldn't do the other bits, but I'm sure his singing was pretty good. Allan Arkush who is a very nice gentleman and very talented, came over with the producer. So I said, "Well, OK. I'll do it on one condition." I saw them visibly react to that wondering what that would be. "The condition is I want to sing my own songs." They said, "Oh, gee. Can you sing?" I went, "Can Mick Jagger sing?" Well, he's done all right of course, though he doesn't speak to me. It's a personal thing. No, I think they're brilliant. I really do. I went straight into the film that Monday and this is it. I did get to sing it and I went into it thinking I would just sing it. It was REALLY difficult! I have tremendous respect for rock singers now, after that. I started trying to sing it properly - forget it! The guy came up to me, the sound engineer, and said, "Why don't just let it go?" I said, "You mean wail?" He went, "Wail." I said, "OK, but I am an actor so I really want to annunciate the words." And I did too. You can understand every word I believe. I'm going to boast a bit, John Lennon's producer, that had done his last album...Double Fantasy was it? He called me and he said, "I know you sang those songs in that film didn't you?" I said, "How did you know?" "Because I understood every word." I thought, "Dammit!!! One mistake! I should've blurred the words a few times or only half sung them." Because I'm still trying to work out what Dylan said (sings) "All the wild horses in the sun..." Then what? What is it then? I could never, ever for years figure it out. For 30 years I've been trying to figure that one out. Well, here it is. This crazy, crazy thing. Alan wrote it and it depicts the last concert at the Fillmore East - that was his term of reference. There is some great people in it. Lou Reed is in it. Was it? I've only seen it once and I was in hospital. Thank you. Enjoy it.

Notes

• Originally titled "Flip Out", but was only released under that name in Italy.

• A professional singer was hired for Malcolm's role, but couldn't act and was fired.

• The same director also made "Rock and Roll High School" with The Ramones.

• Features real musicians - Lee Ving + Philo Cramer of Fear, Lou Reed, Fabian, Bobby Sherman, Jonathan Melvoin of Smashing Pumpkins and Howard Kaylan of the Turtles.

• Special thanks to David Braun, Ken Karman, Joanne Arkush and the groups & entire staff of the Fillmore East (1968-71)

• Bette Midler made a music video of "Beast of Burden" on the same set at the same time, in which both Stacy Nelkin and Mick Jagger appear.

• Reggie's line "catch ya later" to Neil is an inside joke since they had just made Blue Thunder and that was his catch phrase from the film.

Pictures

Movie
Reggie Wanker Poster
Reggie Wanker's Plane
Reggie Wanker's Title
Reggie Wanker on the plane

Memorabila
VHS - Front Cover

Q&A with Malcolm

MM: Well, they can't all be masterpieces! I had fun and that's the main thing. That was Allan Arkush at the end throwing stuff - great scene. To finish the story - I'm reading the script and I say to my agent, "Look. I want the money that I get for a full movie for three weeks." He went, "I don't think...well...fine" That was my way of getting out of it without actually saying "no". Nobody likes rejection. They cast somebody else and a week later my agent calls back to say, "By the way they are going to pay. You are doing that film - that comedy." I went, "What comedy?" "You know Get Crazy." I went, "Oh, my god. I threw the script away. I never finished it to the end." I was doing it that Monday. The director comes around am I'm thinking all I have to do is sing the songs. I'm sitting in the make-up chair, it was that quick, next to one of the other actors. He says, "It's really a privilege to work with you." I go, "Thank you." He goes, "No! I mean it is fantastic. How are you going to play that end scene?" "I'm just going to play it. What do you mean?" He goes, "You know...the one where you have the scene with your own dick." What the hell is he on!? "Don't worry. When I get to it we'll be fine." The guy leaves to do the shot and I go, "Has anybody got a script!? What the hell is this?" (reads it) "Oh...my...god!! What the hell is this!? Oh, shit! Why didn't I finish that script?" We do the scene, that's it - the film is over. My wife Kelley and I are in Krakow, it must be a good twelve years later. We're in a restaurant, shooting a film there. We're upstairs in the dining room and we walk downstairs and there was a bar before you get to the front door. A guy is sitting at the bar, this Polish guy, he's a little bit drunk I think. He just looks at me and instantly goes, (does voice) "How's your manager?" Stopped me dead in my tracks. I used to go into car washes in LA and they would be going, (yells) "Hey man it's Reggie!! Reggie Wanker!" "Excuse me?" "Reggie!! Reggie!!" "Oh, yes. Reggie that's right." The producer was very pissed off at me because he asked me what name I could give this character. I said, "How about Reggie Wanker?" So they had all these T-shirts made up. 

