| | | | St. Elmo's Fire
(1985) |
ertainly one of the most memorable of the 'brat pack' movies of the 80's and the one that starred them all together in one movie (AND the one that got the 'brat pack' name started), St. Elmo's Fire was directed by "Lost Boys" director Joel Schumacher.
This was Schumacher's third movie and was universally panned by the critics at the time for, amongst other things, showing what was felt to be such bad behaviour from young adults. Shrouded in a storm of controversy, the movie was responsible for the term 'Brat Pack' after a high profile reporter who was doing a piece on Emilio Estevez was invited out with the cast and decided to write a very negative piece about them all, labelling them as 'The Brat Pack' forever.
Like "The Breakfast Club" which also starred Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy, St. Elmo's Fire was essentially a character piece, but in this case the characters were older and the piece was about how this bunch of teens were relating to life in 'the big wide world' having left school.
The movie was co-written by Schumacher with his then studio intern Carl Kurlander, who had himself just left university. The pair drew extensively from their own real-life experiences in creating the characters and situations seen in the movie.
Schumacher's lively pacing keeps things moving while the multiple character sub-plots keep us from getting bored with any one character or situation. In the end of course, all of the sub plots converge in the final act and our characters can move bravely onward into the metaphorical sunset with new wisdom and stability... -Well, kinda...
Don't forget that St. Elmo's Fire is now available to order on Widescreen DVD using our special 80s Retro Assistant...
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| | | |  -The landmark original 'brat pack' film and a worthy classic 80's movie --only now receiving the recognition that it deserves.
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Emilio Estevez's boss at the St. Elmos bar is Blake Clark. You may know him as Farmer Fran in the Adam Sandler movies 'WATER BOY' and the homless guy in the wedding scene in 'I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY'.
Demi Moore's character, Jules, is the only main character whose last name is not revealed. The others are Alec Newbery, Leslie Hunter, Kirby Keger, Wendy Beamish, Billy Hixx, and Kevin Dolenz. According to the script for the film, the full name of Demi Moore's character is Julianna "Jules" Van Patten. -Thanks to Michael Reed
Mare Winningham's (Wendy) real life brother Patrick Winningham appears in Billy Hixxs' band in the Halloween bar scene. -Thanks to Andi
The character Felicia (Billy's wife) was played by Jenny Wright, who then went on to play Mae in "Near Dark". She is also well known for her role as the "lead groupie" in Alan Parker's "Pink Floyd: The Wall". She acts out the role first heard on the album of the same name. "Wanna take a baaaaath?". Jenny would also go on to star in another feature with Emilio Estevez. She starred as Jane Greathouse, a "madam" in "Young Guns 2". -Thanks to Martin Hatfield
Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson played together in "The Breakfast Club" in 1985. Emilio Estevez played the athlete "Andrew Clark", Ally Sheedy played the basket case "Allison Reynold" and Judd Nelson played the criminal "John Bender". -Thanks to Jay
Rob Lowe, Anna Marie Horsford (the hooker) and Andrew McCarthy all starred in CLASS with John Cusack, Alan Ruck, Virginia Madsen, and Jacqueline Bisset. -Thanks to Terri Dawn
The 'hooker' that Andrew McCarthy's character is talking to is none other than Anna Marie Horsford from 'Ice Cube's Friday movies'. She can also be seen on the sitcom 'Amean' with Sherman Hemsley from 'The Jeffersons'. -Thanks to Meredith
The woman who played Wendy's mother in the film (Joyce Van Patten) was briefly married in real life to the man who played Wendy's father (Martin Balsam). -Thanks to Jade Hurley
Jenny Wright also played the madam in "Young Guns 2" opposite fellow St. Elmo's alumni Emilio Estevez. -Thanks to Martin Hatfield
Jenny Wright (Felicia) also went on to star in the Thriller/Science Fiction Stephen King movie 'The Lawnmower Man' with Pierce Brosnan. -Thanks to Christina Venakis
