Sudden Death (1995)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writers (WGA):

Karen Elise Baldwin (story)
Gene Quintano (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Terror goes into over-time.

Plot:

A disgraced former fireman takes on a group of terrorists holding the Vice President and others hostage during the seventh game of the NHL Stanley Cup finals.

Plot Keywords:

Vice President | Hostage | Explosive | Hockey | Fireman

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Darren McCord
Powers Boothe	...	Joshua Foss
Raymond J. Barry	...	Vice President
Whittni Wright	...	Emily McCord
Ross Malinger	...	Tyler
Dorian Harewood	...	Hallmark
Kate McNeil	...	Kathi
Michael Gaston	...	Hickey
Audra Lindley	...	Mrs. Ferrara
Brian Delate	...	Blair
Steve Aronson	...	Dooley
Michael R. Aubele	...	Ace
Karen Elise Baldwin	...	TV Director
Jennifer D. Bowser	...	Joan
Pat Brisson	...	Player #2

MPAA:

Rated R for a substantial amount of strong violence, and for language.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 (TV version) | Australia:MA | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

600 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Eric Politowski, Donna Politowski, and Lisa Celmo are shown in the crowd of the Civic Arena.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): McCord states that his son is sitting in D10, however in the Mellon Arena (then Civic Arena) the location where McCord's children are seated is actually C10.

Quotes:

2nd Hostage: [in the Vice President's box-suite, one of Foss's hostages is having a seizure of some kind. Another hostage is examining the first] ... This man needs a doctor!
Joshua Foss: [walks over and guns down the ailing first hostage] ... Not anymore.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friends: The One After the Superbowl: Part 2 (#2.13)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Rock And Roll, Part II

A fairly decent thriller that doesn't try to get cute.

I may be one of those movie buffs who's at least willing to confess that they're not a huge admirer or fan of a certain actor or director. Jean-Claude Van Damme would be near the top of my list of actors that I only admire although I've seen a few films where he has his name is on the poster.

"Sudden Death" is the second film that Van Damme has starred in with photographer/director Peter Hyams ("End of Days", "Timecop") is at the helm.

This film was based on an actual story by Karen Baldwin and is adapted into the story by Gene Quintano.

The movie takes place at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh where the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penquins are about to take the ice for the last game of the Stanley Cup finals. Van Damme's character, Darren McCord, takes his son and daughter to the game. As usual, the arena is packed with fans and the Vice President of the U.S. has come to see the game as well. Unfortunately, Joshua Foss (Powers Boothe), a demented terrorist and a small band of terrorists take control of the Owner's box where the V.P. and several people. Foss demands that he wants a billion dollars and how he wants to use it puzzles me. However, at the end of each period, if his demand isn't met, Foss shoots someone and if the deal isn't done at the end of the game. The arena is blown sky high with several explosives that are set all over the arena.

Boothe is good here and he makes the threat very real, which is key to making any thriller. He also shows some wit and in one particular scene, the Vice President curiously asks Foss "What kind of lunatic are you?" Foss responds - "The best kind."

What draws McCord into the situation is when his daughter is taken up to the Owner's box. From there on, the movie manages to make the excitement to be interesting. One example would be the fight scenes that McCord has with a couple of thugs in the kitchen at two seperate times. Just about every prop is used from the meat slicer to the bone, which goes through one of the neck of a terrorist. Fun and yucky isn't it?

The last half of the film is just about entertaining as the first half is. I'm undecided if "Sudden Death" would make the best thriller that involves a sports event and terrorists since John Frankenheimer's "Black Sunday". Van Damme and Boothe are both good here.