Streets of Fire (1984)

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:

Motorcycle | Singer | 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:

An early incarnation of this screenplay was offered to Paul McCartney, whom the producers had learned was interested in playing a role in a dramatic motion picture. When McCartney passed on the film (he decided instead to star in his own screenplay, Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)) the role of the kidnapped rock star was rewritten and 'Diane Lane' was cast in the part, as Ellen Aim.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the stairway scene Tom Cody's hair makes a drastic change.

Quotes:

McCoy: I've been a soldier, 'til I ran out of wars.

Movie Connections:

References The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

Soundtrack:

SORCERER

Great forgotten 1980s movie

Director Walter Hill describes the movie this way: The Leader of the Pack (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps the Queen of the Hop (Diane Lane) and Soldier Boy (Michael Pare) comes home rescue her. Sounds REAL strange but it works. It starts off with the words "A different time, a different place" then goes whizzing into action. Ellen Aim (Lane) is playing a concert in her home town. A guy from the bad side of town (Dafoe) and his gang kidnap her. Her former lover (Pare comes back to save her.

OK let's get the bad things out of the way--lousy poster (I've NEVER seen such bad artwork), laughable dialogue and what-the-hell-is going-on performances. But everything else is great! Incredible sets (all neon and moody lighting), fantastic rock score, colorful costumes, wonderful direction by Hill, great action sequences and a total refusal to take itself seriously. It moves VERY quickly and there's never a dull moment! It does lose a lot on video--this should be seen on a wide screen with stereo--that's how I originally saw it in 1984, and for the entire length of the movie I was mesmerized! This was a huge bomb in its day but now has a cult following

A great movie all the way. I give it a 10.