Robert Chipman
Welcome to this column dedicated to my appreciation of physical media supplements called Feature Presentations. The goal of this column is not to say whether a film is good or bad and worth picking up or not — I would like to highlight the discs that go the extra mile and provide film fans with enough tasty tidbits to satisfy even the hungriest of cinephiles. Today’s article will focus on the 1995 Jean Claude Van Damme action vehicle, Sudden Death, newly released via Kino Lorber.
I never have or will claim to be an expert in reviewing the technical specs of a physical media release. There are plenty of knowledgeable people in this realm of commenting on the audio and video aspects of a disc with better setups than I’ll ever own. This column, Feature Presentations, is a way of highlighting the supplemental material within a given disc. With all that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff and dive into my review of this 4K/Blu-ray release of Sudden Death.
As a disclaimer of transparency for this episode of Feature Presentations, my review of Sudden Death comes from a review copy that Kino Lorber provided for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; and when that comes to cinema, the first film that comes to mind is Die Hard. The 1988 John McTiernan-helmed action classic has withstood the test of time and ingrained itself into a sub-genre of cinema speak: “Die Hard in a…” Whether it’s “Die Hard on a Ship,” with Under Siege, or “Die Hard on a Bus,” with Speed, the ripples of Die Hard continue to be felt many years after its theatrical release.
Among the multitude of Die Hard clones, the film that, according to this writer, stands above them all is the subject of today’s article: the 1995 Jean-Claude Van Damme starring vehicle: Sudden Death.
I’ve already said my peace on Sudden Death in a previous article, so I will not regurgitate my admiration for the “terrorists-take-over-a-hockey-arena” thriller outside of the skill it takes to not only follow the Die Hard playbook but utilize such a playbook to craft a well-worn story with enough elements to make it stand out amongst the Die Hard clones. Director Peter Hyams and screenwriter Gene Quintano use every inch of the Pittsburgh Civic Arena and, where Jean-Claude Van Damme slacks in the acting department, co-star Powers Boothe makes up for it in spades; turning what appears to be a stock villain into a charming and charismatic foil that chews up the scenery in the best ways.
When I heard Sudden Death would be making its way onto 4K courtesy of Kino Lorber, my excitement level went through the roof. Sudden Death hit the Blu-ray market many years back with a barebones release. Having Kino Lorber in charge of the 4K edition of this JCVD flick, I was hopeful that the film would get some love and care in the special features department.
And while the 4K/Blu-ray has more supplemental material than any releases preceding it, the overall package is a mixed bag at best.
Kicking things off is a newly-recorded commentary with action film historians Mike Leeder and UK Cult Movie Director Ross Boyask. Each commentator spends time discussing certain aspects of the film but also moves their discussion to other tangents about projects they are working on and nitpicking multiple aspects of Sudden Death. It’s a weird track, as it feels like both participants would rather be discussing other topics than the film they are watching. Occasionally, they will dive into the production and other avenues associated with the Peter Hyams thriller, but overall, this disappointing commentary landed with a thud.
Kino Lorber includes an eight-minute compilation of on-set interviews with director Peter Hyams and stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Powers Boothe, and Ross Malinger. Shot during the film’s production, each discusses what drew them to the film and thoughts on the story, characters, and overall production. As with interviews such as these, the comments are surface-level, but it is welcome to hear from those on the film’s production.
Seven minutes worth of behind-the-scenes footage is included and, to me, is the standout piece on this release. I’ve mentioned multiple times that I’m a sucker for features that give a peek behind the curtain, and this feature does just that. Shot with a “fly-on-the-will” approach, the feature showcases the production team working to craft some of the film’s most memorable moments, culminating with footage of the crew filming the climactic final stunt featuring a helicopter crashing into the hockey arena.
The release comes to a close with the film’s theatrical trailer and a handful of television spots.
And there you have it! The Kino Lorber 4K/Blu-ray release of Sudden Death is an upgrade from prior releases but has left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, the film has never looked better and includes enough bonus features for fans of this JCVD classic to classify this as a worthy upgrade. On the other hand, the audio commentary is a major disappointment, and the lack of additional substantive features makes the release feel a step or two above barebones. While I have major reservations about the package, Sudden Death is a marked improvement over its Blu-ray counterpart and sometimes, you have to take what you can get.