Q: I hope you have one?

MM: I don't think so. Joanna, you are getting very good at this stand-up I must say. Anyway, if there are any questions? What you see is what you get. There are no questions to be ask.

Q: Did you meet Lou Reed?

MM: No. I never worked with Lou Reed. I only did three weeks. They crammed mine into one period of three weeks. That was it - I'm out. I only met that crazy nut Lee Ving. It was literally being off then on. Nadia helped me do some choreography or tried.

Q: You did your own choreography?

MM: I just said I'm not going to do all that bullshit I'm going to Rod the Bod! It's Rod the Bod. I was a little bit out of sorts, I was not quite fit as I am today. I thought it would be perfect to show up like he was over the hill. Over the hill! He looks a bit like William Shatner with a girdle. It was perfect.  

Q: When you did the promotion for Get Crazy in a lot of the interviews you mentioned a roll in Tin Soldiers where you were going to sing ten songs. I always wondered what happened to it?

MM: In who? Was I? They must've backed out. The probably saw the film (Get Crazy).

Q: Did you understand every word you sung?

MM: Every word. I haven't even thought about those songs...

Q: It definitely shows you could do a musical.

MM: I could, certainly, yes. One is an actor.

Q: What kind of music did you listen to back then? And what about now?

MM: I haven't got a clue. It was twenty years ago. Probably the same music I'm into now. Van Morrison. Van the man! I've always loved his stuff. Who do I like now? I don't know. Ben Harper I like...Van Morrison....Van Morrison....Van Morrison. My kids are sick of riding with me in the car. "Oh, not that again dad!"

Q: What can you tell us about the theater. What is a set?

MM: It was the last concert...hardly a concert. They rented it. It was the Wilshire Theater on Wilshire and Winter the crossroads there. It's a genuine, beautiful 20s theater that is being restored I'm happy to say. It's absolutely fantastic, a beautiful theater. We trashed it just before they restored it. They knew we were going to do it, so they didn't mind.

Q: They did it in great spirit when they trashed it?

MM: Oh, yeah. It's a very well meaning harmless film.

Q: It was meant to be sold to the teenagers, but that didn't work out?

MM: Who knows? I mean...

Q: There are some people that liked it right?

MM: Yes! It is fun, it's harmless...we're not curing cancer. Exactly - there is room for it. It's not pretentious which is why I like the film. It's really not pretentious. It is what it is. So yeah wicked humor. Anybody else?

Q: What else were you working on in 80/81?

MM: I have no idea. I honestly don't remember. In 80 I did Look Back in Anger in New York at The Roundabout on the live stage. In 81 I did Blue Thunder. That's why we did, "Catch ya later." Because it was sort of in joke because Danny was in Blue Thunder. He's a very good actor, Daniel Stern.

Q: You say that in Blue Thunder to Roy Scheider.

MM: Yeah, exactly. It is a complete steal. It is all a bit "in" like that. That's probably a bit pretentious, but I couldn't think of anything else to do. I was sort of sending him up. It was pretty much the same sort of relationship I had with him in the other film. I was the real snotty bastard and he was the young innocent. It was a fun part to do.

Q: It is hilarious when you do the last song after the one before.

