A mercenary is hired to rescue his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a motorcycle gang.A mercenary is hired to rescue his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a motorcycle gang.A mercenary is hired to rescue his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a motorcycle gang.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination total
Grand L. Bush
- The Sorels - Reggie
- (as Grand Bush)
Mykelti Williamson
- The Sorels - B.J.
- (as Mykel T. Williamson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
In this dark musical drama a soldier of fortune must rescue his former girlfriend after she is kidnapped by a motorcycle gang. This is a very dark and energetic film with an excellent soundtrack and a story that keeps you involved..it has a great cast with Amy Madigan, Rick Moranis, Diane Lane, and others ..very underrated and ahead of its time on a scale of one to ten...7
Ok, lets just get this out the way, Michael Pare as an actor really sucks. Now I know that to most that isn't like earth shattering news but I just wanted to point that out because he is the worse part about this movie. Some would say that this whole movie sucks but not me. I just love this movie. How this movie tanked when it came out is understandable, it had a feel and look that was out of step with the times which really blows because this movie just rocks.
Lets start out with what its all about. So we have a singer named Ellen Aim(played by Diane Lane) who is kidnaped by a gang lead by Willem Dafoe. Out to rescue Aim is one Tom Cody(played by our friend Pare). Along for the ride is Rick Moranis and Amy Madigan. Great cast right? The music kicks ass, the 50's mashup with the 80's adds a style that is unquestionably different. It's all pretty much silly fun that at times is so over the top that it's hard to keep a straight face. But i gotta keep going to the look because you are not going to find any other movie like it anywhere.
It really bothers me that this movie isn't better liked or remembered by so many. It's everything that the 1980's were, over the top and crazy. Mix in the action of Walter Hill as director and it's such a fun time.
I could go on and on about by the bad dialogue and bad jokes that sit alongside black leather gangs like they were made for each other. I could tell you about a lot of things but every time I watch this movie my big question always comes back. Why did it bomb. It bomb because our hero is awful. I want to always love this movie more then it should but Pare and his bad acting always gets in the way.
So should you see this movie? Yes, just pretend that anyone but Pare is our hero
Lets start out with what its all about. So we have a singer named Ellen Aim(played by Diane Lane) who is kidnaped by a gang lead by Willem Dafoe. Out to rescue Aim is one Tom Cody(played by our friend Pare). Along for the ride is Rick Moranis and Amy Madigan. Great cast right? The music kicks ass, the 50's mashup with the 80's adds a style that is unquestionably different. It's all pretty much silly fun that at times is so over the top that it's hard to keep a straight face. But i gotta keep going to the look because you are not going to find any other movie like it anywhere.
It really bothers me that this movie isn't better liked or remembered by so many. It's everything that the 1980's were, over the top and crazy. Mix in the action of Walter Hill as director and it's such a fun time.
I could go on and on about by the bad dialogue and bad jokes that sit alongside black leather gangs like they were made for each other. I could tell you about a lot of things but every time I watch this movie my big question always comes back. Why did it bomb. It bomb because our hero is awful. I want to always love this movie more then it should but Pare and his bad acting always gets in the way.
So should you see this movie? Yes, just pretend that anyone but Pare is our hero
This is a brilliant film that is much more than it should be because of one genius director - Walter Hill.
He understands and sets the tone and world of this pic perfectly - it has straight-forward, old-western style dialouge, clear good and bad characters and rip-roaring action that reminds you of the old classic westerns that Walter Hill admittedly loves, in particular the Searcher's.
I won't say much about the plot expect for a badboy returns home rescue the girl he once loved after she is kidnapped by a leather-clad motorcycle gang. It's pretty simple but what you have to watch out for here is Walter Hill's visual and editorial style which was probably the best around in the eighties.
There isn't any Oscar-worthy performances here but there was never meant to be none - Michael Pare does well with his limited John Wayne modelled role, Rick Moranis shows that he can play much more than the "nerdy-neurotic" character that made him world famous in the early nineties, William Defoe plays a better villain in this than he did in Spiderman and Diane Lane shows that she was once, the hottest woman in Hollywood (she still ain't too bad today!).
This film deserves more credit, votes, attention and DVD extra's than it presently has - definitely one of the best film's of the eighties.
He understands and sets the tone and world of this pic perfectly - it has straight-forward, old-western style dialouge, clear good and bad characters and rip-roaring action that reminds you of the old classic westerns that Walter Hill admittedly loves, in particular the Searcher's.
I won't say much about the plot expect for a badboy returns home rescue the girl he once loved after she is kidnapped by a leather-clad motorcycle gang. It's pretty simple but what you have to watch out for here is Walter Hill's visual and editorial style which was probably the best around in the eighties.
