Some films have such a troubled production, that it feels like a minor miracle that anything came together to create a cohesive narrative. Such is the case for the sci-fi horror story that would eventually come to be known as Split Second from 1992. Originally titled Pentagram, the project faced numerous hurdles before even making its way to filming including an ever-evolving script being tweaked to death to avoid similarities to the glut of genre titles that were springing up at the time. The story was positioned as something of a cross between Blade Runner and Alien, down to the desire to have Harrison Ford star in the lead role. This obviously did not come to fruition, but the project did land Ford’s Blade Runner co-star Rutger Hauer to portray this grizzled detective. Once production commenced, the issues only grew with on-set injuries, complete characters being cut out of the US release, the score from Wendy Carlos (The Shining, TRON) being scrapped, the ending being changed multiple times, and even director Tony Maylam stepping away from filming the finale due to stress. Despite all of this, the film works as a solid genre film that captures peak 80s and 90s vibes that can be so comforting. With a restored new Blu-Ray reviving the legacy of the film, it seems like a great time to revisit this one.
Set in the far-off future of…2008, the world is succumbing to the perils of global warming as extremely heavy rainfall has led to flooding of large swaths of London. If that was not enough to contend with, there is a malevolent serial killer back to collecting a body count after being underground for some years. One of the last times the killer was active was in connection with the death of a police officer, who happened to be the partner of veteran homicide detective Harley Stone (Rutger Hauer). Hauer expertly embodies this disillusioned detective who does not quite play well with the rules – does that sound familiar? Stone is highly caffeinated and dogged in his pursuit of this deadly figure. The investigation does not have much in the way of leads – the only clues seem to be tied to mystical or supernatural in nature. The killer usually seems to be connected to the lunar cycle, and the victims are usually left missing an organ to be used for undetermined purposes. With each new small clue that comes about, the stranger the case seems to grow.
Stone is not alone in his pursuit this time out; rookie police officer Dick Durkin (Neil Duncan) is set up to be the mild-mannered straight-man of the buddy cop dynamic, and the anxiety coming off of Durkin is palpable. Durkin is not a bad cop, but he has not been exposed to the hard truth of the world that Stone has weathered in a trial by fire. Their dynamic is an interesting one that evolves quiet nicely throughout the film due to some common ground they reach as partners. Stone also has to deal with the return of Michelle (Kim Cattrall), the wife of the partner he lost and with whom Stone also cheated. Cattrall delivers a typical magnanimous performance in a role that is severely underwritten to serve as not much more than a damsel in distress. This is Hauer’s show, and everyone else is in place to complement what he is putting forth. This is a movie with many flaws, but one of the more consistent elements are the performances that help ground the more unbelievable elements in strong depictions of character.
The most glaring issue with this film is the inconsistency in the script. While you find yourself enjoying the film on a surface futuristic noir level, you cannot help but be struck by some of the glaring issues that crop up. The limitations of the budget are apparent on screen, as the impressive water-logged opening where people are having to get around by boats is never portrayed as effectively in the rest of the film, as some shots only look like you just missed a quick summer rain rather than a worrisome flood that is supposed to be plaguing the world. There are also characteristics of the killer that seemed to be all but dropped by the time you reach the end of the film, as if the filmmakers forgot what they had established at the beginning. The creature effects work is really strong in a way that gives a much-needed creepy factor to the story. This is a film that weaves back and forth between being genuinely good and cheesy in a bad way, but it typically remains a fun time in the way that genre films in the 80s and early 90s could be. The film may be going for a Blade Runner feel, but do not go into it expecting that level of quality and you might have a really good time.