MM: Of course. It's ridiculous. Really. But this is what they are like! I've seen Rod the Bod. I've seen Mick prancing around and singing this crap as if it was the god head. To a lot of people it is! It is. These lyrics that are zipped off on the back of an envelope become how we live our lives...or some of us.

Q: I have seen this movie I don't know how many times...

MM: Thank you! A man of taste! Smart move. I hear a lot of Rock and Rollers really love it, but that doesn't surprise me.

Q: We have an ex-rock and roller and critic Jay Cocks here...

MM: Not Mike Kaplan again! How did I do Jay? 

Q: Somewhere between The Last Waltz and Rock and Roll High School.

MM: Oh, no. Yeah, perfect. I think so. This is my last thing. I would like to thank you Joanna, yes. She arranged it, she brought me here. And the Lincoln Film Society. If you are not a member, please become one because it really is the one place on the planet probably - this and the National Film Theater in London, that's about it. This is the most magnificent place to see odd films. She gets very odd people to come from time to time. I want to thank you and of course my dear friend Mike Kaplan, is the staffing circle of all time. Here's the man who produced the Whales of August. Is he here? No he's not. He produced it and my friend Lindsay Anderson said, "What do you think about this? Do you think it'll ever go?" I went, "No chance. Never be made, you'll never get the money." He says, "Good." So get this. Mike Kaplan is looking for Lillian Gishes' older sister. Now there's nobody older on the planet! He was lucky she was still there. He's looking for an actress to play Lillian Gishes' older sister. What kind of producer is that?!  He finally finds one, Bette Davis, who is twenty years younger, but just looks older because she has had that kind of life. She had a stroke, poor dear. Anyway I get this card from Lindsay Anderson, "You fucking idiot!! Started shooting last Monday!" So there you are. That's Mike Kaplan. I love him, he is a dear friend. 

Q: He helped organize this tribute and I wish he was here to thank him.

MM: He would be embarrassed anyway. But thanks so much. The story I gave you already. Great pleasure, thanks a lot!

Quotes

"That was fun. Playing Mick Jagger was great! They even let me do my own singing. I remember the director saying, 'Can you sing? Well...can Mick Jagger sing? That's a little unkind. Actually he can, he's pretty remarkable." Malcolm in NY 5/24/02

Soundtrack

Produced by Steve Barri
© 1983 Motown Record Corporation
Morocco Records 6065CL

Side 1

"Get Crazy" - Sparks
Produced & Arranged by Ron Mael & Russell Mael
Sparks appear courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. & Giorgio Moroder Enterprises LTD.
(R. Mael & R. Mael/Hansa France & Preemble Music, Inc (BMI) 3:35
"You Can't Make Me" - Lori Eastside & Nada
Vocals: Lori Eastside
Background Vocals: Sue Shiftin
Keyboards: John Hobbs, Robbie Buchanan
Bass: Colin Cameron
Drums: Michael Keeley
Guitars: Tim May, George Doering, Ben Benay
Percussion: Steve Barri
(S. Shifrin, S. Pomeranz, L. Eastside/Sookloozy Music, Former Rants Music & Preemble Music, Inc. (BMI) 3:02
"Chop Suey" - Ramones
Produced by Busta Jones
Vocals: Joey Ramone
Background Vocals: Mark Volman, Howard Kaylan
Bass: Dee Dee Ramone
Guitar: Johnny Ramone
Drums: Mark Ramone
The Ramones appear courtesy of Sire Records
(J. Ramone/Taco Tunes (ASCAP) 3:55
"It's Only a Movie" (AKA "But, But") - Marshall Crenshaw
Produced, Arranged & Played & Performed by Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
(M. Crenshaw/Belwin-Mills Publ. Corp & MHC Music (ASCAP) 2:40
"Little Sister" - Lou Reed
Produced by Lou Reed
Vocals: Lou Reed
Background Vocals: Lou Reed, Fernando Sunders
Bass: Fernando Sunders
Drums: Doanne Perry
Guitars: Lou Reed, Robert Quine
Lou Reed appears courtesy of RCA Records
(L. Reed/Metal Machine Music & Preemble Music, Inc. (BMI) 6:09

Side 2

"I'm Not Gonna Take It" - Lori Eastside & Nada
Vocals: Lori Eastside
Background Vocals: Andrea Robinson, Laura Creamer, Joanne Harris
Guitars: Ben Benay, Tim May, Dan Ferguson
Synthesizers: Ian Underwood, Michael Boddicker 
Bass: Colin Cameron
Drums: Ed Greene
Sax Solo: John Yoakum
Percussion: Steve Barri
(L. C. Ferraro/Amble Music, Inc. (ASCAP) 3:21
"Hot Shot" - Malcolm McDowell
Vocals by Malcolm McDowell
Guitars: Ben Benay, Tim May, George Doering, Dan Ferguson
Keyboards: John Hobbs, Randy Waldman
Bass: Colin Cameron
Drums: John Densmore
Synthesizers: Michael Boddicker
1983 (M. Price, D. Walsh/Amble Music, Inc. (ASCAP) 3:18
"The Blues Had a Baby and They Named it Rock & Roll" - Bill Henderson
Vocals: Bill Henderson
Guitars: Ben Benay, Tim May, Dale Herr
Keyboards: John Hobbs, Randy Waldman
Bass: Colin Cameron
Drums: Ed Greene
Percussion: Michael Keeley
Synthesizers: Michael Boddicker
Harmonica Solo: Ben Benay
(M. Morganfield, W. B. McGhee/Watertoons Music (BMI) & W. B. McGhee Publ., Co.) 3:24
"Hoochie Coochie Man" - Fear
Arranged by Fear
Vocals: Lee Ving
Bass: Fred "Derf Scratch" Milner
Drums: Timothy "Spit" Leitch
Guitar: Phil "Philo" Cramer
Fear appears courtesy of Slash Records
(W. Dixon/ARC Music Corp. (BMI) 2:34
"Starscape" - Michael Boddicker
Produced, Arranged & Played & Performed by Michael Boddicker
Engineered by John Vigran
Michael Boddicker appears courtesy of Bodifications, Inc.
(M. Boddicker/Preemble Music, Inc. (BMI) 1:36
"Auld Lang Syne" - Howard Kaylan & Cast
Keyboards: Ron Mael
Synthesizers: Michael Boddicker
Bass: Leslie Bohem
Drums: David Kendrick
Guitars: Robert Haog, Ben Benay
(Public Domain/Hansa France & Preemble Music, Inc (BMI) 2:36

