Eddie and the Cruisers

This movie was based on the 1980 novel by P. F. Kluge. I’ve always liked the 1983 film. At the time the movie came out the rumors of Jim Morrison still alive and Elvis sightings were everywhere and the movie fulfilled some fantasies of “What If.”

It’s about an early sixties band that played fifties type music and were gaining a following. They meet Frank Ridgeway an awkward backward pianist that played classical music. Eddie Wilson sees his potential and starts teaching him how to play rock and roll.

Eddie’s musical vision is ahead of its time. He uses Frank’ classical background to start working on an album called “Season in Hell.” When you hear snippets of the album it is years ahead of their time period. Most of the band hated the new music. The record company rejected the album because it was to “dark and strange.”

After that Eddie’s car crashed through a railing on a bridge and his body was never found. Did Eddie die?

The film picks up in the 80s when a reporter is asking the former Cruisers questions about the lost album.

I really liked this movie. The sequel not as much.

The soundtrack was by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. A hit song was released off the soundtrack. “On The Darkside” peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The movie flopped at the box office but when played on HBO it became a cult classic.

The Cast…

Tom Berenger
Michael Paré
Joe Pantoliano
Helen Schneider
David Wilson
Kenny Hopkins
Michael “Tunes” Antunes
Ellen Barkin
Kenny Vance

“On The Dark Side”
The dark side’s callin’ now, nothin’ is real 
She’ll never know just how I feel 
From out of the shadows she walks like a dream 
Makes me feel crazy, makes me feel so mean 

Ain’t nothin’ gonna save you from a love that’s blind 
When you slip to the dark side you cross that line 
On the dark side, oh yeah 
On the dark side, oh yeah