markrobi

Channel surfing over-the-air TV the other night (boycotting cable right now) I stumble across this little number. As others have commented what starts out as well-paced and coherent becomes quite jumbled by the end; were they just rushing to end the production for some reason(?) The frequent re-appearance of cast members, esp. Mike Parks and Sofia Milos helps keep up your interest as the plot goes it's merry way..it's a little too pandering to qualify as a psycho-drama. Reasonably well produced Out of Control scores points for being filmed in a small market (Corpus Christi, TX) with interior and night shots clear and colorful. A surprise is actress - Lady B. Pearl - playing a club rapper/spurned girlfriend of Dial. It appears this has been the only movie she's starred in. Pity.

I spied this little number while in the checkout line at BIG LOTS (can I say that?). For only $1.50, how could anyone lose? If you don't like it - turn it into a coaster :) Anyhow, since I never had much chance to catch 80's television (mostly by choice - so much of it was dreadful) I thought I'd take a chance on a slow Friday night.

In short, I was not disappointed by Street of Dreams; more like pleasantly surprised. It looks like some effort was made in writing, casting and producing this made-for-TV movie. I especially admire the contributions of David Marciano (Bando) the wise-cracking hood and Alan Autrey (Maurey Fields) without his "Heat of the Night" sou-than drawl in evidence.

Even John Hillerman's (Raymond Kepler) fake English accent is tolerable - it's much more polished and less hackneyed than when he starred in that HI P.I. show - yeah, you know which one. Diane Salinger plays his wife (Anne Kepler) and the only one who seems to know what's going on a-la Jane Hathaway (Nancy Kulp - The Beverly Hillbillies).

One of the other contributors has fairly described the plot of Street of Dreams in a nutshell - when (if) you watch this one various connections to Hollywood and the Mob also become evident. Besides the late model cars and Ms. Fairchild's (Laura Cassidy) 80's "big-hair" look this movie has not aged too badly. Video quality ranges from fair to quite good, depending on the light of each scene. It suffers at both extremes.

PS - I live just down the street from the HS that Ms. Fairchild attended and subsequently dropped-out of. To my eyes she looks even better today than back when they made Street of Dreams.

..because the flying scenes are terrific.

Another one of those older movies that could be seen on TV years ago and can't be seen at all anymore. Pity.

The story is somewhat weak what with the stiff-upper-lip Wing Commander riding a new charge at his training wing (who just happens to the son of a squadron-mate from his old unit in the last war (WWII).

Now it's trial by a new fire as the "old man" feels he has to exercise restraint in reining in the young flyer's antics in order to assuage his conscience about an incident that led to the death of the kid's father.

As usual, the British seem to get what makes a movie about flying right with wonderful air-to-air shots of Hunters, Vampires, Provosts and the like. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, this probably isn't the movie for you, anyway.

If you can ignore the "Cold War" overtones and some continuity errors (young pilot takes off in a DH-115; dashes about the sky in a DH-100 and lands back again in a DH-115) you may find this one at least a passing fancy.