| Hearts of Fire | |
| Director: | Richard Marquand |
| Producer: | Doug Harris Jennifer Miller Iain Smith |
| Starring: | Bob Dylan Rupert Everett Fiona Suzanne Bertish |
| Music: | John Barry |
| Cinematography: | Alan Hume |
| Editing: | Sean Barton |
| Studio: | Phoenix Entertainment Group |
| Distributor: | Lorimar Motion Pictures |
| Runtime: | 95 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $17 million |
Hearts of Fire is a 1987 American musical drama film starring Bob Dylan, Fiona and Rupert Everett. The film was essentially a vehicle for Dylan based on his success as a rock musician. It received poor reviews, a limited theatrical release,[1] and was later written off by Dylan himself.
Originally written by Scott Richardson, the screenplay was rewritten by future Basic Instinct writer Joe Eszterhas because Lorimar Productions felt that Richardson was a "baby writer" and not experienced enough to take on the responsibility of a starring vehicle for a rock icon of Dylan's stature. Hearts of Fire is also regarded as the film that "killed Richard Marquand", director of Return of the Jedi, who would die of a stroke later the same year.[2] [3]
The film was shot in Canada (Hamilton and Toronto) at the defunct Davenport Works of the Canadian General Electric Company and the United Kingdom (Southerndown and Coney Beach at Porthcawl).Also Cardiff airport substituting for Heathrow [4] [5] The film's concert scenes were shot at the Colston Hall in Bristol,[6] and Camden, North London (UK).[5] Concert scenes filmed at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.
Hearts of Fire did poorly in theaters. It was first released in the UK in 1987 and was pulled from the theaters after approximately two weeks. As a result, the film was released to a very few theaters in the United States for one week only. All plans to set to release the film nationwide, which was planned for release by Lorimar Motion Pictures, but the film was set to limbo, citing the negative reviews of the feature film.[7]
In the United States, the film was released directly to video by Warner Home Video in 1990 after a very short theatrical run.[8] The film was re-released on VHS by Warner Brothers on December 6, 1993.[9]
The film was released digitally for purchase through iTunes and Vudu.
Variety lamented that it was "unfortunate that the last film of helmer Richard Marquand, who died shortly after completing it, should be Hearts of Fire" and that the film failed "to fire on all cylinders despite a nimble performance by the enigmatic Bob Dylan typecast as a reclusive rock star."[10] Channel 4 deemed the film a "blunt instrument of 80s vacuity."[11] DVDLaser stated that it is "a really bad movie," but also that the viewer's opinion of Bob Dylan is "the key to liking or disliking the film."[12]
Time Out London said that Dylan "hovers enigmatically on the sidelines, offering jaundiced comments."[13]
In 1987, Columbia Records released the soundtrack to the film. Dylan was apparently originally contracted to write and contribute four new original recordings to the album[14] but only turned in two original songs and one cover song. The tracks included a cover of John Hiatt's "The Usual", along with the Dylan originals "Night After Night" and "Had a Dream About You Baby". Dylan later released an alternate version of "Had a Dream About You Baby" on the 1988 album Down in the Groove.