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Sudden Death (1995)
34 Plays2 months ago
This week on the Everything Actioncast, Zach and Chris hit the ice to talk about the 1995 Jean-Claude Van Damme classic Sudden Death, which was just released on 4K for the first time.
Van Damme plays Darren McCord, a former firefighter turned fire marshall who works at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena. Getting tickets for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks, he brings his children to the game but unfortunately a disgruntled Secret Service agent, Joshua Foss (Powers Boothe) has chosen the game as an opportunity to take the visiting Vice President hostage and extort billions from secret government funds. In Die Hard fashion, Darren becomes the one man who can save the day, stop the terrorists, and rescue his kids. Zach and Chris discuss the convoluted nature of Powers Boothe's plan, the epic Van Damme vs Icee the Penguin fight, Van Damme's MacGyver abilities, the terrible-looking helicopter finale, and more.
You can buy the new 4K of Sudden Death from Amazon or rent the movie from your digital service of choice.
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Transcript
Introduction and Main Topic
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Everything Action Cast, the official podcast of EverythingAction.com.
00:00:18
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Everything Action Cast podcast week of August 26, 2024. I'm your host Zach. I'm your co-host Chris. Yeah, and this week we are hitting the ice and talking about ah the 1995 Jean Clavinham classic, Sudden Death, ah because it just this week got a brand new 4K release. It's on 4K for the first time.
Van Damme and Film Background
00:00:42
Speaker
So you can see all the all the hockey action in the Crystal Clear 4K.
00:00:50
Speaker
And ah yeah, this is the ah second team up between ah director Peter Hiams and Jean Clavinham. They teamed up for the I would say probably better, uh, time cop, but, um, this is their second team up. And then they, they also team up later for, um, enemies closer, which I don't know if you ever see that movie, Chris. No, he's like the bad, like Van Dam's the bad guy. He's like the crazy, like, like he's like an evil Mountie or something. You're like, it's like, and it's like, uh, or the, or any of the Jones. It's like one of the, it's like, and I remember Scott, like you have to team up.
00:01:26
Speaker
Wait, Orlando Jones is the villain or the hero? It's it's Orlando Jones, the time I met Scott, team up. And then Van Damme's the bad guy. And he's got like crazy, like, Sideshow Bob hair. He's got, like, got like this like crazy hair and stuff.
Plot and Unique Settings
00:01:39
Speaker
No, I've never seen this one. I wonder if it's a must watch. It was Twitter, Dean. It was actually, it's it's actually pretty solid, if you ever want to check it out. It's like, ah it was like, I think that, it's like that and Welcome to the Jungle came out the exact same year. So that was like a big, like a Van Damme year.
00:01:56
Speaker
But yeah, Sun and Death was the year after Timecop, which was you know the duo's first team up. And ah apparently it was based on an idea from Karen Baldwin, who is the wife of Howard Baldwin, who owned the Pinsford Penguins. Oh, wow.
00:02:18
Speaker
And then, and so she was like, Hey, our arena are like the civic arena, which is no longer existed. So it's, I guess, I think it's a parking lot now in Pittsburgh, but, uh, we know, we, we know what really happened to it. Yeah. yeah Um, but yeah, a bit she, she, like Karen ball, we came up with this idea of, Hey, our arena has this awesome, like retractable roof. Like that would probably make a cool like, uh, action movie.
00:02:44
Speaker
And so kind of pitched idea. They wrote they were, they're also apparently like, like film producers as well. They owned the penguins, but also like, we're like producing Hollywood movies. So, um, so they came up with the idea and they got kind of flushed out more. And then, you know, Peter Himes came on yeahla de kimon and then became the, uh, the diehard knockoff that we know and love today.
00:03:10
Speaker
Which I think, where, I'm trying to think like, this was definitely like, there was definitely um a lot of, even though it was, how many i mean years post-Die Hard? Like, there were still, like, you're still cracking out Die Hard knockoffs?
00:03:26
Speaker
I guess, I guess Die Hard with the Vengeance came out like, oh, it was like the same year as this, that's kind of like, stiff competition, if you're like, an actual Die Hard movie comes out, then like, Sigh of Death comes out.
Die Hard Comparisons
00:03:37
Speaker
Yeah, it's sort of like a spy Bond like movie during the peak times of Bond movies. You know, it's just sort of like a genre. And I think pretty much yeah even Die Hard, I think, is not the first Die Hard movie. It just became the best where it took over the genre of hostage, like one man army in a hostage situation. Yeah. Well, it's is is a form of like trapped in a location.
00:04:06
Speaker
There's like a very like charismatic bad guy or like a kind of like what more like a villain, like a complicated scheme. It's not, it's not just like they're taking hostages. There's something else going on with the villains. And then yeah, and then it's like, yeah, chapter building. Yeah. And then you have like rest the one guy has like saved like the entire like hostages. And then, and then po potentially like so some other, like a person like outside the building helping.
00:04:34
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's like high concept action film before basically ah but like just because there's so many different types of concepts together. Yeah. Like a charismatic villain years ago would have been its own movie.
00:04:50
Speaker
you know, that would have been the hero for a while. Or the building hostage would have been like the, the, the like, I guess the like whoever's being taken hostage would have been a genre in itself. Like a whole movie would have been just that like, that seems like a stage play if like you never leave that scene. Right. But Die Hard was the first like, I guess, one of the best to just combine them all together.
00:05:17
Speaker
And then, yeah, then they start making pumping
Character Motivations and Roles
00:05:20
Speaker
a lot of it. And then eventually, like, I think it was just like a thing you did as an action star at some point between the 80s and early 90s. Yeah. make entire knock off I heard, I heard on a plane, I heard on Air Force One, I heard on a battleship, I heard in cool. Yes.
00:05:42
Speaker
Die hard in space die hard in There has to be one in a hospital. I feel like was that high tension or whatever the one with Michael Keaton I Don't know. I mean, I'm i'm sure I'm any sort of any sort of like Building has probably had like a diehard what we said in it ah There was like you had like your toy soldiers die hard in a school. I mean you had like it was like it was everything It was like throughout the entire 90s. It was like this constant I heard not goes I mean, another reason why you watch this kind of movie too is because the villain has to be charming. It wouldn't be a good die-heart like thing. If the villain wasn't someone you just love to hate or just spewing out like very like gripping dialogue, but all ultimately just like meaningless to just like the overall plot, you know, like it's not like the villain um lashing out is something to do with like, oh,
00:06:41
Speaker
I hate, I hate firemen. It's just like something stupid. You know, it's like, a I don't think like, I think the fireman angle for our powers booth in this movie is like used twice. Then the rest of it is hockey metaphors. Well, I guess, I guess just jump to the beginning. So like, so Van Dam is a firefighter, ah a French Canadian firefighter who lives in Pittsburgh.
00:07:07
Speaker
Um, and he is, he's fighting a fire. He's like, there's a little, he and and the little girl trapped. And then i've I've never understood like how the girl died because the entire building fell on them. But then, but then Van Damme is fine. And then he like, he's like, he's like protecting her with his body, but then she still died because of his like, think maybe like they didn't get her out in time. And then also she might have like eternal bleeding. It's like a two for one thing.
00:07:36
Speaker
Well, it's like she like dies the most traumatic. It's just like her eyes like like just she's like just staring at like dead staring at like her eyes are staring open like and then if it damn like I guess quits because he can't deal with like well okay, okay, not to get too dark Maybe she just had sudden death So someone should have mentioned that it's just like oh man sudden death it's like it's like what happened so i i I always thought just like she was like overpowered by like vedam's musk just like he was is too close to hooks for XMU the vedams like ah they were sharing they were sharing just like oxygen um one yeah one oxygen but then like
00:08:16
Speaker
just like he was already like covered in a building it wasn't like he found her and he's and she's in a corner it's like it's already like yeah it's like that shot from like spider-man with the bedding on it yeah it was just that I was like all right like did we miss another part of a movie it's like yeah he found her and then he got trapped And then but or it's like they felt like they fell into like the basement or something. and that But then more than possible. Yeah. They don't show you what led to them being in this like one person size hole with two of them. And that's the kind of like a knowing part. But it's like whatever, as if we just saw like a sequel to Backdraft and we're just like, here here's just this. All right. Don't worry about it. Yeah.
00:08:56
Speaker
But yeah, but yeah somehow like Van Damme if Van Damme is perfectly like he comes out of it unscathed except and Mentally, he's not unscathed but like he's on but physically he's unscathed But then yeah, there's a little girl who's like he was like shilling with his body like died so then so that trauma. Yeah it's is unfortunate So then he became he becomes a ah fire marshal for the civic arena Which ah Like it's funny cause I thought in this area, it looks like Chicago, right? Like some of the guards have a Chicago accent. Well, I mean, they're probably like it's, it's, it's Pittsburgh versus Chicago for the Stanley cups. So there's a probably a lot of Chicago fans in town. and
00:09:38
Speaker
But the guards are Chicago guys, too. So I don't know if there's like Chicago guards come. But anyway, and especially if you don't know Pittsburgh, because it's like you it's not like ah they take a sweeping shot. Like you only see it's just like the water side and then the arena. And it's and it really doesn't utilize more Pittsburgh.
