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Hard to Kill

2025-10-23T02:57:10Z

2600:382:AF63:8309:942E:FF71:F1D7:CC61: /* Plot */Removed junk

{{Short description|1990 film by Bruce Malmuth}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox film
| name = Hard to Kill
| image = Hard To Kill.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Bruce Malmuth]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Gary Adelson]]
* [[Joel Simon]]
* [[Bill Todman, Jr.]]
}}
| writer = Steven McKay
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Steven Seagal]]
* [[Kelly LeBrock]]
* [[William Sadler (actor)|Bill Sadler]]
* [[Frederick Coffin]]}}
| music = [[David Michael Frank]]
| cinematography = [[Matthew F. Leonetti]]
| editing = [[John F. Link]]
| studio = Lee Rich Productions
| distributor = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
| released = {{Film date|1990|02|09}}
| runtime = 95 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $11.5 million<ref name="AFI">{{AFI film|58536}}</ref>
| gross = $75 million<ref name=AFI/>
}}
'''''Hard to Kill''''' is a 1990 American [[vigilante film|vigilante]] [[action-thriller film]] directed by [[Bruce Malmuth]], written by Steven McKay, and starring [[Steven Seagal]], [[Kelly LeBrock]], [[William Sadler (actor)|William Sadler]] and [[Frederick Coffin]]. Seagal's second film after ''[[Above the Law (1988 film)|Above the Law]]'', he portrays Mason Storm, a detective who falls into a coma after being shot during a home invasion that killed his wife. Reawakening seven years later, Storm embarks on a journey to avenge the death of his wife, and expose the corruption of Senator Vernon Trent, the man who ordered the murder of his family. The film was released by [[Warner Bros.]] on February 9, 1990, and grossed $75 million worldwide.

==Plot==
In 1983, [[LAPD]] [[internal affairs (law enforcement)|internal affairs]] detective Mason Storm investigates a mob meeting that takes place by a pier. He records a shadowy figure who assures the mob they can rely on his political support. Mason is spotted, but escapes. Unaware that he is monitored by corrupt cops, Mason informs his partner, Becker, and his friend Lt. O'Malley that he has evidence of corruption.

Mason hides the videotape in his house. When he goes upstairs, a hit squad composed of corrupt policemen, including Jack Axel and Max Quentero, break in, murder Mason's wife, and shoot him. Mason's young son, Sonny, escapes out of a window. The corrupt policemen frame Mason, making it look like a murder-suicide. At the same time, assassins kill Mason's partner. Later at the hospital, Mason is first pronounced dead, but is then discovered to be alive, although in a coma. To prevent the assassins from finishing the job, Lieutenant O'Malley tells the medics to keep Mason's status a secret.

Seven years later, Mason wakes from his coma. Andy Stewart, one of his nurses, makes a phone call, which is intercepted by corrupt police officers. They send Axel to finish the job and kill the nurses to whom Mason might have talked. Mason realizes that he is still in danger, but his muscles have [[atrophy|atrophied]] to where he can barely move. He manages to get to an elevator, and when Andy sees her co-workers killed, she helps Mason escape.

Needing time to recuperate, Andy takes Mason to a friend's house, where Mason uses his knowledge of [[acupuncture]], [[moxibustion]] and other meditation techniques to recover his strength. While training, Mason hears a commercial for Senator Vernon Trent and recognizes the voice from the pier. Mason contacts O'Malley, who supplies him with weapons and tells him that his son is still alive. O'Malley adopted Sonny and sent him to a private school so that he would be out of danger. He arranges to meet O'Malley and his now-teenage son at a train station later. After O'Malley leaves, Senator Trent's men find the house and attempt to kill Andy and Mason, but they both manage to escape.

Posing as a real estate agent, Mason recovers the hidden videotape from his old house. O'Malley and Sonny arrive at the train station, but are confronted by some of the Senator's men. Sonny flees with the tape, but O'Malley is killed. When Mason arrives, he sees Sonny running away from Quentero and Nolan. Mason catches up with the men and subdues Nolan by breaking his leg and throwing him in a trash bin. He then beats up Quentero and recognizes him as one of the men who took part in the assault on Mason's home. Mason snaps Quentero's neck, killing him. After a brief reunion with his son, Mason goes after Senator Trent.

