Here’s an entertainingly silly one. Back in 1985, the teen comedy The Breakfast Club became a surprise hit, making instant stars of its young cast members. Over the next year or two, several of them attempted more series and dramatic vehicles. Blue City was one such example. Co-written and co-produced by tough-guy movie specialist Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hrs., Streets of Fire, Red Heat, Last Man Standing), this tale sought to make an hard-boiled action hero of Judd Nelson.
As one might imagine, the experiment didn’t really work. In the end, the movie was panned at the box office (even earning some Razzie Nominations) and quickly forgotten by the movie-going public. Thankfully, Olive Films have resurrected the title on a new Blu-ray. While it is in no way an under-appreciated and lost masterpiece, this is an enjoyably cheesy title that zips by at a very enjoyable and painless 80 minutes.
Nelson plays Billy Turner, the estranged son of the ex-mayor of Blue City, a crooked little town in the Florida Keys. When he returns home for a visit, he learns that his father was murdered nine months previous and that there are no leads in the case. Turner has a serious chip on his shoulder and immediately sets out to discover who assassin. His unique approach is to simply yell, “Who killed my father?” at his mother-in-law Malvina (Anita Morris) and her new husband Perry Kerch (The Walking Dead‘s Scott Wilson). It’s pretty much a blunt accusation that he never wavers from for the entirety of the movie.
Other detection tactics of our less-than-subtle hero include smarmy insults, threats, fisticuffs (although he frequently ends up being beaten for his troubles) and even a robbery or two. Luckily for him he’s got Annie (Ally Sheedy), Joey (David Caruso) and Chief Reynolds (Paul Winfield), all old friends willing to help the young man out or at least offer pointed advice.
Truthfully, I think the central cast members were a little too young to pull off the tough guy act. Hill has written movies for the likes of older strong-arms Charles Bronson, Stacy Keach, Bruce Dern, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames. Nelson’s take on the young Turner character comes across as spoiled and petulant and it’s hard to see his intensity as threatening. Even funnier is that for all the allegations and violence he incites, the hero really doesn’t ever have half a clue as to what’s really going down. But make no mistake, there’s a whole lot of fun to be had watching the ridiculous posturing that this kid puts on.
There are also loads of strange, unfinished threads that generate a chuckle or two. Turner marches around locations with a basketball under his arm for the first act of the movie (eventually, we do see him rest it at his father’s grave). What’s the connection between his dad and the ball? We never find out. There’s mention here and there of Turner’s childhood interests (the family greenhouse), but he never talks about botany at any point and we never find out any more about it.
But do you know what I really love about this movie? It has to be what I can only refer to as the “Sandwich Song.” Late in the film and completely out of the blue, there’s a short scene involving one of Kerch’s henchman making a sandwich and bellowing “Pickles! Onions!” while his partner (Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister) dances to the melody. It doesn’t fit in with the tone of the movie, but it’s bizarrely hilarious nonetheless.
As for the Blu-ray itself, the image quality is much improved. While the opening credits (filled with stock footage) and climax are grainy, the majority of outdoor locations and neon lit night exteriors look strikingly good. This was never going to be a fantastic looking disc, but it’s a clear improvement over previous releases.
Blue City is a outlandish relic of the 80s that’s far too hard-boiled for its own good. Still, but I can’t help but recommend it. The movie is never dull and is consistently amusing from beginning to end. It moves at a rapid pace, features some interestingly strange performances from its famous cast and provides viewers with plenty of laughs (both intentional and otherwise). If you invite some friends over for beer and enjoy the movie for it’s cheesy and ridiculously over-the-top charms, then you’re more than likely to have a good time.