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Sudden Death (1995) was the second of two Peter Hyams films starring "the muscles from Brussels," Jean-Claude Van Damme. After 1994's Timecop, Sudden Death was patterned on the durable "Die Hard in a…" premise: here, the contained space is Pittsburgh Civic Arena, wired to explode by terrorists at the conclusion of game seven of the Stanley Cup finals.
Sudden Death was received as an above-average action film, with strong action and suspense as well as an emotional element: fire marshal Darren McCord (Van Damme) must rescue his daughter from the terrorists, even as he fights and kills their underlings—and saves a game-winning goal on the ice.
Peter Hyams' directorial vision has always been to score action with percussion and raw affect, not artifice. Sudden Death was the first of his three collaborations with John Debney (followed by The Relic and End of Days), receiving a pulse-pounding, orchestral tour de force from the young composer. "John Debney understood every emotion and where they needed to be amplified," Hyams says today. "He's a wonderful talent, and I adored working with him."
Sudden Death was released by Varèse Sarabande in a 9-track, half-hour program at the time of the film. This Deluxe Edition expands the program to 28 tracks and 64 minutes, with Hyams and Debney newly interviewed by Daniel Schweiger for the liner notes.
- Vareses Sarabande
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