Forty years ago this December saw the release of the most popular AND influential action comedies of all time.  This was star Eddie Murphy's immediate follow-up to his two breakout hits the previous years, 48 Hrs. in '82 and then Trading Places in '83, only THIS time he was the sole star above the title for the first time.  And Eddie did not disappoint with this fish-out-of-water comedy about a Detroit cop named Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) who travels across the country to Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his best friend.  Even though that might not SOUND like the set-up for an comedic film, Murphy's gift for improvisation and a game supporting cast (John Ashton, Judge Reinhold playing two local cops whom he teams up with in Beverly Hills) bring a lot of humor to the proceedings regardless, along with a clever Oscar-nominated script from Daniel Petrie Jr and top-flight helming from director Martin Brest whose follow-up would be the even better Midnight Run four years later.  What results are memorable characters, quotable lines, and of course a kicking soundtrack including an iconic synth score from Harold Faultemeyer.  The Heat IS On!

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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