Key Scenes and Family Dynamics
00:09:59
Speaker
Yeah.
00:10:01
Speaker
Yeah. free Pretty much. Pretty much. Yeah. Once you get the arena, it's like it's all it's all about the arena. Yeah. Yeah. I kind of forgot where this was. I know there's Pittsburgh Penguins evolved. I when I watched this movie as a kid, I think I rented this movie. ah But like I didn't know where Pittsburgh was, you know, and then just like I'm not watching the Pittsburgh Penguin. I don't know. I see was like because, you know, if you got like a regional sports team, that's it. Like I don't think New York Rangers at the time I lived in New York.
00:10:29
Speaker
there wasn't a mascot. I mean, it was just like, maybe they got one. I think it was like the bulldog. And then later on, it was the Statue of Liberty, like post 9-11, which is kind of like America's mascot. It's not exactly like New York only. You put a jersey on it and then you claim it. like no Legit. I think the yeah Statue of Liberty had a jersey on it. Yeah. And yeah, it's just like, but all right, I get it. But ah yeah. the Really solid intro. I think, I actually, for the first 15 minutes of the movie, I took notes of every highlighted piece and it's crazy. To try to understand like the most convoluted scheme in actual movie history. So hold on. Do you want to hear my rundown real quick before we talk about that? Sure, yeah. Okay, okay. So before, I'm actually, hold on one second, one, two, three, four, five, six. So wait, one, two, three,
00:11:27
Speaker
or So wait here's the five things that just happened in the first 15 minutes that have nothing to do with terrorism. So there's the heroic firefighting. There's divorce dad stuff. Sign language.
00:11:42
Speaker
for ah it's just like The daughter just wants to learn sign language, like which I guess is nice, but like, it's such a weird, like, forced, like, it's the movie thing. Just that thing. Yeah. Okay. um Also, like, like like a I love like how the stepdad is just like exposition machine. Yes, divorce bad things. But he's like, just like, oh, your dad, like, it's he's like, explain to his, like, the kids, like, let me tell you about your dad, that you don't, like, you get to know about your dad, like, it's like, I feel like this is the week. He's a weekend dad. So yeah.
00:12:12
Speaker
You see him every other weekend or something. So it's like two years. It's like, come on, kid. Like, what do you guys talk about? Nothing. Yeah. As if this is the first time I get it. Like, hey, you're taking your kids to work on the weekend for like a very special Stanley Cup game. I get that. But I feel like this trauma counseling, I feel like he was already divorced by the time that incident happened. I don't think the two year thing made broke up that family, right?
00:12:40
Speaker
it's yeah yeah yeah no no don't know yeah we don't know It's not like from that incident, he had a divorce to divorce his wife and be like separate from his kids. And not to spoil much, but it's not like his marriage is saved again by the end of the movie. no i was like Oh, we're together. It's like that does not happen. Nope. So that had nothing to do with this. It's just nice to know that, you know, the stepdad guy is actually like a nice guy. He's not like a mean stepdad.
00:13:10
Speaker
right he's just like hey like respect your dad he's got like a tough job and like he's a firefighter who's in like can kick my ass like i think the set dad knows like oh fit out like even though even though if i did like so he's a firefighter slash amateur hockey player Which is already two things that's like already a career, right? Yeah. But but yeah but like no combat skills. But then he is. I got a theory on MacGyver. Like
Villains and Their Dynamics
00:13:38
Speaker
he is full on MacGyver. Like he is just like you keep make anything out of anything. Yeah. ah it The problem with like other diehard movies are making it good diehard is that there's nothing that implies combat. I get it. It's like technical skills. He kind of does a lot of firemen things sort of like but it's sort of he knows more like jackass pranks than like
00:13:59
Speaker
a fireman thing. Yeah, it's like he knows the chemicals that can cause explosives and stuff for like chemical bombs. and Yeah. But that but any any asshole who had the aic anarchy cookbook can sort of do that. You know what I mean? Like you're not a fireman. It's like he knew the right codes or kind of like knew the but like exits that are like fire code mandated and then like you can kind of hell the janitor staff it's like hey remember that loose door that look i i i put a violation on for blah blah blah like is it still fixed no okay cool i need that like that that makes sense it's like a fire inspector guy
00:14:35
Speaker
um I hope no one's ever the pleasure to encounter a fire marshal for something but it's like they will cite to say you need you you know you can't unplug like four power ships into this one plug like you know what are you doing like yeah it's not like that like that's a fire marshal so he should be like using that he should be plugging eccentric cords into other extension cords aren't grounded and then using that as a weapon like that you know I mean I'm like come on man it's like he knows Like the structural, like it's like, if I was planting bombs, this is where I plant the bombs. So he kind of runs. He does it like once. Right. Like, oh, no, no. That's like later on. That's like the third act. Yeah. But that's fine. Because that's sort of like a demolition expert. He knows like that's the best fire points, I guess. but So that's like the only thing, I guess, to make sense. Yeah. He makes he makes guesses of like if I if i was kind of if I was playing bombs, this is where I would put the bombs, like destroy the entire arena.
00:15:30
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, they least they they loop in that. And he's like 100 percent right about every single location. But the thing is, I feel um that's sort of up to like in another diehard thing, that would have been the psychic. His psychic would have been the fire marshal. And then the guy doing the actual like fighting would have been the soldier were coming from home or like um someone with like combat skills. I mean, bare bones from other examples we've seen was like a Taekwondo guy, he just the Olympian who somehow knew how to fire a gun really well. Just be just make me a damn like a Fort Liji guy again. like and That works so that network out for him. And his friend is the guy who lets him in the arena. That's all we need. yeah And his friend happens to be the fire marshal. Boom. yeah Okay. Right. um I got two three more of the highlights. Sexy Penguin Woman.
00:16:25
Speaker
but That is just like a plot point. Boom. then Then, locker room. What's right there? What's right there? It's just like, like, like his son is just like, oh, some fat guy in a penguin suit. And he's like, that blonde you're looking at, that's icy. That's the penguin. The boy's just like, oh, sweet. Like, wait a minute. And he's like, anyway, to this locker room full of burly guys. Let me take you to the locker room full of naked guys. Yeah. And it's like, oh, they're just obviously not wearing pants. Just hanging out, talking to the like fans.
00:16:59
Speaker
all right and I don't mind that, that is very Canadian hockey team guys. It's also like, um i don't I don't know how, like, are we assuming that Venom has worked at the arena since, like, for the entire two years? Because, like, he knows every single person in the arena. I guess so, because he's always there for big events, so anytime yeah the arena, I guess, is like the crowd gets to a certain in level, he's always there to make sure the place is, like, up to code. I don't know how often the fire marshals come by, but I guess, like,
00:17:30
Speaker
ah Definitely for like the Stanley Cup and you know, they alternate between locations between um Like their home and another home I think but they're tied it's like game seven So it's like I guess that's why they're back and it's like way more vulnerable because they have not secured The grounds like it it seemed like they just got there, you know in terms of setting up hmm And everyone's arriving like there the day of and doing it. It's like, they should have been doing this like hours ago. I get the cooks are doing it because like, you don't prep that much ah ahead. But honestly, it's like they were really rushing the start of the game and the prep. It's like 45 minutes before everything starts and they're just like putting on stuff and whatever. Am I weird? left you Like unloading popcorn from trucks. And then also like Van Dam's doing inspections now. Yeah.
00:18:23
Speaker
And then lastly, I said, OSHA violation, Chef with a knife. When he shows the kids a cool trick by throwing a butcher knife in the air. Like these kids have just met this man. He's like, hey kids, check this out. And it's like, oh shit, like Chef Boyardillo over here is gonna like do like a kitchen trick, but it's not like he's showing them food. He's not like, hey, this is what I'm gonna feed the vice president. It's like, check how crazy my knife skills are.
00:18:51
Speaker
Granted, it's not a skill to throw a knife in the air and just hope it comes down like in place. yeah Like wait for the kids to do something stupid. You know, in another reality,
00:19:03
Speaker
If these kids were unruly, they'd be like running around screaming like Van Damme and be like, all right, let me go change the light bulb. And they'd be like, dad, he's not there like, and just smacking each other. You know, I could see the kid with a score gun fucking squirting the chef and just be like, you can't tell me what to do. Like, yeah, you know, the kid all honestly has dad issues because he's like rebellious. You know, like, yeah, it's not like he has an unloving stepfather. Stepfather is great. He's like cheering him on for hockey. He has a another great dad father figure from Van Damme you know Van Damme's like come check me out to work let's go see a game seven game seven Stanley Cup finals like okay it's like come check out the hot blonde lady that's in the penguin costume
00:19:47
Speaker
Yeah, Van Damp's son Tyler is just like, he's a little like, like, brat this entire movie, like... It ramps, it ramps up. Cause he like, cause he starts taunting like his sister about like, dad's not a fireman, he's a fire marshal, he's like a loser, and then like... And the thing is, it's crazy about that, because it's not like there's another kid to egg him off.