Whilst still courting each other, Emilio Estevez & Demi Moore both starred in "Wisdom" which was an 'Estevez' vehicle as it was Emilio's debut as a Director. This movie was a modern day 'Bonnie & Clyde', but without all the killings. Emilio starred in this film as a 23 year old who had a few drinks with his buddies one night, which turned into a silly stealing car scenario. His arrest then followed with a botch in his otherwise clean record. Emilio and Demi played lovers in this film. -Thanks to Becs D
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Rediscover your favorites! If you like
St. Elmo's Fire or 80's Romantic Comedy classics, then be sure to
check out this list: ..... Can't Buy Me Love ..... Say Anything ..... Some Kind Of Wonderful ..... Sixteen Candles ..... Valley Girl ..... Switching Channels ..... Grandview, U.S.A. ..... Dance 'til Dawn ..... Don't Tell Her It's Me ..... Mannequin ..... Teen Wolf ..... Secret of My Success ..... Secret Admirer ..... Pretty In Pink ..... She's Having a Baby ..... Dream A little Dream .....[More]
| | | | The characters all attended Georgetown University together. After reading the script, Georgetown University administrators refused to allow producers to film on campus, so the on-campus scenes were filmed at the University of Maryland. No Georgetown University buildings appear in the film.
The studio head allegedly wanted to cut the entire plot thread with Estevez's character being hopelessly obsessed with Andie MacDowell's character because they felt that it was 'too embarrassing'. Only when test audiences reacted so passionately to the ski lodge kiss scene did he admit that the director was right to include it.
Demi Moore was chosen for the part of 'Jules' after Schumacher watched her flee from a John Hughes casting session. He instructed his assistant to run after her and find out whether she was an actress.
Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore began dating during the filming of the movie. He said he was "deeply in love with her." For a time they were even engaged, though they never married. -Thanks to Jeanie
The interchanges between 'Kevin' played by Andrew McCarthy and the hooker where based on a conversation between a hooker and a limo driver that the director, Joel Schumacher, had once overheard.
The unexplained camaraderie that centers around the oft shouted phrase, "a boogata boogata boogata huah huah huah" (spelling subject to interpretation!), actually comes from an on-set joke among cast members. Some of the cast members laughingly noted that when a group of people, huddled in private conversation, erupted into laughter, it always sounded oddly like...a boogata boogata boogata (mumbled) huah huah huah (guffawed) -Thanks to Amanda Clement
The director originally had felt that Rob Lowe wasn't right for the part of wild child 'Billie'. Only after repeated phone calls from his agent and a passsionate speech about why he wanted the part did Rob eventually get it...
St. Elmo's Bar is based on The Tombs, a popular watering hole with Georgetown University students. -Thanks to Ashley
Andrew McCarthy (Kevin) began a nasty smoking habit during the filming of the movie. It was rumored that only in the mid nineties did he finally kick the habit. -Thanks to Mitzi
Everyone in the movie was playing a 21 or 22 year old. But the youngest cast member at the time was Rob Lowe, who played Billy. He was just 19! -Thanks to Alexi
Mare Winningham was pregnant while playing virgin Wendy. -Thanks to Chelsea
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|  |  |  | | St. Elmo's Fire
Locations |
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Featured Movie Location: The University - Georgetown Wanna see the real life filming location used for The University - Georgetown in the movie? These scenes were actually shot at University of Maryland, located in College Park, Maryland. [New! Show Google Map]
The street address of St Elmo's Bar is 111 Tazewell street, Norfolk, Virginia. The building still exists, but the front has been made over. The building next to St. Elmos bar still has the same front, which can be verified from the movie. The city documents even list the 111 Tazewell building as St Elmo's Building! [Thanks to Steve Giger]
The University of Maryland in College Park was used for the graduation scene.
