Sudden Death is about as cheesy as it gets for mid 1990’s action movies, but it is so good you can’t turn away. How on earth Jean-Claude Van Dame got suckered into this is beyond anyone’s imagination, but thank God he did because he’s awesome in this role. As a retired firefighter who is working Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks, he just happens to find him in the middle of a terrorist plot to destroy the building and everyone in it. This guy goes around killing bad guys in the most unusual ways possible, not drawing any attention to himself or the problem, and just for good measure throws on the goalie pads and ends up in the game. Unrealistic at every single turn, this awesome action packed thriller will keep the blood pumping as the game heads to overtime and terrorist gain extra time to pull off the job. Filmed in Pittsburgh with a handful of real players, Sudden Death was written by the wife of then owner Howard Baldwin during the NHL lockout of 1994. I used to own this movie poster and could actually watch this movie over and over again. People already think hockey is a violent game, but I guarantee they haven’t seen anything until they watch the Penguins mascot get beheaded. It is sad that we lost Power Booth recently, because I thought he was the perfect bad guy in this movie and always remember him in this role more than anything else in his career. For some more entertainment, here’s a hilarious look at Sudden Death from SB Nation: https://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/2/17/2803052/sudden-death-best-movie-ever. 8/10
Ten Stars or Less 