00:20:09
Speaker
He just sort of flips. Yeah. He just kind of like looks at that after like, oh, like I'm here for it because I've got like Van Damme is there for work. He's not there to just enjoy the game. He's there to honestly make sure that I guess the building's in good maintenance.
00:20:23
Speaker
so Again, the kid just sort of like, yeah, it's doing like his job. Like I fucking hate dad. Like we what? He's changing fucking light bulbs. Well, I mean, obviously he's doing all the things, but it just happens to change light bulbs. Cause it's like the one thing in the kitchen that has like, okay. Yeah. Like there's not like, you know, there was enough air grass obviously. And it's not like he's plugging in like to me again, extension cords. It's not like someone's throwing an extension cord into like a bucket of water and like, oops, like, but granted,
00:20:54
Speaker
I guess it owes her violations of that whole fucking kitchen. That comes back later on, but in terms of just like, if that head chef is playing with knives like that, it totally makes sense later on in the movie why everything in that kitchen later on becomes a death trap.
00:21:09
Speaker
Well, the other thing about that chef is just like, which is like, just one of the, like, one of the, like, 50 details about this, this plan, they're insane, is that, so, like, Andrew, the head chef, is like the key to, like, he's like the key to, like, letting people into, like, the vice president's suites. Like, the Secret Service is like, is like, it's like, their entire operation is like,
00:21:31
Speaker
Andrew, the chef, if if if he says no, you don't go either go to the suite. Like yeah they make it a ah point really early. yeah We don't have, we don't, we don't have badges. We don't have ID cards. We don't have anything. It's just like, it's andrew Andrew says yes or no. And then you're, then you're good or not. And then that, and that makes them have to take, they have to take Andrew's wife hostage to force them to let them in.
00:21:55
Speaker
and And yeah then, yeah, it's like Power's booth and it's like his team of just like, it's like one of the most eclectic teams of like guys, mercenaries in a movie. It's just like all kinds of different like guy, like all kinds of different people are that that crew. But there's like a guy who looks like he's like in like a Rolling Stones cover band. There's like, there's like the the guy that's like kidnapped wife and later has the rocket launcher looks like he's in like La Bamba.
00:22:26
Speaker
and then we are And then there's like, ah like the computer hacker guy. Well, he shows up at the halfway point, just sort of like, I'm a 90s computer dude. It's like, I forgot computer dudes back then, like.
00:22:39
Speaker
Always needed glasses, had some sort of like nerd aesthetic because he dresses different from the rest of the crew. Yep. And then, yeah. i i but he's He's playing Doom on like his, like whatever his like CIA hacking computer set up. He's like waiting for like the money to come. me He's just like playing Doom. Well, Doom could work on like MS. Yeah. So it's not like you needed a graphically intense thing, but it's cool because I think Doom only came out like three years prior.
00:23:11
Speaker
Maybe more? No, wait, this is 1995. Five. Five? Okay, so 1992 or one was doomed, so. I think it was two. Yeah, not bad. Cool doomed placement. Yeah, and then, and yeah, they're smuggling, they're smuggling weapons and ah it bombs and stuff in like, the penguin toys and they've got like, they're putting guns in popcorn bags ah um and and then, yeah, the power, the power booth shows up in like a tuxedo looking like James Bond.
00:23:42
Speaker
I love like his crew because it's in terms of how efficient they are, it's crazy how like ah well thought out it is for some degree. And then at least all of them are ex-government workers, I think.
00:24:00
Speaker
Yeah. We you find out later that powers booth is I guess an active secret service agent, but he works for the counterfeiting department ah side of the secret service. And that's why, that's how he found out about all these like black ops, like bank accounts and stuff. They slash funds and stuff.
00:24:17
Speaker
So he just wants access to them. Yeah, he's he'ss's he's fed up with being a CSR agent. He has just his whole plan, which i like just the detail of like, you need to transfer me a certain amount of money each period for this hockey game. Well, I think it makes sense because it's so much that if it's all in one lump sum, they can always like take it back. but I think if it's transferred in rounds.
00:24:44
Speaker
They can just then ferry off each thing so it's harder to track. But it's just such a ridiculous force of like playing into the hockey of it all. I can't imagine if it was like a baseball game or something or a football game. Every baseball game, every inning you have to transfer me one ninth of the money.
00:25:08
Speaker
like it's over the phone it's not like someone's bagging this and you know I mean like it's it's yeah digital in the terms it's not like crypto but in in banking routing thing it's just okay well you hold this guy money and then the money it's over it's not physically get a truck dump it in the truck yeah well it gets you it's it's crazy later because like like later like later in the movie like powers moves like explains like oh we're not we're not actually like we we don't Because at first he's like, oh, there's $1 billion dollars in these like slush funds that we're gonna take and then but then later on it's like Well, we're actually gonna take 500 million that's gonna get lost with all these like bank transfers. We're gonna do we're a transfer of the money you like to like a million different transfers and and He should have done that safeen off a little bit. Oh, yeah I think that's what was happening because that's why you gotta do it in rounds because you didn't move that much money and yeah clean it but I mean
00:26:03
Speaker
banks, it's not like you're hiding it in an untraceable bonds or something. That was the gimmick about Die Hard. I think it was just like universal bonds. So it's just like clean money, I guess. And and died that that the whole thing of about Die Hard was like, yeah, we're we're making it look like terrorist plots so that the FBI will use their playbook, but then we're actually You know, bank robbers and this we had this powers was planted just it's so like it like just so ridiculously complicated. But he's fine, but but he but he he is so good. Like he's just like a devouring scenery. Like he's like he's having an absolute fucking blast this movie like.
00:26:46
Speaker
Yeah, that's why I'm like, okay, it's equal parts Booth and Van Dam. You love to see what he's up to. You see his crazy monologue and like how malicious he is to his hostages and how cold it is. And it's just like straight up, oh, no, he's not taking it personal to him. This is just how you get the money. But he's making up such a deal that it's because, you know, the Secret Service are owed and he's tired of like living under the thumb of the presidency. And it's just like,
00:27:15
Speaker
You're gonna have to leave him America, dude. You just can't do this and still be in the country. There'll be a wanted criminal everywhere.
00:27:27
Speaker
Just go to a non-extradition country like all all good villains go to. The magical non-extradition country. Yep.
Penguin Costume Absurdity
00:27:35
Speaker
I'm pretty sure the government, if they have a secret slush fund, they definitely have an international life.
00:27:43
Speaker
hitman thing where it's just like oh yeah go go deploy navy seals something it's just like yeah it's like oh you can't extradite it's like they're not here to extradite you after you f you cadet the vice president yep how did you just get away with that yeah but that's but yeah thats yeah this is a little scheme so like it's like the entire like for the entire game it's like yeah these every period they they want money they'll kill someone if they'll get money um and then Van Dam's daughter gets caught up in it because his son is being a brat, it sprays her water, and then like she spills her soda on herself, and then she runs away to the bathroom crying. But then she gets taken by one of the terrorists who's now is dressed up as Icy the penguin because she killed like the hot blonde that was actually Icy. How is it a tactical like plot for the plot? is like
00:28:42
Speaker
But one of us in a ah in the penguin suit like It's like this bulky like I mean and as we'll see like soon like she she fights pretty well in it, but like it's like but what was like I Understand like having like security guys. ah Are you guys just up it' like security and stuff and like, you know workers but like Someone like the penguin costume. I Don't understand either. It's not like she played a pivotal role in In the movie, you know, I don't yeah yeah i don't know. I don't know what her job like I guess I get she like she did because she just happens to stumble on Emily like my daughter like it's not like that was like a part of this plan was like find a look find a kid that will bring it up to the sweet like I think to in order to make sense. You need a scene with her where she panic kills like Joanne. Yeah, I see
00:29:37
Speaker
And then she puts on the costume. And then Emily walks in on that. But in terms of where Joanne's body is and then what happens in that bathroom, it's like five levels away. you know as i don't i don't yeah i don't think I don't think that Joan is the body in that bathroom either. No, you find her later. you yeah In the closet, yes. So Carla also kills another random person in the bathroom. He kills a hot dog vendor. Yeah.
00:30:04
Speaker
no reason besides like hey you're not joan just like oh no i'm harlow i'm looking online i was like who is this person and then just like which now i mean if you have carlos just as like a hot dog vendor or that would make more sense because you can like just wander around but and you know not be it yeah but not be noticeable yeah i don't the penguins are ready for you know yeah all right the only thing is ah penguins like portrayed by a woman so okay thank god there's a one woman like on the crew yeah on the crew right so it's like okay well you have to be like icy what like and i mean
00:30:44
Speaker
And it proved no tactical advantage.
