Runtime: 93 minutes
Directed by: Walter Hill
Starring: Michael Pare,
Diane Lane, Amy Madigan, Rick Moranis, Willem Dafoe
From: Universal/RKO
Before I get to this
review, I'll mention that the next few days I will revisit Paranormal
Activity 2-4 for Letterboxd. Thus, I imagine I won't be back here for
a few days. Now, onto this flawed but still fun cult classic:
Rick Moranis is going out with Diane Lane... this really is “another time, another place.”
Honestly, no surprise that a movie which calls itself “a rock & roll fable” and takes place in an alternate universe which looks like the 50's fused with the 80's, that it would disappoint at the box office back in 1984. But as for certain audiences it's pretty awesome and the director is Walter Hill, of course this would later become a cult hit.
The story isn't too terribly complicated: a young singer named Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) is kidnapped by a motorcycle gang, led by Willem Dafoe.. who at one point wears an AMAZING outfit of pleather overalls w/ no shirt. She is managed by weaselly Rick Moranis, who hilariously is also her boyfriend, and he hires her ex-a soldier named Tom Cody (Michael Pare)-to rescue her. Of course, Cody forces him to come along as he knows the neighborhood and they are joined by a very tough gal named McCoy-Amy Madigan playing the best character in the film.
Various things could be nitpicked if you really wanted to, from story to overall logic, and not everyone loved Michael Pare as Cody. From what I gather, even some of the talent involved with the movie were not fans of the script. But I've decided not to get held up with that; perhaps it was because I was won over by the opening-it was incredible. Things start off with a tremendous rock instrumental, then Ellen Aim & The Attackers come out on stage singing a bitchin' 80's song called Nowhere Fast, by Fire Inc. After that opening I was hooked. This is a neon-drenched movie structured and plotted like a Western yet has some neo-noir elements and which features biker bars that has bands doing 50's covers, another act is a doo-wop quartet, there are explosions, cop cars that are Studebaker automobiles, Bill Paxton as a bartender missing a front tooth, Lee Ving as one of Willem's associates, and much more.
Like I said, for something where music is a keystone component, thankfully the soundtrack and score are both incredible. As always, Ry Cooder did a tremendous job with the former. The latter, such talents as Jimmy Iovine, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks and Jim Steinman are all involved so of course that was something I also loved. As I've mentioned many times by now, style over substance is not something I am always a fan of, to underplay my beliefs. Yet that managed to work here with me.
Honestly, no surprise that a movie which calls itself “a rock & roll fable” and takes place in an alternate universe which looks like the 50's fused with the 80's, that it would disappoint at the box office back in 1984. But as for certain audiences it's pretty awesome and the director is Walter Hill, of course this would later become a cult hit.
The story isn't too terribly complicated: a young singer named Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) is kidnapped by a motorcycle gang, led by Willem Dafoe.. who at one point wears an AMAZING outfit of pleather overalls w/ no shirt. She is managed by weaselly Rick Moranis, who hilariously is also her boyfriend, and he hires her ex-a soldier named Tom Cody (Michael Pare)-to rescue her. Of course, Cody forces him to come along as he knows the neighborhood and they are joined by a very tough gal named McCoy-Amy Madigan playing the best character in the film.
Various things could be nitpicked if you really wanted to, from story to overall logic, and not everyone loved Michael Pare as Cody. From what I gather, even some of the talent involved with the movie were not fans of the script. But I've decided not to get held up with that; perhaps it was because I was won over by the opening-it was incredible. Things start off with a tremendous rock instrumental, then Ellen Aim & The Attackers come out on stage singing a bitchin' 80's song called Nowhere Fast, by Fire Inc. After that opening I was hooked. This is a neon-drenched movie structured and plotted like a Western yet has some neo-noir elements and which features biker bars that has bands doing 50's covers, another act is a doo-wop quartet, there are explosions, cop cars that are Studebaker automobiles, Bill Paxton as a bartender missing a front tooth, Lee Ving as one of Willem's associates, and much more.
Like I said, for something where music is a keystone component, thankfully the soundtrack and score are both incredible. As always, Ry Cooder did a tremendous job with the former. The latter, such talents as Jimmy Iovine, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks and Jim Steinman are all involved so of course that was something I also loved. As I've mentioned many times by now, style over substance is not something I am always a fan of, to underplay my beliefs. Yet that managed to work here with me.
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