'Eddie and the Cruisers II Eddie Lives'
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| ‘Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!’ By Rita Kempley Washington Post Staff Writer August 18, 1989 | ||
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Well, turns out they were right. A dreadful sequel, "Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!" returns the high-strung Springsteen imitator to the big screen, a consequence not of the original's box office success (it was abomb) butof its boffo debut on cable and in cassette rentals and soundtrack sales. With that in mind -- as well as the box office clout of sequels -- studio boss Tony Scotti commissioned "Eddie Lives!"
Suffice to say that "Eddie II" is not art, that the filmmakers had no driving need to make a statement. What Scotti and his pals have is a driving need to take money from young people. And to think that the story's hero would rather play dead for 20 years than allow the corporate goons of Satin Records to corrupt his music. Is it any wonder that "Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!" is little more than an album with a cover that moves? It's a 45 on 33.
Michael Pare reprises his role as the sulky, loin-grinding crooner, a swaggering Joisey boy as broody as Lord Byron. An actor-hunk of the Richard Gere school, Pare postures as the rock star in hiding -- now a construction worker disguised only by his sideburns. Though he longs to play with a group again, to come forward and accept the posthumous acclaim, he knows the music industry will sully his principles. God forbid that lyrics like "I been runnin' through the fire, hot, hot, hot, I'm in flames" will be tampered with.
"Music has gotta live, man. It's gotta breathe" is how Eddie puts it to a young heavy metal type who becomes a member of Eddie's new band. Of course, Eddie is going by the name Joe West now, and while many note the group's resemblance to the Cruisers, no one guesses the truth about the undead rocker. Meanwhile, the Satin Records executives are releasing his recently discovered last work, "Season in Hell." To promote the album, Satin creates an "Eddie Lives" campaign and offers a reward for anybody who can find him.
As his discovery seems inevitable, the tortured Eddie/Joe decides to follow his star with support from Diane (Marina Orsini), an aspiring bad artist who loves him, and the members of his new group, including Hilton Overstreet (Anthony Sherwood), a soulful saxophonist. "I've seen bands come and go," says Hilton. "Every once in a while there is one worth saving."
How they do go on about this derivative aural cheese food. Nothing is too ludicrously complimentary or sappily romantic. A tear glistens on Eddie's cheek as he stares out to sea, a nostril flares emphatically as he confesses to Diane, "I am Eddie Wilson." Mazel tov. Somebody ring the "Hallelujah" chorus.
Filmed in Canada under the direction of Jean-Claude Lord, best known for "Tadpole and the Whale," this mushy musical melodrama was written by Charles Zev Cohen and Rick Doehring, who should be encouraged to take up finger painting or making paper chains. "Eddie and the Cruisers II" is bad, but what's worse is that it will probably make Tony Scotti a potful, and we'll be in for "Eddie III: The Relapse."
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