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:

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:

The Attackers were the real-life band-mates of Laurie Sargent, who provided the singing voice for Ellen Aim. Their band was called Face to Face and they played mainly "new wave" music around the Boston area. The group split up in 1988.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

McCoy: Hey look, I did real good back there.
Tom Cody: So what, I'm all out of medals.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Megazone 23 (1985) (V)

Soundtrack:

GET OUT OF DENVER

Stylish underrated Walter Hill / Joel Silver film.....

At the time of STREETS OF FIRE's release, director Walter Hill said in an interview that he wanted to utilise every single known cliche and place it in the context of the gangland arena we see. Well, from my own point of view, the film is actually one of the best Hill has ever done and has a great soundtrack to boot.

Interestingly enough, one of the film's tracks, I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU by Dan Hartman, made it into the UK Top 30 in 1985, thanks in part to the now-disgraced pop entrepreneur Jonathan King, whose programmes ENTERTAINMENT USA and NO LIMITS introduced a lot of records that wouldn't have made it onto UK radio airplay without them. As it stands though, the film's opening credit sequence, featuring a fight sequence that would pave the way for similar ones in the LETHAL WEAPON saga is as good as the one for THE WARRIORS.

The cast is first-rate, Michael Pare, Diane Lane, Willem DaFoe, Amy Madigan and Rick Moranis (who always reminded me at the time of a pupil in my school who irritated the hell out of everybody!!!) and Ry Cooder provides another competent score.

If you haven't seen this film yet, then watch it in a double bill with any one of the other Joel Silver films such as the LETHAL WEAPON saga and especially THE MATRIX films to make the image and style association with this one.