Review of Streets of Fire (1984) by Del T — 10 May 2010

The best movie of 1984. Also, far and away director Walter HIll's best film ever. Some say The Warriors is his best, some say 48 Hrs, some say The Long Riders, I like this one.

Hill calls his film a Rock and Roll Fable. His is a rough and tumble vision of an unnamed city, located in a parallel universe, a universe eternally caught in the 50's, ruled by motorcycle gangs, wielding guns and sledgehammers ; it's' young populace fed by music, a diet of soul and R&B, a diet of rock and roll.

The Queen of this city is Ellen Aim, played by the beyond gorgeous, Diane Lane. Movie opens with her and her band, the Attackers, putting on the kind of rock show, so pure, so uncut, it thrills and entertains by the sheer force of music and presence.

This being a fable, evil enters this world, in the form of Wilem Defoe, a leather clad black knight, who kidnaps her right off the stage.

Reluctantly returning to this 50's time portal, is an outsider, Tom Cody, ( Michael Pare ) once Ellen's beau, brought in to bring her back, and also help out the town by brutally killing numerous bad dudes in the process, via butterfly knife, high powered rifle, and wheel hand cannon firepower.

His anti-hero character, spurned by love, goes through the classic arc. Starts off with the mantra : " I don't give a shit about anybody but myself", but as movie goes along, he rekindles his relationship with Ellen, and soon regains his mojo, self worth, and sense of justice.

Back in 1984, I fell in love with Diane Lane the minute she took the stage in the opening scene She has never been so enchantingly hot. . Lip syncing her way in stunningly photographed rock sequences, highlighted by such pulsating soundtrack songs, " Nowhere Fast" and "Tonight is What It Means to be Young".

Hill wanted this be the first in a trilogy of Tom Cody movies. But Streets of Fire unjustly died a quick box office death, when first released in early June 1984. Audiences were too busy spending their cash on tickets to Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, Star Trek and Gremlins, and Hill's old school rock film was overlooked by kiddies weaned on the light empty headed pop music films like Footloose and Flashdance and Breakin'.

Budgeted at $ 15 million, Universal didn't like losing all that money, and punished Hill. He had to kowtow and show he was a team player, and not some loose freespending cannon like Michael Cimino ala Heaven's Gate. He had repent, downplay his vision, and reign in his remarkable filmmaking skills by lensing the slight comedy remake, Brewster's Millions, with Richard Pryor and John Candy, in 1985.