-by Bevianna Bones

Greetings readers! Today I present to you another installment in our deep discussion of the greatest piece of film ever to grace the silver screen. For this part of the Howie Series we will be focusing on Cherry Bomb. The fictional band of the film lead by Beverly Switzler AKA Lea Thompson AKA 80’s goddess. Btw this is another reason why I revere the film so much. This was the first time in my childhood I saw someone named Beverly that wasn’t mine or someone else’s grandmother. Not to mention she was a rocker chic on top of it all. So badass. It was the first time I ever thought Beverly was synonymous with cool. Because she was ever so cool. Just look at that hair! And I heart Lea Thompson and anything that she has ever done. And did I mention the fact that she is one of the few cast members that is actually proud to have been a part of this film? She’s so great.

The filmmakers invested heavily in Aquanet          stocks.

Anyway, when we last left Howie, he had been propelled through space from Duckworld and found himself amiss in a back alley somewhere in what he soon finds out from Bev, after the band’s opening ditty, is Cleveland. Or as Howie puts it Cleve Land.
Howie is surrounded by what I assume is supposed to be thugs, but resemble more eighties apropro Judas Priest groupies.

Hell bent for leather?

Of course since they are rockband groupies and not actual thugs, they do what any youthful group with a rebel yell would do and throw Howie into a bar across the street where a crowd has gathered to jam the night away to the rockin bops. Eat your heart out Jem and the Holograms! Cherry Bomb is in the house!

They have to play behind a chain link fence in order to keep the hoards of screaming fans at bay.

As we are treated to a delightful montage of Howie being thrown into all kinds of mischief, Lea AKA Bev gives us jamming 80s fierce realness and sexy eyes to Hunger City. One of the three tracks written by Thomas Dolby for the band to sing in movie.

And so great, we need a still of that face…

Grr!

Howard, shaken from all of his misadventures decides to hide in a barrel. Great idea. While he’s hiding away, we see that since the montage is over, the gig has ended and a lone Bev is walking home at night. More thugs/creepy fans come and get rapey with her. 

Where did she find that jacket and matching hair bow?

Bev frigths back and cries out for help.  Howie being the civilized duck that he is decides something is a fowl (get it) and leaps out of the barrel and unleashes a deadly quack fu attack on the would be assailants.

Note the baby doll heads all over assailant number one’s jacket. Why? So odd, but I just literally figured out that’s why Howie call him babyface. Oh the writing is so intelligent.

The punks take off and Bev thanks Howie for the help. Seems like she is only midly unsettled by a walking, talking, quack fuing duck; she explains to him where he is, and it starts to rain.

Queue 80’s ballad. This version is actually the Thomas Dolby demo of the song, but we get to hear Cherry Bomb and Lea sing it after things go south for Howie and Bev and she’s all distraught. Oh the foreshadowing. It’s the song they met to and the song they made ammends to.

This is my distraught face…do I look distraught enough?

Bev sees Howie standing there like a duck left out in the rain and asks him if he has anywhere to go. Obviously not, or he wouldn’t be in Cleve Land. Oh Howie! She invites him back to her place, but I guess that’s where we will pick it up next time. Seems that I got off the subject of the band, but hey, it’s important to understand why Howie and Bev meet, because their relationship is a catalyst for the other two songs the band sings. One being, Don’t Walk Away, the duck in the rain song; and the other of course the title theme Howard the Duck…but that’s a subject for another day.
-BB