Streets of Fire (1984)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

Larry Gross (written by)
Walter Hill (written by)

Release Date:

1 June 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Tonight is what it means to be young.

Plot:

A mercenary goes after his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a gang.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Motorcycle | Rescue | Motorcycle Gang | Mercenary

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Michael Paré	...	Tom Cody
Diane Lane	...	Ellen Aim
Rick Moranis	...	Billy Fish
Amy Madigan	...	McCoy
Willem Dafoe	...	Raven Shaddock
Deborah Van Valkenburgh	...	Reva Cody
Richard Lawson	...	Officer Ed Price
Rick Rossovich	...	Officer Cooley
Bill Paxton	...	Clyde the Bartender
Lee Ving	...	Greer - Bomber
Stoney Jackson	...	Bird - The Sorels
Grand L. Bush	...	Reggie - The Sorels
Robert Townsend	...	Lester - The Sorels
Mykelti Williamson	...	B.J. - The Sorels (as Mykel T. Williamson)
Elizabeth Daily	...	Baby Doll

Runtime:

93 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-18 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1984) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:GP | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:18 | Canada:14A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

RKO Pictures

Trivia:

The tag line for the film was "Tonight is what it means to be young." When producer Joel Silver saw the poor box office numbers from the opening weekend, he quipped "Tonight is what it means to be dead."

Goofs:

Continuity: Police car, after getting on two wheels, is clearly not going to turn over but after angle change does flip on to side.

Quotes:

Tom Cody: You smart guys. You always think you can hire a bum like me to do your dirty work. Well not this time!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Baburugamu kuraishisu (1987) (V)

Soundtrack:

RUMBLE

A Stylish Homage to Rock & Roll

When the successful rock and roll singer Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) is kidnapped by Raven Shaddock (Willem Dafoe) and his motorcycle gang The Bombers during a concert, the fan and owner of a bar Reva Cody (Deboran Van Valkenburgh) writes a telegram to her brother and Ellen's ex-boyfriend Tom Cody (Michael Paré) asking him to return to Richmond. Tom meets the former soldier McCoy (Amy Madigan) in town seeking for job and they are hired by Ellen's manager and boyfriend Billy Fish (Rick Moranis) to rescue Ellen. Tom, McCoy and Billy travel in a car in a journey to the Battery, burning down the streets of the dangerous neighborhood.

The cult "Streets of Fire" is a stylish homage to rock & roll. This movie has a awesome soundtrack with many wonderful songs of Ry Cooder and charming characters performed by the sexy Diane Lane; the annoying Rick Moranis; the funny Amy Madigan; the great villain Willem Dafoe; and the troublemaker "good guy" Michael Paré. In the end, this underrated movie is a great entertainment. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Ruas de Fogo" ("Streets of Fire")