Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Hero And The Terror

Collapse
X
Collapse
  •  
    Ian Jane
    Administrator

  • Hero And The Terror



    Released by: Kino Lorber
    Released on: June 16th, 2015.
    Director: William Tannen
    Cast: Chuck Norris, Jack O'Halloran, Steve James, Billy Drago, Ron O'Neal
    Year: 1988
    Purchase from Amazon

    The Movie:

    When William Tannen's 1988 Cannon Films production Hero And The Terror begins, we learn how a Los Angeles based cop named Danny O'Brien (Chuck Norris) was credited with stopping a murderous psychopath named Simon Moon (Jack O'Halloran), dubbed 'The Terror' by the local press. Though he was lauded as a hero for his efforts, in reality Moon feel to his death during a chase - the fact is, Danny got lucky. As such, he's plagued by nightmares when he sleeps AND visions when he works out with his good pal Robinson (Steve James).

    Danny's pregnant wife, Kay (Brynn Thayer), tries to comfort him - after all, she used to be his shrink! - but once it appears that Moon not only back, having busted out of the psych ward where he was locked up, but once again on a killing spree it doesn't do him much good. The mayor (Ron O'Neal) convinces Danny to go along with his cover-up so as not to encourage copycat murders and the cop begrudgingly agrees, but soon enough Danny has to face his fears - both as a cop out to stop a maniacal killing machine hiding inside a neat old theater AND as a father to be…

    This one gives leading man Chuck Norris a bit more to do in the acting department than the typical films he was making for Cannon Films during his eighties heyday. Based on the novel of the same name by Michael Blodgett (the same guy who wrote Turner And Hooch and who once starred in Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls!), the script here has as much to do with Norris' macho man character coming to terms with the changes in his life as it does with him spin kicking bad guys or shooting his way out of trouble. Norris, often (and fairly) disregarded as a one note actor who rarely emotes or really builds a character of any depth in his films, actually handles this material surprisingly well. He looks a bit weathered here, a bit beaten down by the odds that are becoming increasingly stacked against him. He's got a lot on his plate and he's able to reflect that in his portrayal here. Yes, ladies and gentleman, this is the rare movie where Chuck Norris gets to act - and he doesn't do a half bad job of it either.

    There are some fun supporting characters here - Steve James is a blast to watch as Danny's pal. The scene early in the movie where James and some other gym rat are encouraging Norris to lift a massive weight while Norris is having horrible flashbacks to his past is plenty funny, though for the wrong reasons. Ron O'Neal makes for an unlikely mayor, given that to pretty much everyone in the world he'll always be Superfly, while Brynn Thayer is likeable, if a little dry, as the wife coming to terms with the changes in her body brought about both by age and pregnancy. Billy Drago has a small supporting role here as the bad guy's doctor but it's Jack O'Halloran who steals the show as Moon. He's a big, hulking man who has no trouble throwing his weight around as he zips around Los Angeles snapping one pretty neck after the next. He definitely puts his all into the role and while the movie drags in spots when it gets too dramatic for its own good, when O'Halloran is on screen doing his thing it's a lot of fun to watch.

    So yeah, maybe not the most action packed of Norris' eighties run but Hero And The Terror does a decent job of creating some believable characters while simultaneously delivering some decent moments of tensions and suspense. It's an 'outside the box' movie for Norris, which is interesting to see, and while it could have tightened the pace in spot, it's a pretty entertaining watch that builds to a satisfying conclusion.

    Video/Audio/Extras:

    Hero And The Terror debuts on Blu-ray properly framed at 1.85.1 widescreen in AVC encoded 1080p high definition. This movie has always looked more than a little soft in spots and that look carries over to this disc but having said that, detail and texture definitely get a nice uptick compared to the previous DVD release. Colors are well reproduced here and while there are some scenes where the brightness looks a little hotter than it has in the past, it's not really to the presentation's detriment. Print damage is never more than minor white specks and skin tones look good. No compression artifacts or edge enhancement here of any note, and the image is naturally grainy enough that it never looks like there's any noise reduction either. This feels true to how the movie has always looked, and that should be plenty fine by the film's fans.

