Streets of Fire HD DVD Review
Walter Hill’s Rock and Roll Fable Still Delights 20 Years Later
It’s well known at this point that HD DVD lost the format war, but some HD DVDs have yet to see the light of day on Blu-ray. Walter Hill’s 1985 film Streets of Fire is one of those films. Streets of Fire was supposed to be one of the biggest box–office hits of 1985. When it was released however, audiences stayed away from its quirky blend of 50’s sensibilities and modern action. More than 20 years later though the movie deserves a second look. It’s a nicely-paced, well-acted piece of 80’s entertainment.
Streets of Fire Plot
Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) is one of the biggest singers in the world. She’s kidnapped by a motorcycle gang know as the Bombers, led by Raven (a young Willem Dafoe). Ellen’s weasely boyfriend/manager Fish (Rick Moranis) isn’t much help, and doesn’t seem too interested in getting her back. Ellen’s soldier-of-fortune ex-boyfriend Tom Cody (Michael Pare) returns to town to get her back. Teaming up with the gruff McCoy, Cody is willing to tear up the town to rescue Ellen, and possibly rekindle his romance with her.
Streets of Fire is truly absurd and preposterous, but it manages to be a thouroughly entertaining movie. It's blending of 50's aesthetics with 80's action sensibilities can be jarring for some. It’s easy to see why it failed when it was released; audiences in the 80’s had no interest in rockabilly, stoic heroes, or pompadour haircuts. Had Streets of Fire been released in the middle of the 90’s swing revival it may have been more successful. Director Hill also throws in some jarring anachronistic elements. While the movie clearly takes place in the 50’s, the music is straight out of the 80’s, with major songs written the legendary Jim Steinman. Quentin Taratino has made this kind of anachronistic blending commonplace now, but in 1985 it may have been too much for audiences to take.
Nonetheless the film works. The music is great, the actors are charming (especially Pare and the luminous Lane) and Hill, director of the seminal 80's action film The Warriors, knows how to stage some impressive action scenes. A somewhat lost 80’s gem, Streets of Fire is definitely worth checking out.
Streets of Fire Video Quality
As stated above, Universal released Streets of Fire on HD DVD but has yet to release it on Blu-ray. At this point, the HD DVD is the definitive way to view the movie. Universal struck a new master for this version, as the previous DVD was a badly done non-anamorphic print. Streets of Fire gets a 1080p/VC-1 encode, and the picture is a vast improvement over the previous DVD. The is very little visible artifacting, and while there is a large amount of grain, it is appropriate for a movie that is more than two decades old.
Hill uses a vibrant neon color scheme for the movie and that is well represented on this disc. Colors are bold and bright, and blacks and contrast hold up well. It’s not a perfect master, but it’s more than adequate for an 80’s catalog title.
Streets of Fire Audio Quality
The audio on Streets of Fire isn’t as impressive as the video. For a movie that is so aurally focused, it’s disappointing that Universal didn’t give viewers a Dolby TrueHD or lossless PCM track. Instead Streets of Fire has a 1.5mbps Dolby Digital Plus track. It sounds decent, with dialogue clear and distinguishable. It lacks some punch in the real speakers however. With a few notable exceptions, the movie never quite seems to envelope the viewer. The track does rise to the occasion during Ellen Aim’s musical performances. The music is clear and vibrant, and the audio really takes off during these scenes.
Streets of Fire Extras
Understandably, this is an 80’s cult movie and can’t have a big target audience. Nevertheless, it is disappointing that Universal has not included a single extra on the disc. Walter Hill recorded an outstanding and engaging commentary for The Warriors, so it would have been nice to see him do the same here. The movie was clearly a passion project for him, and it would have been nice to hear his insights into the film. Even a trailer would have been better than nothing. Sadly, nothing is all that viewers get.
Streets of Fire is an absurd but engaging 80’s cult classic. Until Universal sees fit to release this on Blu-ray, this out-of-print HD DVD is the definitive way to see this unusual film. For those who still have HD DVD players, seek this one out.
Final Rating (out of *****)
Movie: ***1/2
Video: ***
Audio: ***
Extras: No stars
Rated PG
94 Minutes
Streets of Fire HD DVD
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