Crime Wave, also known as The Big Crime Wave, is a 1985 Canadian independent surrealist comedy film written, produced and directed by Winnipeg-based filmmaker John Paizs.It was shot principally in 1984 and premiered at the 1985 Festival of Festivals, although Paizs subsequently opted to reshoot the ending, which had received more mixed reaction at TIFF than the rest of the film, before it received limited followup commercial release.The film lacked a major release in Canada and abroad, and remained almost as a "curiosity" that a few fans and movie critics remembered fondly. Over time, word-of-mouth and some retrospective showings at film festivals helped Crime Wave to achieve a bigger notoriety, and it is currently considered as a cult film.