Grays Almanac

Home/Episodes/Eddie and the Cruisers

‘Eddie and the Cruisers’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

April 7, 2026 · Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) · Drama · Music · Mystery · 1:42:31 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 12:07Eddie and the Cruisers is Michael Pare's apex mountain; his career peak, comparing his lip-syncing performance favorably to Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury and noting it as his signature role/best work
Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:18Michael Pare — 'Apex Mountain. Michael Pare. Definitely.'
Chris Ryan▶ 12:39Agrees Pare is convincing physically as a rocker (though limited as an actor); separately discusses Tom Berenger's Big Chill/Eddie and the Cruisers same-year duality and his fade compared to Kline/Goldblum in the 90s
Craig Horlbeck▶ 15:38Agrees Michael Pare's stage presence/physicality in Eddie and the Cruisers is impressive and represents his peak, though notes his off-stage acting is weaker
Van Lathan▶ 13:01Agrees Pare's performance as mysterious rock star in this film (his first big role) is his career-defining peak; discusses Tom Berenger separately, suggesting Platoon nomination was near his peak but he never quite reached the next tier like Kline/Goldblum

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 25:03Joe Pantoliano (Joey Pants) for Eddie and the Cruisers, citing his 1983 run (Risky Business's Guido, Goonies, Running Scared, Midnight Run) and his favorite scene on the roof where he eviscerates Frank, noting the seeds of his later Sopranos character Ralphie.
Chris Ryan▶ 25:14Agrees Joey Pants is the standout, saying he's 'blowing everybody off the screen' as Doc Robbins, perfectly capturing a guy who once struck oil and is now stuck as a radio DJ.
Van Lathan▶ 25:50Highlights Joey Pants' desperation-driven performance (trying to insert himself into the Eddie mythos, pitching himself as 'technical consultant') as connecting to his later famous characters (Ralphie, Cypher).

Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Bill Simmons▶ 32:17Agrees 95 minutes is a strength, noting it fit perfectly into HBO's schedule (done at 9:35 into a comedy special), reinforcing the runtime as a plus.
Craig Horlbeck▶ 31:5295 minutes, five under par ('five under par... pretty impressive'). Says the short runtime is a core reason the movie is enjoyable — at two and a half hours it would be 'unwatchable.'
Van Lathan▶ 36:01Doesn't state a runtime number but agrees short runtime helps — argues it's better to just enjoy a fun 90-minute movie ('sit down for 90 minutes and have a good time') than overanalyze it.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 36:41The opening credits/cold open, especially the rooftop 'Dark Side' creation scene at Tony Mart's, calling it possibly the best seven minutes of the 80s.
Chris Ryan▶ 39:41Chimes in agreeing with the rooftop 'Dark Side' creation scene discussion, comparing it to the Beatles' 'Get Back' documentary process, without naming a separate distinct scene.
Van Lathan▶ 38:44Agrees on the band-creating-a-song scenes, specifically the rooftop 'Dark Side' scene where Eddie hears something the rest of the band can't yet.

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 51:26The ending scene where Joey Pants says he's going to get the tapes and make the best deal, drives away, and Berenger comes flying in yelling 'go get him, Doug' - makes him laugh; also mentions the earlier beach scene where Eddie gives Frank the green light to write songs.
Van Lathan▶ 51:43The conspiracy theory that Eddie is still alive, which the whole movie is oriented around - compares it to Elvis and Tupac 'still alive' conspiracy theories.

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris Ryan▶ 53:19No specific cinematic shot; instead praised the extras' acting in bar scenes and the college concert scene

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 53:36Sal's pepperoni pizza (greasy old school slice, though he never takes a bite)
Chris Ryan▶ 53:43The 7 and 7s people are drinking, calling it a very quintessential early-80s drink
Van Lathan▶ 53:57The PBRs (and Schlitz) being drunk, saying it shows what kind of guys these characters are

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 54:19The junkyard

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 55:52Doc's plan of torturing Joanne and everyone else about the tapes and wrecking their apartments instead of just asking Joanne directly if she had the tapes
Chris Ryan▶ 56:17Tom Berenger's weak acting reaction when he discovers his trashed apartment, calmly lighting a cigarette and answering the phone
Van Lathan▶ 56:05The unresolved detail that Doc's apartment looks like someone was killed there (signs of a violent struggle) and the movie never comes back to address it

