Chuck Norris’ Hero and the Terror and the Blu-ray
Chuck Norris starred in two action-horror hybrids in the 1980s. The first, and I think most people would agree better of the two, was 1983’s Silent Rage. That film, which cast the iconic karate master against an unstoppable, seemingly inhuman serial killer of the Michael Myers variety, could almost best be summarized as “Chuck Norris vs. Halloween.”
The second and arguably worse was 1988’s Hero and the Terror. Norris played yet another cop against yet another unstoppable, seemingly inhuman serial killer, but this time the serial killer looks more like some backwoods redneck mongoloid maniac. I guess this one could best be summarized as “Chuck Norris vs. Slaughterhouse” or something like that.
The simple-minded nature of this Cannon production is indicated right there in the title. Norris is a cop who takes down a monstrous mass murderer and struggles to accept the media saddling him with the unwelcome moniker of “hero.” The killer’s media-ascribed nickname, you ask? They dub him “The Terror,” naturally. And when “The Terror” gets loose again to unleash even more terror, hero must come to grips being called “Hero” in order to once again become a hero by ending The Terror’s reign of terror. We almost have the makings of an Abbott & Costello “who’s on first” routine here.
Kino Lorber of late has been announcing a slew of Eighties Cannon titles for future DVD release (Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, River of Death, and An Eye for an Eye just to name a few). Hero and the Terror made the cut and will heading to Blu-ray sometime in June.
Extras, in any, are yet to be announced.
Synopsis:
A notorious killer is back to terrorize Los Angeles, and only one man can stop him. Martial arts superstar Chuck Norris packs a powerful punch in this “exciting” (Variety) action-thriller about a tough L.A. cop’s pursuit of a savage villain from his past. “Adroitly directed with startling images” (The Village Voice) and harrowing action scenes, Hero and the Terror is edge-of-your-seat suspense from beginning to end.
Homicide detective Danny O’Brien (Norris) is known simply as “Hero” for having brought down L.A.’s most vicious serial killer: Simon Moon (Jack O’Halloran) a.k.a. “The Terror.” But for years O’Brien has secretly been haunted by the fact that his capture of Moon was a fluke. When The Terror escapes from jail and returns to his old killing ways, O’Brien finally gets the chance to earn his glorified reputation… if his monstrous enemy doesn’t destroy him first!
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