NinetyForChill.com: The #Podcast

Episode 62: "Blind Fury" with Gregory Carl (Blind Swordsman vs. A Texan with a Shotgun).

”Blind Fury” with Gregory Carl

April 4, 2022
Gregory Carl returns to NinetyForChill.com: The #Podcast to critique the movie that established the equation of Rutger Hauer + Action Gimmick = Low Brow Gold. 1989's "Blind Fury" was an early 90s' basic cable Cubs/Braves rain delay stand by. A blind sword-swinging Hauer vs. Randle "Tex" Cobb screams entertainment. Why would you want to see the Cubs be the Cubs when the game resumed?

Cool Movies Darth is a little more knowledgeable when it comes to the late great Dutch actor than his podcast's guest, so it maybe safe to presume that most casual American movie fans hold an underappreciation of this performer. That is not surprising since he might deliver the best accent work in all of cinema. Gregory did not think that Hauer was not an American for even a second.

Allow me to get out of third-person. Happy Prof. Shurtleff of Illinois Central College? I (CM Darth) will try not to make so much light of violent death in this summation. This is my declaration of changing perspective.

In our discussion, Gregory and I determine if anyone predicted the impact of Hauer on Hollywood, it was our moms. Perhaps not Gregory's, but his significant other remembers watching this feature on WGN as a child. My mom loved him "Ladyhawke" (where she claims to have predicted Michelle Pfeiffer rise to fame [as she preferred "Grease 2"]) and more than likely considers "Nighthawks" to be a Christmas movie.

Hauer was such a reliable actor that you might not even notice him in all the great movies that he starred in. "Batman Begins", "Surviving the Game", and of course "Blade Runner" are some of his finest performances, but they are all in supporting roles. He did portray the leads in Sam Peckinpah's "The Osterman Weekend" and Paul Verhoeven's "Flesh+Blood", but they are pretty subtle performances. As an American version of "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman", it is nice to see him thrive in over-the-top circumstances.

I will say that this film is not as over-the-top and even as good as 2011's "Hobo with a Shotgun", but that feature was more of a tribute to the legend and range of Hauer. That might make for a fun podcast. Any takers? Send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com.

This blind swordsman feature is about Vietnam veteran Nick Parker. Calling him just veteran might be insulting his efforts. He was blinded and left for dead the eve of the day he and his best friend Frank Devereaux were suppose to be heading home. Wandering blindly in search of his comrades led him to fall into a trap set by some villagers. One can only assume they were not the Vietcong because they choose to nurse him back to health and determine that he can benefit by being taught the ways of the sword. Basically, they turn Nick into a seemingly more peaceful "Daredevil".

Frank has become a chemist with a gambling problem that resulted in him leaving his wife and child, Billy, to make it big in Reno. His luck does not change, and to pay off his debts to a crooked casino owner, MacCready, he is force to create a new designer drug. Because of his reluctance to do this, the mobster decides the best way to handle him is to abduct his son to obtain leverage over him.

It took 20 years, but Nick has finally returned to the States and sets out to find Frank, the only person he considered to be family. He happens to arrive in Miami to meet Frank's family the same time MacCready's best henchmen, Slade (portrayed by the legend, "Raising Arizona's" Randall "Tex" Cobb). Slade and two crooked cops escalate matters quickly as he blows Frank's wife away with a shotgun and concusses Billy. In response, Nick releases his "Blind Fury".

Nick decides to fulfill Billy's mother's dying request, so he sets off with her son to reunite with his father. This will be quite the task since Slade survived and it is not that difficult to realize that buses are the only means for a blind man to travel. Billy does not like being told what to do by a man who is not as "capable" as he is, so the child does everything he can to prove he is better than Nick. If you need to learn the ways of the sword, it seems fortuitous to have been taught by a Zen-worshipping culture. Patience may prove to be more beneficial to survive this road trip than being able to swing a blade.

"Blind Fury" is not only a samurai knock off, it is also an ode to everything shown in eighties action movies. The final showdown features the Ninja from The Cannon Group's "Ninja Trilogy". We get ridiculous car chases featuring "The Wraith's" Nick Cassavetes. Of course there will be at least one pro-wrestler serving as a body guard for the antagonist.

And, because "Batman" was released in the same year, the thought that a PG-13 action movie can make bank was a ridiculous one. Hence, all of the F-Bombs are forced into the last act to ensure it gets an R rating to be held in the same regard as "Tango & Cash" and "Commando".

Follow me on Twitter @catbusruss. If you want to be on the show, contact me on Twitter or send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com. All we need is a theme, movie, director, or actor and a focus on sub 100-minute material. As long as the credits start before the 1:39:59 mark on the runtime bar, the movie qualifies.