See Hear Episode 133 - Get Crazy

About this episode

Aaaaah, 80s cinema. When asked to think about films from the 80s, chances are you recall blockbuster adventures featuring an archaeologist carrying a whip or dancing as a form of rebellion or taking a day off from school and getting into hijinks. If the backers of a film by Allan Arkush hadn't decided to go adopt the Bialystock principle to film production, it's possible that a chaotic comedy about a rock concert on New Year's Eve at a theatre modelled on the Fillmore East may also have been fondly recalled by many people. Welcome to episode 133 of See Hear. In 1983, film director and music nerd (and previous See Hear guest) Allan Arkush wanted to make a film mildly recalling his days working at the Fillmore East while studying at NYU. He had to make certain changes to get it financed, but the backers did everything they could to get that film sunk for tax reasons. That film was Get Crazy. The story behind it is as frustrating as the film itself is entertaining...and Kerry, Charlie and I get into both aspects. The film is a live-action cartoon with the old-fashioned elements of “let's put on a show” and villains who want to destroy the theatre the show is playing in at