Blue Steel (1989)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Kathryn Bigelow

Writers (WGA):

Kathryn Bigelow (written by) &
Eric Red (written by)

Release Date:

16 March 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

For a rookie cop, there's one thing more dangerous than uncovering a killer's fantasy. Becoming it.

Plot:

A female rookie in the police force engages in a cat and mouse game with a pistol wielding psychopath who becomes obsessed with her. |

Plot Keywords:

Psychopath | Police | Frame Up | 1980s | New York City

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Megan Turner
Ron Silver	...	Eugene Hunt
Clancy Brown	...	Nick Mann
Elizabeth Peña	...	Tracy Perez (as Elizabeth Pena)
Louise Fletcher	...	Shirley Turner
Philip Bosco	...	Frank Turner
Kevin Dunn	...	Asst. Chief Stanley Hoyt
Richard Jenkins	...	Attorney Mel Dawson
Markus Flannagan	...	Husband
Mary Mara	...	Wife
Skipp Lynch	...	Instructor
Mike Hodge	...	Police Commissioner
Mike Starr	...	Superintendant
Chris Walker	...	Officer Jeff Travers
Tom Sizemore	...	Wool Cap

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Lightning Pictures

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the final shootout between Megan and Eugene, he has an unlimited number of bullets.

Quotes:

Eugene Hunt: Death is the best kick of all. That's why they save it for last.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Silly but gut-wrenching

While BLUE STEEL may look pretty silly today -- a female rookie NYC cop (Jamie Lee Curtis, no less) falls in love with a stockbroker turned serial killer (the always sinister and suave Ron Silver) who is stalking her -- in its time, it was pretty shocking for its R-rated violence and the sickie overtones of the brief love affair between cop and killer. The story starts out plausibly enough: Curtis confronts a robber in a convenience store, blows him to kingdom come, and Silver, a customer, grabs the bad guy's gun, sneaks off, and begins using it on folks at random, with the cop's name engraved on each bullet. Meanwhile, Silver starts courting the unsuspecting Curtis. Pretty soon, though, we fall into the land of implausibility, as Curtis discovers the truth and has several tussles with the very slippery Silver. This all leads to a huge but goofy shootout at the end, and it would appear the film was largely shot in New York City, a plus for any film. Directed by the gal who gave us NEAR DARK, Kathryn Bigelow, I don't think a male director could have given this the same sort of twistiness. But it is still not what you would call a classic, like DEATH WISH or THE FRENCH CONNECTION or BULLITT. If you enjoy bloody shootings, go for it. That's why I watched it again recently. And don't me wrong: I love Jamie Lee in almost anything, but this was not the movie for her. A young Clancy Brown appears as her boss.