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Sudden Death

year 1995decade 90sdirector Peter Hyamsgenre Actiongenre Thriller

110 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Jean-Claude Van Damme Darren McCord
Powers Boothe Joshua Foss
Raymond J. Barry Vice President Daniel Bender
Dorian Harewood Matthew Hallmark
Whittni Wright Emily McCord
Ross Malinger Tyler McCord
Faith Minton Carla
Paul Mochnick Andrew Ferrara
Audra Lindley Angeline Ferrara
Jack Erdie Scratch
Kate McNeil Kathi McCord
Jeff Howell Usborn
Raymond Laine Mullard
Kane Hodder Murphy
Brian Smrz Demsky
Ed Evanko Baldwin
Bernard Canepari Jefferson
Bill Dalzell George Spota
Steve Aranson Dooley
Jennifer D. Bowser Joan Cometti
Brian Delate Thomas Blair
Milton E. Thompson Sergeant Kurtz
Jay Caufield Brad Tolliver
Bill Clement Pre-game announcer
Mike Lange Himself / play-by-play announcer
Luc Robitaille Himself
Paul Steigerwald Himself / color commentator

Sudden Death | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Kyle Brandtproducer Craig Horlbeck
Explore episodeClose episode

Most Rewatchable Scene

Van Damme playing goalie

In the discussion (25)
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:30Read transcript
  • The opening fire and dead girl are rejected as rewatchable-scene material; the rescue staging is criticized as confusing and grim.
  • The divorced-parent birthday conflict evokes a personal childhood memory of competing treats and sports tickets.
  • The family scene produces anxiety for one viewer but enjoyment for another.
  • The luxury-suite exposition is a scene candidate, with escalating period-by-period ransom demands and the watch-price correction highlighted.
  • The mascot kitchen fight is praised as bizarre, funny and effective; the costume’s physical limitations make the opponent’s success astonishing.
  • The mascot fight is placed second among hypothetical most-ridiculous 1990s action scenes, with another Sudden Death scene reserved for first; no full top-ten list is supplied.
  • Hallmark rescuing McCord and then being punched is a scene candidate; the apparently obvious future betrayal and the unrealistically casual response to the punch are discussed.
  • Armed terrorists delaying a clear shot is criticized as an escape-enabling trope.
  • The water-gun attack and Hallmark’s burned-face return are scene candidates, with the makeup compared to Cape Fear.
  • McCord effortlessly jumping down arena seating rows is praised as physically remarkable.
  • Van Damme’s save, punch and the announcer’s strange-night observation are favorite parts of the goalie sequence.
  • Changing into the goalie’s equipment to hide from nearby pursuers is criticized as unexplained and impossibly time-consuming, while remaining wonderfully absurd.
  • A sideline reporter investigating the goalie and being killed is proposed as an additional comic action beat.
  • The short-handed penalty situation and last-second tying goal are criticized as implausible and poorly explained after the film’s earlier attention to hockey detail.
  • The two roof fights are rewatchable-scene candidates.
  • The prolonged helicopter crash is a scene candidate, with repeated screaming angles and the villains’ collective evil laugh enjoyed.
  • Van Damme playing goalie is the agreed most-rewatchable scene, compared favorably with famous sports-movie moments.
  • The save is admired, with a wish that the goalie sequence had lasted longer.
  • The family pickup scene is disliked for the hostile son and ex-wife.
  • The family’s lack of excitement about Game Seven tickets is considered implausible.
  • The feverish goalie’s continued use and unattended oxygen treatment are questioned.
  • The goalie voluntarily leaving Game Seven is criticized as contrary to hockey’s competitive ethos.
  • McCord’s homemade weapons and decision to use the roof rather than the elevator are questioned.
  • The rooftop leap and swing while holding explosives are considered implausibly precise, yet riveting.
  • The henchman nicknamed Drunk Bono gives away the entire plan after two punches despite insisting he is a professional.

Apex Mountain

Van Damme’s acting (qualified)

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:47Read transcript
  • Stadium-step running is considered for Apex but rejected in favor of the log-carrying athlete in Vision Quest.
  • Booth is rejected for Apex; Tombstone, Deadwood and earlier work are uncertain alternatives, while his memorable name is praised.
  • Bloodsport is proposed as Van Damme’s Apex for launching the run; Universal Soldier is raised as another major success.
  • Van Damme’s peak remains in the earlier run rather than this film; playing twins is another proposed marker, with the film title confused in the discussion.
  • The Penguins are rejected as an Apex choice.
  • Ross Malinger is rejected here in favor of Sleepless in Seattle.
  • Dorian Harewood is rejected as an Apex choice.
  • Hockey movies are rejected here in favor of Miracle.
  • Arenas-in-danger movies and Die Hard imitations receive negative Apex judgments.
  • Van Damme’s acting is jokingly called his peak and literal Apex Mountain during the cocaine discussion; this is an acting-specific remark.

