i'm not totally sure what to make of this film, it has a weird mix of actors, some classy and some not so. the good actors were unable to lift crimetime out of utter mediocrity, and in my humble opinion it was over long, and bordering on painfully tedious in some places. i stuck with it simply out of curiosity, having read the other reviews, but in all honesty i just feel cheated out of 2 hours of my life that will never come back. i think it is to be avoided at all costs, except for those wanting to enjoy looking at the oil slick that is stephen baldwin's hair, or the grotesque mask like appearance of karen black's face. 4/10 is the best i can do, and those points are probably all pete postlethwaite's, whom one can say, did his best in the face of adversity.
12 Reviews
Why didn't she cry?.....
FlashCallahan26 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
There are many reasons to watch this movie.
One is not to appreciate the acting, or plodding direction, but to see how badly a film can date.
1996 does not seem that long ago to me, but after seeing this, it feels like 1985, because of the costumes and the sets, it dated the moment it was printed.
It's Natural Born Killers light, Baldwin re-enacts Postlethwaites murders on the titular programme, and the more murders there are, the more famous and involved Baldwin becomes.
It's an interesting concept, visual media wanting crime to carry on in order to boost ratings, but it's handled so poorly. Sluzier hit the jackpot with 'The Vanishing' but here he seems like he has given up on the whole movie business.
Postlethwaite is as reliable as ever, and Baldwin proves again, he is the third most popular in the family business.
It's a little overlong, and the ending feels a bit rushed, but there is something unique in the movie and the story trying to get out, which is a shame, because this is a cracking concept.
One is not to appreciate the acting, or plodding direction, but to see how badly a film can date.
1996 does not seem that long ago to me, but after seeing this, it feels like 1985, because of the costumes and the sets, it dated the moment it was printed.
It's Natural Born Killers light, Baldwin re-enacts Postlethwaites murders on the titular programme, and the more murders there are, the more famous and involved Baldwin becomes.
It's an interesting concept, visual media wanting crime to carry on in order to boost ratings, but it's handled so poorly. Sluzier hit the jackpot with 'The Vanishing' but here he seems like he has given up on the whole movie business.
Postlethwaite is as reliable as ever, and Baldwin proves again, he is the third most popular in the family business.
It's a little overlong, and the ending feels a bit rushed, but there is something unique in the movie and the story trying to get out, which is a shame, because this is a cracking concept.
You Made Me and I Made You
refinedsugar10 April 2024
I remember seeing the trailer for 'Crimetime' back in the VHS days and even though I didn't bother watching it - the look combined with starring Stephen Baldwin and coming from dtv company Vidmark made me think it'll be a routine crime slasher. Maybe even b-movie trashy fun. So imagine my surprise sitting down for it now and it's got a nearly two hour runtime. It's also not the throwaway serial killer thriller I thought it would be too.
Sidney (Pete Postlethwaite) kills a woman and the murder is made part of a sensationalized reality tv show called Crimetime who hires all too serious method actor Bobby Mahon (Baldwin) to play the role. It grabs Sidney's interest and gives Bobby a lift, but when the killings stop so does any sort of sick & twisted fame for both men. Sid resumes now solely to be famous and Bobby blurs the line between fantasy & reality losing himself to the role.
I'm in the minority of people who enjoyed what this had to say. Neither man is likable - one for obvious reasons, the other because he gets a big head - but the descent into delusions of grandeur worked. People being murdered capitalized on for money isn't done over the top or with a heavy hand trying to install some deep message. There's some silly moments, but don't distract. The weakest portion is the failing relationship between Bobby and his actress girlfriend (Sadie Frost).
Oddly the most commonly available version of 'Crimetime' in North America has a 95 min runtime. I'm curious if this tighter version is a better film, but otherwise I was happy with what this 'original' cut did. Postlethwaite is a fine actor and does a good job of bringing a sick man to life. Stephen Baldwin is no thespian actor, but he makes this role work for him and actually shows some range. The idea of the media, tv, serial killers might be played out material past or present, but I liked this little film blemishes and all.
Sidney (Pete Postlethwaite) kills a woman and the murder is made part of a sensationalized reality tv show called Crimetime who hires all too serious method actor Bobby Mahon (Baldwin) to play the role. It grabs Sidney's interest and gives Bobby a lift, but when the killings stop so does any sort of sick & twisted fame for both men. Sid resumes now solely to be famous and Bobby blurs the line between fantasy & reality losing himself to the role.
I'm in the minority of people who enjoyed what this had to say. Neither man is likable - one for obvious reasons, the other because he gets a big head - but the descent into delusions of grandeur worked. People being murdered capitalized on for money isn't done over the top or with a heavy hand trying to install some deep message. There's some silly moments, but don't distract. The weakest portion is the failing relationship between Bobby and his actress girlfriend (Sadie Frost).
