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From: bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron C. Howes)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: New Totally Bad Movie ("Streets of Fire")
Message-ID: <887@mcnc.mcnc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 9-Oct-85 00:35:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: mcnc.887
Posted: Wed Oct  9 00:35:09 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Oct-85 15:32:45 EDT
References: <1568@bbncca.ARPA>
Reply-To: bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron C. Howes)
Distribution: net
Organization: North Carolina Educational Computing Service
Lines: 39

In article <1568@bbncca.ARPA> lcliffor@bbncca.ARPA (Laura Frank Clifford) writes:
>How about last year's "Streets of Fire".  I saw this on a cable a couple of
>months ago and was appalled at how lousy it was.  I couldn't' believe this
>movie generated as much attention as it did.

Oh no you don't!  While this is not what I would call a terrific film, it
has a number of not totally bad things about it that deserve mention.  First,
for the record, it did generate a top 40 hit ("I Can Dream About You") which
is prima facie evidence for it not being a "Totally Bad" film.

Beyond that there is (1) a much better than average performance by Willem
Dafoe as the kinky gang leader you love to hate, (2) A dance sequence by
Marin Jahan (Jennifer Beals' body in "Flashdance") that'll bring 'em
right off the farm, (3) a remarkable cameo by Ed Begley, Jr. ("St. Elswhere" --
among lots of other things) as an urban hermit/bum and (4) a very creditable
performance by Amy Madigan which saves the film from Michael Pare, Rick Moranis 
and Diane Lane's throwaways.  Ry Cooder's contributions to the score are also
worth a listen, though they are often overpowered by the action.

I confess to being entranced by "Streets of Fire"'s vision of the future as
a seamless quilt of urban neighborhoods, sort of like city/states, each with
its own private police force.  It's kind of the ultimate deevolution of
the gang society, and works at least as a literary device.

"Streets of Fire" fails because it doesn't seem to take itself seriously
enough.  It's as if the director didn't believe enough in the material to
try to make a worthwhile film out of it.  Most of the dialog scenes look
like somebody accidentally left the film running while the actors were
rehearsing.  Anything good here was done by the actors, not the production
crew. 

Whoever edited this film never heard the word "continuity" and should
not be allowed into a cutting room again.  The editing is so bad it even
obscures the cinematography.  Still, the film has redeeming qualities --
enough to keep it off the "totally bad" list.
-- 

						Byron C. Howes
				      ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch