Eddie and the Cruisers / Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (Totally Awesome 80s Double Feature)

Michael Pare has the Eddie Wilson part, right-on, acted superbly!If anything was amiss with this set of flicks, it was the script writing not being quite believable in several places, during both flicks.In the first part, "Eddie & The Cruisers;" I think it a bit of a stretch that Eddie, as close as he and his girl, Joanne Carlino were, that: on the gig at "the Word-man's" Alma Mater college, at Homecoming: we see Joanne and the Word-man,(actor Tom Berenger's character), hugging and kissing, with real emotion and passion for each other, all in direct line-of-sight, a hundred feet or so, from the porch where Eddie and the rest of the band sat or stood watching? Then, when Joanne wants to go back, instead of walking around the fire and appearing from another direction, they walk straight from where they kissed each other, over to the porch where the rest of the band was? This, both knowing how jealous, possessive and quick tempered, Eddie was?But then, later-on in this same movie, we hear the all important lines that: Joanne Carlino was never really Eddies first love; Eddie's music was his only true love!What was Joanne Carlino's lines supposed to be all-about, at the very end of the first flick, when she gets the phone call signals, only Eddie used to call her with and thinks its Eddie coming back from the dead, or what? I'm still not quite sure what the writers meant to portray at this ending section of this first movie. The script plot and lines here, were really thin. The actress portraying Joanne, acted the part as well as could be expected and manages to keep this weak plot section, believable. It only lasts a minute or so, total, and still shows how Eddies vanishing off-the-face of the earth, 18 years before, has truly affected those of his closest friends, the Cruisers band members he left behind, so very deeply, in so many ways.Now, in the second flick, "Eddie Lives!" here we see Eddie Wilson, near the flicks start, going to a Eddie Wilson look-alike contest in NYC, and his only disguise is a mustache? No one there recognized the real Eddie Wilson in the audience? This, at a crowded & televised Eddie Wilson Look-alike contest??? However, this writing snafu, was not Micheal Pares' fault! Michael Pare became Eddie Wilson, made Eddie live larger-than-life, in these two flicks!I had problems in "Eddie Lives" Part 2, with the screen play writing again, when 20 years later, Eddie reveals to his new love, at her loft apartment, that he is really Eddie Wilson. The lines were just too contrived, building-up to Eddie giving his girl friend that info and why. Also hard to believe, was her lame reaction and response: she bumbles around stammering like a dummy, instead of total dumb-founded shock that she had just crawled out of bed, after sleeping with the great rock n roll star legend, Eddie Wilson!However, to its credit: both movies, parts 1 and 2, I thought were pretty well written over-all.We get to see how Eddie shaped the sound and made simple poems the Word-man wrote, set to simple music lead lines and chord structures; be turned into monster smash rock n roll hit songs, through Eddies ear and great rock music savvy! We get to go into the major label recording studios of that early day and time, in rock n rolls infancy and we get to watch, listen and learn...how the original rock music pioneer stars recorded, back then!Each time I watch these two movies, back-to-back once again,(which is 3-4 times every year), I learn something new, from Eddies love for music and what is truly important as a musician in the music business, and what is not. Eddie lived for the best music, he could possibly make/play. He was truly a peak performer! Anytime he was on stage fronting his band, he gave his music, his all, everything he had and was! We get to watch his music evolve with the years, watch Eddie grow, with his music!What I love about these two flicks, is the whole story line, the great late 50's, early 60's classic Rock Music the way it really sounded, the raw energy it exuded live, back then, and the fact that, by the end of the second flick, we finally get to watch our dreams come true!Those of us who were alive and heard the radio announcement, remember the loss we all felt, all too vividly, on Feb. 3, 1959, (the Day The Music Died). That was the day Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson-"the Big Bopper", and Ritchie Valens' plane wreckage and their bodies were found, in that Iowa field.Then, just 18 years and a few months later, all of us once again, were stopped still in our tracks, not able to quite comprehend that newscast, having to turn it up and listen one more time. We were stunned speechless, the second we truly "understood" the TV news confirming that: Elvis "the King of Rock N Roll," was dead. For those of us whom clearly remember those fateful newscasts when they happened; this set of movies, gives us all, the perfect ending of our dreams, ever since we lost those first original Rock N Roll Music pioneer legend artists, so suddenly, all those years ago!Because, when Eddie Wilson, in Part 2, the last scene, on that Toronto Concert stage with his new band, introduces all the rest of his band mates, and then tells the world he is really Eddie Wilson; we get to see our fondest dreams fulfilled, when finally, once again, Eddie LIVES! And so, through Eddie being still alive and rocking the music once again, after having disappeared and considered dead the prior 20 years; do we get Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper and Elvis, back once again! It's kinda as if, through these two movies, we all get to see our fav original rock n roll music pioneers, live once again, through Eddie Wilson!This is so very important to me, because...I know only too well...there is no other way, we'll ever get Buddy, Ritchie, Elvis, or the Big Bopper, back again...! This very fact, is what makes these two movies, so very powerful, to me!So, let me watch two of my most fav music flicks one more time, while dreaming in my mind that: Eddie Wilson alive on that stage and rocking-out with his bands, is really Elvis, or Buddy, or Ritchie, or the Big Bopper, up there on that stage rocking-out again, still with us all! Just for the 3-4 hours it takes to watch both these movies again...it seems like, maybe...they never really left us...? Could it be?The great original rock n roll on these CD's, is worth every cent you spend! The movies are really good, together, as well! There is NO WAY, you can waste a dime, buying this movie combo DVD set!These two movies, are the stuff true music dreams and stardust, are surely made of! :)

