Richard Gere hit star status ushering in the ’80s leading a head-turning explicit-sexuality story centering on a male character as lust object; as escort Julian Kay, Gere (dressed by Giorgio Armani) plies his lucrative trade with Beverly Hills matrons — until he falls for married Lauren Hutton and becomes the prime suspect in a murder. Writer/director Schrader and producer Jerry Bruckheimer convened artisans (including on the instant-classic original song “Call Me,” performed by Blondie) to convey the sinuous and toxic allure of high-end L.A. living.