Big Time (1988 film)

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Big Time
Bigtime.jpg
promotional poster
Directed by
Written byKathleen Brennan
Tom Waits
Produced byChris Blackwell (executive producer)
(associate producer)
(producer)
StarringTom Waits
Cinematography
Edited byGlen Scantlebury
Distributed by (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
Release date
  • September 15, 1988 (1988-09-15) (Toronto Film Festival)
  • June 30, 1988 (1988-06-30) (U.S.)
Running time
90 minutes(V)
87 minutes (NYT/MFB)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$148,426 (USA)

Big Time is a 1988 American musical film centered on singer Tom Waits.

Filming took place in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California and features songs from the albums Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years.

Cast[]

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"
  • "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.[citation needed] No official DVD or Blu-ray edition has yet been released.[citation needed] It was made available for streaming on the Amazon Prime platform on September 1, 2020.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Harrington, Richard (October 1, 1988). "'Big Time'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  3. ^ Anderson, Jeffrey M. (September 15, 1988). "Big Time (1988): Tom Waits for No Man". Combustible Celluloid. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  4. ^ MC. "Big Time". Time Out. Time Out Group Plc. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "Big Time". TV Guide. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  6. ^ . "Amazon Video Announces New Films And TV Shows For September (2020)". Forbes. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

External links[]


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