The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 4 nominations total
Clifford A. Pellow
- Allen
- (as Clifford Pellow)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOne reason Roy Scheider made this film was so that he would be unavailable to get cast as Chief Brody in Jaws 3-D (1983), though he also admitted in an interview that the "Jaws" producers knew better than to ask him to play Brody again.
- GoofsCochrane sabotages Murphy's Bell jet ranger by removing the cotter pin and loosening the nut on the throttle-control linkage bolt so it can slip out. Aviation bolts are always installed head-end up as a safety precaution to keep the bolt in place should the nut come off.
- Quotes
[Icelan and Braddock are discussing Murphy]
Icelan: He checks his sanity with a wrist watch!
Jack Braddock: What do you check yours with, a dipstick?
- Crazy creditsThere are no opening credits after the title is shown.
- Alternate versionsWhen "Blue Thunder" was first released on video in Sweden, the scene where Kate drives to the the TV station with the videotape, involved a crazy stunt when she drives into a narrow alley and meets a police car that comes the other way. To avoid a disaster, Kate flips her car on its side, hits its roof on a wall and flips back again. In later video versions, the stunt is gone. We only see the car when it enters the alley and then we see her driving on the freeway with a strange damage on the roof.
- SoundtracksTheme From Blue Thunder (Murphy's Law)
(uncredited)
Written by Arthur B. Rubinstein
Performed by Arthur B. Rubinstein, Cynthia Morrow, Brian Banks and Anthony Marinelli (as the Beepers)
Produced by Evan Pace
Associate Produced by Reno Romano
Featured review
Great Action
Always liked this one. Well written and acted, with excellent aerial action sequences. It's a shame this was Warren Oate's last role - he was magnificent. Other reviewers made a valid point about this film presaging the use of military hardware against civilians. We already use airplanes to catch speeders on the ground - doesn't the aviation fuel cost more than the amount of revenue taken in through summonses?
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Plavi grom
- Filming locations
- City of Los Angeles Piper Technical Center - 555 Ramirez Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA(Police helipad - Command Center)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $22,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $42,313,354
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,258,149
- May 15, 1983
- Gross worldwide
- $42,313,354
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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