Hardball (1997)

Director:

George Erschbamer

Writers:

John Dunning (story)
Jim Cirile (screenplay) ...
(more)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

They'll Do What Ever It Takes...To Take Down Their Man

Plot Keywords:

Bounty Hunter | Gangster | Independent Film

Cast

Michael Dudikoff	...	Jersey Bellini
Lisa Howard	...	B. B.
Tony Curtis	...	Wald
Steve Bacic	...	Peter Carlos
L. Harvey Gold	...	Santos (as Harvey Gold)
Pablo Coffey	...	Theodore Tyler
Reese McBeth	...	Chilli
April Telek	...	Fiona
Claire Riley	...	Lt. Ortega
Gary Chalk	...	Wasser
Dale Wilson	...	Chuck Ramsey
Alex Green	...	Bass
Wayne Knechcel	...	Vassone
Jim Johnston	...	Desk Sergeant
Harvey Dumansky	...	Unger
Robert Moloney	...	Cella Goffman
Danny Wattley	...	Prison Guard
Jim Dunn	...	Salesman
Stephen Dimopoulos	...	Jewelry Store Owner
Charles Andre	...	Bruno
Michael Kopsa	...	Detective in Car
Randy Bird	...	Officer Jones
Kerry Dimmock	...	Uniform Cop
Jean Ferguson	...	Masseuse
Kim Kondrashoff	...	Goon #1
Lauro Chartrand	...	Goon #2
Tony Morelli	...	Wald's Bodyguard / Goon #3
Garvin Cross	...	Thug
Brad Loree	...	Worker
J.J. Makaro	...	Carwash Goon
Kirk Jarrett	...	Hitman
Sarah Rogers	...	Director
Anne Openshaw	...	Mother
Jesse James Erchbamer	...	Little Boy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Juliani	...	Lawyer
Glen Barwise	...	Fiance (uncredited)

Directed by
George Erschbamer

Writing credits
John Dunning		(story)
Jim Cirile		(screenplay) (as Michael Ellis) and
George Erschbamer		(screenplay) &
Jeffrey Barmash		(screenplay) (as Jeff Barmash)

Produced by
Jeffrey Barmash	....	producer (as Jeff Barmash)
John Dunning	....	producer
André Link	....	executive producer (as Andre Link)
Jeff Sackman	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Brian Pearson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mark Sanders

Casting by
Ann Forry

Production Design by
Brian Davie

Art Direction by
Garth Fleming

Set Decoration by
Diana Conway		(as Diana R.J. Conway)

Costume Design by
Barb Nixon

Makeup Department
Naomi Hirano	....	assistant hair stylist
Joanne Kinchella	....	key makeup artist
Tone Rorvik	....	assistant makeup artist
Danna Rutherford	....	makeup artist: second unit
Andrea Simpson	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
John Prince	....	production manager (as John Prince)
Philip Stilman	....	post-production supervisor
Shayne A. Wilson	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Arnold	....	first assistant director: second unit
Dave Bene	....	second assistant director: second unit (as David Bene)
Pierre Henry	....	first assistant director
J.J. Makaro	....	second unit director
Karen Margolese	....	third assistant director
Angela Nolan	....	trainee assistant director
Maria Quanfun	....	trainee assistant director
Sarah Rogers	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bob Carson	....	assistant dresser
Wallace Cross	....	scenic artist
David Dack	....	scenic painter
Antonio Germinario	....	props master
Jonny Kiekish	....	set dresser
Spencer Louttit	....	set dresser
Duncan Maccallum	....	head carpenter
Bob MacDonald	....	assistant dresser
Tiara Motem	....	assistant props
Bryce Perry	....	storyboard artist
Duncan Perry	....	construction coordinator
Steve Pooley	....	scenic painter
Tamara Susik	....	assistant art director
Elmar Theissen	....	scenic painter

Sound Department
Steve Baine	....	foley artist
Mitchell Barmash	....	second boom operator
Rob Bertola	....	sound effects editor
Steve Copley	....	foley recordist
Jim Eustace	....	foley assistant
Rich Gorton	....	foley assistant
Gina Gyles	....	foley assistant
Joe Mancuso	....	dialogue editor
Cory Mandel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ron Martin	....	boom operator
James Porteous	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Porteous	....	sound supervisor
Ed Poty	....	adr editor
D. Andrew Roberts	....	sound effects designer
Sebastian Salm	....	sound mixer
Dan Sexton	....	sound effects editor
John Sievert	....	foley artist
Virginia Storey	....	foley assistant
David Trusz	....	adr assistant

