I will never not be amused when sci-fi movies (or books) declare a “future” date that is in throwing distance from when the film is made. 1992’s Rutger Hauer starring Split Second does that by casting the film into the 16 year’s future world of 2008. We follow film-noir-ish bad boy cop Harley Stone (Rutger Hauer), who is suffering from the trauma of losing his last partner on duty, and is at the point where he’s going to act first, and ask later. His superiors have thus hooked him up with Dick Durkin, a straight laced cop, who has no time for Stone’s methods.

The pair and then thrust into a case where people are getting viciously killed and their hearts removed around the city. The killer is leaving blood splatter paintings to clue them into the true goings on. When Harley’s girlfriend Michelle is attacked by the killer, he decides to take Dick into the sewers and fight off the killer.

I know I must have seen this film in the 90’s, probably on TV. I could remember bits and pieces but not the whole thing. I will say that once this Tony Maylam (the Burning) film was over, I pretty much wanted to pull my wife into our home theater, and start it back up again. That’s how much fun I had with this film.

Hauer basically stars as a cross between Blade Runner’s Rick Deckard and someone like Jack Deth from the Trancers franchise, and it works well. I mean if you boil it down he’s that cliché hard nosed cop you see in all these, but he’s great. Alastiar Duncan as Dick Durkin is great as a foil, and the action, dialogue, and effects come together to create something really fun and special here.

MVD Rewind does solid work bringing Split Second to Blu-ray. The film is prsented 1:85:1 with a 1080p AVC encoded transfer. Everything here looks solid, but that’s about it. Detail is good, blacks are solid. Audio is an LPCM 2.0 track in English. It’s clear, it’s crisp, it works. Extras include a commentary track, interviews, archival making-ofs and featurettes, promos, trailers, and MORE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED just for the film itself.

Director- Tony Maylam

Cast- Rutger Hauer, Alastair Duncan

Country of Origin- UK

Format- Blu-ray

Discs- 1

Distributor- MVD

Reviewer- Scott MacDonald