Van Damme's Fighting Style
00:30:47
Speaker
That's what I've been saying, yeah. it's just like I wrote that too. I said, no, what is the tactical advantage of Icy? And it's just like to make a kick-ass fight sequence. But it's as if the movie was like built around that fight. And then everything else was like, all right, how? Actually, no, two parts, the penguin fight and then the like bomb placement. That's like the two big things that I feel like um that was the first few ideas. And then they built around it.
00:31:14
Speaker
Yeah, but yeah, yeah, that that icy fight is this. It's so good. It's like one of the best. That's like one of the greatest scenes in a movie. So okay it's cool. But in terms of how if you see the movie up up until the fight, Van Damme, he's not the first one to attack in terms of like kicking, which is weird for a Van Damme movie. She's the one that has like Van Damme like moves on him. Like she does sort of like the same signature kicks and styles as him. And then he mimics it back.
00:31:45
Speaker
you notice it's like she does a sidekick and then like a flying kick and then like a like a heel like a heel kick upward like it's very Van Damme fight style and I was confused because I was thinking like okay Van Damme let's just say he only knows his fire marshalling in hockey right And so he's getting his butt kicked in a style he probably doesn't know. So he's just trying to mimic the same moves and he's doing better than her. Does that make sense? It's like punching in a very unique way. It's like, all right, like you can either come up with your own frantic style or just kind of do what they're doing. And I think Van Damme does that because it's the same like reflective like fighting. and She fights like Van Damme and he fights like Van Damme.
00:32:31
Speaker
so You know, I wrote down, I'm saying like, oh, so he's just panic, like fighting, but his panic fighting is just like mimicking and then just kicking her ass. And then it becomes a bumbling, like everything around this kitchen is just an oa OSHA violation. Like a lot of things are running that should be turned off.
00:32:52
Speaker
Yeah, well, that's I mean, that's what I love about that fight is like, and I really noticed like this time watching recently is like, yeah, this this movie does a great job like using like the settings of like this, but you know, there's arena rooms, but especially, like especially this fight, like they use every appliance in this kitchen, like the deep fryer, the exhaust fan, the meat slicer, the oven, like the grill, like,
00:33:15
Speaker
and well what I think the dishwasher uses the most later on. Like in terms of how many fight sequences? Yeah, the dishwasher is like a big thing. Well, yeah, it's like it's but it's like if it didn't like like shoves your hand in the deep fryer and then yet I forgot about it, but I noticed at this point it was like he like shoves chili flakes on her throat like it' like you know so like search throat it's it's where her eye holes are. Yeah. Peppers her. Yeah. And then managed to get her on the dishwasher and then like she gets strangled by like the the straps of the icy mask.
00:33:49
Speaker
Which I feel like mascot our mascot thing's done by like the chin neck. I feel like
Plot Inconsistencies and Character Betrayals
00:33:56
Speaker
that's not good. Yeah, this seems like a a dangerous way to have your head on. Yeah. Especially if you like trip and then when your head gets caught, for example.
00:34:09
Speaker
um the Thing is too, I looked up online, the stunt woman who who's doing this in that costume is like 6'1". So she's a tall woman, you know, probably there's other shots and where it's like probably something else, but she looks imposing and it's like a big costume already. So like she is tussling.
00:34:37
Speaker
What else? Well, I think that they continue they they continue like the kitchen fight a little bit after afterwards, too, because like it's like the one guy, like the weird like British or Australian guy in the crew, who's just like a searedy guard, like Van Damme's like, hey, my daughter, my daughter's up in the the ah box being held hostage. And then he's like, all right, let's go. And then and like they have a much shorter fight.
00:35:02
Speaker
But yeah, I love the ah Van Damme kills him with like the broken chicken bone into the neck. I think I was ah like a rib bone. Something's just sort of bobby. He breaks into his neck. And I do i do like that like they keep Van Damme having guns too strictly. Like one girl's gun gets gets like thrown into like a ah light in the ceiling and then um the other guy's gun goes to the dishwasher or whatever. It's too hot for him to get, yeah.
00:35:29
Speaker
But it's not like he uses tools to get it. It's not like you're in a kitchen where you could find like... There's gotta be tongs or something, just like... Tongs, something. Yeah. ah But the thing is, when he comes back from that fight, the kitchen's cleaned and then turned off. Like, that's weird. And it's... hu ah Did the the other guys go, oh shit, and then they just like cleaned? They got out like rooms and mops and then wiped down that whole fight sequence?
00:35:56
Speaker
Yeah, we have different lighting and everything. Yeah, we got to make sure that no one knows anything's going on so yeah still.
00:36:05
Speaker
Yeah, but like where do they draw like drag that body? so in that like and here's like ah There's like a side room up in like the owner's box where there's story all the bodies into it. But the thing is, they can't use the elevator because they dropped the elevator key down that shaft. Yep.
00:36:22
Speaker
Which is important because it's like, then now it's like, how do you get up access to the elevator?
00:36:29
Speaker
So, I mean, the movie does a good job of explaining certain parts, but it could have used a little bit more work just to make it coherent or explain like small details that, you know, just don't hold up. It just can't be like, you just magically knows things. What?
00:36:47
Speaker
Yeah, like Van Damme was like guessing correctly where the bombs are because that's what he would do. Because he's done this before? Yeah. And then and and yeah he he like assembles like his MacGyver cool kit of like ah he's got his son's water. he's yeah His son's mini super soaker. He's got like a bottle lighter fluid. got lighter ah He's got He's got yeah his his knife. then um
00:37:15
Speaker
Yeah, and then most, most of the middle of the movie is like Vinay, Vinay was like running around the arena, like disarming bombs. And then occasionally getting into like fights with guys. Which is fine. Good formula for that. Eventually it's like you team up with basically his version of, uh,
00:37:32
Speaker
Al Powell. Yeah, yeah. But the evil version you find out. Yeah, which was. It's it's cool, but it also just like that also doesn't make any sense of which like because they were trying to kill it like he was like almost getting killed like constantly in the opening i like the first act this movie you know and there's like there's like no. Like you have no idea why he's like why he turned evil and like is helping ah powers move and he's also a Secret Service agent.
00:38:01
Speaker
maybe they were in on it and it's like how he's able to get it away with certain things. And it it's also it's it's not like, I wish there was just they they needed a little bit more of like him, like, like slightly helping them or something like, you know, like, like, say like, hey, let these guys in or something or like these guys are good or like <unk>s say gave things away or if they really made it seem like he was forced to help them.
00:38:25
Speaker
first and then you realize like sort of like okay hey like yeah he's got credentials but keep an eye out on or something to make it like yeah not like a completely 180 it is a 180 that I don't mind but Yeah, you don't see it coming, but that's fine. I don't think that's cause he see because he see after because yeah cause he seems like he's like genuinely like upset about everything in the opening, which I guess is just like him being a like a good actor or something, but he's also hes he's also gets almost gets blown up by like when the cars blow up and stuff and.
00:38:58
Speaker
Well, that's the thing. So where maybe it's not even like, okay, like The Rock, the movie, where it was like, okay, these are soldiers who've done things and it's like they don't have a pension because the government was like, yeah, we don't recognize your war or whatever. And that's what they were doing. So that's why they have so much sympathy from the military guys.
00:39:24
Speaker
And then in this, it's not like Secret Service guys are completely like, yeah, we shouldn't be doing this. It's like, wait, you signed up to be a Secret Service. This wasn't like a, you're you're just cashing out now. And obviously like it's not going right. Cause man, damn is kicking her butt. But in terms of your plan, it would have not have been so complicated if they didn't make it more complicated themselves. Yeah. This, this keep, they keep me adding like more and more layers of like complexity to it.
00:39:54
Speaker
it's like in the even if Even the like, you're right, keeping the whole illusion that the dude is not on the same side, but maybe like not everyone knows that, like only powers of proof knew that. Well, cause like when Hallmark finds like Van Damme and like the battles of the arena, like I was like, shoot at him and then like Hallmark's like, you guys but guys were trying to, yeah you guys almost killed me. And then the powers of me was like, damn, sorry. Not really, but like,
00:40:23
Speaker
Like he doesn't, he doesn't get a shit. Like if Hallmark got killed, he would've been like, yeah. It's supposed to be like, Oh, he's really like, I'll sacrifice anything to get the job done. Well, that's a true like mastermind guy. He realized it's like, yeah. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not sure what like, like what Hallmark's like, like what he's like, it's cause it seemed like he would be like an ace in the hole. Like, Oh, we got to like this, like the head seat service agent outside is like,
00:40:47
Speaker
on the take or whatever, but it's not like, like, it's not like, I don't know what his like job was going to be. If like, if everything went according to plan, like experiment out or like. Can access a fun on the side, probably. Yeah. That's the thing. The movie, the movie at that point, it's so exhausted from so much plot that to get to the end, you're just like, finally, you know what I mean? Like it's. It's not going to get into the detail of how the money works, which I don't mind.
