Hard *** (1998, Noel Palomaria, Malcolm Moorman, Charles Lanyer) – Classic Movie Review 12,720

A gay serial killer plays cat and mouse with a rookie gay police detective in the R-rated 1998 thriller film Hard. Unusually, it is both grisly and thoughtful.

‘A cop with a secret. A killer who knows it. The game is on.’

Hard starts with this quote: ‘Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to the light. John Milton – Paradise Lost.

Director John Huckert’s R rated 1998 gay serial killer / gay police detective thriller film Hard is not too bad at all, quite engrossing, interestingly, written, involvingly handled, and quite nasty and graphic when it feels it needs to be, examining a few relevant issues along the way about homophobia and self loathing. So what we have here is a gay hero and a gay villain.

Hard follows the case of an LA gay serial killer called Jack (Malcolm Moorman) who embarks on a spree of brutal killings of young male hustlers. Rookie gay police detective Raymond / Ramon Fates (Noel Palomaria) and his seasoned partner detective Tom Ellis (Charles Lanyer) are put in charge of going after him by Captain Foster (Bob Hollander). The gay detective is forced out of the closet after the killer finds out who he is, pursues him, and then handcuffs him to his bed and makes off with his brand new police badge. Raymond then becomes a suspect himself and has to battle a violently prejudiced police department, while the serial killer plays cat and mouse with him. Meanwhile the serial killer has moved in with the bisexual nightguard Andy (Michael Waite) and his crazy wife (Paula Kay Perry).

There are some wobbles with some of the performances and some of the writing, but mostly it’s pretty good, with the three central performances (Noel Palomaria, Malcolm Moorman, Charles Lanyer) fine and solid. It is pretty dark, grisly and gruesome, with some very unpleasant detail, but then it is a serial killer film, so no one will be too surprised or too shocked. Its grungy look is good, with well-used trashy locations, making it flavourful. The score and soundtrack are good too. And it’s interesting to have a good-looking serial killer, making the character uncliched and credible as he picks up and befriends hustlers. Plus, there’s a satisfying ending. Not too bad, eh?

Hard is strong meat, but it is meaty and beefy.

Hard was released on June 22, 1998 in the US.

It runs 102 minutes.

Be strongly advised that it is rated R for violence and grisly afterviews, strong sexual content, language and some drug content.

Writers: John Huckert and John Matkowsky.

Important locations are Cuffs Silverlake, 1941 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, California (leather bar and dancing scenes) and the El Portal Theatre – 5269 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California (sex scene where Andy works, in beginning of film, murder scenes at end of film).

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,720

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