I fell in love with this movie back when I first saw it on HBO in the 80's. As a prior reviewer noted, this movie's theatrical release was not met with great success. I don't ever remember seeing it come to the theaters in my area. I would have gone to see it because I like the kind of music that was featured in it. It was an intriguing plot. Who hasn't gotten fed up with their life at some point and wished they could just disappear seemingly without any consequences? With the first film, you see a talented up and coming musician. He is sensitive, brillant and typically moody full of all the angst that his character could possibly relay. Michael Pare did an outstanding job of portraying the tourchered Eddie Wilson. We watch him as he tries to grow intellectually but he's not really sure what he is trying to grasp onto. We see him see something in the character of Frank. The two of them met on an intellectual level that no other member of the group was able to with the possible exception of the character of Joann, Eddie's longtime girlfriend. Some how, despite all the trials and tribulations, this band was beginning to be successful. They had a sound that the public responded to. There was something in the intensity of Eddie Wilson's words that appealed to them. Not only did Eddie Wilson touch the characters in the movies with his intensity, he touched those of us that were watching his story unfold. The whole cast was an excellent roster of actors. Once I saw this movie, I knew I had to add it to my audio/visual library. I taped the movie the next time it ran on HBO. I played it so much because I loved the music that the sound and picture finally wore out. By that time though, the movie had been released on VHS. As soon as I heard it had been released, I bought it. I forget where I bought movies in those days. We didn't have Amazon back then that made it easy to pick whichever merchant we wanted for the best prices on a movie. As soon as the cassette was released of the soundtrack, I went to the nearest music store and bought that as well. Imagine my disappointment when the CD was finally released of it and there were a few songs that were missing from that release. It was back to the movie again to get my fix of the marvelous sounds of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Bruce Springsteen eat your heart out. This band has you beat to shame. That is not to say that Bruce isn't worthy of a listen he is. I have quite a few of his albums. There was something about this movie and this music that touched my soul. Apparently it touched a lot of other peoples soul as well because a sequel was released. By that time, these two movies had reached cult status and rightly so. Do I recommend these two movies and the subsequent soundtracks? You bet I do. Be careful which release of the soundtrack that you get though, there are different versions. Indeed EDDIE LIVES!

When this movie came out in early 80s I was around 12 or so and had the biggest crush on lead character Eddie. I didn't even know until recently there was a part 2. The original was so tragic and I hated how it ended. I just couldn't understand why he would just disappear all those years. So when I finally got this and watched part 2 I was PISSED. Why disappear only to come back 20 years later and be the same person. Rembrandt only came out of hiding as he was dying and went to the hospital,so since he wasn't dying but the folks knew who he was I felt he should've handled it better. He only found the need to find Sal but he owed piano man,the manager and Joann the same courtesy. They all took his death bad and should've gotten an explanation as well. That really disappointed me. If he was gonna continue to hide then why put yourself back out there with a new band. He could've just reunited with the old band and take advantage of all the new interest surrounding them. I loved the 1st one but disappointed in the 2nd one. Bad ending to such a good start.

i remember this film from the 80's, however my wife and kids had never seen it so got this import and watched on our multi region dvd player. the family loved the film and the wife wishes that i looked like eddie wilson.

This isn't the best movie ever made, but it's a nice little trip down memory lane for me. Music's ok. They've captured the feel of the era quite well. Good fun👍😊

Arrived within the specified postage time, two great films thst I really enjoyed first tie around and have not lost there feel good factor in the durarion.

as always fast delivery . The box is appealing and the quality of the movie is ok . Nostalgia of the 80 years , I love these movies

I'm a sucker for rock n roll fairy tales and this is one of the best: good songs and a star who almost has the charisma of a real rock star. Great film? No. Guilty pleasure? Most def