Oddly the most commonly available version of 'Crimetime' in North America has a 95 min runtime. I'm curious if this tighter version is a better film, but otherwise I was happy with what this 'original' cut did. Postlethwaite is a fine actor and does a good job of bringing a sick man to life. Stephen Baldwin is no thespian actor, but he makes this role work for him and actually shows some range. The idea of the media, tv, serial killers might be played out material past or present, but I liked this little film blemishes and all.
Bad Script
Theo Robertson1 November 2004
George Sluizer of THE VANISHING fame ( He made both the haunting European original and the Hollywood remake ) directed CRIMETIME . He shouldn't really be blamed for this confused , poor movie because all the problems lie in Brendan Somers script . It's ill focused and lazily written . For instance the killer hangs around a nightclub waiting to pick up a victim , any victim and starts talking to a teenage girl . Cut to the next scene where she tells the villain " I've told you everything about myself , tell me about your life ? " Unfortunately the girl has told the baddie her life story off screen and is a terrible example of the screenwriter not being able to bring a character to life through dialogue . I know for a fact how bloody difficult this is but for a screenplay that is produced the writer should have tried harder
It's difficult to explain the message of the film . At some points it feels like it's trying to be a British NATURAL BORN KILLERS satarising the media's voyeurism with crime ( Perhaps it even influenced the infamous video game MANHUNT ) but the script isn't witty enough to carry this off . When you've got a sex scene that doesn't progress the plot or characters or hint of subtext you know you've got a badly written screenplay and CRIMETIME is a badly written screenplay
It's difficult to explain the message of the film . At some points it feels like it's trying to be a British NATURAL BORN KILLERS satarising the media's voyeurism with crime ( Perhaps it even influenced the infamous video game MANHUNT ) but the script isn't witty enough to carry this off . When you've got a sex scene that doesn't progress the plot or characters or hint of subtext you know you've got a badly written screenplay and CRIMETIME is a badly written screenplay
Good idea, weak treatment
Phroggy22 March 1999
The basic idea for this movie was good, but there was no real character development and the pacing was slow. Maybe because I saw it in a sloppily edited, pan&scanned video version ? (It went straight to video in France.)
I would have preferred root canal, but this was the perfect NOVOCAINE..ZZzzzzzzzz
flamingstarcollectibles-128 December 2004
Thinking that it could only get better was the worst assumption I ever made....
Drivvle does not describe this movie appropriately enough!
Not only is the plot thin, but I get more emotional acting from my pet fish!
It was a shame to see Pete Postlethwaite, whom I respect as an actor trying to do the best with the little he had to work with...
I think that a cardboard cut out of Stephen Baldwin would have done a better job , and in fact have been more animate.
Avoid at all costs! This could really be hazardous to your health!
Drivvle does not describe this movie appropriately enough!
Not only is the plot thin, but I get more emotional acting from my pet fish!
It was a shame to see Pete Postlethwaite, whom I respect as an actor trying to do the best with the little he had to work with...
I think that a cardboard cut out of Stephen Baldwin would have done a better job , and in fact have been more animate.
Avoid at all costs! This could really be hazardous to your health!
Failed Intent, but not too much
karota_13346 June 2005
OK, I agree it is not the great film it could have been, but we have to accept that the problem is not the film itself but the script. The film contains everything to be a hit: nice story, good plot and well done characters, even its soundtrack is excellent.
Some people say the problem is the lack of deep characters, but since when this art is made only with characters? most of them represent nothing but emotions, in other words, they are symbols the writer and the director use to say something...
The film is trying to establish an atmosphere of uncertainty; the big real problem is that the movie is trying to show too many different things, but it can not do so.
Watch it and then judge by yourself.
Some people say the problem is the lack of deep characters, but since when this art is made only with characters? most of them represent nothing but emotions, in other words, they are symbols the writer and the director use to say something...
The film is trying to establish an atmosphere of uncertainty; the big real problem is that the movie is trying to show too many different things, but it can not do so.
Watch it and then judge by yourself.
Reality TV Serial Killer
Pairic24 February 2024
Crimetime (1996): The plot is a tad convoluted but basically you have a crime reenactment television series. The studio executives are satirised to high heaven, after an old man is set on fire along with his dog one of the producers wants to get a dog from the pound to set on fire. Only viewership figures matter to them. Stephen Baldwin is a small-time actor who takes himself too seriously; his method acting style and histrionic outbursts costs him roles. But the Crimetime programme recruits him to re-enact murders carried out by a serial killer. Baldwin shines in the role and attracts the attention of the actual killer, Pete Postlethwaite, who leaves him encouraging voicemails with tips. The resulting relationship results in a synergy where at times Baldwin finds it difficult to differentiate fantasy from reality. A violent film with graphic scenes of murder and mutilation including one nauseating sequence with Postlethwaite lining up the trophies he's cut from his victims. The disjointed nature of the script means that I was, like Baldwin, unable to tell what was real from fantasy. Still there is good acting from Postlethwaite, Baldwin and Karen black on a supporting role. It might have failed to fulfill its potential but Crimetime is certainly worth watching. Directed by George Sluizer, Written by Brendan Somers. 6.5/10.
