Starring Michael Pare, Diane Lane, Amy Madigan, and Rick Moranis
Directed by Walter Hill
Music and Lyrics by Jim Steinman, Ry Cooder, and others
I found the soundtrack to this movie at a yard sale about eight years ago and fell in love with the epic-hard rock-meets-rockabilly sound right away. I can't believe I never heard of this movie as a child in the 1980's. Apparently, it was a massive flop then, despite one of its songs, "I Can Dream About You," becoming a top 10 hit. It did better overseas, especially in Japan, and eventually became something of a cult favorite in the US as well. How does this influential "rock & roll fable" sound over 30 years later? Let's take a 50's Cadillac to a city in "another place, another time" and find out...
The Story: Singer Ellen Aim (Lane) of rock group Ellen Aim and the Attackers, is kidnapped by nasty biker Raven Shaddock (William Dafoe) and his biker group the Bombers. Her best friend Reva Cody (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) convinces her brother Tom (Pare), a war veteran and Ellen's ex-boyfriend, to go after her. He's joined by McCoy (Madigan), a tough female mechanic who knows her way around a gun and a fight. Tom does eventually agree to go after Ellen, but only if he's paid by her current boyfriend Billy Fish (Moranis). Even after they do manage to rescue Ellen, Shaddock and the Bombers are still on their tail...and Tom may still have feelings for Ellen.
The Song and Dance: This may be one of the most 80's movies in existence. It's a strange blend of 50's rockabilly, 80's Blade Runner neon in the rain, and hard rock...and darned if it doesn't work. This movie is the definition of "cool." It oozes it from every dark-shadowy street and exploding car. It reminds me so much of video games from the mid-80's like Kung Fu and Double Dragon that had a muscular protagonist in a stylized world rescuing his girlfriend from mooks. Moranis and Madigan steal the movie as Ellen's loud-mouthed manager and the tomboy mechanic who can out-drink and out-swear the men hands down. Defoe makes for creepy biker villain as well.
Favorite Number: Ironically, "I Can Dream About You" may actually be one of the lesser numbers from the film. While it does work with Tom's heartbreak at the end, it's also jarringly pop-ish compared to the darker songs in the rest of the score. My favorites are the epic rockers in the opening and closing concert sequences, "Nowhere Fast" and "Tonight Was Made for the Young." There's also a nice ballad towards the end, "Sorcerer."
Trivia: The role of McCoy was originally written for a man, but Amy Madigan's audition was so impressive, they gave her the part anyway.
"Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young" would be re-written for Steinman's German musical Tanz Der Vampires (Dance of the Vampires in the US) as the title song.
Steinman wrote "Means to Be Young" in two days, after the rights to use Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Fire" fell through.
The movie was a far bigger hit overseas, especially in Japan. It's inspired several equally-hard-nosed anime, notably Bubblegum Crisis.
What I Don't Like: This is definitely a movie where it's style over substance. It's all hard-edged wisecracks, explosions, neon, and longing glances in the rain. I suspect a lot of people, especially critics, didn't know what to make of it at the time. Some misogynistic overtones and Pare and Lane's fairly dull performances don't help. If you don't love hard rock, the mid-80s neon aesthetic, or prefer your musicals to be more traditional or romantic, this isn't for you.
The Big Finale: Action musicals are a rare breed; if you're a fan of Steinman's style of epic rock, the action movies of the time, or the cast, it's absolutely worth a look.
Home Media: Its cult following has assured that it's available in all formats, including many streaming companies.
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