My Summary

    The movie starts as a parody of the opening of Star Wars. The logo appears on a starfield background and the bottom of a space ship can be seen going overhead. It is really Max Wolfe in a spacesuit riding a mini rocket down a wire heading toward a giant 83 on the stage. They crew is testing out the spaceship for the New Years' Eve grand finale when something goes wrong. The ship won't stop and he crashes and falls out.  The stunt is for Max's 15th Anniversary concert at his Saturn theater and his last hurrah. Neil, the stage manager, has to get everything right in time for his first New Years' eve show.
    Max goes back to his office to relax and his slimy nephew Sammy Fox (Fox and Wolfe - geddit?) wants to help run the place. Instead Max sends him out for chili dogs. He passes by a huge crowd of teens and adults camped out in front of the theater for the big show that night. Concert Promoter/Tycoon Colin Beverly and his two yes men goons are coming in for a landing in their helicopter. Whatever Colin says each one of the goons replies with a synonym. The helicopter lands in the middle of the street blowing everything around including clothes off some girls. Sammy is thrilled to see Colin who is his hero because he is wealthy and ruthless. Colin's corporation, Serpent,  wants to buy the Saturn as it is prime real estate. Sam is so eager to help him that he walks through a glass door and spills the chili dogs on himself. Colin tells how his first job was as an usher working at the Saturn until Max fired him. Max explains it was because he was scalping tickets, drilling peepholes in the ladies room and other illegal acts. Colin offers Max a contract to buy him out, but Max angrily refuses. Colin gives his final offer of $1.2 million, but Max throws him out. Soon after he gets chest pains and Sammy runs over to help him. Colin and his goons head back to the helicopter. After a minute Sammy realizes he shouldn't be helping Max out because if he dies, Sammy inherits the place. Sam kicks a poodle across the room who bothers him and runs after Colin. Colin totally ignores him until he mentions he will inherit. Suddenly Colin stops and starts to treat him like a friend. He takes him up in the helicopter and offers him the same deal he offered Max, all he needs to do is get Max to sign a contract. He gives him the contract and a parachute and throws him out the moving chopper.
    Now Neil is totally running the show as Max is put in a portable bed with a sexy nurse to watch over him. A doctor is called in so he can find out how long he has to live. He is trying to get everything set up on stage when a giant hippie troupe led by Captain Cloud arrives in their magic school bus. They have arrived for the 1968 New Year's Concert, not for the 1983 concert and there isn't any room for them. But Cloud is Max's favorite band so he offers him the closing "Auld Lang Syne". Then Willy the old stage manager shows up. She went out to the west coast and it didn't work out and hopes for a job, but Neil has her job. They are instantly attracted to each other and fantasize that they are Tarzan and Jane and she is wearing a skimpy lingerie outfit.
    King Blues is at the funeral of his guitarist. The place is packed with blind blues men who wander around after the funeral and one falls into the grave. Leroy Jr. is the son of the dead guitarist who steps up to take his place and drive the King to the the concert. He also tells him not to call him Jr, but to call him Cool. As long as he plays as well as his father he doesn't care. The son can't drive though as he speeds off in the King's Rolls Royce and hits a tombstone. Along the way he crashes into many things and by the time they reach the Saturn the car is a wreck.
    Max decides he is going to get the legendary Auden for the concert. Neil says that is impossible since no one has even heard from him for six years. Max says he won't be able to turn down a death bed request and calls him up. Auden answers and tells him he has writers block and that is why he hasn't done anything in so long. When Max tells him he is dying, Auden is inspired and starts to write again. He agrees to come and heads out of his apartment with his guitar strapped on and starts writing and playing as he walks, not noticing where he is. People have to practically crash to avoid him walking through traffic. He gets a cab and tells the drive to take the scenic route to the Saturn so he can finish the song by the time he gets there.
    The word gets out that Auden is coming to the show and Neil's sister Susie is desperate to see him. She is supposed to go to her friends birthday party and neither of them can get out of it. This is the first time we see Reggie as there is a big poster on her wall and when she goes by the eyes on the poster follow her. Susie calls up Neil, but since she is under age he doesn't want to take responsibility for her if their parents don't let her come.
    Reggie Wanker is the star of the show and is coming from England in his own personal plane. He and his Swedish vixen, Chantamina, are drinking in the back when Toad, the drummer, heads up to the cabin. He is in a crazy party mode and decides he wants to fly the plane. He knocks the pilot out of the way and flies all over the place. Reggie is setting up some cocaine in the back and has trouble snorting it with Toad spinning the plane. The coke gets in the air like a mist and soon they are feeling no pain.
    It is finally time to open the doors and the crowd pours in to the 3000 seat theater. One of the fans is a life sized joint. They show the guards checking the people and what they  confiscate from them. Before long the pile fills a room and includes guns, knives, missiles and piles of beer.
