Hard Target | 4K UHD + Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)
RELEASE DATE: December 7, 2021
On December 7, 2021, Kino Lorber Studio Classics will release a New 4K UHD + Blu-ray for John Woo and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 1993 actioner Hard Target.
In Hard Target, a woman (Yancy Butler) hires a drifter (Jean-Claude Van Damme) as her guide through New Orleans in search of her missing father. In the process, they discover a deadly game of cat and mouse behind his disappearance. The film also stars Lance Henriksen, Arnold Vosloo, Bob Murawski and Wilford Brimley.
The upcoming release will include New interviews with John Woo, Lance Henriksen and Yancy Butler, as well as the Unrated Director’s Cut and U.S. Theatrical Cut of the film.
According to Kino, Woo considers the international unrated cut, his cut. Before agreeing to the interview, he wanted to make sure the company was restoring his preferred cut. The infamous workprint cut is not his cut and will not be included (many of the scenes of the work print cut no longer exist).
Features:
- Brand New 4K Restoration of the Unrated International Cut – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative!
- NEW Interview with Director John Woo
- NEW Interview with Actor Lance Henriksen
- NEW Interview with Actress Yancy Butler
- NEW Interview with Stunt Coordinator Billy Burton
- NEW Audio Commentary by Action Film Historians Brandon Bentley and Mike Leeder
- Theatrical Trailer (Newly Restored in HD)
- 5.1 Surround & 2.0 Lossless Stereo
- Optional English Subtitles
Pre-order from Amazon.com today!
Easily John Woo’s best American film.
I have to watch a lot of this stuff again, but as a whole, I think Nowhere to Run might be my favorite of his.
I really like Hard target. But I think Ringo Lam did a best work with Van Dammage: Maximum risk (I know, OK and that’s all but Natasha Henstridge, ‘nough said) and the better In hell and the very underrated Replicant. I’ll give the 88 Films Blu-ray of Knock off and Double team to Emmaüs (Hark didn’t give a fuck, the movies are 100% crap, funny or not, but strangely they were like the bastard fathers of Time and tide, for me one of the top 10 best action movies ever made). I like Legionnaire ans Nowhere to run was cool little thing. I don’t care about his other movies.
None of Ringo Lam’s JCVD films match Hard Target… Hard Target is one of the greatest American action movies ever made. Replicant is probably the best of the Ringo bunch, partial scifi remake of Bad Boy Bubby.
Yeah, Time And Tide is very visually exciting.. The Hark JCVD films are just a bit thin. Not truly satisfying despite their their cool tricks and attitude. Double Team just feels a little gutted of content for duration.
You should rewatch all these Van Damme films, your memory sounds more like nostalgia than actual response to their film-making. Legionnaire is crap. Nowhere To Run is just OK.
I’ve never had the pleasure of watching the director’s cut, so this is a treat! I might go ahead and finally buy the director’s cut of Windtalkers too, do a double feature.
About John Woo’s US movies: I love Face off, I’ve always loved Windtalkers, I like Hard target…but not the rest…
It would have been nice to see the work print version restored and remastered, but I like the international uncut version just fine. This will definitely be worth a buy.
The “workprint version” has attained a sort of mythologized reverence among many. But having once been in “possession” of it (have deleted it since as I’m trying not to be that asshole with a hard drive full of torrented shit) I have to say it’s not exactly “John Woo’s Hard Target” with the released version being some Joss Whedon re-tooled Frankenstein. It’s mostly violent scenes extended beyond their effectiveness, in my opinion. Some work, some don’t, or more precisely, don’t significantly up the visceral thrill quotient
Like, the opener, with Binder being hunted, is alright. You get to see the man experience even more physical trauma (in addition to being kicked, punched, shot with bullets and arrows, I think he gets blown up as well). But the second hunt with Roper, after he is cut down in a hail of bullets….he proceeds to get up and then gets cut down by a second hail of bullets. Not sure how that exactly makes the point of the homeless being invisible and prey for oppression and exploitation and that the baddies are Super Scum even more powerful. But..ok.
Yes, you get to see Randall’s ear-lobe slice in it’s full glory. But you also have Fouchon’s piano playing inter-cut with real scenes of animals being hunted and killed. Henricksen’s expression when banging on the keys is scary enough without having to see the cruel slaughter of animals. And there are a few of the shoot-outs at the Mardi Gras warehouse where a guy is shot 50 times in the workprint as opposed to a pathetic 20 times on the DVD.
So what I’m saying is the HARD TARGET we got (especially the region 2 version) is plenty good. But yeah…a restored Yancy Butler love scene is something I won’t quibble with.
I agree that parts of the work print aren’t good. I could do without the footage of animal cruelty. I suppose it’s unrealistic of Roper to stand back up after getting shot a million times, but I liked the scene as an act of defiance against the hunters.
There was also Detective Mitchell’s death where she got shot much more than in the theatrical cut and made it look like she was still firing as she got cut down. It made her look tougher.
From what I’ve read, the love scene was a typically cliched slow motion montage that doesn’t show nudity, so the straight men in the audience aren’t missing much. ;-P
Already sold my Universal BD in anticipation of this. 😁
There are 4 cuts of Hard Target known to exist:
-R-rated theatrical (96 mins)
-Unrated international (99 mins)
-Test screening version (116 mins)
-Work Print (128 mins)
So I thought the 116 min one was the director’s cut, since the existing blu ray out there is already the unrated international cut, which they’re now deeming the director’s cut? So unless I’m mistaken we’re not getting a new cut of the film…
Also when is Woo gonna make another movie? Manhunt was 2017. Does he have any (good) movies left in his tank? He’s getting up there in age…
Wished we’d got the 116 mins version instead. This kinda blows.
The 116 min test screening version is available as an extra on the recent French Bluray release.
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Hard-Target-Blu-ray/280732/#Review
Sadly It’s only VHS quality, but it’s there along with some other VHS quality extras from TV circa 1993.
That’s fantastic news! I’m thrilled to hear that the 116 min test screening version is now available on the recent French Bluray release. Thank you for sharing this exciting update! 🎉 For all movie enthusiasts, make sure to check it out and enjoy this extraordinary edition. Don’t miss out, grab your copy today! 🍿
Love this movie. As lomg as its the longer international cut, this is the only time we got full fat John Woo action scenes in a Hollywood movie