The Blood of Heroes (1990)

Pretty Good

Just perfect...

The first must-see film of the year.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Anyone wanting to watch a mixture of Mad Max and Rollerball (the original!!!) then this has you covered.Great performances, simply plot, well paced and never takes itself too serious. This one is plan and simple entertainment.So switch off, sit back and enjoy. I gaurantee you will go well passed the 100 stones.

One of my most interesting experiences. Alas, the off-camera drama proved far more fascinating than the rather superficial, futuristic, action/adventure, grind-house offering that finally emerged on the screen. I worked on the film for only four days of a ten-week shooting schedule. But, aside from a brief shot of me in the Red City street as I pass by Gandhi on the right of the wide-wide screen, my part was left on the cutting-room floor. An earlier scene in the street in which I was accosted by a young boy, excitedly telling me that he'd just found a magic stone, was eliminated. Indeed, not only was this scene (and another in which I figured as worshiper in a weirdly colorful religious ceremony at a Red City temple), completely deleted, but the whole sub-plot involving this young lad was removed. He's no longer in "Salute of the Jugger" at all. That's a shame, because he was easily the best actor in the movie. A fine acrobat, a naturally gifted, charismatic performer, handsome as they come, with a captivating personality, he looked set for major stardom. I don't even remember his name.I was on the set at the same time as Rutger Hauer, Delroy Lindo, Gandhi McIntyre, Joan Chen, Hugh Keays-Byrne (a wonderful actor in a made-to-order villainous role, which was cut to ribbons in the editing room), and numerous extras in an elaborate opening ceremony to the Red City games. This ceremony was also hacked out of the final cut. And almost as bad as the deletions already mentioned, was the pruning of Joan Chen's part in the climactic game. She bravely performed her own stunts (receiving many spontaneous rounds of applause from the assembled crowd artists), but all her efforts came to nought. They were scissored too. On the other hand, just about all Glenn Ruehland's footage was left in. He doubled for Hauer. It's interesting that the star wasn't even on the set for most of Ruehland's vigorous fighting. He came in right at the end for close- ups.I didn't see much of David Peoples on the set. The first morning he had a set-to with Rutger Hauer. Peoples wanted to end the star's first sequence in a Red City street with Rutger turning his back on the camera, walking away down the bustling thoroughfare and being swallowed up by the unknowing crowd. But Rutger absolutely refused to turn his back on the camera. After nearly an hour of fruitless argument, the producer was sent for. We waited another hour, and when the money- man eventually arrived, he adjudicated in favor of Hauer. Peoples walked off the set. The scene was then directed the Hauer way by Keith Heygate. And in the afternoon, when Peoples had not returned, the jettisoned temple scene (in which Hauer didn't appear anyway) was directed by David Eggby. Peoples, unshaven, bleary-eyed, returned a few days later. He explained that he'd been working on the script. In the meantime, the climactic games sequence had been directed and painstakingly choreographed by Guy Norris. His principal players were Ruehland (who assisted in "co-ordinating" these scenes) and Joan Chen. While the action specialists were busy rehearsing the juggers, photographer David Eggby in close collaboration with the continuity girl (indeed she took charge as the filming progressed) directed two scenes with the spectators.Another interesting point was that a second camera was used for all scenes, except those actually involving the games. Eggby had no connection with the second camera, which had its own crew, and was generally set up behind and to the side of the first. Eggby did supervise the lighting of the set and actually operated his camera himself, with the aid of a focus puller. Cross was in charge of the second camera, which had its own operator and focus puller. These people were completely ignored by both Eggby and Peoples who both acted as if that crew didn't exist. Cross received his instructions from Keith Heygate (who yelled at Cross angrily when Cross asked for time-out to make some camera adjustments). In addition to these duties, the usually pleasant-mannered Heygate also personally directed the placing and blocking of the extras, as well as supervising the special effects men and the animal handler. The main scene that Peoples directed himself, while I was on the set, was the opening ceremony of the games, very elaborately staged, rehearsed and choreographed. I also overheard him telling a visitor that the young lad I mentioned earlier was a "great discovery" and that "Salute of the Jugger" would set the boy firmly on the path to international acclaim.So there you have it. The credits, even the seemingly endless roll-calls attached to modern films, don't tell the whole story. Anything like the whole story. Many people still make important contributions without any credit at all. And some people who are credited actually do either very little to earn that name in lights, or contribute far more than the field in which their name appears!Which brings me to my final point. Salute to the Jugger is a Poverty Row film in reverse. The aim of a Poverty producer is to use every trick in the book to expand his meager budget so that it looks shatteringly lavish on the screen. Jugger's editor evidently had the opposite aim. Make the film look cheap. Although filmed on a money- no-object scale, the on-screen Jugger has the appearance of an inferior American-International. You should have seen the Red City street down which I and about two hundred meticulously costumed extras wandered. The shops. Wow! All filmed with the weirdest, most bizarre, most inventively created produce and goods that highly imaginative designers and set dressers could imagine. And what do we actually see on the screen. Zilch!

I'm reviewing this based on my opinion of it as a high school kid. That's when I originally saw it and repeated viewings haven't changed my opinion. I have always liked Rutger Hauer and Vincent D'Onofrio. I love just about everything about the movie in its simple butt-stomping game and story. Its a sports movie with Mad Max as the background. I'm surprised that the RT score is so low, but I think most fans of this kind of genre will like it.

The Blood of Heroes is set in a desolate post apocalyptic future, and you can taste the dirt and the misery. It also shows Rutger Hauer at his best.This flick never rose to fame, probably because of its weird choice of topic, a brutal game that looks like a mix of chess, American football, and ancient Rome gladiatorial combat. There's blood and pain at every turn. So it's not for everyone, but the quality is there.The imagery, costumes, makeup, and action are without reproach. The story might not bring anything new to the table, but the world sure does, and it's showed in full details. The dialogs are simple, yet very effective, and no quick easy slick remark, jut hard harsh statements fitting the whole scene.The only reproach I would make is that the pellicle is getting old, and without clean images, it's getting tougher to appreciate. No widescreen, no HD. Bummer. Still, its age does show beyond that, the rest is impeccable.If you don't mind violence, see it.