    The Naz is a 19 year old virgin who works at the theater and is reading a book on how to score, but admits to Neil it is a waste of time. Neil tells him he heard there was another virgin in Buffalo and not to worry with all the people coming tonight. Nada arrives at the back of the theater in her car. She is a Toni Basil cheerleader type with a huge all girl band of around twelve that pours out of the car. When they enter backstage Naz tells the girls they need a pass and they just push right by them. Neil asks Nada where Piggy is and she throws him the keys. They go over to the trunk and let him out. He is a crazed punk who jumps out and begins smashing things including his head against the wall. Every time he hits his head the crowd counts out loud. While he seems like a madman he is smart enough to ask for a percent of the gross. Neil tells him that it is a standard Saturn contract and Piggy signs it by smashing his head against it.
    King Blues is upset because he asked for a backup blues band and instead is given a Jews band. Neil tells him not to judge until he hears them play. He relents and before the Jews go out the drummer kisses his girlfriend and they both have braces. Their braces lock together and he can't go on.  Neil has to get one of the Saturn stage hands to go out and play who did alright during a sound check, even though he doesn't really play the drums. Neil has to go out and introduce them, but is way too nervous. Willy finally gets him out there and he loves it that the crowd is cheering him. King Blues does his hit songs "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "The Blues Had a Baby and the Named it Rock & Roll".
    Everything goes well with the Jews band and when the King gets backstage Captain Cloud gives them some special marijuana joints. The stuff is so good they literally float away from getting so high. Soon after, a new hardass fire inspector arrives telling him he will shut them down if they use any fireworks or pyrotechnics because their extinguishers are not up to standard.
    Susie gets into her school girl outfit to fool her parents so she can go to her friends party. When she is out of sight she takes it off to reveal a typical yellow and red type 80s jumpsuit outfit. When she arrives at the theater she is brought over to Neil and he is not happy about her being there and tells her to stay backstage out of trouble. Willy finds out it is her first concert and she encourages her to have fun.
    Now when Neil goes out to introduce he has a white suit, glasses and has gotten way to into it. Nada goes on next and chains Piggy to the backstage stairs. She does "I'm Not Gonna Take It" and during the song many guys try to get up on stage and touch her. She does her gymnastic moves and kicks them in the head, knocking them off the stage every time. By the time they are finished Piggy has escaped and comes out to do his own version of "Hoochie Coochie Man."  A high King Blues realizes someone is doing his song. In the middle of the song Piggy stage dives into the crowd and they hold him up. While the band plays he tells the people in the balcony to start jumping. Many jump down to the floor including Susie. When they do judges give them scores.
    Sam comes in with the contract and tries to fool Max into signing it when crazy Doctor Carver arrives to check out Max. As he is checking him out the stage hands steal pills from his bag. It turns out that all the junk food he has eaten has clogged him up. It isn't a heart attack and he isn't going to die. Sam is screwed since Max isn't going to sign anything. The stage hands are also disappointed because none of the pills they snagged were anything good, mostly aspirin.
    The Savage Beast biker gang shows up without tickets and want to be let in backstage. Naz is there by himself and doesn't know what to do. Sam  passes him on the way to get a hold of Colin and figure out what he should do. Naz asks Sam what he should do about the bikers and he says "fuck them!" Sam heads downstairs and Naz opens the door and says fuck you and quickly closes it. They then smash through the door to try and kill him. 
    While downstairs Sam accidentally starts a fire in the basement. He starts to put it out and realizes he can burn the place down and throws garbage on it and cuts the nearby fire hose. He calls Colin on the golf course and tells him what he has done and heads out. He tells Naz to open the door, forgetting about the bikers he is trying to hold back. Naz has got the door barricaded, but Sam opens it anyway. When he does the bikers drive through and run him over. He has tire tracks all over him when he passes out.
    Neil and Willy come across the fire and try to put it out, but quickly find out that the hose has been cut. Willy waits while Neil heads to the men's room where the main water valve is. When he goes in the water on the floor is so deep that sharks are swimming in it. He gets to the valve and the fire is put out. Another tragedy avoided.
    When Sam finally comes to he knows the place should've been burned down by then and realizes his plan has failed. He gets a hold of Colin and he sends his two yes men with a bomb over to meet him. With things falling into place Colin has all his foreign investors over to his Serpent headquarters to reveal his plan. He has a model of the Saturn and drops a bomb in it and it explodes, sending shrapnel across the room. When the smoke clears a new 80 story building rises from the ashes.