00:41:15
Speaker
you know when you just want to watch it for the action and just sort of that but when you start analyzing the overall yeah it's hard to like do that because you're gonna lose the whole like momentum of the movie because if it took a moment to break and then have Hallmark go like oh uh you know you promised me that okay the better explanation is like die hard too when the like military guys turned out to be in on the whole like yeah thing It's like, oh, you realize they were all friends all along because, like, they all shared the same, like, the army screwing us. Again, that's what The Rock did. The Rock ached on Die Hard's two military, like, thing. So I guess they were trying to do that, too, where it's like one guy is fed up and wants a pay cut and doesn't give a shit about, like, the job anymore.
00:42:11
Speaker
But we have no time with them. Like you basically know well and then because I'm melted wax man. Yeah, he's he's just like, by the way, a bad and then and then Vadim fucking melts him with a like the super circle lighter fluid and then like a horror movie villain. He got like he's just like lurches out of the darkness. It's like a melting. Yeah, melting zombie man. like Which I got. Yeah, I'll give it to Hallmark. Like man, he is like, you know, ah won't go down easily. He's like, he's like, like he he's burned on like 80, 100% of his body and he still is like fighting Van Damme. Like a big struggle. It's not like, uh, like, uh, like one last jump scare. It's like a whole nother fight sequence. Yeah. Like Van Damme is like knock him out again. And like and do you think Halsey lived or he got out and got super arrested?
00:43:03
Speaker
I mean, yeah, cause like, cause like, I mean, yeah I would assume he died from his birds. He was like burned over like 90% of his body, but if its it does it kill him? Like, like he knocks him out and leaves him in the tunnels. And then the building collapses like 20 minutes late. Parts of it. Yeah.
00:43:25
Speaker
Also does this movie have a lot of one-liners from Van Damme like it's never he's like i yeah They're not really memorable. He does but he does like he he does like to have some like when he like kills people Like like we use what he uses that like what however he rigs up that like dart gun thing hmm Yeah, it's like it's a magic trick
00:43:54
Speaker
And I do like, there's some funny way down, like, I like i like like and like when he like has like the brig of c4, he's like, this is the most powerful explosive in the world, and then he's like, one guy gets killed and he's like, or like, turns to the other guy, he's like, this is the most powerful explosive in the world.
00:44:14
Speaker
Yeah, it's pretty funny. It's just like, okay, silly. I mean, you need that little comedy break after so much like, like action and then drama.
00:44:24
Speaker
power boost monologues uh oh man like bring it back in the beginning when they kill off chef andrew and his wife yeah totally like a downer so much so much so much build up on those characters and it's it's also crazy because like you know you're not clear like why the hell like labamba is like going to like holding this like old woman hostage for like a while yeah it He's like an asshole for her for like hours, like from holding her up as a hostage in her garden to just like eating snacks in her living room. Yeah. And she's got like an attitude and she's sort of like is a little, you know, like not scared. She's more pissed.
00:45:13
Speaker
And then eventually just like that's the end of her character. I kind of forgot what happened while Bamba. What happened to him at the end? So he, after he kills the wife, he is like the one, he's he's so he's outside the arena, but firing rockets at like helicopters and like pulling up like, he's like blowing stuff outside the arena, which, I'm shocked there's like not a bigger like response outside the arena. There's like cops and stuff there, but like it's like, people people people just driving by the arena in Pittsburgh are seeing these explosives going, explosions happening at the arena.
00:45:49
Speaker
We don't, we can't tweet about it or anything. You know, wasn't social media wasn't a thing yet. I'm i surprised there wasn't even, it wasn't like a news reporter. I guess, I guess I made a series of like locking everything down and like, no, no news reports. You can't, no no reporters, nothing. Yeah. They didn't mention something like that. Paris moved it, but then that's like protocol with secret service. So he knew that. Well, they, cut they cut, they cut all the phone lines or you can't use any of the phones.
Van Damme's Performance Highlights
00:46:12
Speaker
Although Vinny finds like a satellite phone, I guess, or something or like a, so like a 90 cell phone taking news.
00:46:20
Speaker
Um, but yeah, it's just like, there's like, there's like these mass explosions are happening in like downtown Pittsburgh and like, uh, you don't really get like any sort of like outside it. Like no one inside knows what's going on. And like, no one outside is like mentioning it or reporting about it.
00:46:37
Speaker
yeah But yeah, but yeah, well, like the bomb like is like, he like blows up the helicopters and he's, ah he's in the helicopter at the end with power and then like, and then that's when you like, He finally gets the... mo like he's He's weirdly like the like the main... like He's like, like, Powerspiel's like right-hand man, basically. Yeah, yeah. That was weird. He's like trusting him to like do all his like outside work, outside the arena.
00:47:07
Speaker
And we gotta talk about Van Damme going out to the ice. as like as a way to hide so like he's being chased by two of the guys and then uh with what's the the goalie for the penguins is like he's a guy like 104 fever so he goes to the locker room it's laying down and then damn steals his pad like somehow like quickly gets his pads and everything on and then goes out goes out onto the ice and then he's playing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cups and i i love that I love how it's like it's not it's not enough that like Van Damas is like playing into the game he has to make like the like biggest save in the entire like the entire season of the NHL like it's like what's a lifetime like goal save
00:47:56
Speaker
Yeah, it's like he I guess for like, I don't know, does Van Dam practice um once in a while because it seemed like he did it prior than a fireman. Now it's like, you know, 10 years later. Well, him yeah they but he's in my locker room. He's like, oh, there's like, oh, I i played in Canada. I was like only in Canada.
00:48:19
Speaker
And then he then there's like, Sun is like trash talking, like like like the the goalie is like, you should you should be, my dad says you should be in a rocking chair.
00:48:31
Speaker
But yeah, it's such it's it there so such an insane, like, that like, yeah, it's not, it doesn't make it just, it doesn't make any save. It makes like, a like, highlight reel, like people are going to be talking about the save for like decades to come. Save.
00:48:48
Speaker
it's some sort of like crazy stretch catch that's like it's almost like to do that one-handed like that and and in style is very hard and it's like mate it's like my ducks it's like that's like a like D2 like d two like ah Was it Julie the cat? It's like, it's like, her she's like the, like the the fastest glove. Like that'd be like a save she would do. Yeah. Yeah. Like a very like split ballet. But I'm also surprised. It's not like a JCVD, like signature kick move. That's something that's like, Oh wow. Like when did this guy learn that? Like, yeah, some crazy do it do a split, a split, like there's a split on the ice and like does the save.
00:49:27
Speaker
Yeah, it's instead of like the split, but then instead of like a crotch punch, he does like a split, then like a one handed catch in front of him, like the same motion as he would punch like the dude from Bloodsport. Yeah. That's a Van Damme finish. like Yeah. No, no splits in this movie. Yeah. Well, because again, in this movie, he's not a martial artist. He's just some dude who sort of picked figured out the fight style from that woman. And that's it.
00:49:56
Speaker
That one fight taught him how to fight for the movies. And in like hockey fighting, I guess. Which is not the same, like hockey fighting. It's like brawling, yeah. Yeah, and no style.
00:50:07
Speaker
I mean hockey fights are just grab the guy, wail until he basically gets weak in the knee from too many like head trauma blows. And you don't even say anything? That's how you fight in hockey. It's not like, oh, try something else, punch him in. It's like you're only allowed to hit the dude in the head until one, until he loses conscious. Someone falls down. Someone falls down. And you can't stop him until one person falls. Because at that point now it's like, yeah, your brain is shutting down. You gotta stop.
00:50:35
Speaker
So you soft reboot some person. um And it's like, I've seen hockey fights where the guy like starts losing teeth. And it's like, well, he didn't fall. So the fight goes on. It's like, yeah, holy shit. They stopped doing that more and more just because I guess people are like, the fines are heavier. And I mean, it's fun to watch when it like, or when it's well earned for two guys who were just like been pushing each other all night. But Van Damme's thing is just like, oh, thank God, hockey fights. Like, let me get out of here. Yep. Yeah, he's like cold cocks a guy and then gets like, uh, throw out the game as, as the goalie. I know. they're Like, Hey, this is the only excuse I have. Screw you. I'm pretty sure you do that. Like, I think you might get a penalty. Like you, you know, you just automatically lose that save.
00:51:27
Speaker
Well, I think there's so sort of there's some sort of money fine because the coach, who's like great, just like just like constantly just yelling at the top of his lungs. I think he yells something like, that's a $40,000 $5 dollar bar. No, it is. Especially when it's unearned. Yeah. $40,000? I think now it's more if you just do like an illegal assault. There's sportsman hits and stuff. It's like unsportsmanlike, but it's part of the game. Otherwise, it's like that's assault.
00:51:54
Speaker
And Van Dam also like he just like totally sabotaged like the penguins because now they have to like skate. Now they're like it's like penalty they have like four guys to have five or whatever so they're like they're down a person because of him. It's like I think he was better off not being the goalie for that. But yeah but and but you know luckily there's another like you know once a decade like goal in the final quarter or a final period so that puts it into sudden death. Back to the beginning of the movie.
Title Significance and Missed Opportunities
00:52:23
Speaker
Yeah.
