From Allan Arkush, the acclaimed director of the cult classics Hollywood Boulevard, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School and Heartbeeps, comes this raucous musical comedy that invites you to get crazy… and say goodbye to your brain! It’s December 31, 1982, and Saturn Theater owner Max Wolfe is attempting to stage the biggest rock and roll concert of all time. But things aren’t going right. His doctor tells him he might have a fatal disease; his nephew and his arch-rival are in cahoots; a crazed fire inspector is spraying the audience with foam; and someone is trying to kill him and blow up the theater. Of course, these are secondary problems compared to those posed by the crazy rock and roll performers themselves. The gags come fast and furious from the truly insane cast that includes Allen Garfield, Daniel Stern, Gail Edwards, Miles Chapin, Ed Begley Jr., Stacey Nelkin, Bill Henderson, Lou Reed, Howard Kaylan, Lori Eastside, Lee Ving, John Densmore, Robert Picardo, Bobby Sherman, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, Clint Howard, Linnea Quigley, Dick Miller and the great Malcolm McDowell as debauched rock star Reggie Wanker.
For thoughts on Get Crazy, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents Get Crazy with a major upgrade in the form of a new 1080p master transfer in 1.85:1 sourced from a 2K scan approved by director Allan Arkush that looks really great. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up deep black levels. There is also a noticeable uptick in fine detail that should please fans of the film. Subtle details in the inventive production design standout more than ever before, often revealing new gags. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such damage. The film features some splendid colors within the costumes and production design that pop off the screen with a great vibrancy. The film is practically pristine with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. This presentation is another instance of Kino Classics rescuing a forgotten gem and giving it new life.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this film really well. The first thing you will notice is the vibrancy and clarity of the soundtrack. Despite the strength of this element, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track shows no discernible age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. All of the sound effects and music appear to be faithful to the intent of the creative team. This disc maintains an impeccable sense of fidelity that is appreciated when music is so central to the narrative. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. You could not ask for better from Kino Classics.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Allan Arkush, Filmmaker Eli Roth and Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer provides an incredibly fun commentary track in which they discuss the origins of this film, how the script was developed, the incredible cast, filming certain stunts, securing Lou Reed, the inspiration from other films, the raw energy of the film and more. This is jam-packed with information thanks to Roth asking a ton of the fanboy questions he has been holding onto for years, and Arkush reveals so much raw information that is pretty fascinating.
- The After Party – Documentary with Cast & Crew: A 76-minute documentary featuring Arkush along with Malcom McDowell, Daniel Stern, Howard Kaylan, Stacy Nelkin, Gail Edwards, Ed Begley Jr, Robert Picardo, Lori Eastside and the Nada Band, Lee Ving, Screenwriter Danny Opatoshu and many other cast and crew members. This piece begins with Arkush discussing the original release of the film followed by a series of Zoom interviews that have been edited together in a really tight and fascinating way which keeps the fun flowing for another hour-plus. The sheer amount of fun and information shared here is astounding, and this release is worth picking up for this alone.
- Fan Fiction with No Dogs In Space: An eight-minute piece in which the punk podcasters create life stories and discographies for Reggie Wanker, Lori Eastside & the Nada Band and Piggy. This is a fun bit of creative writing that fans will appreciate.
- Trailers From Hell with Allan Arkush: A four-minute piece in which Arkush recounts his experiences making Get Crazy, how his experience mimicked The Producers and more.
- “Get Crazy Theme Song” by Sparks – Music Video: A four-minute music video is provided here featuring footage from the film.
- “Not Gonna Take It No More” by Lori Eastside & The Nada Band – 1983 Music Video: A four-minute music video is provided.
- “Not Gonna Take It No More” by Lori Eastside & The Nada Band – 2021 Music Video: A fun new four-minute twist on the video is provided here.
- Theatrical Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Get Crazy is a fun and wild ride that has an outrageous sensibility which really makes it memorable. The narrative would never be accused of being challenging, but it provides the perfect avenue for a cavalcade of hilarious jokes. The talent assembled here is mighty impressive, each person given a chance to steal the show for a bit with a ridiculous gag. While this one would be a lot of fun year-round, it might be a new favorite to throw on for New Year’s Eve for many. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and some invaluable supplemental features. If you are a fan of the film, this is the release of your dreams. Recommended
Get Crazy is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
