THE REWATCHABLES · April 25, 2023
A 1995 action / thriller / martial arts directed by Peter Hyams, covered in the complete Rewatchables archive.
ON THIS EPISODE
FROM THE CONVERSATION
WHY IT WORKS
WHAT DID NOT WORK
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
The film opens with Van Damme trying to rescue a child from a fire, but they note the child is already dead, creating a grim and awkward start.
About 24 minVan Damme uses Penguins Game 7 tickets to win over his kids, a scene they find both stressful and effective.
About 32 minBoothe lays out the hostage-and-money plan, which they enjoy as a quintessential action-movie villain monologue.
About 16 minVan Damme fights the Penguins mascot in the arena kitchen amid fryers, knives, and absurd practical hazards.
About 24 minVan Damme becomes the goalie, makes a save, and punches a player, which they treat as the movie's signature scene.
About 40 minVan Damme sprints through the arena, climbs the roof, and keeps the action moving in a visually striking sequence.
About 40 minThe villain's helicopter crash and laugh are treated as a suitably overcooked ending.
About 48 minWHERE THEY DISAGREED
Bill SimmonsVan Damme going in goal is the most rewatchable scene.
Kyle BrandtThe goalie sequence is one of the most rewatchable 1990s action scenes.
Bill SimmonsHe is only okay and lands around a 3 on their villain scale.
Kyle BrandtHe is underpowered for the role and should have been much more charismatic.
Kyle BrandtSudden Death's Game 7 hostage crisis is the one he'd most want to attend.
Bill SimmonsThe Natural's championship-ending home run and spectacle is a better candidate.
Kyle BrandtA cornerback version featuring Jason Sehorn fits best.
Bill SimmonsA punter/kick-based version, 'Coffin Corner,' would work better.
He loves the movie's absurdity and rewatchability, though he says the opening stretch is a little too long.
Opening minutesHe frames the film as a late-cycle Die Hard clone and appreciates how shamelessly it embraces the formula.
Opening minutesHe views Van Damme as a more likable and believable action star than Seagal because he takes punishment on screen.
About 8 minHe treats the goalie sequence as one of the great rewatchable sports-movie scenes ever.
About 24 minHe thinks the goalie sequence is one of the most rewatchable scenes of the 1990s.
About 24 minHe thinks Boothe is fine but underwhelming for a role that should have been a stronger villain showcase.
About 24 minHe agrees the villain performance is not strong enough for the material and compares it unfavorably to better Die Hard villains.
About 24 minHe loves the mascot fight, the deep fryer gag, and the overall absurd arena-kitchen choreography.
About 24 minHe thinks the kitchen sequence is wonderfully ridiculous and one of the movie's most over-the-top moments.
About 24 minHe enjoys the movie's frenetic ending, especially the helicopter crash and the quick-cut finale.
About 48 minHe argues the movie is a perfect time-capsule of shameless 1990s action-movie logic.
About 1:36 · medium confidenceThey frame the film as a hockey-arena version of Die Hard and discuss how many movies in the era were built on that model.
Opening minutesKyle argues Van Damme is willing to get beaten up on screen, unlike Seagal, which makes him more likable.
About 8 minThey marvel that the NHL allowed its teams and arena to be used for a hostage movie at all.
Opening minutesThey connect Van Damme's off-screen chaos, interviews, marriages, and substance abuse to his public persona.
About 8 minBoth hosts and producer Craig celebrate the era's self-serious but ridiculous action formulas.
About 1:36The movie was released on December 22, 1995, one week after Heat.
About 16 minThe film made about $64 million on a $35 million budget.
About 16 minHoward Baldwin's wife Karen Baldwin helped produce the movie and pitched the retractable-roof arena idea.
About 1:20The production used stand-ins and fake hockey footage because of a lockout.
About 1:20The movie later got a 2020 sequel titled Welcome to Sudden Death.
About 1:28The hosts say the body count is 36.
About 1:20They claim the little girl in the opening may have been crushed by Van Damme's rescue attempt.
About 24 minUsed as the template for the film's hostage-in-a-building premise.
Opening minutesUsed as another action template and as a comparison for the movie's mountain-size escalation.
Opening minutesCited as one of the better Die Hard clones.
Opening minutesMentioned as a successful action-film variation on the Die Hard model.
Opening minutesReferenced as a previous movie about terrorists threatening a Super Bowl.
Opening minutesUsed to discuss how the NFL would react to on-field injury or realism.
Opening minutesUsed as an example of the late decline in Van Damme's career.
About 8 minReferenced as a novelty Dennis Rodman-Van Damme vehicle and a bad movie.
About 8 minMentioned when discussing Van Damme's role names and twin performances.
About 16 minReferenced while listing Van Damme's character names across his career.
About 16 minCited as both a career milestone and part of Van Damme's late-90s decline.
About 8 minDiscussed as the movie that launched Van Damme's mainstream fame.
About 8 minUsed to compare intimidating boxing villains to Bolo Yeung/Drago-type antagonists.
About 16 min · medium confidenceUsed in the action-villain ranking discussion.
About 24 min · medium confidenceOffered as Bill's preferred fictional sports event.
About 1:28They repeatedly rank action stars and villains in hypothetical fight brackets, with Van Damme as the favorite.
About 16 minThey keep returning to how absurdly the movie handles hockey rules, goalie substitution, and game flow.
About 40 minBill and Kyle build a ranking of Die Hard-style villains and place Boothe near the bottom.
About 24 minThey keep roasting the son for being obnoxious and unsympathetic.
About 1:12They joke about how inconsistent and sometimes ridiculous Van Damme character names are, especially Darren McCord.
About 16 min“you need to watch like every five years”Opening minutes
“This has been a strange night for Tolliver”About 40 min
“I'm no fucking terrorist. I'm a professional.”About 32 min
“Can somebody make this cow stop moaning?”About 1:12
“Jean-Claude fucking Van Damme”About 1:36
MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Three movies to watch before Sudden Death, and three to watch next.
ON THE MIC
Bill SimmonsThe Rewatchables
Kyle BrandtThe RewatchablesREWATCH FAVS
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