Chuck Norris fights Michael Myers clone in martial arts horror movie

In the 1970s and 1980s, two genres of movies really took off: slasher movies and martial arts movies. After the popularity of John Carptenter's Halloween In 1978, whether it was Jason Voorhees, Friday the 13th franchises and countless imitators. Thanks to the early '70s, movies centered around martial arts were also big business Bruce Lee movie fist of anger, dragon's pathand enter the dragon. When Lee sadly passed away in 1973 at just his 32 years of age, he passed on the torch to other martial arts experts. chuck norris.

Norris had a string of hits from the late '10s through the '80s, enjoying independent success. one power and octagon. I came in 1982 silent rage, a movie that combines the two genres, mixing horror with flying fists and kicks. Imagine his 100 minutes starring Chuck Norris in an ass-kicking role that's at best bad. Walker, Texas Ranger–enter charactersConfront a silent Michael Myers-like killer with superhuman strength. That's as stupid and glorious as you can imagine.

Silent Rage (1982)

A sheriff attempts to stop a silent, insane killer who has the ability to self-heal as a result of secret genetic experiments by an unethical scientist.

release date

April 2, 1982

director

michael miller

cast

Chuck Norris, Ron Silver, Stephen Keats, Toni Karem, William Finlay, Brian Libby, Stephen Furst, Stephanie Dunham

runtime

103 minutes

Writer

Joseph Fraley, Edward Di Lorenzo

“Silent Rage” was Chuck Norris' first studio film

One of Chuck Norris' first film roles was as one of the main villains opposite Bruce Lee. dragon's path. Although he wasn't the best actor in the world, Norris not only had fighting ability (he has three black belts). He also had a charismatic presence, whether clean-shaven or sporting his later famous mustache and beard. He quickly became an action icon with films such as; breaker! breaker! and good people wear black, but they were small independent fares. Norris needed a studio-driven blockbuster to ignite his career. He found it at Columbia Pictures. silent rage.

related

Ice slasher franchise brings a chilling twist to 'Halloween'

Ever wanted to see Michael Myers in a hoodie?

In a 2016 interview with Coming Soon, he said: silent rage director michael miller talked about how The script was written as a karate cop movie with Norris in mind.. The martial arts legend refused to throw any punches or kicks and focused his efforts on the fight scenes. The fights needed to look real, which sometimes led to actors being accidentally hit. Miller said, “He was the most comfortable to fight,” and that has always been the case. You watch a Chuck Norris movie or TV show not to witness a seasoned actor draw you in with a tear-jerking monologue, but to see a bad guy get his ass kicked by a cool bearded guy. is.Miller realized this when he suggested Norris do an impromptu love scene with an actress. toni karem, Norris said, “What do you want me to do?” In martial arts, you're trained to follow a certain routine, but now I was being told to just follow it and make something up on the fly.

“The director of Silent Rage was trying to make a Frankenstein movie, not a slasher movie.”

silent rageThe plot of revolves around John Kirby (Brian Libby), a man goes on a murderous rampage in the opening act, but is captured by Sheriff Daniel Stevens (Norris).He was seriously injured after he was shot several times. Kirby is taken to a laboratory where a doctor injects him with a new special formula that repairs and strengthens his cells. This formula works a little too well, and John Kirby runs off and starts rampaging again, this time without a word. It's a silent rampage! get it? !

related

Chuck Norris returns to the big screen in sci-fi action movie 'Agent Recon'

Norris will co-star with Derek Ting and Mark Singer.

Director Michael Miller told Coming Soon that his silent, hulking villain was supposed to be an homage to the famous Universal monster. He said: “In my mind, it was a Frankenstein movie. It was like Frankenstein meets Chuck.“But instead of becoming Frankenstein, Miller created someone who wanted to be Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, even if he had no intention of doing so. Oddly enough, Miller admitted that he was not a Frankenstein fan. “It's not just that,” he said. Halloween or Friday the 13th, but he didn't even see them. “You know this guy's not a slasher, just like Frankenstein's monster kills people,” Miller says, before the interviewer reminds him that in the first scene Kirby murders his family with an axe. You kill people. You throw them,” he added. It's the kind of thing a typical street killer would do.

'Silent Rage' is a funny accidental 'Halloween' clone

Maybe Miller wasn't familiar with slashers and wasn't trying to make one, but that's what he did. Every slasher needs an inciting incident. silent rage it is. When we first meet John Kirby, he does indeed speak before losing his mind and slaughtering his wife and children. The way Kirby stands stiffly and walks slowly resembles the way Michael Myers walks. A shot of him calmly crossing the garden with an ax in his hand, taken from an indoor window, looks like this: Filming soon Halloween. After Kirby escapes from the hospital, he suddenly wears a one-piece mechanic-like costume and chases the doctor. He then proceeds to carnage in the hospital as if he had just landed. Halloween II, and target one victim. At one point, the score even goes into full synthesizer mode, a move that would make John Carpenter proud. All this happens by a superhuman killer who doesn't speak and can't kill. Sound familiar? What is missing is william shatner Like a hockey mask.

now, silent rage It's not a forgotten slasher masterpiece. Far from it. It's a messy movie, but it's a fun movie.when all The cops backed off and let Chuck Norris into the house where the killer was waiting alone., absurd but interesting. Chuck Norris has the strength of 100 police officers and can single-handedly take down the most superhuman killers. Still, as Norris chases the killer into the woods, the other cops just watch and can't help but shake their heads at him without thinking of helping. Only one other officer matters, Deputy Charlie (stephen first) But he's the typical early '80s cop trope, a bumbling idiot who can't do anything right. silent rage There's also the problem of a second act, where the plot is completely forgotten for a long time as Chuck Norris takes on some local hoodlums.

Still, if you like bad movies, silent rage It will make you laugh. The slasher references are spot on, the acting is silly, the plot is crazy, and if that wasn't enough, there's even a shirtless Chuck Norris in a love scene. Tommy Wiseau It would make me cringe. But it's Walker, Texas Ranger vs. Michael Myers, the best icon mashup you never knew you needed.

silent rage You can stream it on Tubi.

Look at TUBI