Streets of Fire (1984)

A mercenary goes after his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a gang.

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

Walter Hill, Larry Gross

Stars:

Michael Paré, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Rock and Roll singer is taken captive by a motorcycle gang in a strange world that seems to be a cross of the 1950's and the present or future. Her ex-boyfriend returns to town and to find her missing and goes to her rescue.

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Plot Keywords:

motorcycle | singer | rescue | motorcycle gang | fan | 

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Taglines:

A Rock & Roll Fable.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Music | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Calles de fuego

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$5,600,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Pictures, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Horner wrote three different original scores for this film before he ultimately left the project in favor of director Walter Hill's preferred composer Ry Cooder.

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Goofs

In Torchie's bar, the stripper's leather mini-skirt briefly "disappears" and then re-appears again before she actually takes it off. The disappearance is actually her lifting the skirt to the audience in the middle of dancing, not taking it off.

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Quotes

Ben Gunn: Oh, you're dumb. And, you're short. Real short.

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Connections

Featured in CineMaverick TV: Episode #1.13 (2012)

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Soundtracks

"TONIGHT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE YOUNG"
Performed by Fire Inc.
Vocals: Holly Sherwood, Laurie Sargent, Rory Dodd, Eric Troyer
Written and Produced by Jim Steinman

User Reviews

Great forgotten 1980s movie

Director Walter Hill describes the movie this way: The Leader of the Pack (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps the Queen of the Hop (Diane Lane) and Soldier Boy (Michael Pare) comes home rescue her. Sounds REAL strange but it works. It starts off with the words "A different time, a different place" then goes whizzing into action. Ellen Aim (Lane) is playing a concert in her home town. A guy from the bad side of town (Dafoe) and his gang kidnap her. Her former lover (Pare comes back to save her.

OK let's get the bad things out of the way--lousy poster (I've NEVER seen such bad artwork), laughable dialogue and what-the-hell-is going-on performances. But everything else is great! Incredible sets (all neon and moody lighting), fantastic rock score, colorful costumes, wonderful direction by Hill, great action sequences and a total refusal to take itself seriously. It moves VERY quickly and there's never a dull moment! It does lose a lot on video--this should be seen on a wide screen with stereo--that's how I originally saw it in 1984, and for the entire length of the movie I was mesmerized! This was a huge bomb in its day but now has a cult following

A great movie all the way. I give it a 10.