00:52:24
Speaker
I mean, if you should think about it, the whole movie part happens just like the beginning where it's like buildings collapsed. There's a girl involved. Van Dam doesn't get trapped per se, but he is stuck.
00:52:39
Speaker
Is there is there a better hockey, like hockey term that signed death than we could have been called? No.
00:52:48
Speaker
It's just a tie game. Yeah, I mean I do I do like like I do like it's like you like they had they were for like It's like the title is like well. We have to do it. I mean But then that that was just like convenient they got like you know like when someone tells you like what do you call this movie and it's like a pause and then they walk and they say sudden but then it's like okay, so It's about like, you know what's going to happen if you know about hockey terms is it's going to be a tie game at the end. You know what I mean? like And it doesn't matter what happens for basically all three periods, the score is going to be even. Yeah. It's that. It's just like, just it it's it sounds cool for an action movie.
00:53:32
Speaker
But if anything stupid of other hockey terms, there's icing, which is just, hey, the puck is there and like there's too many people on that one side. That's icing. ah it's It makes playing video game hockey kind of crazy because you ice a lot by accident because the camera might follow like a certain amount of characters. and it's you know like You don't care what happens on the right side of the screen if you're on the left. So you get ice a lot by accident.
00:54:01
Speaker
um You can do it attentional for like breaks, so you can stop the timer. But like again, it's just like football, taking like downs and then like stopping the clock. You don't see a movie based on that. It's all the terms, right? um There's power play when like you have one guy less than the opposite team. So like what Van Dam did was a power play for like yeah other the Hawks. It's like hat trick or like something. Hat trick is, yeah. Three goals in a night.
00:54:30
Speaker
Um, there's sticking. If you use your stick and you fuck up someone's like leg or their stick, there's, you know, holding, you hold the stick. Uh, you just, there's not, it's not like sexy movie selling terms. Penalty shot. Yeah. Yeah. You know, there's, um, Oh man. Slap shot. That's just a move. I mean, uh, what else?
00:55:00
Speaker
Fucking change up where you change your man. Like, you know, it's just like, all right, you're really good. Blood on the ice. Zamboni time, you know. yeah i say hawk is i I watch sudden death and thinking like, cool. Then I'm like, oh, it's kind of like if you eliminate the action part, it's just a hockey thing. And it's just as exciting as a hockey game. But.
00:55:21
Speaker
The difference is the crowd in the arena is just Pittsburgh fans. And it's like, just what they do, you know, like you invite the president there and you just know the vice president and then who's up. ah apparently but apparently He's a huge hockey fan, I guess. Like, well, I think, I don't know if he cared about hockey or he was just doing it for like politics. And that's like the big point. It's like, Oh, you don't care who wins. yeah Yeah. Who wins. He's there to just look good. Cause it's just like, he's there to probably defend.
00:55:52
Speaker
Uh, his run next year. So like they all know it's just like, cause they don't know the vice president and near the end of the second term has the like chance to become the president the next term. So, um, yeah i do it ah doesn't get political with him. He just, it's political so in the beginning and then just stops.
00:56:11
Speaker
Yeah. I was just, I was just, mentioned you you mentioned like Zamboni and I got me thinking like they definitely missed an opportunity for like, they had to like kill a guy with a Zamboni or like do something with a Zamboni. Like they do use it in the movie. Yes. There's a part where they, Secret Service sends a few guys and then really quickly power booths, his team fights them all, kills them all, and then sends them out in hilarious Zamboni, like, um, gift basket. Yeah.
00:56:41
Speaker
And I don't know how they rigged it up in a way where it sends it out, it crashes, and then it automatically opens the payload of ice and dumps out the bodies. Like, I feel like that's way too much to do. Like, that's not automated. It's like a bunch of changes. It should be some sort of lever or something on the same way that, like, opens the ice thing. You can't just, like, have that, like, you know, pop open. Yeah. But it does. It just happens really quickly. And it's really shocking. But I'm like, did one of the guys Like one of the FBI guys run over and they're just like, what's inside? And he opened it up. But then that's that's another really thing of like, where it's like, like Hallmark seemed like genuinely like, like disturbed by it, but he's in on it. So it's like, why why is he like, he said it like he knew he sent those guys to their desk. Like why he sent them into anyway, like he's like, I got to kill some more secret service agents. like He's like counting. He's like, all right, that's enough. Now I can go in. Yeah.
00:57:37
Speaker
I'll go with it. I'll say I'm the hero. like I honestly think he was not supposed to go with. No. I think Van Dam because of that he had to go in and then it's all like falling apart and he's just doing his best to like could contain it. Yeah, contain it. But I mean, that's why I guess like he's being shot at because it's like they they don't he's not part of the cool team meeting in the beginning of the movie.
00:58:01
Speaker
yeah So they're just like, oh yeah, this guy. They're just shooting at whoever. But granted, they seem very professional. Yeah. They're all like mercenaries or all they're all hired guns. like
00:58:19
Speaker
ah That's why I'm like, OK, they're not terrorists where they're untrained. like but Even like they all call themselves not terrorists. They're like, no, we're professionals. I just feel that.
00:58:33
Speaker
as soon as the Van Damme threw in, it's like they did not plan for a die heart situation. They didn't see diar didn't plenty die. It's funny because I think that's the point. It's like in these die heart situations, there's never someone who's seen die heart and has been like carefully say, okay, what if we have a hero? It's like, no, no, we, we won't have a hero. No one will give us problems. Like you never once thought that there's no cops or soldiers or like anyone who's also a hockey fan in the audience. In terms of like where you would have a diehard situation, having a vice president of B at the attendance is going to increase the chances of someone just trying to be your hero. You know like yeah i did a different movie would have like there'd be like one of the Secret Service guys would like get away or like be like not like like
00:59:25
Speaker
There'd be like a actual guy like yeah like it running around like try to like get everyone out or something or is this first day? Like in White House down. Yeah, which again White House down. I think is the thing might have been the last I heart thing Yeah, well, I mean Like Limpus has fallen White House down we're like, yeah and then The dealer like the other hell like has doubt like has fallen movies weren't really like oh they i heard movies After a while, I don't consider them die hard they become their own down problem. Because it's it's the first one is like a die hard. Oh, yeah. Lipsus phone is like just like there's like straight up like a scenes. They're like lifted right off. But I don't know. I like White House down to like, I like both series. But White House down has like a stupid version of Die Hard plot point. And then Lipsus fallen is like grittier, realistic.
01:00:22
Speaker
tone that I like to like but they're perfectly fine I wasn't like only one but no one ever has done a sudden death movie mm-hmm at least from my knowledge I mean there might have been other sports things happen during a thing but not not an hockey thing but anyway I think I think but I think I think Batista just had one where it was like ah a football like a soccer game but really like ah it was like um it was like something it was it was it was like ah it was like a um like sports it was like a sport like a pun title oh boy is it like so it's football and it probably is like oh final final score oh that's nothing that that could be anything i yeah like yeah be stupid like pitch hit or like um like some goalie term or like you know
01:01:14
Speaker
Yellow car. So. Yeah. But but yeah. But but that that was there. Everyone hasn't seen that one. If you want like another like sports like that movie, that was actually pretty fun. and Ray Stevens is the bad guy. Chris Brazos in it like.
01:01:28
Speaker
Cool. You know, I feel like one one round we should just do like a diehard like podcast thing. But I feel like someone's done that already. Top top dead diehard knockoffs. Mm hmm. Because we feel like we've this is the third diehard movie talked about so far.
01:01:46
Speaker
I mean, I mean, like I would say like a good chunk of like 90s night. Most movies after like that there was dark about or like trying to rip off because it was so influential. Like most half of the movies in 90s are just like tired knockoffs. It's speed Air Force One. Yeah, executive decision like Passage 57. Well, a lot of played ones. There's a lot of like you can do a whole list of just plain die hard movies.
01:02:19
Speaker
But anyway, yeah, back to
Arena Environment and Disguises
01:02:21
Speaker
the sudden death. So during during actual sudden death, it's sudden death. um but yeah we get um I think probably the most blatant diehard sequence of the but the whole movie where Fandam hits on the roof and he's going to jump off the roof. and it's like It's pretty much ripping off like like ah John McClan jumping off the roof with like the fire hose wrapped on his waist. it's like It's like this movie's version of that.
01:02:46
Speaker
Although I do appreciate another thing using the arena, using the locations. I do like he uses the Skycam camera for his first zip line over the box where the president is, the vice president is. And then he's made, somehow he knows how to use certain chemicals to make this mason jar full of mason jar bomb, or this glass jar bomb.
01:03:14
Speaker
powder they'll like blow up
01:03:18
Speaker
you know i'm thinking is that something he learned in canada french canada like um maybe yeah in fire and fire material like don't don't do this this will make a bob like if you see this like these chemicals don't don't mix them but
01:03:35
Speaker
I think also the it's the i think yeah the one of the terrorists gets thrown off the off the roof and then lands out lights on the scoreboard and like blows up the scoreboard so that if everyone finds something like, oh, something's happening. like every everybody real thing happening Then everyone starts to flee the arena.
