Rumble Fish (1983)

What’s this all about?

Matt Dillon plays a moron punk who is sad because his older brother, Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourk), is a better moron punk than he is. Like much of America, Matt Dillon (I’m not sure they ever said his character’s name in the film) pines for an imagined past in which everything was better.

Matt spends his time pointlessly fighting, drinking, bitching, crying, and imagining Diane Lane naked. Also, his Dad is Dennis Hopper (himself), and the author put himself in the movie in the character, Steve (some guy).

The whole movie is in black and white except for some fish, and a single scene, just in case you missed that it was being “deep”. If you love The Outsiders but felt like there was too little pretension, too few strangled metaphors, and not quite enough angsty, impoverished punks, you’ll love Rumble Fish.

Who is Nick in this one?

Nicolas Cage plays “Smokey,” one of Matt Dillon’s punk friends. He doesn’t scream a single time in this film.

Who else is in this one?

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Rumble Fish features Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Sophia Coppola and Nicolas Cage, just in case you were looking for a The Outsiders reunion. No Emilio Estevez, though.

A young-ish Lawrence Fishburn, a trippy Tom Waits, and a Michael Penn-esque Michael Penn are featured as other punks and hangers on.

Herb Rice is credited as “black pool player”. I’ve never seen him before, but he’s my second favorite side dish at Texas Roadhouse.

Did you see that? (Michael/Sarah)

Holy shit. Motorcycle Boy (real name, I assume) ghost rides his motorcycle into a punk who has just stabbed his brother, Matt Dillon (did anyone catch the character’s name?) with a meat cleaver. Not only is the motorcycle a surprisingly effective melee weapon, but it does a sweet reverse flip, for some reason. -Michael

One of the more weird aspects of the film was how the sets seemed to be a weird and very noticeable combination of “Hollywood set” and “theater stage”. I’m sure it was supposed to be artistic, but it just looked like someone didn’t know what they were doing. – Sarah

What were Nick’s best parts? (Michael/Sarah)

All snark aside, Nick’s performance was one of the strongest in the film. My favorite scene was the one in which he and Matt Dillon’s character step outside to discuss their competing affections for Diane Lane. Nick explains to Rumble Fish (I think that’s his name) that nobody likes him because he’s a moron. Also, nobody wants to be in his gang, because that’s dumb. Also, Diane Lane doesn’t like him anymore because he treats her like shit. Rumble Fish agrees, and they go back inside. -Michael

When the movie started, I thought it was so bad that there was not going to be a good Nic scene at all, but then as we got into the movie, there was a long stretch without Nic and I realized it was far worse and the scenes with Nic were actually the best ones. – Sarah

What were Nick’s worst parts? (Michael/Sarah)

There’s a scene in which Nick is at the center of a softcore orgy going on in the top bunk of a bunk bed. I mean, come on. Who has sex with like six girls in the top bunk? Doesn’t that keep the guy sleeping in the bottom bunk awake? Uncool, Nick.

We later learn that this was part of a dodgy plan by Smokey (Nick) to wrestle Diane Lane away from Rumble Fish (Dillon). It works, so good job, I guess. -Michael

The movie started out super weird and annoying. Matt Dillion and friends (starring Nic) were hanging out in a soda shop that oddly had a pool table. Through this incredibly long scene they said Dillon’s character name of “Rusty James” no less than 100 times. In fact through the entire movie the character was always referred to as “Rusty James”. Was this his full name? Does he have a double first name? Why didn’t anyone ever give this guy a nickname? Who knows! Anyways, I’m giving the honor of being the worst Nic scene as it just set the stage for what kind of movie you were in for. – Sarah

How was the movie? (Michael/Sarah)

Seriously, this movie is terrible. It’s an angsty mess. It’s full of bullshit “symbolism” and stilted dialog. Rumble Fish looks like something that Ed Chigliak would make in Northern Exposure. It feels like it’s being surreal for two reasons. First, the director is pretentious as hell. Second, the director has never had an actual conversation with a human in their life.

This whole thing plays out like your loser uncle telling stories about “the good old days” when he and his football buddies used to get in fights and cut classes, but now everything sucks.

I’m seriously starting to think that Francis Ford Coppola isn’t a very good director, and that everyone singing his praises in the 70’s and 80’s just did too much coke. -Michael

I hate this movie – Sarah

Yeah, but did you like it? (Michael/Sarah)

No. It’s insipid garbage. Valley Girl looks like Citizen Kane compared to this. -Michael