Hardcore (1979)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writer:

Paul Schrader (writer)

Release Date:

27 April 1979 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

"Oh my God, that's my daughter."

Plot:

A conservative Midwest businessman ventures into the sordid underworld of pornography in California to look for his runaway teenage daughter whom is making porno films in the porno pits of Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Runaway | Racial Slur | Assault | Christmas | Underage Sex

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

George C. Scott	...	Jake VanDorn, alias Jake DeFreese
Peter Boyle	...	Andy Mast
Season Hubley	...	Niki
Dick Sargent	...	Wes DeJong
Leonard Gaines	...	Bill Ramada
Dave Nichols	...	Kurt (as David Nichols)
Gary Graham	...	Tod (as Gary Rand Graham)
Larry Block	...	Detective Burrows
Marc Alaimo	...	Ratan
Leslie Ackerman	...	Felice
Charlotte McGinnis	...	Beatrice (as Charlotte McGinnes)
Ilah Davis	...	Kristen VanDorn
Paul Marin	...	Joe VanDorn
Will Walker	...	Jim 'Jism Jim' Sloane
Hal Williams	...	Big Dick Blaque

Also Known As:

The Hardcore Life (UK)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

A-Team

Trivia:

George C. Scott and director Paul Schrader did not get along, so much so that at one point Scott refused to come out of his trailer and threatened to quit the film. Scott only agreed to come out after forcing Schrader to promise that he would never direct again (obviously, Schrader went back on his promise).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jake has returned to LA and fires his detective, he creates a list of establishments to do his own research and that evening and drives around visiting places on his list. The first place he visits has a street number of 739 (visible in frame) but in looking at address detail in the long shot of the list itself, there are no references to a street number of 739 anywhere.

Quotes:

Andy Mast: A lot of strange things happen in this world. Things you don't know about in Grand Rapids. Things you don't want to know about. Doors that shouldn't be opened.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in That's My Daughter (1982)

Soundtrack:

GUARDIAN ANGEL

An overlooked classic

Paul Schrader, who wrote and directed this film, also wrote the screenplay for "Taxi Driver"; both films were tips of the hat to the classic western, "The Searchers".

The excellent performances by George C. Scott and Peter Boyle are nowhere more apparent than in the scene where Boyle shows the porno flick starring Scott's daughter; he almost has a sadistic gleam in his eye as George C. Scott grips the arms of the chair and screams, "Turn it off... turn it off!!!".

Christians who complain that their faith is often ridiculed by Hollywood should see this movie, in spite of its disturbing subject matter. Scott deftly portrays a man whose religious convictions motivate him into risking his life for his daughter's sake. (Ironically, it may be those same convictions which drove his daughter from him in the first place.)

The only real drawback to this movie was that the "snuff film" element was not really necessary to create a sense of urgency. The urgency was captured perfectly in the "turn it off!" scene; there was really no need for a contrived life-or-death situation. Other than that, "Hardcore" is a gritty, brutal and poignant story.