365 Movies Day #148 "Split Second"

While we are on the subject of 90s sci-fi horror, this one is a great one. Rutger Hauer ("Blade Runner", "HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN" at his best. The film features excellent somewhat cyber-punk visuals a la "Blade Runner" and "HARDWARE". It also sports two of the quirkiest, coolest cops depicted on screen in the form of Hauer's Harley Stone and Alastair Duncan's (whose voice has been in videogames and cartoons for years) Dick Durkin. A fault of many films like this is rather 2 dimensional and flat characters. "Split Second" is anything but. I found myself at the end after rewatching years later wishing for more of their adventures on the screen. The two are a great pairing and a treat to watch.

Basically the film is set in the far future of 2008...where global warming has caused flooding through much of London and rats are carrying a nasty plague. The world has basically gone to hell in a hand basket. The film opens with Stone on the trail of a serial killer who killed his partner 3 years ago. The twist is that Stone is a dangerous caffeine slamming partially psychic nutjob who shoots first and then MAY ask a question or two. He gets paired up with serial killer expert and Harvard educated man Durkin, who at first seems like a stiff but quickly develops into a very eccentric and likable character.

Kim Cattrall is the female lead in the film and plays the widow of Stone's partner and Stone's romantic interest. Most people know her for her role on "Sex and the City", but you can't forget her from "Big Trouble in Little China" or "Porky's" either. She also plays a character with surprising depth and for those that care, you do get to see quite a bit of her. The late Pete Postlethwaite plays a fellow cop at odds with Stone. Postlethwaite passed this year and was best known for his roles on DiCaprio's "Romeo and Juliet" (the movie where I met my wife), "Usual Suspects" and "Lost World". His most recent performances were from "Inception" and "The Town". The film also features Michael J. Pollard, a popular character actor featured in films like "Scrooged" and Alun Armstrong from "THE DUELLISTS" which also feature Postlethwaite in a nonspeaking role.

I'm always nervous about going back and watching films like "Split Second" that I loved back in the day. Films like "Flash Gordon" and even Hauer's "Blind Fury" were very disappointing. "Split Second" is STILL badass.

SPLIT SECOND ON IMDB