After making his buddy cop hit 48 Hrs., Walter Hill directed a film that was inspired by the movies he grew up on. It was a wild homage filled with the kinds of images and themes he loved most about those movies such as: “custom cars, kissing in the rain, neon, trains in the night, high-speed pursuit, rumbles, rock stars, motorcycles, jokes in tough situations, leather jackets and questions of honor.” What Hill created was Streets of Fire (1984) a 1980s meets retro 1950s musical-action-crime-comedy B-movie epic. The film stars Michael Pare (Eddie and The Cruisers) as Tom Cody an ex-soldier who returns to his home to rescue his ex-girlfriend, a singer named Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) from the clutches of evil biker gang leader Raven Shaddock (Willem Dafoe). The music featured in the film also reflected the odd 1950s meets the 1980s backdrop with its diverse rockabilly, doo-wop, blues and New Wave sounds.
Even though Streets of Fire didn’t do well when it was released, over the years it has developed a cult following because of its unique qualities. The eye catching poster art for the film reflects the furiously stylized aesthetic that was used to tell the rock n’ rollin’ tale of love!
