Streets of Fire

 Streets of Fire

• Director: Walter Hill
• Seen by this director: Crossroads, 48 Hours
• Based on the novel: no.
• Cast: Michael Paré, Diane Lane, Willem Dafoe, Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan, Deborah van Valkenburgh, Richard Lawson
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Michael Paré – probably something but I didn’t recognise him.
• Diane Lane – Man of Steel, Jumper, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Glass House, The Perfect Storm, Rumble Fish
• Willem Dafoe – Murder on the Orient Express, John Wick, Fireflies in the Garden, Paris je t’aime, American Dreamz, Manderlay, The Aviator, Once upon a Time in Mexico, American Psycho, eXistenZ, Lulu on the Bridge, The English Patient, Wild at Heart, Cry-Baby, Born on the Fourth of July, Mississippi Burning, The Last Temptation of Christ, Platoon
• Amy Madigan – Gone Baby Gone, Pollack, Crocodile Shoes, Field of Dreams
• Richard Lawson - Dead Like Me and other series
• Why? Rock music.
• Seen: Once before. Now 19 September 2021.      

       It opens with the text ‘A rock’n’roll fable. Another time, another place.’ Sounds promising.

       Ellen Aim (Lane) is a popular rock singer. She’s kidnapped right off the stage by biker bad guy Raven (Dafoe). Tom (Paré) is a macho badass troublemaker but cute and Ellen’s ex, an of course still in love with her. His sister Reva (van Valkenburgh) wants him to rescue Ellen and he reluctantly agrees, for a price. He partners up with badass chick soldier McCoy (Madigan) and off they go.

       With Ry Cooder’s music and Jimmy Iovine’s involvement it’s bound to have some musical class, which it does. The cars are classy too, if you’re into cars. The dialog is dreadful and the acting hammy, Dafoe’s and Lane’s included. This is not their most shining achievement.

       Either it’s really bad, or a cool spoof on r’n’r, bad bikers, he-men sharpshooters (male and female), street riots. Whatever. Maybe if I was in the mood, but I’m not. Some of music is good but the film?

 

2* of 5. (Hal says 3 ½*, saying it’s film history. Sure it is, but not everything in history is cool).