Big Time (1988 film)
Big Time is a 1988 American musical film, centered on Tom Waits.
Big Time | |
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Directed by | Chris Blum |
Produced by | Chris Blackwell (executive producer) Catherine Peacock (associate producer) Luc Roeg (producer) |
Written by | Kathleen Brennan Tom Waits |
Starring | Tom Waits |
Cinematography | Daniel Hainey |
Edited by | Glen Scantlebury |
Distributed by | Island Visual Arts (1988) (USA) (theatrical) |
Release date | Canada: 15 September 1988 (Toronto Film Festival) USA: 30 September 1988 (New York City, New York) Finland: 12 May 1989 |
Running time | 90 minutes (V) 87 minutes (NYT/MFB) |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $148,426 (USA) |
Filming took place in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. The film's tagline was: The concert was "the best live performance of the year." The movie is BIG TIME.
Cast
- Tom Waits - Himself
- Michael L. Blair - Musician
- Ralph Carney - Musician
- Greg Cohen - Musician
- Marc Ribot - Musician
- Willie Schwarz - Musician
Songs
- "Frank's Wild Years"
- "Shore Leave"
- "Way Down in the Hole"
- "Hang On St. Christopher"
- "Telephone Call From Istanbul"
- "Cold, Cold Ground"
- "Straight to the Top (Vegas)"
- "Strange Weather"
- "Gun Street Girl"
- "9th and Hennepin"
- "Clap Hands"
- "Time"
- "Rain Dogs"
- "Train Song"
- "Sixteen Shells From a Thirty-Ought Six"
- "I'll Take New York"
- "It's More Than Rain"
- "Johnsburg, Illinois"
- "Innocent When You Dream (Barroom)"
- "Big Black Mariah"
Critical response
Jon Pareles wrote a negative review in The New York Times, saying even fans of Waits would find it "frustrating and off-putting" and that it "turns Mr. Waits's performance into a freak show."[1] Richard Harrington wrote a negative review in The Washington Post, describing the film as "More an indulgence than a concert" and the songs as "often intriguing" but "only rarely [...] listenable".[2] Jeffrey M. Anderson, in a mixed review for Combustible Celluloid, described the film as "a treat" for fans of Tom Waits and "one hell of a show."[3] Time Out magazine called it a "magnificent movie" and "A concert film unlike any other".[4] TV Guide gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it "more performance than music" and a "work that demands to be taken on its own terms."[5]
Formats
Big Time was issued on LaserDisc, VHS and Betamax in Japan, but was only issued on VHS in North America. No official DVD or Blu-ray edition has yet been released.
References
- Pareles, Jon (September 30, 1988). "Review/Film - 'Big Time,' a Look at the Rock Star Tom Waits". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
- Harrington, Richard (October 1, 1988). "'Big Time'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
- Anderson, Jeffrey M. (September 15, 1988). "Big Time (1988): Tom Waits for No Man". Combustible Celluloid. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
- MC. "Big Time". Time Out. Time Out Group Plc. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
- "Big Time". TV Guide. Retrieved 25 November 2017.