There isn't any Oscar-worthy performances here but there was never meant to be none - Michael Pare does well with his limited John Wayne modelled role, Rick Moranis shows that he can play much more than the "nerdy-neurotic" character that made him world famous in the early nineties, William Defoe plays a better villain in this than he did in Spiderman and Diane Lane shows that she was once, the hottest woman in Hollywood (she still ain't too bad today!).
This film deserves more credit, votes, attention and DVD extra's than it presently has - definitely one of the best film's of the eighties.
This movie is yet another example of how really poor marketing can doom a movie. Walter Hill's self-proclaimed "Rock and Roll Fable" has everything that makes a movie worth watching. Interesting characters, great sets and lots of action make this movie well worth the time.
Technically, the film is brilliantly edited. It sets a pace and sticks with it, making maximum use of the action without having that choppy MTV feel that most editors have caved in to. Jim Steinman's soundtrack is one of the best I have ever heard.
Walter Hill gets solid performances from his cast although I have always wondered about Deborah Van Valenburgh's role. I get the impression after watching the movie a few times that a lot of her work ended up on the cutting room floor. I once heard a critic, either Siskel or Ebert perhaps, say that Amy Madigan should have gotten a Best Supporting Actress nod for her performance in this movie. I agree. This is some of her best work ever.
Diane Lane is gorgeous as always but doesn't really have enough to do. Her musical numbers are staged well and she does a good job with them. Michael Pare' plays yet another tough guy. One real treat is an early perfomance by Willem DaFoe as the villian Raven. You can see that he had a good career ahead of him back then. You can also catch Bill Paxton in a bit part as a bartender.
All in all, this is an excellent little movie that should be remembered much more than it is. Check it out sometime.
Technically, the film is brilliantly edited. It sets a pace and sticks with it, making maximum use of the action without having that choppy MTV feel that most editors have caved in to. Jim Steinman's soundtrack is one of the best I have ever heard.
Walter Hill gets solid performances from his cast although I have always wondered about Deborah Van Valenburgh's role. I get the impression after watching the movie a few times that a lot of her work ended up on the cutting room floor. I once heard a critic, either Siskel or Ebert perhaps, say that Amy Madigan should have gotten a Best Supporting Actress nod for her performance in this movie. I agree. This is some of her best work ever.
Diane Lane is gorgeous as always but doesn't really have enough to do. Her musical numbers are staged well and she does a good job with them. Michael Pare' plays yet another tough guy. One real treat is an early perfomance by Willem DaFoe as the villian Raven. You can see that he had a good career ahead of him back then. You can also catch Bill Paxton in a bit part as a bartender.
All in all, this is an excellent little movie that should be remembered much more than it is. Check it out sometime.
I seems that not everyone understands the greatness with this movie? -The actors do a really good work-Moranis is one, and Pare is good, but he has much less to play with as a carachter. -style is everything here: the lines are like they where stolen from old westerns or movies from the 50s. To really enjoy this movie: do not expect the ordinary action...see it as a "musical" set in a theatre and admire the artificial "artsiness" of this studio-style film! ...the bad guys are really bad...but funny, -and the good guy is really brave... -This is not suppose to be your ordinary action movie! -This is art...and poetry!
Best Regards
/MadvikinS
Best Regards
/MadvikinS
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Amy Madigan read for the film, she read for the part of the lead character's sister. Madigan told Walter Hill that the best part in the script was the lead character's sidekick. That part called for a man and the character's name was Mendez. The part was rewritten for Madigan and was renamed McCoy.
- GoofsWhen the Sorels' bus is stopped by the cop roadblock, as McCoy is pulling the bus to a stop, there's a shot of her in the driver's seat. Seated directly behind Amy Madigan is a middle aged woman who looks like a crew member, present throughout the entire shot. She disappears immediately after the cut and is never seen again, nor was she a passenger on the bus prior to this scene.
- Alternate versionsAn 'R' rated version of the film was shown to theater exhibitors before being cut to a 'PG' for theatrical release.
- ConnectionsEdited into Quantum Leap: Miss Deep South - June 7, 1958 (1990)
- SoundtracksNowhere Fast
Performed by Fire Inc.
Vocals: Holly Sherwood, Rory Dodd, Eric Troyer
Written and Produced by Jim Steinman
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Calles de fuego
- Filming locations
- Wilmington, Los Angeles, California, USA(Factory rooftop scenes; Torchie's industrial area club scenes.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $14,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $8,089,290
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,426,500
- Jun 3, 1984
- Gross worldwide
- $8,090,536
- Runtime
- 1h 33m(93 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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