Must apologise to whoever wrote good comments
b-somers-16 October 2008
It may appear that I was lording it over all commentators, that it was I and not they who was brilliant enough to write this or any script. NO!!! And a thousand times NO!!! My lording it is ONLY over those who hysterically criticised the film and not those who saw good things in it. And please ..... have a little sense ..... a first time screenwriter is not at all powerful enough to force a bad screenplay on the financiers/producers etc. They made me write about ten scripts until I got what they thought was right. Crimetime was meant to be a funny/clever/ nasty little slasher movie and I think the producers and financiers were afraid of that - the video nasty scare was still in the air and they hadn't the guts to understand what the public wants. I'm afraid the acting with the exception of Pete and that wonderful actress playing the waitress(I'm serious!) wasn't what I wanted at all. Bobby was meant to be an utterly normal nice guy not the brooding presence that Baldwin was from word go. Finally read the Sight And Sound review (1996) for a less hysterical view that my detractors (one even criticised me for only having written German TV films!!!!).
Underrated B-movie with an edge. Ahead of it's time.
insomniac_rod15 December 2006
Oh how I like this little, low budget movie. The plot is somehow interesting and something I haven't seen much in any other movie.
The serial killer premise mixed with reality t.v. really got me hooked in. Also, the movie somehow deals with some kind of mental illness in the likes of "Memento". So there you go, you have an interesting plot and some really well done scenes of action and mystery.
The acting is pretty good. Those British are really good actors. I love the accent. Sadie Frost delivers a sexy, sassy performance. She was tremendously sexy in this movie with all those mini skirts. Sorry, I had to point that.
"Crimetime" is an underrated Thriller with some Sci-Fi influences. I dug the Reality T.V. situations because it's a topic way ahead of it's time.
Watch "Crimetime" with low expectations and you might enjoy it. I did.
The serial killer premise mixed with reality t.v. really got me hooked in. Also, the movie somehow deals with some kind of mental illness in the likes of "Memento". So there you go, you have an interesting plot and some really well done scenes of action and mystery.
The acting is pretty good. Those British are really good actors. I love the accent. Sadie Frost delivers a sexy, sassy performance. She was tremendously sexy in this movie with all those mini skirts. Sorry, I had to point that.
"Crimetime" is an underrated Thriller with some Sci-Fi influences. I dug the Reality T.V. situations because it's a topic way ahead of it's time.
Watch "Crimetime" with low expectations and you might enjoy it. I did.
Thought it was well-written
rickpalmer8331 October 2009
I liked this movie enough to buy it. I am not sure why other people see it as being such a terrible movie and screenplay.
I don't even like Stephen Baldwin, I should say that I am a huge Alec fan, but I thought he pulled this one off in some strange way. Sadie Frost was weak at times, but it wasn't really her sort of role to begin with. She is the reason I give this movie 9 stars instead of 10 stars. Pete P. was awesome as always. The script seemed fine to me. It has holes, but few don't. I am a writer, and have been working on a script of my own. Writing scripts has proved more difficult than writing the novel I have been working on.
The movie has its flaws, but few movies are flawless. It was enjoyable, entertaining, and I would recommend it to people who haven't seen it. Just my opinion.
I don't even like Stephen Baldwin, I should say that I am a huge Alec fan, but I thought he pulled this one off in some strange way. Sadie Frost was weak at times, but it wasn't really her sort of role to begin with. She is the reason I give this movie 9 stars instead of 10 stars. Pete P. was awesome as always. The script seemed fine to me. It has holes, but few don't. I am a writer, and have been working on a script of my own. Writing scripts has proved more difficult than writing the novel I have been working on.
The movie has its flaws, but few movies are flawless. It was enjoyable, entertaining, and I would recommend it to people who haven't seen it. Just my opinion.
Gobsmackingly brilliant screenplay
b-somers28 November 2005
Who is this guy with his totally out of order comments? This movie is the BEST - you understand that word BEST? The screenwriter is absolutely the last word and I should know I AM THAT SCREENWRITER - sure i made a mistake or two but at least i made a movie - which is more than the writer above (or below) has done. You see what I mean? Just watch the film, forget whether its good or bad and wait for that special moment when I APPEAR - actually acting with real words and everything - and I got to keep the tie. But seriously let's have a good look at the film - is it my fault if Stephen Baldwin went all method when he really has none and who wouldn't say Pete Postlethwaite isn't really CREEPY and Sadie Frost, OK, a strange choice perhaps and why wasn't Madonna given the part she wanted it or at least that's what she told me. But enough .....
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