THE STORY: Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider), a helicopter pilot working for the LAPD, is chosen to check pilot an experimental authorities helicopter known as “Blue Thunder.” Highly subtle, and closely armed, Murphy discovers the helicopter is being designed for city use by a bunch inside the authorities, headed by his previous Vietnam nemesis, F.E Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell). Thought to be insane by his LAPD bosses due to his troubled historical past of war-related PTSD, Murphy steals ”Blue Thunder” in an try and reveal the murderous conspiracy behind its creation, culminating in a collection of spectacular dogfights in skies above downtown Los Angeles.

THE PLAYERS: Director: John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, Bird on a Wire, Stakeout). Writers: Dan O’Bannon (Alien, Total Recall), Don Jakoby (The Philadelphia Experiment, Vampires). Starring: Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell, Candy Clark, Daniel Stern, & Warren Oates. Score by Arthur B. Rubinstein.

THE HISTORY: During the early eighties, the comedian book-style techno-thriller was in-vogue. Usually, these thrillers revolved round lone-wolf cops or army males given entry to extremely subtle weaponized automobiles they used to do battle with the forces of evil (or – within the case of many eighties motion motion pictures – communism). On TV, there was Knight Rider, on the large display, there was the notorious flop MegaForce. Super-helicopters/planes have been particularly fashionable, with Clint Eastwood’s weird spy/sci-fi thriller Firefox that includes him stealing a Russian Jet run by telepathy (???), whereas on TV there was “Airwolf”. Many consider the latter was really a rip-off of this week’s topic, Blue Thunder.

Unlike many motion pictures featured on this column, Blue Thunder was a large hit, raking up $42 million in 1983 {dollars} (equal to $104 million at this time). That’s not unhealthy contemplating that two weeks after it opened, a bit film known as Return of the Jedi hit theaters. Blue Thunder was so well-received that, within the days earlier than sequels turned commonplace, it spawned a rip-off TV present, which was rushed on-to the air solely seven months after this hit theaters (across the time it made it to dwelling video) and lasted a whopping eleven episodes. The film turned a modest cult hit on video/cable, and director John Badham went on to hit-after-hit for the remainder of the last decade, together with the identical yr’s WarGames, Short Circuit and Stakeout, earlier than turning to TV within the mid-nineties after a number of flops (together with the first rate Nick of Time starring a younger Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken).

Nevertheless, Blue Thunder has sunk right into a modest sort of obscurity. It’s well-known sufficient that Sony has reissued it a number of instances on DVD/Blu-ray, nevertheless it’s not often talked about alongside different fashionable motion motion pictures of the period, perhaps because of the lack of a marquee star within the lead. There’s additionally been some discuss of remaking it with drones (not a foul thought so far as these items go), however nothing has come to fruition but.

WHY IT’S GREAT: Blue Thunder is each typical and atypical of its period. In addition to the smooth, high-tech automobile, the hero’s additionally a PTSD-afflicted Vietnam vet, one thing that was so frequent in motion pictures again then that the equally themed Firefox had a hero (Clint Eastwood) with the very same subject. Yet, whereas many Reagan-era actioners had a considerably conservative, rah-rah America bent, Blue Thunder was anti-authoritarian. Here, the federal government is seen as a sinister pressure, with the primary battle being that if the Blue Thunder is mass-produced, residents might discover themselves unwittingly beneath surveillance, one thing which – thirty-three years later – has certainly occurred though the brand new watchers don’t want something as clunky as helicopters. 

“The story supposes that some proper factor or conservative group within the authorities decides that it will likely be an amazing thought for crowd management within the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, to make use of these helicopters for surveillance, and to arm them, which is a reasonably scary thought…

Unfortunately, the opposite tools they wish to put aboard is tools that may look via into your home, see something that’s alive and be capable to file any dialog from 5, six, hundred ft up within the air.  The ship then turns into a illustration of whole invasion of privateness, a flying large brother…

In the movie, the character I play, Murphy, a Los Angeles helicopter pilot, is aware of that this can be a very evil and pointless factor.  So he does one thing about it.” – Roy Scheider – Blue Thunder Online