01:03:57
Speaker
I think it's also pretty cool that, like, as the movie progresses to, Van Dam gets more and more like a McLean look. Yeah, he loses, like, he's in his, like, Fire Martian uniform for, like, what's the movie, then, like, he, like, loses it, and he's just in, like, a plain, like, white, like, wait ah grayish t-shirt.
01:04:16
Speaker
He didn't, he didn't get all the way down to, like, uh, you know, like, shirtless Bruce Willis, like, like, bleeding all over the place, like, and a die-hard, uh, look, but he, he got, he gets pretty close.
01:04:29
Speaker
And then, yeah, but then he like bombs his way into the box and then takes out a bunch of terrorists and then powers with the community to the way. And then he, but he rescues his daughter, he rescues the vice president. But then his daughter has like absolutely no luck in this movie because she gets captured again. They're all safe and then she gets captured again.
01:04:52
Speaker
Well, cause she recognizes the guy instead of like figuring out like, Hey, you've been in a hostage situation. She's just like, Hey, you, you. She's just, she's just just wandering again, running toward him. like Like, don't tell your dad like, Hey, it's, it's that guy. It's the terrorist guy. It's the bad man. He looks like Stacy Keish now. It's funny. That was like, Oh, there's two of them. And it's like, Stacy Keish is behind the scenes also. Oh my God.
01:05:15
Speaker
But yeah, that that powers booth like the end skies is like so so hilarious. The party city old band is like top. Yeah, like a dirt a dirty brown wig and mustache and like a penguin's coat. Like I'm just so I'm a normal um'm noel Pittsburgh scumbag now. Hey, we get a Pittsburgh sandwich. Oh, I'm going to go for Mandy Brothers because gu sandwich. I feel like the sandwich is called from Pittsburgh. It's like a like iconic sandwich.
01:05:44
Speaker
Yeah, well, it's it's I know it's it's comes from like for Manti Brothers. I don't know if they call it this thing, but you have you ever had it or no? No, I've just seen like trail, you know, it's one with like all the like the fries and the coleslaw and everything on it. Yeah, it looks like ah like a drunk mess, but yeah, it's just like that's what it is. I try to get one. I when I last time I was in Pittsburgh, I tried to like find it, but like I was too early to open. I was like, I'm not waiting. And I should have an hour for another like sandwich. I get out of here.
01:06:13
Speaker
Um, but yeah, uh, it's funny because again, the, he just does what the secret service did was just put on whatever was around and he put on like Pittsburgh sports. though Yeah. we we He had, he had that but like wig and mustache and then he just was like, yeah, I'm just gonna like grab like a Pittsburgh coat and like walk out but looking like a ah normal Pittsburgh guy.
01:06:41
Speaker
They've been funny, if you put on a Black Hawks thing, that's what makes them stand out. Oh my god, a bunch of like, Pittsburgh guys, it's like, hey, Black Hawks fucking suck, dude! Like... You know, we won tonight if it wasn't for that bomb. They proved the game, yeah!
01:06:55
Speaker
And then like he gets his just desserts through that just Pittsburgh mob just give out yeah and then let's like oh then like for some whatever reason they blow up the helicopter It's like like a bunch of like Pittsburgh mob Pittsburgh mob just like follows up to the roof and like they're all like climbing on the helicopter like zombies Just bring it down by their way. Yeah yeah
01:07:20
Speaker
You know, fuck you Chicago, you dishing shit. yeah just Fly back to Chicago and your helicopter. You know what's a real man's sandwich? The Pittsburgh sandwich that fries and coleslaw on it so it's wet and soggy at the same time.
01:07:33
Speaker
Fuck your deep dish. It's all about the signature sandwich from Pemandy Brothers. That that would have been the stupidest thing, but it'd be the most Pittsburgh thing ever happened in a movie that isn't like about like a steel factory, you know, or like a mountain in Pittsburgh.
01:08:00
Speaker
But yeah, what actually happens is that, like, so if Van Damme chases Power Juice to the roof, and then they have a, you know, one-on-one fight, Van Damme kind of gets his ass kicked, but then... Did you feel like the, um, when, like, Van Damme, like, jumps in front of his daughter to take the bullet, like, it didn't seem like Power Juice even shot him? Like, I thought, it kind of seemed like he was like, like, it's like, ah, gotcha, psycho, I gotcha, like...
01:08:26
Speaker
But then you see they should actually got shot. There's all like, there's like bullet sound or anything. It's just, it's weird like editing thing. I think it's a weird editing. I think it happens so quick. Uh, and the problem is, is that I got in the movie so stuff at this point that just shouldn't happening. And your brain turns off a little bit just because you're like, all right, a lot.
01:08:48
Speaker
Cause it seemed like it was just like a distraction so that you could like jump on the ladder of the helicopter and get away. Cause the way- Cause the way- Cause the way powers react is like, haha I gotcha! Fireman! Haha! I'm escaping now! I don't know why he didn't kill them. It's not like he has like sympathy or anything. It's like he should have shot Van Damme. He's like, well he's like, I'm gonna make you- I'm gonna kill your little girl so you live with that guilt for the rest of your life. That's true, he was just gonna shoot a little girl.
01:09:17
Speaker
yeah That's still the messed up part about Power's booth in this. And i do I do love that, like, Van Damme, like, to Power's, like, gets an helicopter, and Van Damme just leaves his daughter in, like, a arena that is exploding around her. like the The highest part of the arena jumps on the of the ladder of the helicopter to, like, get revenge, like, finish off Power's booth.
01:09:43
Speaker
He finishes what he starts. Stay here in this precarious ah roof gantry way, Emily. I'm going to get this guy. You you know what's awesome? Daddy needs to get this guy. You know what's also kind of ah weird is like, I think he's just a full of adrenaline just because he he did like an amazing hockey goal that's going to be insulated for years to come. He just got shot. He blew up yeah bo ble the owner's booth.
01:10:14
Speaker
So it's like he thinks he can do this. Yeah. Let him do this. And then he managed yeah he managed to like kill everyone i think he kills everyone in the helicopter except for Power Smooth. He shoots everyone like through the floor of the helicopter. He shoots everyone in the pile and everything. And then the pilot does like a perfect like straight verdict straight, perfectly vertical like helicopter. He puts the helicopter under like a straight-up like vertical maneuver. And then it loses all of its momentum and falls into the arena and blows up. That's how Power Smooth gets held.
01:10:46
Speaker
which I will say that that some of the some of that stuff looks okay because I think it was practical. Some of it looks terrible. like it Some of that is not holed up at all. You are not wrong about that. I feel like there's some weird like scaling parts where it's like where it looks tiny when it's going down, and other parts looks huge, and then there's like the compositing they do to make it look like a Van Damme, and like his daughter like seeing the helicopter fall, it like it looks awful.
01:11:16
Speaker
It's kind of like ages it because I feel like whatever they whatever rendering they use was like because I was gonna stand Winston like stop Well, they I think they actually they I think they had an actual like full-size helicopter or they had like it was like some sort of like a helicopter a crane that could like lower it up and down so ah they look Fine, but it just yeah, I guess the compositing just it looked like a different lighting on Van Damme's Park. Mm-hmm
01:11:46
Speaker
It was definitely when it goes past the daughter, like it looks like it like it looks like tinier than like <unk> some of the other scenes. like It looks like a tiny helicopter, like a toy helicopter.
01:12:00
Speaker
i think for like We find out this whole movie's been a dream inside her head. Yeah. None of this is actually happening.
Critique of Film's Conclusion
01:12:09
Speaker
She is pissed at her brother for squirting her. And that's why she manages a whole scenario where a die-hard happened.
01:12:17
Speaker
I think it doesn't help that like cliffhanger also came out like a couple years before this and then had like that they also killed the bad guy with the helicopter but in the helicopter but that was like done way much better yeah
01:12:33
Speaker
But yeah, the that's like definitely like like the the the worst part. I can't even imagine what that looks like in 4K. I'm sure it looks even worse now. They fan it, they like ah special editioned it and they put a CG character in their house. I also love like but how the movie just ends. Van Damme just like gets rolled into a helicopter, an ambulance, and that's it. like it's like movie's done like yeah no resolution of like like his son's like that's my dad he's a hero whatever and that that's it it's like only like he doesn't he doesn't meet the vice president like yes like the freshman doesn't be like hey thanks for saving me man like
01:13:15
Speaker
Yeah, I'll the vice president and him really get to meet after that. No, I think they someone mentions like, Oh, hey, ah Mr. McCord, like the vice president wants to see you, like he wants to meet you because the thank you like before like powers both chose up and like a stage two huge skies. But then you never that never comes up like that. There's no like, ah you know, like hospital scene or like, and with like the stretcher and be like, Hey, you're a hero. Thanks for thanks for like, rescue everybody like Well, I think that's the message. It's like it doesn't matter about the politics anymore. It just like it. What really matters is what a parent will do to save their kid. But also to kill Powers Booth in the most like, I guess, like ridiculous manner, because unless it goes back to the kitchen again, what else are you going to do? I guess would have been funnier in my opinion now if somehow they ended up back in the kitchen.
