The Blood of Heroes, 1988 - LD

This is, by far, one of my favorite 1980's films. David Peoples took a relatively simple idea and turned it into a neat sci-fi action film. With a pretty stellar cast, good writing, great production... this is a really neat movie.

I don't want to label it a B movie, because if this film was made today, the same exact film, it would be labelled an independent breakthrough. The 1980's were filled with these kinds of films... based on Conan, a Mad-Max like future and gladiator movies... this film itself can be compared to Piers Anthony's Battle Circle (for one), among a number of other sci-fi stories... but it also brings with it original characters and a world that is more original than most of the 80's sci-fi flicks.

Rutger Hauer is one of my heroes. Some of his original work, from Finland, was with legendary director Paul Verhoeven. More often than not, considered porn, Hauer made four films with Verhoeven (the fifth being Flesh & Blood in 1985) before breaking out into mainstream film with Nighthawks. He would then go on to make the most popular film of his career (both past and present), Blade Runner (coincidentally co-written by Peoples).

Hauer would go on to make a number of other neat (B) movies. The Osterman Weekend, Ladyhawke, The Hitcher, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Blind Fury, Split Second, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Past Midnight and a whole slew of made for TV movies and other straight to video films from the 1990's. Most recently he's been in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, in which he did a great job, and also the two sequels to Dracula. He is also in the process of shooting the re-make of Salem's Lot for 2004.

One of the things he brings is a personality that is both fun and serious... but it's something more. He adds some other dimension to the character... it might be a combination of all the films he's been in in the past, that you remember looks or lines he's given before... I don't know. But I enjoy watching him act, regardless of the material.

One of the first roles of Delroy Lindo, he also did a great job in this feature. One of two actors who would go on to have huge careers after this film. Lindo would go on to some very mainstream films, including The Core, which came out this past spring. Back and forth between successful movies, and movies with big budgets that should not have been made, Lindo is still an accomplished actor in his own right, and I'm sure we'll see more of him in the future... but I think it's interesting that this was one of his big breaks.

Vincent D'Onofrio is another star whose career bloomed with this feature, though his breakthrough role was in Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. D'Onofrio has always been one of my favorite non-mainstream actors. I think that his work in Men in Black was by far my favorite of his. Working as the Edgar Suit... he just did such a great job.

We haven't seen much of Joan Chen, although her role as Josie Packard from Twin Peaks will always be, in my mind, the highlight of her career. She went on to star in Judge Dredd and last years Avatar, but not much more. She did a fine job in this film, and I was happy to see her in Twin Peaks.

David Peoples has had an interesting career. He's been involved in some very influential films: Blade Runner, Ladyhawke, Unforgiven, Twelve Monkeys... but then he's also written films like Leviathan, Hero and Soldier. Not bad films, but certainly not up to par with the others.

He hasn't directed a film since 1988 (Blood of Heroes), and hasn't written a produced script since Soldier, in 1998. I hope that we hear from him again, in the near future. He's got a real talent, and I look forward to his next project.

After being only on laserdisc for the past, what, ten years? Blood of Heroes is now available on DVD, and for very cheap. It's certainly worth a rent... for those of you who are interested in post-apocalyptic sci-fi films with a good story, good characters and good acting, I'm sure you'll be picking this one up for your collection.