For fans of kickass movies, it doesn’t get much more awesome than Walter Hill’s Streets of Fire (1984), which, for whatever reason, didn’t connect when originally released.
Which was too bad, because it truly is a classic noir action flick in its own right … set in another time, another place, it combines music and action in a way most awesome … it was actually sold as a “rock and roll fable”, in fact.
Featuring Michael Pare’ and Diane Lane as the leads (she particularly kicks ass), Rick Moranis (in a non-comic role) and Amy Madigan (as a lesbian mechanic good with a gun), the film was mainly known for introducing Willem Dafoe as a bad guy (and he’s pretty badass) and the song “I Can Dream About You” by Dan Hartman, which was a top ten hit …
Diane Lane as Ellen Aim, a singer kidnapped by a gang, in this classic "rock and roll fable"
But there’s so much more, in addition to music by Jim Steinman (who would co-write many of Meat Loaf’s hits) and Ry Cooder, gritty dialogue and hard-nosed action, this is a film that you must, must add to your viewing list. Look for Bill Paxton in a small but funny role as a bartender, and Robert Townsend as one of the Sorels, and that’s only a partial list …
Here’s the trailer.
Awesome … I’m fully geeked out. I mean, I truly love this flick.
Out of all the Unheralded cool movies I write about, this is one flick I think is more unheralded than most, which is a true shame, because it’s worth all the accolades and more. Originally conceived as a trilogy, but when no one went to see the first one, it was abandoned, and that’s all our loss (they made about a hundred Police Academy movies and only one of these, that’s a sore injustice) … but please, rent the whole thing and watch it with someone you care about.
Tom Cody. Pleased to meet ya.
Just for kicks and giggles, here’s “Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young” yet one more time.
January 15th, 2011at 3:17 PM(#)
[...] piece on Streets Of Fire is up over at AwesomeBMovies.com so please visit and check it [...]
December 11th, 2011at 8:39 AM(#)
Good post, but Amy Maddigan isn’t a lesbian in the movie. Supposedly the role was written for a guy, but they just let her play it instead. She mentions an ex-boyfriend as well.
Perfect movie.
December 11th, 2011at 7:52 PM(#)
I dunno, it seems the implication is pretty clear when Amy tells Pare’ that “he ain’t her type” … there were other instances, too, but that’s the one that comes to mind (it’s repeated at the end, too).