    When Nada, Piggy and company leave the stage they head to their dressing room and are upset to find out that all the beer is gone. Enter the bizarre Electric Larry, who looks like an undead cowboy with no face and red eyes, to save the day with his magic metal briefcase of drugs. Reggie arrives and is ready to go.
    When Neil goes out to introduce Reggie he tells him, "No one introduces me" and tells him "catch ya later." Neil tells him not to do any fireworks and Reggie says sure. He goes out and does "Hot Shot" prancing around the stage in a white sequined suit and cape. He has that Mick Jagger style and swagger. Backstage Chantamina has done her nails and is waiting for them to dry and one of her eyelashes falls between her breasts. She asks a nearby Neil to retrieve it and he does. Willy walks by and sees him with her hand between her breasts and freaks out. He tries to explain and runs off after her, but she won't hear it.
    Sam meets up with the goons at the back and gets the bomb. He decides the best place to hide it is in Max's rocket. The fire inspector is pissed because Reggie has used fireworks and is going to shut them down. After Sam hides the bomb he is running out and crashes into the inspector and both are knocked out. Electric Larry once again shows up in the nick of time and spikes the water cooler with acid. When Neil gets water for Sam he has a life changing experience and soon after turns into a hippie and joins up with Captain Cloud and his band. The inspector soon forgets about shutting down the theater as well.
   Willy has left the building and overhears the goons talking about the bomb set for midnight. She tries to get back to the theater, but they notice her and grab her. Auden was seen driving through the desert and now realizes how late it is getting and tells the cabbie to head for the theater fast. The goons throw Willy into their car and drive off. Soon after Auden's cab cuts them off and she is able to escape on foot after the accident and head back to the theater.      
     During the drum solo Reggie leaves the stage and heads back to the dressing room and blows his girlfriend off. She then asks Naz to get her lashes and he is only too thrilled and even dances with her a bit.
    Back in the dressing room Reggie gets it on with a dozen groupies. When his girlfriend walks in on him she can't take it and closes the door. She quickly gets revenge when Naz comes by. She takes him into the next room and shuts the door on his overalls. When she motions him over his clothes come off revealing a huge penis. She exclaims "What a man!" in Swedish.
    Reggie finally crawls out from the bottom of the pile of naked ladies and hears his girl next door. He opens the door to discover a steam filled room and is devastated. He turns his back for a minute and this is what she does to him! Wanker has been on top of the game for 20 years, but has lost his edge.  He then returns to the stage wearing only a robe and codpiece and says, "Now here is Hoochie Coochie Man our way - my way.'' He breaks into a slow, emotional version. Through his pain he has regained that lost spark, singing better than ever. The girls in the front are in tears and one keeps handing things for him, from flowers to a refrigerator. He is completely drained when he leaves and the crowd goes wild. Backstage he drinks down some of the spiked water and heads for the bathroom. This leads to the strangest scene in the film.
    It is now nearly midnight when Willy returns and Neil tries again to apologize, but it doesn't matter now. She explains how Sam has hidden the bomb and they go to find him. He is totally useless as he is now a drugged out hippie. They find the Captain to translate his stoned out ramblings and learn the bomb is in the rocket. The Captain takes the stage and Max is already on his way on the rocket. They radio him to ditch the ball shaped clear bomb in the back compartment. He throws it down to Neil, but misses and the crowd throws it all around. Eventually it heads up and out to the lobby and out the door, landing in Colin's lap in his limo blowing him to bits.
    The stage is full with the giant 83 and the hippie troupe singing "Auld Lang Syne" that closes the show. Backstage King Blues invites the stage hand to tour with him on the drums and also takes the wasted Jews band with him. Max finds Neil and gives him the deed to the theater because he is going to retire. Neil and Willy have another fantasy and get back together. He tells her he'll need a stage manager to run the place. The Captain is leaving and Sam wants to join him. He starts running to catch his bus when that poodle from the beginning comes after him. Naz and Chantamina are finishing their marathon sex session and she asks him to marry her and he says "why not?"
    While in the bathroom taking a leak, Reggie's penis starts to talk. He explains that now he has felt a great loss, he was able to recapture the spark he lost all those years back. He also tells him that he is going to manage the band and take him back to to the top and to shake on it - but not too hard! The strangest part is at the end Toad comes looking for him to see if he is OK and Reggie is still on the toilet covered in confetti. Reggie tells him, ''Meet our new manager'' as he spreads his legs. Reggie's penis greets him and Reggie replies, ''Go on, give 'em a drink.'' ''Well, I'm not going to touch him!''  and pours it on him! 
    Auden finally shows up, but he is much too late. He pays the cabbie with a pile of money and is so eager to play his new song that he just plays it for Susie. The End

