Blue Thunder (1983)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Dan O'Bannon (written by) &
Don Jakoby (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

13 May 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

He's Out There...

Plot:

The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.

Plot Keywords:

Heat Seeking Missile | Loop | Police Chopper | Exploding Helicopter | Surveillance

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Roy Scheider	...	Officer Frank Murphy
Warren Oates	...	Capt. Jack Braddock
Candy Clark	...	Kate
Daniel Stern	...	Officer Richard Lymangood
Paul Roebling	...	Icelan
David Sheiner	...	Fletcher
Joe Santos	...	Montoya
Malcolm McDowell	...	Col. F.E. Cochrane
Ed Bernard	...	Sgt. Short
Jason Bernard	...	Mayor
Mario Machado	...	Himself
James Murtaugh	...	Alf Hewitt
Pat McNamara	...	Matusek
Jack Murdock	...	Kress
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Allen (as Clifford Pellow)
Paul Lambert	...	Holmes
Phil Feldman	...	Col. Coe
John Garber	...	Tough mechanic
Anthony James	...	Grundeltus
Robin Braxton	...	Diane McNeely (as Robin Brantos)
Anna Forrest	...	Nudy Lucy
Ricky Slyter	...	Timmy
Reid Cruickshanks	...	Chief of Police
Billy Ray Sharkey	...	Air controller
Fred Slyter	...	Air controller
John Gladstein	...	Fighter pilot
Ross Reynolds	...	Helicoper pilot
Karl A. Wickman	...	Helicopter Pilot
James W. Gavin	...	Helicopter Pilot
Thomas H. Friedkin	...	Helicopter Pilot (as Tom Friedkin)
James Read	...	Policeman at Bridge
Mickey Gilbert	...	Policeman
William T. Lane	...	Policeman (as Bill Lane)
Lolly Boroff
Patti Clifton	...	Hooker
Ernest Harada	...	John
Frances E. Nealy	...	Mayor's Aide
Jose Pepe R. Gonzales	...	Drive-In Custodian
Jerry Ziesmer	...	Pilot
Tom Lawrence	...	Observer
John Ashby	...	Thief
Tony Brubaker	...	Thief
Norman Alexander Gibbs	...	Man in Beanie
Bill M. Ryusaki	...	Vietcong Soldier (as Bill Ryusaki)
Gary Davis	...	Motorcycle Cop
Thomas Rosales Jr.	...	Thug (as Tom Rosales)
Larry Randles	...	Thug
Peter Miller	...	Detective
Mike H. McGaughy	...	Observer (as Mike McGaughy)
Calvin Bronx
Lucinda Crosby	...	Bel-Air Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shaaron Claridge	...	Police Dispatcher (uncredited)
Eurlyne Epper	...	Girl with bike (uncredited)
Ted King	...	Car crash rescuer (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	...	Assault Man 2 (uncredited)
Frank Morriss	...	F-16 Pilot (uncredited)

Directed by
John Badham

Writing credits
Dan O'Bannon		(written by) &
Don Jakoby		(written by)
Dean Riesner		uncredited

Produced by
Gordon Carroll	....	producer
Gregg Champion	....	associate producer
Phil Feldman	....	executive producer
Andrew Fogelson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Arthur B. Rubinstein

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo

Film Editing by
Edward M. Abroms
Frank Morriss

Casting by
Dianne Crittenden

Production Design by
Sydney Z. Litwack

Costume Design by
Marianna Elliott

Makeup Department
Greg LaCava	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gregg Champion	....	second unit director
Kevin G. Cremin	....	first assistant director: second unit (as Kevin Cremin)
James W. Gavin	....	second unit director: aerial
Terry Leonard	....	second unit director: stunt
Jerry Ziesmer	....	assistant director

Art Department
Larry Clark Bird	....	property master

Sound Department
Roy Bean	....	cable person
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Glascock	....	sound mixer
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Anthony Marinelli	....	special sound effects
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects coordinator
Jeff Jarvis	....	special effects supervisor
Richard Ratliff	....	special effects
Richard Stutsman	....	special effects technician
Gary Zink	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Rocco Gioffre	....	matte artist
Tom Pahk	....	model maker
Keith Shartle	....	motion control production assistant
Hoyt Yeatman	....	motion control supervisor

Stunts
John Ashby	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Colvin Brock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steve Cremin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Davis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kevin Donnelly	....	stunt double: pilot (uncredited)
Kevin Donnelly	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted Duncan	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Greg Wayne Elam	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kenny Endoso	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Clifford Happy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Hice	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeff Imada	....	stunts (uncredited)
William T. Lane	....	stunts (uncredited)
Julius LeFlore	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike H. McGaughy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill McIntosh	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Meier	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie Moore	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeff Ramsey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Randles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kerry Rossall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill M. Ryusaki	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ben Scott	....	stunts (uncredited)
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Stone	....	stunts (uncredited)
Michael M. Vendrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rock A. Walker	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Wayne Baker	....	assistant camera: second unit
Michael Barrett	....	set lighting technician
Thomas Del Ruth	....	director of photography: additional photography
Paul Jacobsen	....	set lighting technician
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	still photographer: location
Dutch Presley	....	best boy electric
Stuart A. Spohn	....	gaffer
Kenji Takama	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Clay Mitchell	....	assistant to editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Anthony Marinelli	....	musician: synthesizer
Anthony Marinelli	....	song producer

Transportation Department
Robert Neilson	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Ernie Gustafsson	....	helicopter mechanic
Dana Satler Hankins	....	assistant to director
Anthony Marinelli	....	synthesizer programmer
Art Scholl	....	pilot
Laurie Arnow-Epstein	....	construction accountant (uncredited)
Robert H. Lemer	....	associate to producer (uncredited)

Thanks
Warren Oates	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Rastar Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Film (1983) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (1983) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1983) (UK) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1989) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1989) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Encore Entertainment (1997) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2006) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• LK-TEL (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints by (as DeLuxe)
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production

Also Known As:

Blue Thunder the Movie (UK) (video box title)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Lancaster, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The stunt driver who drove the police motorcycle chasing Kate, and later crashed into the car carrier, actually broke his ankle on that attempt.

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time we see Kate, when she retrieves her blender from Murphy's house, her car is parked directly behind his. As she leaves, his Trans Am has disappeared and she drives straight down the road.

Quotes:

Col. F.E. Cochrane: [repeated line]
[pointing with forefinger and thumb like a gun]
Col. F.E. Cochrane: Catch you later!

Movie Connections:

References Taxi Driver (1976)

Solid Work All Around

John Badham is a curious director and I think he gets it right in this one. After all Roy Scheider never stunk it up in his illustrious career and he hits all the right notes in this one as Frank Murphy the Vietnam Vet trying to escape the memories of his war experience. When Malcolm McDowell shows up (and honestly, who plays an a--hole better than McDowell in his heyday?) to become Murphy's nemesis. The very underrated Warren Oates as the crotchety commanding officer and Candy Clark as Murphy's girlfriend, who is the ultimate heroine of the plot, turn in solid performances. The helicopter clearly steals the show though as anyone between the ages of 7 and 21 had to just be glued to the screen watching that bird strut its stuff. Great action sequences and rather good photography during the climactic chase scene.

I still have fond memories of this film which I saw in the drive in as a kid and I think it's what films of this genre should be...a couple of hours of wild fun!..."Follow My Leader"