Although the film is set in Georgetown, the college scenes had to be shot at the University of Maryland, because Georgetown University allegedy did not allow filming on campus because of some material university officials found objectionable. It has been said that officials refused to cooperate with a movie whose characters had premarital sex...
Whilst the Georgetown University campus was not used during the filming, the streets surrounding the University were part of the film. I was there during part of the filming, and the locations used were right around Wisconsin Ave and "M" street, which is the crossroads of the shopping/residential district in Georgetown proper. Mostly I saw them closest to Wisconsin Ave, on "O" and "P" streets, as I recall. [Thanks to Nina]
In Georgetown, Washington, DC, the St. Elmo's Bar interiors were based on The Tombs, a popular watering hole with Georgetown University students. These were replicated on a studio soundstage. For exterior shots, a different Georgetown bar, called the Third Edition, was used. [Thanks to Ashley]
The Tombs is a very popular and well loved place among Georgetown students. Good food, I ate there at least twice a week when I was a student (and even afterwards!) It is truly Tomblike, quite dark and humid since it's in a basement! It's very crowded on weekend nights, the line can be endless, it seems. The bar on which they based the exterior of St. Elmo's-- The Third Edition, is on Wisconsin Ave. It's popular with students from all area universities. [Thanks to Nina]
The snowy scenes wers shot in Truckee, Nevada.
Can you help? Do you know any of the (or any other) filming locations used for St. Elmo's Fire? [Please send them in]
|  | | | | ![[16:9 -Widescreen Enhanced]](16_9.gif) | ![[5.1 CH SURROUND]](dd5.gif) | Trailer, Commentary, Featurette, Notes |
| Our
Comments: great commentary |
| | ![[16:9 -Widescreen Enhanced]](16_9.gif) | | Commentary, Notes |
| Our
Comments: great commentary |
| | | | | The score and all the 'pop' songs on the soundtrack were written or supervised by emmy award winning Canadian composer/producer David Foster who also contributed to several other 80's Movies Like "The Secret Of My Success".
This was his first movie score assignment, but he had previously penned and produced many pop hits.
In addition to the soundtrack work by David Foster, there is one track by Elefante which is a studio band built around Jon Elefante one time lead vocalist for Kansas. They later recorded under the name Mastadon(which included Dave Amato of REO Speedwagon). [Thanks to Kent]
The soundtrack is available on CD and contains the psuedo classical and well known theme from the movie, "Georgetown". Track listing:
1. St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) - John Parr 2. Shake Down - Billy Squier 3. Young and Innocent - Elefante 4. This Time It Was Really Right - Jon Anderson 5. Saved My Life - Fee Waybill 6. Love Theme from "St. Elmo's Fire" [Instrumental] - David Foster 7. If I Turn You Away - Vikki Moss 8. Stressed Out (Close to the Edge) - Airplay 9. Georgetown - David Foster 10. For Just a Moment (Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire) - David Foster
Singer John Parr, who co-wrote and sung the title song "St. Elmo's Fire" for the soundtrack, explained during a speech at the Childrens choice awards in Sheffield that he was "not particularly thrilled" to be working on the film and that, motivation for the song actually came from a young man who had recently become paralyzed, Canadian wheelchair athlete Rick Hanson, who wheeled around the world to raise money for spinal cord research. He said that "the wheels" of the Man in Motion referenced in the lyrics was popularly thought to mean the wheels of Demi Moore's jeep, but actually refers instead to those of a wheelchair.
In addition to the soundtrack work by David Foster. There is one track by Elefante which is a studio band built around Jon Elefante one time lead vocalist for Kansas. They later recorded under the name Mastadon (which included Dave Amato of REO Speedwagon). Jon Elefante continues to produce and record. -Thanks to Kent
The original 7" single for St Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) contains the song "One Love" on the B side. "One Love" was performed by "Billy Hixx's" band during the Halloween scene. -Thanks to Louis Martinez
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