I was surprised to remember Blue Thunder was John Badham’s first action movie. I think of him as the solid action director of movies from Stakeout to Drop Zone but before the helicopter movie he directed dramas. Blue Thunder holds up with a helicopter threatening to upstage Roy Scheider, continuing his blockbuster streak from Jaws. But he’s the grizzled veteran pilot you want flying this thing.
Since these are real helicopter flights on display, it is great to see 1983 Los Angeles in 4K. Especially night flights in the pure black sky highlight Westwood and the great Circus Liquor on the ground below. It’s still a 1983 35mm film so in daylight you see the grain.
New interviews with Badham, Candy Clark and Malcom McDowell all discuss the jostling stunts. The boys both confirm McDowell’s nausea and fear of helicopters. They also have great behind-the-scenes stories that only exist in memory, like the late Warren Oates watching the stock ticker.
Sony’s 2006 DVD had a 45 minute “making of” that included the late Scheider and Dan O’Bannon. That really delves into the development, making of and even editing of the film. It includes the extended car stunt in the alley, which is also included separately in a pan and scan cut. They have stills of the deleted psychiatrist screen and describe it. They also show the TV version of the yoga woman wearing her underwear.
Another 8 minute featurette on building the Blue Thunder helicopter also comes from that DVD. The commentary from that release also includes stories from Badham’s helicopter ridealongs, old school practical snafus like projected backgrounds breaking during a take and stealing shots outside the hospital. Badham points out the script supervisor in a shot but you wouldn’t know she’s not a military official taking notes.