In 1983 director John Badham was kinda bad ass. Not only did he give us the now semi-classic War Games with Matthew Broderick, but also the often forgotten Blue Thunder. Blue Thunder boasts a cast of Roy Scheider (Jaws), Daniel Stern (Diner), Warren Oates (Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia), Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), and Candy Clark (The Man Who Fell to Earth). In the film Scheider plays Officer Frank Murphy an air support helicopter pilot who, in preparation for the upcoming Olympic games in Los Angeles, is chosen to test a new attack helicopter designed for crowd control. When Murphy and his partner Richard Lymangood (Daniel Stern) stumble on to the the nefarious plans of some local government officials and military personnel Murphy hijacks the helicopter in an attempt to set things straight. Malcolm McDowell is particularly slimy playing Col. Cochrane, and Warren Oates has some classic lines as Capt. Braddock. There is also an incredibly well shot street level helicopter chase toward the end of the film. Supposedly it’s the first one ever filmed. Thunder, scripted by Dan O’Bannon (Alien, Dead and Buried), is a solid 80′s action flick that you should all add to your Netflix Queue. Check out the trailer below.


* Blue Thunder releases on Blu-Ray August 11th. You can pick up here