Video Quality
Split Second makes its long-awaited Blu-Ray debut via the MVD Rewind Collection with a 1080p transfer. The film is presented in 1.85:1 and has been newly scanned, restored and color graded in 4K from the 35mm internegative. The results are quite pleasing but not without its flaws. The film has an organically filmic presentation that does not appear to suffer from any digital manipulation, but there are noticeable nicks and scratches present in the print. For the majority of the film, the transfer is fairly clear and detailed, but there is the occasional shot that runs on the soft side or experiences some fluctuations in density. The presentation features some pleasing detail in the production design and texture of costumes. The film sports a fairly muted color palette and is bathed in darkness throughout much of the runtime. The black levels are surprisingly strong with a pleasing amount of depth. This is a pretty solid presentation for a film that was probably not expected to get such a carefully handled transfer.
Audio Quality
MVD Visual brings us this new Blu-Ray with an LPCM 2.0 track that offers a great audio experience. The dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the score or various sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely including the sound of the water and rats in the sewer. The action in the film does not blow you out of the room, but it delivers a strong enough punch to keep you grounded in the events. This track does not present with any glaring instances of age related wear and tear. This is a track that represents the film in a very pleasing way. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Action film historian Mike Leeder and filmmaker Arne Venema give a fact-filled commentary track that is quite lively as they deliver nuggets of information about the action both in front of and behind the camera, as well as stories from the production. Really worth a listen to have this film put into greater context.
- Great Big Bloody Guns!: A nearly 28-minute newly-filmed conversation between producer Laura Gregory and actor Alastair (Neil) Duncan in which they reflect upon how the film came about, the cast, making a “flooded world” on set, working with rats and more. This feels like two old friends catching up and reminiscing, so it is fun to feel like a fly-on-the-wall.
- Call Me Mr. Snips!: A 22-minute interview with composer Stephen W. Parsons in which he discusses why he got into music, how he started composing music for film, creating the sound for Split Second and much more.
- Stay In Line!: A 23-minute interview with line producer Laurie Borg in which he discusses how he came to be involved with the project, his role as a line producer, balancing the creative with the financial, injuries on set, finding creative solutions to problems during the production and more.
- More Blood!: A 32-minute interview with Creature Effects Designer Cliff Wallace in which he discusses getting into creating creatures, some early influences to his work, shaping the look for the Split Second creature, the actor inside the creature costume and many more interesting details.
- Shoot Everything!: A 19-minute interview with cinematographer Clive Tickner in which he discusses his early career, crafting a visual aesthetic for Split Second, difficulties shooting the film and more.
- Original 1992 Making Of: A nearly seven-minute archival piece that is very clip-heavy with some brief snippets of interviews with the cast and crew interspersed throughout. A few interesting tidbits from participants who were not interviewed in the present day for this disc.
- Original 1992 Behind The Scenes: A four-minute look at production of the film from a fly-on-the-wall perspective.
- Split Second Extended Japanese Cut: A standard definition extended cut of the film running 1 hour and 36 minutes is presented here featuring burned-in Japanese subtitles.
- Deleted Scenes From The Japanese Cut: The nearly 5-minute worth of extra material in the Japanese cut can be found here, as well. These frankly odd scenes mostly involve Durkin’s previously unseen girlfriend Robin played by Roberta Eaton.
- TV Clips: Seven promotional clips totaling 12 minutes are provided here, which are basically just snippets of the film.
- U.S. VHS Home Video Promo: The nearly three-minute promotional video for the film is provided here, which is a nice throwback to the VHS days.
- Trailers: The trailer for Split Second is included here. There are also trailers provided for Ironheart, Mikey, My Samurai and Nemesis.
- Poster: A fold-out poster of the cover art is included in the case.
Final Thoughts
Split Second is the type of cheesy early 90s sci-fi action flick that can be a blast to dig into during a lazy weekend afternoon. The film often conjures up memories of better movies, but there is something so transfixing about watching Rutger Hauer trudging through a dystopian society on a mission with a high body count. MVD Entertainment has delivered a stellar new Blu-Ray release with a good A/V presentation and some awe-inspiring special features. If you have a soft spot for genre films from the 80s and 90s, you will probably find this one really enjoyable. Recommended
Split Second is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: MVD Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