As Murphy, Roy Scheider performs one of many final of the 80’s everyman heroes, with he-men like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone taking up motion flicks inside a yr or two. Scheider is extra of a seventies-style lead, in that he makes use of his brains and wit relatively than brawn and doesn’t belief “the man.” Scheider was the king of any such hero throughout this time, with this not too removed from his half as Chief Brody in Jaws & Jaws 2. Already in his fifties, Scheider introduced a rugged, world-weariness to the half that actually made Frank Murphy an fascinating man, with a terrific introduction displaying him utilizing his high-tech (for the time) digital watch to rely backwards as he tries to calm himself sufficient to climb into the pilot’s seat of his helicopter. For a lot of the operating time, you’re by no means actually certain if Murphy’s as much as the duty of taking over the federal government plot behind Blue Thunder, and by the point the credit roll he’s nearly eked-out a victory, however at a heavy value.

Similarly, the villain is atypical of the time, with Malcolm McDowell pretty low-key as Murphy’s rival, F.E Cochran, a authorities agent who tries to border Murphy for homicide as soon as he begins asking too many questions and later faces off with him in a spectacular dog-fight within the L.A skies. McDowell’s lower-key efficiency might must do with the truth that he’s afraid of flying, together with his grimaces through the remaining battle being actual, as he was so freaked out about being in a helicopter.

“I was terrified. We started out filming it on the gimbel thing (a rig designed for the purpose) with the crew moving it around. Then, it was easy to look macho and all that, but it’s all very different when you’re really up there in the air! They had to retake my stuff several times because I was so scared. It gave them a good laugh.” “Going under those bridges in the helicopter was simply terrifying. I didn’t think we were going to make it. I asked the pilot, ‘We are not going to go under it, are we? We don’t have enough room under the bridge. I don’t know how wide this thing is, and there is just not enough – oh my god! He scraped the paint!’ I still get the old pollywoggles in my stomach when I watch that scene. In fact, I’ll tell you, I still can’t even look at some parts of this movie.” Malcolm McDowell – Blue Thunder Online

The supporting solid is sweet too, with Daniel Stern as JAFO (“Just Another F**king Observer”) Lymangoode, the younger, household man companion who – if you recognize your eighties motion motion pictures – gained’t be round long gone the second act. Candy Clark makes for a spunky love curiosity for Scheider (it’s fascinating that when the film begins they’re already in a relationship relatively than falling in love because it goes on), whereas Warren Oates owns each scene as the everyday pissed-off Police Captain, though he’s extra sympathetic than typical given the trope.

Given the period, the FX are fairly nifty, with numerous actual helicopters used, along with mannequin work and rear projection. The motion scenes are top-notch, though one of many film’s dumber elements is that Murphy engages the villains’ proper over downtown L.A., with missiles flying into buildings and a (presumably) astronomical physique rely on the bottom. I suppose Badham and firm thought an air battle over an city setting can be extra thrilling – perhaps they’re onto one thing. Apparently, Scheider thought this was moronic and fought exhausting to maneuver the battle out to a much less populated space, as that’s what he thought Murphy would do (ever the strategy actor).

“I would get rid of that Arco Tower scene,” he notes. “It appears out of character for Murphy to attract missile fireplace to it. To my mind-set, they need to have picked a spot which was clearly deserted, the place harmless individuals wouldn’t be endangered. – Roy Scheider – Blue Thunder Online

That apart, Blue Thunder is fairly rattling thrilling, with Scheider’s efficiency grounding the movie in a giant method, and Badham’s simple (some may say workmanlike) course a far-cry from at this time’s motion administrators, who bombard you with carnage. I additionally actually just like the super-synthy digital rating by Arthur B. Rubinstein, with Murphy having a cool heroic theme that I’m buzzing to myself as I write this.

SEE IT: Blue Thunder is extensively out there on DVD/Blu-ray, iTunes, Amazon and Netflix relying in your area. No 4K but although, which is a disgrace.

PARTING SHOT: Having been born in ’81, I in all probability ought to have seen Blue Thunder as a toddler, however oddly sufficient I solely caught it as a teen when it confirmed on an “oldies” cable channel. Over the years I’ve returned to this one fairly a bit, and it stays one in every of my favourite Scheider automobiles. It’s too unhealthy that regardless of its field workplace success, it was his final large theatrical hit, with him following it up with two underrated motion pictures, Peter Hyams’s 2010 (a modest success on the field workplace) and John Frankenheimer’s 52 Pick-Up (an enormous flop – however an amazing film). Check this one out!