01:14:10
Speaker
Yeah, there's like an oil or or like use some others like like as they fall like on the ice or something like they had like but like they like we're like had like hockey sticks and we fight each other with hockey sticks or something. Oh my god, like a fucking sword fight with sticks. Yeah, I'm also I had a weird Mandela effect this move too. I thought I remember like Vietnam like killing a guy like an ice skates.
01:14:33
Speaker
but it never happens. It doesn't happen in the the the locker room or like in the... heat He slams a guy's hand in like, I think it's the machine that they put the skates in. Yeah, the sharpener. Yeah. But he but he he doesn't actually use like an ice skate to like kill someone. I don't think that happens. No, that's what I'm saying. It was like a Mandela effect I had of like, oh yeah, like a Van Damme kills a guy with an ice skate at one point. I kind of remember that too, but I think I'm confusing that from like another movie with like ice skate. Yeah. I'm gonna look online to see like that's like a thing.
01:15:03
Speaker
But that just seems like a but like a waste of opportunity. like you have like ah It's a hockey movie, and you have you don't have to kill a guy with a hockey, like a super sharp ice skate. I feel like they set it up too, because like when they go in the locker room, like they go they like the coach or whatever is like so talking about, like, oh yeah, we like we heat up the ice skates. like make We can bend them to make them, like you can like bend them to whatever shape you want and sharpen them.
01:15:28
Speaker
So they like set it up. They'll be like, oh, my name's like, you know, like use this like shirt, like shape of like ah ice skate to like kill a guy or something with it. Yeah. So you you think about. Cliffhanger.
01:15:45
Speaker
Who would ice skates in a cliffhanger? He uses someone uses an ice skate against someone. Maybe it's like not an ice skate proper, but like I just looked at him a lot. It's like there's a seeing cliffhanger that they have that. Yeah, maybe.
01:15:57
Speaker
I'm going to see on YouTube, but thats that's just what I found on chats.
01:16:05
Speaker
Yeah, it does so does it ah does a great job like using ah a lot of like the arena stuff, like a lot of like the you know environment. But yeah, there's definitely a couple of things that could make just even more like ridiculous hockey-related things.
01:16:20
Speaker
I think of like a Dolph Longer movie like Command Performance 2 where like like Dolph is like killing people with like, he's a rock star, he's he's killing people with like instruments. Like he kill it kills a man with like the power of rock. Like he just like plays the guitar so loud that the other guy gets killed by hits.
01:16:44
Speaker
But yeah, overall, I mean, Son of Death, super fun movie. I don't know if it's top tier Van Dam, but it's definitely upper middle tier Van Dam.
01:16:56
Speaker
like it doesnt It doesn't get into kickbox or bloodsport, that tier Van Dam, but like it's definitely like in that solidly middle, like like slightly deeper cut Van Dam.
01:17:10
Speaker
Uh, yeah, it's not the first few things because it's not like a tournament fighting movie. This is a, um, it's not hard. It's not hard target. Yeah. Yeah. It's Van Dam with like a normal day job. Yeah. And then suddenly he's at a diehard, but I think this is his only diehard movie. Um, I'm trying to think what, well, yeah, cause heart, heart, heart target wasn't, um,
01:17:42
Speaker
Yeah, I don't yeah I don't I can't think of another like Van Damme like Dyerd movie. I guess I mean, I guess like any any is closer, which you mentioned like is sort of like a little bit dire because it's like it's like setting like an island. ah It's like kind of like Canadian island. But then Van Damme is the bad guy in that one. So.
01:18:03
Speaker
Yeah, because all the rest of the movies are like either like, yeah, like tournament movies or I guess like Hong Kong action where it's like a guy yeah always on the maxim like maximum risk is stuff like that which that was that was this I think this is also kind of like Sundance is like kind of the last one before like the last like good Van Damme movie I mean I guess critically in like commercially successful movie because then it's like the quest and maximum risk and then you kind of like slid up slid out for a little bit They came back with like, you know, JCVD and then it was in Expendables 2 and, you know, it's been doing a bunch of stuff after that, but...
Van Damme's Career and Film Remake
01:18:44
Speaker
Sundance was kind of like the last, like, it's like that last big theatrical, like, success, successful movie.
01:18:53
Speaker
Oh yeah, like, you know, Double Team was after this, knockoff.
01:19:02
Speaker
I was confused, Knock Off is not part of Double Team, even though it's like filmed by the same studio, I think. Yeah. Well, I mean, Knock Off is Rob Schneider, who was in every action movie the 90s for some reason. Also, did Simon say it's part of Double Team? I was confused that. I think people think it's like the same character, but I don't think it's the same character or in the Double Team universe. It's like a totally separate thing. It was just this Robin basically playing the same character.
01:19:40
Speaker
Oh, have you seen the pseudo-sequel Welcome to Sudden Death? No. the it like like Michael Jai White, did like the ah well it's more of a remake. It's like a Netflix movie.
01:19:58
Speaker
i think i think I think we talked about it. It came out in 2020. So that you know it was like already a dark period. But that was, that was I think I thought that was the worst people I saw in 2020.
01:20:11
Speaker
it it's bad it's it's It's super bad. like It's it's so's so boring. um there's There's only like one good fight. It's like Michael J. White and his wife have like an awesome fight, and then that's it. It's ah it's set during it set ah a basketball game.
01:20:26
Speaker
But they don't they don't really use the basketball at all, like the way they use hockey in this one. There's no ah mascot that gets brutally killed in a kitchen. I don't know. There's no mascot fight. There's a super annoying sidekick. Like you're you're you're talking about like, oh, there should have been like a sidekick. Welcome to Sundance has a sidekick and he's so he's like so annoying and terrible.
01:20:55
Speaker
Yeah, it it's it's definitely it's that definitely one of the worst Michael J. White movies I've ever seen. like he's i mean He's good as always. Michael J. White ki be like can never not be awesome, but like like everything else of about that movie is just like terrible. did ah Did at least they have like a good villain? A charismatic villain? It's um it Michael Eklund. He was in like, what was he trying to think what he's he was he's been in?
01:21:28
Speaker
Oh, he's like a character actor guy. I mean, if you see if you if you look him up, you'll like be like, oh, yeah, that guy. But like it so it was like it you know it was like a powers booth level, like ah like we got like got like this like like awesome like ah actor going up against Michael J. White. think
01:21:52
Speaker
So yeah, we definitely definitely would not recommend Welcome to Sudden Death. But we do recommend Sudden Death. Yes. I'm not sure you haven't seen it before. It's a lot of take-in. Especially especially now especially now that it's in 4K, which I'm very curious to see. and so i'll probably i' probably I'll probably get it out of 4K.
01:22:12
Speaker
um
01:22:16
Speaker
yeah the the But the best way to best way see that movie.
01:22:22
Speaker
I don't think I don't think it's so I read it on Apple. So i don't I don't know if it's like actually streaming like for quote unquote free anywhere right now. You might just have like read it from like whatever service.
01:22:35
Speaker
Yeah, it's unfortunate. I feel like when we when I remember seeing this a lot more was Netflix and then I just owned a DVD copy of it. I have like a fan damn collection. Yeah.
01:22:51
Speaker
So you can't get that legendary like the uh was it time cop blood sport like it was like a blu-ray pack or something double pack that it was up everywhere but i think i think there was like a like a blue like it was like a blu-ray of like it was like pretty much all every like early 90s fanan movies unlike blu-ray or dvd or something
01:23:20
Speaker
But yeah, check out the 4K, check it out on digital or wherever you want to check it out. And if you're looking for more diehard-related shenanigans, our commentary for the month is also up. And I think, Chris, you were alluding to it. But we watched the 1997 Olympics-based diehard knockoff, Blast, which stars Lyndon Ashby, AKA Johnny Cage, and also Rucker Howard.
01:23:50
Speaker
And it's the the olympics the like ah Olympic swim team gets kidnapped in the pool that they're practicing in. And then Lin and Ashby is like is a janitor who works there, but he's also like a former Taekwondo bronze medalist. And he has, like, ah you know, Save the Day, John McClain style.
01:24:10
Speaker
There's a lot of, a lot of, that definitely not as good as Sundance. But there's there's definitely so like a lot of ridiculous things that we talk about in the commentary if you want to check that out. that's that's every i mean Blast is everywhere, it's on Prime Video, it's on Tubi, it's on Crackle, it's on ah like PloTV, it's on everything. So you can sync that up and watch the commentary with us.
01:24:33
Speaker
And yeah, we'll be back next week with another movie to talk about. And yeah, so for Chris, I am Zach, and we will see you next time. For more for every action, head to www.everythingaction.com.
01:24:45
Speaker
You can also find us on Facebook at facebook.com slash everything.action and follow us on X at Evieaction. We're also on Instagram and threads at everything.action. Find more episodes of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast epic choice and be sure to rate and subscribe.