Nighthawks (1981)

Conservative street cop DaSilva reluctantly agrees to terminate an international terrorist who has demanded media attention. But DaSilva's "at-home" tactics are very much put to the challenge.

Directors:

Bruce Malmuth, Gary Nelson (uncredited)

Writers:

David Shaber (screenplay), David Shaber (story)

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Deke DaSilva
Billy Dee Williams	...	Sgt. Matthew Fox
Lindsay Wagner	...	Irene
Persis Khambatta	...	Shakka Holland
Nigel Davenport	...	Peter Hartman
Rutger Hauer	...	Heymar 'Wulfgar' Reinhardt
Hilary Thompson	...	Pam (as Hilarie Thompson)
Joe Spinell	...	Lt. Munafo
Walter Mathews	...	Commissioner
E. Brian Dean	...	Sergeant
Caesar Cordova	...	Puerto Rican Proprietor
Charles Duval	...	Dr. Ghiselin
Tony Munafo	...	Big Mike
Howard Stein	...	Disco Manager
Tawn Christian	...	Disco Hostess

Storyline

Deke DaSilva and Matthew Fox are two New York City cops who get transferred to an elite anti-terrorism squad. About this same time, an infamous international terrorist shows up in New York City looking to cause some chaos. It's up to DaSilva and Fox to stop him, but will they be in time...?

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Plot Keywords:

terrorist | new york city | partner | shooting | bomb | 

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Taglines:

Wulfgar, an international terrorist holds the City of New York hostage, but Deke DaSilva, the most dangerous cop known to man, can take him down.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French Swedish

Release Date:

10 April 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Attack

Filming Locations:

Arding & Hobbs department store, 315 Lavender Hill, Clapham Junction, Clapham, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Herb Nanas Productions, Layton Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Original cut of the movie was almost two and a half hours long.

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Goofs

When the song "Brown Sugar" plays at the disco, the second verse of the song is heard several times.

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Quotes

Immigration Officer: Are you here for business or pleasure?
Heymar 'Wulfgar' Reinhardt: Pleasure, I hope.
Immigration Officer: Welcome to the United States.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #22.53 (2013)

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Soundtracks

I'm a Man
Written by Jimmy Miller (uncredited) and Steve Winwood (uncredited)
Performed by Keith Emerson
Courtesy of Backstreet Records

User Reviews

Timely Terrorist Movie

It was 1981 and the world had just gone through a decade of terrorism. Casting Rutger Hauer and Persis Khambatta (she was the bald woman in the original Star Trek movie) as heartlessly cold terrorists was great casting! Billy Dee Williams and Stallone as street cops suddenly transferred to a terrorist unit do a good job. Stallone had not become a parody of himself yet and his diction is better here than it had ever been up to then. The movie's pace is unrelenting. This is a movie that I almost always have to stop and watch, easily getting swiped up into the story again and again, when I see it on television. Excellent twist ending and monorail scene. Recommended highly.