Points of interest
‘Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning’![Image](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4b0b108/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4256x2832+0+0/resize/1200x798!/format/webp/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8e%2F3b%2Fd05ccf284278939011ef9f55053a%2Funiversalsoldier.jpg)
On Wednesday, as part of the series “Killer Movies With Josh Miller,” the American Cinematheque will show John Hyams’ 2012 “Universal Solder: Day of Reckoning.” A gritty, brutal action picture with appearances from series regulars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, the story involves a man (Scott Adkins) looking to avenge his slain family, along the way uncovering a government program of genetically modified soldiers.
Via email, Miller said that while the series skews toward horror and action, “the unifying idea is they’re all movies that ‘kill’ with a crowd. The kind of movies that you’d save to watch with a big group of friends because you know it will be more fun. Movies that have that certain je ne sais quoi that almost seems to feed off the audience reaction. And I particularly love reevaluating movies that got a bum rap when they first came out, that I think should be considered a genre classic moving forward.”
Miller noted that “Day of Reckoning” was one of the titles he had in mind when he first thought of the series. The film had a nominal release when it first came out, so most people have only seen it on home video. As Miller put it, “Most people who watched it, probably watched it alone and had no idea what to make of it. It is such a wild film, a blood-soaked thrill ride with art-house aesthetics. A lot of film nerds found it and loved it, yet you rarely see it talked about with other great action films of the past 15 years. And it should be. John Hyams’ skill with directing action is so inventive and effortless. It practically sizzles off the screen. So I am hoping to expose it to some fresh and ready eyeballs.”
I reviewed the movie when it originally opened, lauding an extended fight scene in a sporting goods store that must be seen to be believed, while noting, “Just through general downer mojo and heavy use of some serious strobe effects, the movie creates something of the sensation of huffing industrial solvents — in a good way! — a waking-sleep zombification that can’t exactly be described as pleasurable but definitely has an odd, distinct power.”