    The only audio option on the disc is an English language DTS-HD 2.0 track is serviceable if never mind blowing. The dialogue is clean, clear and properly balanced while the score does show frequent moments of depth. The sound effects are strong without becoming overbearing and the track is free of any hiss or distortion.

    Extras include a trailer for the feature, a trailer for An Eye For An Eye, static menus and chapter selection.

    The Final Word:

    Hero And The Terror holds up pretty well. If it's obviously a product of its time, so be it, but it's a good mix of action and suspense with elements of horror slasher films mixed in to nice effect. If the film isn't always scary per se, it is at least pretty entertaining stuff thanks to Norris and a strong supporting cast. Kino's Blu-ray offers fans of the film a nice upgrade if not with the minimal extras but with a very solid presentation.

    Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!





















      Posting comments is disabled.

    Latest Articles

    Collapse

    • Hot Spur (Severin Films) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Severin Films
      Released on: April 30th, 2024.
      Director: Lee Frost
      Cast: Joseph Mascolo, Virginia Goodman, John Alderman
      Year: 1969
      Purchase From Amazon

      Hot Spur – Movie Review:

      Director Lee Frost and Producer Bob Cresse's film, Hot Spur, opens in Texas in 1869 with a scene where a pair of cowboys wanders into a bar where they call over a pretty Mexican waitress and coerce her into dancing for them. She obliges, but
      ...
      03-22-2024, 11:53 AM
    • Death Squad (Mondo Macabro) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Mondo Macabro
      Released on: April 9th, 2024.
      Director: Max Pecas
      Cast: Thierry de Carbonnières, Jean-Marc Maurel, Denis Karvil, Lillemour Jonsson
      Year: 1985
      Purchase From Amazon

      Death Squad – Movie Review:

      Also known as Brigade Of Death, French sleaze auteur Max Pecas’ 1985 film, Death Squad, opens with a night time scene outside of Paris in the Bois de Boulogne Forest where cars pass by a small gang of transsexual
      ...
      03-22-2024, 11:46 AM
    • Roommates (Quality X) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Quality X
      Released on: February 28th, 2024.
      Director: Chuck Vincent
      Cast: Samantha Fox, Vernoica Hart, Kelly Nichols, Jerry Butler, Jamie Gillis
      Year: 1982
      Purchase From Amazon

      Roommates – Movie Review:

      Directed by Chuck Vincent and released in 1982, Roommates opens with a scene where a young woman named Joan Harmon (Veronica Hart) gets a hotel room with an older man named Ken (Don Peterson, credited as Phil Smith),
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:10 PM
    • Night Of The Blood Monster (Blue Underground) UHD/Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Blue Underground
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Jess Franco
      Cast: Christopher Lee, Maria Rohm, Dennis Price
      Year: 1970
      Purchase From Amazon

      Night Of The Blood Monster – Movie Review:

      Directed by Jess Franco, The Bloody Judge (or, Night Of The Blood Monster, as it is going by on this new release from Blue Underground) isn't quite the salacious exercise in Eurotrash you might expect it to be, and while it
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:07 PM
    • Phase IV (Vinegar Syndrome) UHD/Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Vinegar Syndrome
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Saul Bass
      Cast: Nigel Davenport, Michael Murphy, Lynne Frederick, Alan Gifford, Robert Henderson, Helen Horton
      Year: 1974
      Purchase From Amazon

      Phase IV – Movie Review:

      Saul Bass’ 1974 sci-fi/thriller Phase IV is an interesting blend of nature run amuck stereotypes and Natural Geographic style nature footage mixed into one delicious cocktail of suspense and
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:02 PM
    • The Bounty Hunter Trilogy (Radiance Films) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Radiance Films
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Shigehiro Ozawa, Eiichi Kudo
      Cast: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Minoru Ôki, Arashi Kanjuro, Bin Amatsu, Chiezo Kataoka
      Year: 1969-1972
      Purchase From Amazon

      The Bounty Hunter Trilogy – Movie Review:

      Radiance Films gathers together the three films in Toie Studios’ Bounty Hunter Trilogy, starring the inimitable Tomisaburo Wakayama. Here’s how the three movies in this
      ...
      03-13-2024, 11:30 AM
    Working...
    X