Better Late than Never on the Cult Classic "Streets of Fire"

RD contacted me the other day saying he had some "homework" for me. He doesn't do this often, but when he does I know that I am in for something. It can be good, bad or weird. It is a true grab bag. But I am also excited at what he is going to recommend. Even if it is really bad, it is at least memorable. He told me about "Southland Tales". I had never heard of "Gummo" until he let me know about it. He told me I had to watch "The Boys". He introduced me to Beck and Talking Heads. All of these things have made an impact on me one way or the other. So when he told me that I needed to watch this movie from the 80's called "Streets of Fire", I was intrigued.

I saw that “Streets of Fire” was on Netflix, that it was only 90 minutes long and that it had a great cast. I just finished watching it. It took me two days because this movie is bat shit crazy. RD told me it was his new "Southland Tales", and he is not wrong. There have been a few things I have watched recently that will stick in my mind, and this is definitely one of them, but for many other reasons than shows like "ITYSL" and Bo Burnham's new special "Inside". "Streets of Fire" is straight up wacky. There are these long, meandering scenes that are underscored by Ry Cooder's music. It is very dirty blues, but with a very 80’s sound to it. I enjoy Ry Cooder from time to time, but I wouldn't pick him to listen to in my top 10 blues choices. He would be further down the list. I find his music to be "white person" blues, and man does it play loudly, and constantly, in this movie.

As I said before, the cast is excellent, but they all seem to be in a different movie. Willem Defoe is the main bad guy, and he is as creepy and weird as ever. But he is almost a cartoonish version of his Green Goblin character from the first "Spiderman". He chews so much scenery in this also. The final fight scene is one for the ages. Michael Pare, who some of you may know from "Eddie and the Cruisers" seems to be playing a bad boy turned good in a noir movie. He is dark and brooding, but he is also beating bad guys up left and right, but he also steals cars for some reason. Amy Madigan is his sidekick, and she is probably the only person who I bought. She seemed to know this movie was insane while they were filming it, and she just had fun. Rick Moranis plays a kind of bad guy club owner in a total departure from everything else I have ever seen him in. It was weird to watch him yell and curse at people and call ladies "broads" and "skirts". It wasn't fitting to his persona that I knew as a kid at all. Apparently he didn't like this movie much either from what I read. Robert Townsend is a gang member and he is in something like two scenes, and they are very bizarre. Diane Lane, who was 18 when this movie was made, is some kind of rock star that Defoe and his cronies kidnap. She looks great and does a good job, but much like Moranis, this was a miscast. It just didn't make sense. Also her band dressed just like David Byrne in "Stop Making Sense". It was very weird.

“Streets of Fire” was so scatter shot and so weird. I still do not fully know what it is about. I do not know who the hero is supposed to be. I think it is Pare, but he is kind of an asshole. There are wild cuts and overlong musical numbers. The fight scenes are filled with bizarre slow motion and sometimes they have credits rolling over them. Defoe is disturbing, and that is saying something.

Would I recommend this movie? It depends on who is asking. I wouldn't pick it for date night with my wife, but I may watch it with my running buddy because he would get how crazy the movie is supposed to be. We would laugh at it. All in all this movie is nuts. RD was right that I had to see it because it is burned in my brain. I am sure I will watch it again in the very near future because I will try to make sense of it. But do not get me wrong, "Streets of Fire" is a mess and not a very good movie. You have to be in the right headspace to watch it. But, I think it has achieved cult status for a reason, and it will keep you thinking. That much is true.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.