What’s Aged the Best?

Darren McCord; Drunk Bono; action tropes; French conversation; vice-president line; doomed hostage; child acting; Van Damme; ESPN hockey

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:58Read transcript
  • The incongruity of the name Darren McCord is an aged-best choice.
  • The henchman nicknamed Drunk Bono is an aged-best choice.
  • The familiar instruction that a superior ought to see something is an aged-best action trope.
  • A villain casually shooting one hostage to establish seriousness is an aged-best trope.
  • Instant enormous bank transfers are enjoyed as an absurd action-movie convention.
  • The surprise villain reveal and immediate explanatory speech are enjoyed, while the rich-villain boast is called a terrible line.
  • The wisecracking technical specialist is an additional enjoyed trope, recognized as a Die Hard imitation.
  • Van Damme speaking French to Luc Robitaille is an aged-best choice.
  • The line asking how agents lost the vice president is enjoyed.
  • The obviously doomed annoying hostage, here the mayor’s wife, is an aged-best choice.
  • Booth’s complaint about a frightened hostage moaning is enjoyed as an outrageous line.
  • The child performances are called so bad they can become an aged-best pleasure; their exposure to the film’s violence prompts discomfort.
  • Van Damme’s performance is praised as possibly his best acting, focused sincerely on saving his children rather than sex, splits or nudity.
  • The ESPN Stanley Cup presentation is an aged-best choice.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Dead-child opening; guns at stadium; crowd; missing Lemieux; score; unseen fall; substitute players; Booth;555numbers; locker room; violence

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:30Read transcript
  • The dead girl opening is an aged-worst choice for its disturbing eyes and rushed imitation of Cliffhanger’s emotional setup.
  • Machine guns entering a sporting event is an aged-worst element.
  • The Game Seven crowd is criticized as too subdued and willing to evacuate for the stakes and city.
  • Lemieux’s absence is an aged-worst complaint, with illness and reluctance to participate floated as uncertain explanations.
  • The score is an aged-worst choice.
  • The unseen rooftop fall is criticized as an apparent budget-saving omission.
  • The replacement hockey players are criticized as visibly below NHL quality, with the lockout offered as production context.
  • Booth’s performance is reiterated as an aged-worst choice.
  • 555 phone numbers are disliked.
  • The Penguins locker room is criticized as cheap-looking.
  • The blunt, indiscriminate violence, including killing people before children and spouses, is judged especially harsh on rewatch.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Attend this game; a new baseball or lacrosse action film

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:23Read transcript
  • The hot take favors attending this fictional sporting event above all others: Game Seven overtime plus surviving an extraordinary incident would create a lifelong story.
  • The Natural’s pennant-winning game is a competing event-attendance choice, with The Longest Yard also appealing.
  • A1995 football version imagines Van Damme replacing Jason Sehorn at cornerback and breaking up a pass.
  • Replacing punter Sean Landeta is an alternative football version, titled Coffin Corner; current overtime rules undermine the title Sudden Death.
  • A new stadium-terrorism movie starring the Rock at a baseball game is proposed.
  • Professional lacrosse is another proposed setting that might welcome the publicity.
  • The World Series of Poker is another joking setting.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Agent recognized from Shawshank and The Truman Show

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:11Read transcript
  • Raymond J. Barry is an initial that-guy favorite as vice president.
  • Audra Lindley is recognized as Mrs. Roper and receives a that-guy mention.
  • The agent recognized from Shawshank and as Truman’s father becomes the that-guy winner; his actor name is not supplied.

Just One Oscar

Stunt performers; Luc Robitaille (joke)

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:35Read transcript
  • The stunt performers are the Oscar choice, with Robitaille receiving a joking acceptance-speech alternative.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Foil a terrorist attack to win back your children

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:33Read transcript
  • Foiling a terrorist attack is the life lesson for winning back children who think their father is a loser.
  • The 52-second interval from helicopter explosion to credits is compared with Cliffhanger’s 84 seconds.