Special Effects by
Rory Cutler	....	special effects coordinator
Scott Macrae	....	special effects assistant
Attila Vaski	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Charles Andre	....	stunt coordinator
James Bamford	....	stunt double: Michael Dudikoff
Gavin Buhr	....	stunts
Yves Cameron	....	stunts
Lauro Chartrand	....	stunts
Chris 'Crash' Clayton	....	stunts
Duane Dickinson	....	stunts
Jim Dunn	....	stunts
Ryan Ennis	....	stunts
Dave Hospes	....	stunts
George Josef	....	stunt coordinator
Michael Langlois	....	stunts (as Mike Langlois)
Terrance Leigh	....	stunts
Brad Loree	....	stunts
Johnny Mah	....	stunts
Cotton Mather	....	stunts
Scott Nicholson	....	stunts
Gerald Paetz	....	stunts
Vanessa Paris	....	stunts
Rick Pearce	....	stunts
Fred Perron	....	stunts
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts
Darryl Scheelar	....	stunts
Bill Stewart	....	stunts
Melissa R. Stubbs	....	stunts (as Melissa Stubbs)
Claire Webb	....	stunts
Chris J. Clayton	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Troy Bassett	....	grip
David Bercovici-Artieda	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Dennis Brock	....	gaffer
Jason Dryden	....	lamp operator
John Dryden	....	generator operator
Tom Ericson	....	still photographer
Martin Hass	....	grip
Caragh Hodge	....	camera trainee
Cliff Hokanson	....	dolly grip
Cliff Hokanson	....	steadicam operator
Dave Jenei	....	key grip
Norbert Kaluza	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Norbert Kaluza	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Mark Kamali	....	grip
Terry Kim	....	gaffer: second unit
Phil Klapwyk	....	best boy electric
Francis Kramer	....	camera focus: "b" camera
George Landrecht	....	lamp operator
Iván Maldonado	....	second assistant camera: second unit
John Marilley-Bodner	....	lamp operator
Rod Mawson	....	second assistant camera
Jessica Moskal	....	camera trainee
Kent Ogilvie	....	grip
Kevin Rankin	....	lamp operator
Peter Reynolds	....	key grip: second unit
John Seale Jr.	....	first assistant camera (as John Seale)
Riley Sweeting	....	best boy
Donald Wilder	....	camera operator: second unit
Glen Winter	....	camera operator
Dale Zucchet	....	generator operator: second unit

Casting Department
Ann Forry	....	casting: Canada
Carrie Ritchie	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Susan Bloedorn	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Mitch Lackie	....	first assistant editor

Transportation Department
Andrea Beardsley	....	driver
Chris J. Clayton	....	transportation coordinator
Greg Lang	....	driver
John Riddle	....	driver: cast
Fred Stephens	....	transportation captain
Matt Trask	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Kelly Abram	....	armorer
Denis Abramsen	....	assistant location manager
Leon Aronson	....	composer
Abigail Athaide	....	assistant to producer
Mitchell Barmash	....	key location production assistant
Laszlo Bicok	....	location production assistant
Paul A. Birkett	....	assistant to director
Dustin Brooks	....	location production assistant
Adria Budd	....	production assistant
Curtis Campbell	....	location manager
Ann Marie Clark	....	continuity
Sue Deacon	....	assistant production accountant
Cara Fores	....	production coordinator
Bernadine Fox	....	assistant production coordinator
Bryan Fransen	....	location manager
Jamie Goehring	....	location production assistant
Genevieve Grady	....	production assistant
Jim Johnston	....	stand-in: Michael Dudikoff
Katrina McCarthy	....	set supervisor
Joanne Mikita	....	assistant: Mr. Dudikoff
Wayne Morice	....	key location production assistant
Lesley Moyle	....	location production assistant
Robert Newby	....	production assistant
Anne Openshaw	....	stand-in: Lisa Howard
Ryan Patterson	....	location production assistant
Fiona Prevost	....	assistant to producer
Maria Quanfun	....	location production assistant
Mark Rudolph	....	location production assistant
Peter Sewell	....	location production assistant
Kaela Sheine	....	assistant to producer
Marie-Helene Tremblay	....	location production assistant
Shayne A. Wilson	....	supervising production coordinator
Amber Woodward	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (as CFP Cinepix Film Properties)
• Moonstone Entertainment
• Cinevu Films (in association with)
• Bounty Films Production Ltd.

Distributors

• Buena Vista Home Video
• Dimension Films (USA)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Beckett Sound Design  dailies synching
• Catherine Rankin Productions Ltd.  negative cutting
• Complex, The  adr: Los Angeles
• Film Opticals  titles and opticals
• Pinewood Studios  adr: Vancouver
• Post Haste  video dailies
• Reel Appetites  catering

Also Known As:

Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball (USA) (video title)
Bounty Hunters II

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some nudity.

Runtime:

97 min | Germany:68 min (heavily cut) (16-rated version) | Germany:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Germany:16 (DVD rating) (heavily cut) | Germany:18 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Cinépix Film Properties (CFP)

Movie Connections:

Follows Bounty Hunters (1997)

a superior sequel

HARDBALL is the sequel to BOUNTY HUNTERS, reuniting Michael Dudikoff and Lisa Howard as the title characters. The first one was simply okay, but I felt this film was a far superior movie. This time around, there's a bigger and better addition of humor. The story isn't necessarily better or worse, but it's the just the overall outcome of the film that makes me find it better than BOUNTY HUNTERS. Dudikoff and Howard make a good buddy cop movie-like team and definitely look like they have a good time working together. The action scenes are a bit better done than they were in the first, and the production values were a little better as well. Tony Curtis has a small role as a mob kingpin and brings some class to an otherwise formula B-movie. But it's really the chemistry between Dudikoff and Howard that makes the movie work, and I wouldn't mind seeing a third film provided it could be at least as good as this one.