Ultimate Dolph

lhz wrote:

This video popped on my YouTube recommendations and it is the entire fight between Dolph and Adkins in full 4K presentation. I just checked it on my OLED TV to verify it is not false or upscaled but it seems a true ultra hd video. The author on his description doesn't describe anything relating to his own doing by bringing it in 4K. So my question : is there anywhere UNISOL DoR available on this format, online or physical ? (I guess not but I'd better ask).

Jox wrote:But the video resolution here is in 1080p only...?!
And I've never seen any 4K release of this one whether it's on disc or digital so it looks a bit sketchy, and the only way would be to have access to the original master or a theatrical DCP...

92. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (John Hyams, 2012)



The original Universal Soldier, a pretty schlocky 1992 Jean Claude Van Damme-Dolph Lundgren team-up that was directed by future disasteur Roland Emmerich, initially gave rise to a series of fly-by-night sequels that are all but forgotten today. Years later, however, director John Hyams got his hands on the franchise and created a couple of surreal, low-budget action thrillers that don’t seem to have anything to do with the original films, aside from the presence of the aforementioned stars. This is the second of Hyams’s efforts, and it’s probably the closest thing we’ll ever get to a Michael Haneke-David Lynch-Rowdy Herrington collaboration. The great Scott Adkins plays a grieving man on a Heart of Darkness–style journey to find super soldier-turned-terrorist Luc Devereaux (Van Damme), who now seems to be more eternal spirit of evil than man. Gorgeous, perplexing, and — when it bursts into violence — heart-stoppingly intense, with fight scenes that are choreographed and filmed with unnatural fluidity. This might be the only case in history of a franchise that was utterly moribund right from the get-go and yet somehow managed to produce a masterpiece with its … [checks notes, does a series of quick calculations]… sixth installment? —B.E.

Along with the likes of Only God Forgives and Enemy, Day of Reckoning is part of the cinematic subgenre of what I would call 'Masculinity as a Metaphysical Prison of Horrors', generally depicting the dark side of the masculine psyche through abstract, metaphorical, and often Freudian scenes and images, often using horror movie conventions to convey their intent.

Scott Adkins – Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning

You might claim this could be a selection for Lundgren and Van Damme, however, both have smaller though significant parts in the film. This was a big step out of the comfort zone of Scott Adkins in John Hyams’ dark, twisted and cerebral masterwork. Adkins, known for his physical feats and jaw-dropping martial arts moves was surging in popularity thanks to Boyka and an array of martial arts-infused action films. Day of Reckoning effectively retcons a franchise that has become something of an unexpectedly long-running series. If Hyams shook the tree in Regeneration, he chopped it down, carved a pipe from it and went PCP wild to conjure this nightmarish melting pot of influences.

From Noe, to Kubrick, Lynch, Refn and Cronenberg by way of Gareth Evans, this is a fusion of horror, thriller, mystery and action with a barely connected strand to the original film. It was bound to alienate fans and audiences alike, just as much as it might allure cinephiles with a taste for the strange and compellingly unique. Opening existential questions whilst delivering furious fight scenes, Hyams’s film caught the high of some high-end publications and proved more popular with them than the die-hard fans of the comparatively goofy and comical original. It was Adkins’s best performance right up until he did Avengement.

About 2/3 of the people who came to see UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING @ThePCCLondon tonight had never seen it. They took a chance on an action franchise (DTV) sequel, on a weekday. That’s the @animus_mag spirit. Thanks to all who made this a wonderful evening!

Special thanks to @TheScottAdkins for sending an amazing video intro; @jrhyams for his vision and his blessing; @JCVD for sending a few kind words for me to read; @Dolph_Lundgren for being his amazing self. + of course @ThePCCLondon for being the best cinema with the best crowd.