Silent Rage (1982)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Michael Miller

Writer:

Joseph Fraley (writer)

Release Date:

2 April 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The king of martial arts versus a bionic killing machine!

Plot:

Dan Stevens is the sheriff of a small Texas town who checks out a disturbance which turns to murder...

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Murder | Axe Murder | Comic Sidekick | Terror

Cast

Chuck Norris	...	Sheriff Dan Stevens
Ron Silver	...	Dr. Tom Halman
Steven Keats	...	Dr. Phillip Spires
Toni Kalem	...	Alison Halman
William Finley	...	Dr. Paul Vaughn
Brian Libby	...	John Kirby
Stephen Furst	...	Charlie
Stephanie Dunnam	...	Nancy Halman
Joyce Ingle	...	Mrs. Sims
Jay De Plano	...	Biker Leader
Lillette Zoe Raley	...	Tatooed Biker Mama
Mike Johnson	...	Biker at Cafe
Linda Tatum	...	Biker Mama #1 at Bar
Kathleen Lee	...	Biker Mama #2 (as Kathy Lee)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Bodean	...	Biker in Bar
David Unger	...	Boy #3 at the house (as David Andre Unger)

Runtime:

Sweden:91 min | USA:103 min | Belgium:96 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Texas, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Dr. Halman is talking with his wife about getting pizza, you can see someone moving in the window frame above Ron Silver's head.

Quotes:

Charlie: Billy, they were the biggest things I ever saw and they had tattoos on them. You know, I may be in love. I might just go right back in there and ask her out on a date. (Biker flies out of the bar through the door) Mayday! billy, send backup! all units report to the old blues bar, over!

Movie Connections:

References Taxi Driver (1976)

Chuck faces the bogeyman.

A young, unstable man hacks to death the lady and man he lives with, and Texan Sheriff Dan Stevens comes face to face with the killer, to only see him gunned down by his men after he tries to escape when captured. At the hospital, he's pronounced dead, but secretly he's used in an experiment by some surgeons working on a formula to help the body genetically heal in quick succession. They thought they could control him and this development would bring them success, but now this homicidal murderer is an unstoppable killing machine and Sheriff Stevens and his rookie Deputy are on the trail.

Norris' fans might dig it, but others might find this cheap-jack b-film a boring chore. I thought it was fair. Anyhow who's the man, Chuck's the man. Not much of an actor though, but we know. He gets by with that golden blonde hair and legendary chop-suey who-ha…. And not forgetting that distinguishable fuzz above the lip. The premise is like an over-extended episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger" meets John Carpenter's "Halloween (1977)". Actually a lot scenes and filming techniques closely resemble "Halloween" and even its first sequel, but the main difference it's headed by Norrissssssss. The far-fetched concept isn't bad with slasher tones, a lady in peril get-up and a mad scientist theme, but it throws so much in that there seems to be too much useless filler (like the corny romance sequences, biker trouble (nice work in the bar Chuck, but we already know how good you are), scientific moral dilemmas and non-effective comic humour) interrupting what could've been more fun. Silly it is to begin with, but do we want to see Norris romancing, or kicking ass? These redundant acts only slowed it up and got in the way on the main story. What outweighs the film is the weakly lacking script with many clumsy dialogues. Norris even gets time to share some heart-warming advice. Director Michael Millar starts off pretty slowly, but in the second half demonstrates well-shot camera placement and steady pockets of poignant tension. The atmospheric synthesizer score seemed to work. Chuck gets his hands dirty with some gusty scuffles involving the super-human killing machine, like the modest, if unspectacular showdown with him using his jump-kicks (in slow-motion of course) and sudden close-ups to show that focuses on his face. Norris' chimes in with a stoic performance, but goes gusty when the action calls. Brian Libby's menacingly towering figure is effective. Ron Silver sticks out as the humane doctor, while William Finley goes all-smarmy as deceitfully mad doctor looking for that Nobel Prize award. Stephen Furst as the overweight, downright clueless deputy was there for the laughs, but where were they. Toni Kalem looks all-sweet as Norris old flame.