Hard

Having just wrapped up director John Huckert's book [All These Worlds Are Yours](https://drkrm.com/2010_diary.html), a diary of his experience with an AFI internship under Peter Hyams for *2010: The Year We Make Contact* sandwiched between a shorter rundown of his own directorial career before and after his experience on *2010*, I decided it was time to cross off my last (available) John Huckert feature film blind spot. *Hard* largely lives up to its premise and has a good number of genuinely shocking and transgressive moments that back up the (pun intended) balls-out "gay cop caught in a cat and mouse game with a gay serial killer who is murdering gay men" premise.

According to Huckert's book, *Hard* was initially conceived after Michael Chriton/Steven Spielberg came forward with their *Twister* screenplay mere weeks after Huckert had began shopping around a very similar, meticulously researched script about tornado chasers called *F6*. Dismayed, Huckert & his cinematographer/co-writer John Matkowsky decided they needed to write a film that Spielberg & co wouldn't also stumble upon: incipit *Hard*. The movie was shot over the course of 33 days in guerrilla style on the streets of LA. All locations were stolen or bargained for, and the film shot entirely on 35mm short ends (unused film left over from larger productions, usually only long enough for one or two takes before needing to be reloaded). Huckert claims that the production was kickstarted by a $5,000 cash infusion and completed over the subsequent 33 days by maxing out a whopping 71 credit cards - 67 of which belonged to Huckert. The crew was entirely unpaid except for the soundman and the production manager, and as such many were only around sporadically.

I think all this background really enhances the experience of watching *Hard* becuase much like Huckert's other feature films, the incredible *The Passing* and the quite enjoyable *Strangers Online*, the production shows hardly any of the seams you'd expect to find on such a ramshackle outfit. There is a remarkable amount of control exhibited directorally - you're not dealing with a static camera, a sagging boom mic, and overlong takes. *Hard* is a film rife with the confident moves of a director who knows what he wants and how he wants his scenes covered - the largely anonymous cast sometimes may fumble a line delivery or give a stilted line read, but the style & unflinching commitment to the premise truly help push past any pratfalls in that regard. I think the complete lack of oversight by industry producers truly enable Huckert & co. to depict some images that range from genuinely tender (looking at you, extended M/M sex scene replete with copious cockshots) to memorably horrific by the end. It's certainly very transgressive certainly dips its toes fully in the exploitation film pool, but it's also a thrilling piece of boundary-pushing cinema created right on the outskirts of the film industry.