My Review

    Get Crazy is a rock and roll send up of the old Fillmore East theater and the bands who played there. The movie is a tamer version of "Airplane" with lots of inside jokes and sight gags like Frankenstein's monster holding a torch up in the audience while others hold lighters.  It is the kind of film that needs to be seen a few times to take in all the the background humor.   
    When I first saw the film in 1984 on cable, I thought it was pretty wild. When I watched it again on VHS 1990 I thought it was pretty funny. The third time I watched it was 1998 to do a write up for the site and  I was surprised at how funny I still found it. In 2002 I got the rare chance to see it in the theater. The print was perfect and I still enjoyed the film and wasn't tired of it at all. Though it's funny to laugh at the 80's and remember how things where, it is still a good parody of a rock and roll concert and the people who put them on and attend them.
    All of the aspects of a concert are covered except maybe the couples who have sex on the dance floor. The crowds waiting outside, problems behind the scenes, people who dress up, confiscating things on the way in, the bathroom - it is all over the top. I think the film will remain a great time capsule of the music and trends of the time.
    Lee Ving is the frontman one of my favorite punk bands, Fear, and almost steals the show. Since he has lived the life it isn't hard for him to play the quintessential punk to the fullest. He has the mohawk, no shirt with cuts on the skin, parachute pants, chains and an attitude to match. Piggy and Nada's band is like a conglomerate of 80s excess, X and Toni Basil all rolled into one instead of a single parody.
    Malcolm gets top billing in a smaller role. It is a bit bigger than a cameo as he does have a handful of scenes. He earns his full fee in this one with his British rock star performance based on Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger. Playing the role to the fullest, he is fantastic and an absolute joy to watch. It is also the first film where he is starting to show the white hair. He took the roll because he would do his actual singing and pulls it off well. He does the all out rock song with "Hot Shot" which is a perfect silly ego song of the times which doesn't mean anything. He goes off stage and blows off everyone in perfect big head rock star fashion. When he comes back and breaks into his ballad version of "Hoochie Coochie Man" he again plays it to the hilt. All sweaty and full of big-eyed emotion, like he doesn't even know where he is. His scene with the pile of naked fans might have also been another factor for taking the roll and it is classic that he gets upset when he finds his girl is cheating on him! He is the star, so it is OK for him to do it!
    His talking penis still remains the most bizarre scene in his career. Thankfully there is nothing shown, just the voice is heard. He hadn't read the script to the end and it was a total surprise for him when he heard about it. It is certainly a major surprise when you see it for the first time and gets big laughs in the theater.
    The film is no ACO, but it is still a damn good film. If you are looking for a fun date movie this is it - nothing heavy, just a good time. The fact that is still funny after 20 years tells you something right there. Though it is based in the 80s the humor is in no way lost back there. It is out of print and there is no offical DVD release.

Rating: 8.5/10

Taglines

Get Crazy...And Say Goodbye to Your Brain!
Last Chance to Party this Summer!

Together Before

1982 - Malcolm and Ed Begley Jr. were both in Cat People.
1983 - Malcolm and Daniel Stern were both in Blue Thunder.

 This page © 1998-08 Alex D. Thrawn for www.MalcolmMcDowell.net