Hard Target 1993

Lance plays Fouchon, a soldier of fortune, ex-foreign legionnaire and and homicidal entrepreneur. He sets up human 'hunts ' in New Orleans for the decadent rich. Woo's update for The Most Dangerous Game. Hard Target gave Lance the opportunity to play the long desired part of an ex-foreign legion mercenary.

"I create the human hunt to raise my speed limit in life and feel normal. If you've only been to battle, the only thing that will get you normal again is more battle. Only the most intense conflicts are still thrilling enough to register. Fouchon is a displaced South African who loves the high of the hunt whether it be an animal or Van Damme. He's a sophisticated dark humoured character and I've thrown a little bit of Napoleon into the mix. He's a man of destiny because he should have died a hundred times before anyway and it isn't important when he does. Fate will take care of him and that's why I loved playing Fouchon.

On working with Director John Woo: "He let me do some real work as an actor. 'No' never came out of his mouth: it was always 'What could this be?'" He's one of the greatest directors ever: gentle, communicative and supportive. He caught everything that was important to me as an actor on film and oddly enough used the lot. The times I've seen my work and gone 'Jesus, they cut the behaviour, the motivation, the only reason I made the movie in the first place.' Not John. All my major scenes are intact."

It also allowed him to play a startling scene in which his character is engulfed in flames WITHOUT a stunt double. "My training makes me fight until the very last cell in my body collapses with exhaustion. I competed with Van Damme using tremendous will against his iron strength. I held my ground pretty well although I didn't really like him until we came to reshoot the ending to give it a higher octane finish."

Text taken from interviews by Marc Shapiro in "Fangoria Magazine No. 129, 1993 Book", Copyright Starlog Press 1986 and Simon Bacal and Alan Jones in Shivers (1994?).

 

Fan Review:

HARD TARGET
Chance Boudreaux (action star Jean-Claude Van Damme) faces Fouchon (Lance Henriksen) in a spell-binding drama centered around the sport-hunting of homeless men. Fouchon provides a hunting "service" for wealthy clients wishing to "bring down a man." Douglas Binder (played by the screenwriter Chuck Pfarrer) is first to fall prey to Fouchon's hunt. Chance Boudreaux assists Binder's daughter, Natasha (Yancy Butler), in an attempt to find her father. In the process, Fouchon and Pik Van Cleaf (Fouchon's chief lieutenant played by Arnold Vosloo) are engaged in their final hunt--the hunters become the hunted. This John Woo film shows Lance Henriksen at his best. Henriksen's deep voice waxes eloquently to an unknowning victim of the hunt, Elijah Roper (Willie Carpenter): "Think of what this $10,000 can do for you (if you reach the river alive). You can have respect, you can restore yourself to dignity rather than the shadow of a man who used to be." Lance exudes confidence, intellect, and talent whether playing Beethoven on the piano or firing his Thompson-Contender handgun at Chance. His acting is so convincing, you would not want his steel-cold eyes to glance your way. If you like Lance, you'll love "Hard Target." Neil N. Jones