Streets of Fire

Through an odd confluence of events I don't understand (perhaps the dread algorithm in play?), lots of people on Facebook are suddenly talking about Streets of Fire, the 1984 cult classic which spawned a hit song even though the movie itself wasn't very successful at the time. 

Streets of Fire is a very odd film, which is probably why it isn't more widely known. It's a very 1980s film, a sort-of-but-not-quite rock opera, but it's set in an era that could be anywhere between the late 40s and early 60s. It's a period piece without a discernable period, at least to my eyes. A friend of mine called it "a western set in the rust belt", but I disagree; I would summarize the plot as "The Little Soldier Boy and the Leader of the Pack fight for the heart of the Homecoming Queen." 

It also stars a shockingly young-looking Willem Dafoe, which is curious since he was also in 1986's Platoon where he managed to look a decade older. 

But for me, the most interesting thing about Streets of Fire is that one of its songs -- and in my opinion, the best song of the whole movie -- is Nowhere Fast, as lip-synced by Diane Lane.

 

Also, if you're a fan of 1980s anime you can see how it inspired parts of Bubblegum Crisis. Priss and the Replicants are a Japanese cyberpunk Ellen Aim and the Attackers, and you can definitely hear how 1984's Something Fast inspired & influenced 1987's Konya wa Hurricane. 

I don't really have any great point to make, other than that I like both songs and it's neat to see the link between them.