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 58:49Finds it unrealistic that Frank never would have learned Eddie overdosed on heroin at the Edtide Motel, joking that Kenny the blackjack dealer would have known
Chris Ryan▶ 58:18Poses the unanswerable question of whether Wendell secretly resents being in Eddie's rock band versus loving it, wondering if he'd rather be playing hard bop jazz instead
Van Lathan▶ 58:36Wonders whether Wendell views his time with Eddie as musically exciting/novel or as a regretful detour from his jazz pedigree (having known Miles Davis)

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:51If this movie had two more great songs in it, does it become Grease? (Van shoots it down; Bill extends it: the extra great song leads the movie and everything builds to Dark Side.)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:29The best part of the movie is also what ruins it: they play Dark Side first, out of context. If they made you wait to hear the full-band Dark Side until after you've seen them write it, 'it blows the fucking top off the movie.'
Van Lathan▶ 1:10:59Wordman tried to kill Eddie and actually killed the saxophone player Wendell (cooked up the hot shot) — which is why Eddie hides as Joe West in the sequel: he's scared of Wordman.

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:53Discusses Rick Springfield almost replacing Michael Parade as Eddie if his lip-synced concert scene had gone poorly; notes Parade was discovered as a chef; also points out cameo casting oddities like Letterman producer Barry Sand and John Stockwell (Wizard from Top Gun) appearing in the film, and highlights Matthew Lawrence's small role.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:26Corrects the name to Matthew Lawrence and adds trivia that he now/did do sports talk radio in Lexington, Kentucky.

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:38Ellen Barkin (with a mention of Michael Keaton as Kenny the drummer as an alternate/additional highlight)

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:56Riffs on the drug-fueled making of the film (1983, 'Apex') and jokes that this is why a Grantland oral history will never happen since people rewrite history later.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:24Cites Washington Post article where Behringer claimed a filmed scene of the Cruisers mocking the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, but director Martin Davidson denied it was ever shot, calling it 'Behringer's bullshit'; Ryan says he likes that they at least considered including the Beatles.

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:05Beaver Brown Band and HBO
Chris Ryan▶ 1:31:14Beaver Brown Band (songs still get played, they probably still make money off it), though considered Michael Paré
Van Lathan▶ 1:31:13HBO

Movies Referenced (26)

Grease (1978)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 2:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Inception (2010)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 18:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Major League (1989)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 3:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blair Witch (2016)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:26:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Platoon (1986)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 17:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rambo (2008)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 5:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stand by Me (1986)

2 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 30:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tender Mercies (1983)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 20:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Almost Famous (2000)

1 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:04:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Back to the Future (1985)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 29:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Basic Instinct (1992)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Sal Amato

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Chris Ryan▶ 21:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Mark

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 23:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ruby Stillwater

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story▶ 1:04:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ridley Scott

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise▶ 17:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 18:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Stockwell

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Blue Crush▶ 1:14:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (67)

Richard Side

22 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Elf▶ 6:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Berenger

21 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Platoon, Inception, The Big Chill▶ 16:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ellen Barkin

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Drop Dead Gorgeous, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension▶ 3:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joey Balin

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for The Money Pit▶ 19:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Years & Years

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Chris Ryan · Known for Bridget Jones's Baby, We Are Your Friends▶ 41:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matthew Lawrence

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Mrs. Doubtfire, The Hot Chick▶ 19:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Beatles

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 28:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lenny Kravitz

6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hunger Games▶ 1:37:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Churton Season

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Chicken Run▶ 28:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Johnson

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for A Boy and His Dog, Django Unchained▶ 18:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ed Sullivan

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 30:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lisa Bonet

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Angel Heart, High Fidelity, Enemy of the State▶ 1:05:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (8)

Frank Ridgeway

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 22:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Behringer

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for No Hard Feelings, Draft Day▶ 13:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce Springsteen

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Blinded by the Light, The Wrestler, Philadelphia▶ 7:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Schlitz

2 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Notting Hill, It Could Happen to You, King Richard▶ 54:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 32:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Wilson

1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for Love & Mercy, Deja Vu, Vanilla Sky▶ 1:33:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lawrence Kasdan

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Big Chill, Wyatt Earp▶ 16:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sherman Alexie

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 8:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Kelly Hearns

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Incredible Hulk▶ 38:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeff Mart

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Proof of Life, Hard Target▶ 37:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 1:19:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