Here is my take on the making of Eddie & The Cruisers, from the book to the Movie to the music, production and execution, release, bomb and rebirth. all in my monument to nothing.
It was not a flop for me. I watched this movie in 1984 on TV several times. I loved it and I would watch it again if I had it. Tender years and on the dark side were my favorite songs
My family loved the movie so much that we watch it at last 80 times WHEN IT CAME ON HBO BACK IN THE DAY FANTASTIC MOVIE NEXT Eddie AND THE CRUISERS 3 2024
@@tommymann69 I had no idea there is going to be a part 3. Oh my goodness! Thank you for updating me. I watched on TV back in the 80s, maybe on HBO not sure, I think we had cable then. The second one was okay, I hope the third one has some of the same people in it.
I remember watching this as a kid and loved the soundtrack. My friends and I watched both movies relentlessly during the summer one year (89-90). They had a black box that allowed them to watch every channel available (including pay-per-view). One of the premium channels was running Eddie 2 almost daily cause it was a new release but we watched both for the soundtracks. There is a scene in the first movie that resonated with me. Music has always been associated with memories in my life that feel special. It evokes an emotion. When you really feel it, it can give you goosebumps. It moves you. In the movies, Eddie doesn't just want to make music. He wants to make something special. The scene that grabbed me was in the first movie. They are playing Tender Years and the instruments drop out and all you hear is the piano closing out the melody and slowly trail off. Eddie listens and as the final notes play he simply says, "Yeah". That's how I feel every time I hear something that hits me in the feels and gives me goosebumps. Both movies and soundtracks have special places in my heart. Several songs from each are on my stay list.
They turned a "Troubled & Darkly Sad & Depressing Novel into a Fun and Fantastic Rock And Roll Fantasy, that has Never been given the Credit it deserves
Thanks for all the good information on the movie . I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched Eddie and the cruisers 1 and 2, Such a fantastic show, and amazing songs, I first watched them yrs ago, I still watch them today. The cast and the songs are just amazing. Thanks again Couple of my all time favorite movies.
Cafferty "Dismissed "On The Dark Side", and George Jones Hated "He Stopped Loving Her Today", Calling it A "Morbid Son Of A Bitch".............Proving that Most Times, That Even The Artists Don't Know
I didn't know how much trouble it was to get these actors to become their characters. The director really knows his craft. Torturing Eddie's character to get the desired results. And teaching him a valuable lesson in the process. I enjoyed the movie. I did see it on cable and wondered why I hadn't seen it in my home town first.
awesome awesome film one I would watch again and again. Hopefully you all can put it on you tube as a freebee one of these weeks. That would be really awesome. God bless you all. BY THE WAY MICHAEL AND MATHEW STILL LOOKED GREAT IN THAT INTERVIEW. AND I HAD NO IDEA THE CHARACTER OF JOANNE CARLINO WAS A REAL ROCK STAR THAT WAS INTERESTING. IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO SEE THE FILM IN ACTION WHILE FILMING IT.
Long time go i watched Michael Pare sing on the dark side on You Tube........ I was mesmerized and here years later i find the story putting it all together...... UNREAL and STRANGER THEN FICTION........ LIFE AT ITS BEST!!...... Thank you!!
Good info. All of the tie-ins make sense......Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Stallone and the Scotti brothers; a lot of connections went into making this movie work. And it did work; the promoters screwed up the release, but music and movie history judges it accurately.
1st saw it on HBO in 1984 when my wife and I were in the USAF at Eglin AFB, FL. Have both the album (vinyl, cassette and CD) and the movie VHS and DVD) in our entertainment library. We saw John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band in the Fall of 1985 at a nightclub in Destin, near the base. One of the very best live shows I have seen in my over 50 years of going to concerts. Eddie 2, also have that, mainly for the music. Kluge's novel, much darker than the movie, and depressing to read. Have that in the library, too.
Wow this was really great lots of cool facts. I overlooked this film when growing up but caught it way later on in life and finally understood why it has such a huge cult following. That final scene when Fire Suite comes on as Eddie walks off into the distance is the stuff that movie magic dreams are made of, that scene really cemented the film for me , long live Eddie Wilson!
Cafferty was relative unknown and one awesome voice. It put this thing where it still is legendary picture. Actually has a plot without mass violence..
Don't forget the old British film "Still Crazy." It has future stars Billy Connolly, Bill Nighy, Stephen Rhea, Tim Spall, and a very young Hans Matheson; and music by Mick Jones of Foreigner. It's created by the writers of "The Commitments." It's got a pretty decent story and good performances with good period-style music. I STILL sometimes bash out "All Over the World" on my guitar sometimes, and if "Tequila Mockingbird isn't a real song, it SHOULD be; it's certainly a great song title. "Still Crazy" has all the strong points of these two films, and is worth checking out if you like Rock and Roll band dramas. And if you do, skip seeing "Rock Star," with Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston, which isn't about a band, but has an almost burnt-out metal band's misadventures as background for a mediocre Romance.
If you consider this film didn't have any huge name stars & it still continues to endure to this day, it gives you an idea of how good the writing was.
I saw this movie in the theater when it came out and have loved it ever since! I still listen to the music and had the original Scotti Brothers soundtrack on cassette. I'll take Tender Years over on the Dark Side any day but I'll still listen to any song from this movie now. On another note - All of my Kids went to Rancocas Valley HS where several of the scenes were filmed. As a life long NJ resident I particularly love the scene where you can see the 9th street Music Pier from Ocean city in the background. I wonder if any one knows knows where the scene of Eddie driving his car off over one of the Jersey Shore bridges was filmed. It felt like a Longport bridge, but maybe not??
What is more than love it ? Could watch it every day. Mean more to me. My kids and I watched it over and over. I purchased 3 cassettes thinking I would always have one. No so. Movie more time.
It's said that flops at the box office , become cult classics . Never trust if it's a box office flop to say if it was a good or bad movie . And never trust movie critics. That's just their opinion . Be your own critic and use your brain .
How is this seen as a flop? This was a very popular movie that still has a cult following all of these years later. I have to think that what is meant is that box office sales were weak. The movie did not have much of marketing when it was released, it wasnt till hit hit cable that it blew up. So glad they went with John Cafferty then overrated Springsteen.
A flop??? Far from it.... The movie was not packaged it was marketed... It was an awesome movie and still is... Imagine when I came back from Iraq and my old Silverado hit the streets... How insulting to Jon Parr...
This video tells a great story but in a horrible way. If I read the text I can't look at the pics,if I look at the pics I can't read the text. This could have been so much better .but ,I love SSJ,Michael Pare' and the movie so two thumbs up