Mason sneaks into the Senator's mansion and manages to eliminate his men one by one. Mason fights with Axel in the billiard room and avenges his wife by jamming a broken pool cue into Axel's neck, killing him. Next, Mason leaves a death taunt to Capt. Hulland, another corrupt cop who betrayed Mason to Trent, and stalks Hulland through the house before cornering the corrupt captain near the fireplace. Mason then strangles Hulland with his necktie and breaks his neck, killing him as well. Mason finally confronts Senator Trent and holds him at gunpoint when the police storm the mansion. However, they reveal that they had already seen the film and knew that Mason was set up. Trent is arrested, and Mason is reunited with Andy and his son as the footage from the videotape is played on the news, showing that Trent making a deal with the underworld mob and coming out of the shadows.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Steven Seagal]] as Detective Mason Storm
* Zachary Rosencrantz as Sonny Storm
* [[Kelly LeBrock]] as Andrea "Andy" Stewart
* [[William Sadler (actor)|William Sadler]] as Senator Vernon Trent
* [[Frederick Coffin]] as Lieutenant Kevin O'Malley
* Andrew Bloch as Captain Dan Hulland
* [[Branscombe Richmond]] as Detective Max Quentero
* Charles Boswell as Detective Jack Axel
* James DiStefano as Detective Nolan
* [[Dean Norris]] as Sergeant Goodhart
* [[Bonnie Burroughs]] as Felicia Storm
* Lou Beatty, Jr. as Detective Carl Becker
* [[Robert LaSardo]] as Punk
* [[Ernie Lively]] as LAPD Captain
* Julia Stormson as Girl in Hot-tub
}}

==Reception==

===Box office===
''Hard to Kill'' debuted at number 1 at the U.S. box office with an opening weekend gross of $9.2 million,<ref name=mojo/><ref>{{cite news|title=WEEKEND BOX OFFICE 'Kill' Opens Big; 'Cannons,' 'Stanley' Fade|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=1990-02-13|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-13-ca-483-story.html|access-date=2010-11-28|first=Pat H.|last=Broeske|archive-date=2023-06-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614115112/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-13-ca-483-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> the biggest 3-day February opening at the time.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=February 13, 1990|title='Hard' Heads B.O. With $9.2 Mil|last=McBride|first=Joseph|page=1}}</ref> It eventually grossed $48 million in the United States and Canada<ref name=mojo>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hardtokill.htm|title=Hard to Kill|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=2016-04-29|archive-date=2013-01-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106022535/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hardtokill.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> and $75 million worldwide.<ref name=AFI/>

===Critical response===
It holds a 33% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 15 reviews; the average rating is 4.1/10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hard_to_kill/|title=Hard to Kill (1990)|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=2022-08-08|archive-date=2022-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126170251/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hard_to_kill|url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/?|title=CinemaScore |work=cinemascore.com }}</ref> [[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' rated it a letter grade of D− and called Seagal as generic an actor as the film.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hard to Kill|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=1990-02-23|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316778,00.html|access-date=2010-12-07|archive-date=2010-12-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217062740/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316778,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In describing the film as "a lively one for its genre", [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "Mr. Seagal is effective for both his novelty value and his ability to be both literally and figuratively disarming."<ref>{{cite news|title=Review/Film; Out of a Coma, Still Dapper and Disarming|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=1990-02-10|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/10/movies/review-film-out-of-a-coma-still-dapper-and-disarming.html|access-date=2010-12-14|first=Janet|last=Maslin|archive-date=2011-01-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110127145317/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/10/movies/review-film-out-of-a-coma-still-dapper-and-disarming.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==
* ''[[Cheetah (1994 film)|Cheetah]]''
* ''[[Ram Shastra]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{AFI film|id=58536|title=Hard To Kill}}
* {{mojo title|id=hardtokill}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0099739}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|hard_to_kill}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=77390}}

{{Bruce Malmuth}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hard To Kill}}
[[Category:1990 films]]
[[Category:1990 action thriller films]]
[[Category:1990 martial arts films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s vigilante films]]
[[Category:American action thriller films]]
[[Category:American martial arts films]]
[[Category:American police detective films]]
[[Category:American vigilante films]]
[[Category:English-language action thriller films]]
[[Category:Films about the Los Angeles Police Department]]
[[Category:Films directed by Bruce Malmuth]]
[[Category:Films scored by David Michael Frank]]
[[Category:Films set in 1983]]
[[Category:Films set in 1990]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]

Massad Ayoob

2025-10-23T02:20:03Z

2600:382:AF63:8309:942E:FF71:F1D7:CC61: Cleanup

{{short description|American firearms and self-defence instructor}}
{{Third-party|date=December 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| birth_name =
|caption=Ayoob in 2018
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|07|20}}
| birth_place =
| image = Massad Ayoob 2018.jpg
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| occupation = Police officer, firearms and self-defense instructor, writer
| website = {{URL|http://massadayoobgroup.com/|massadayoobgroup.com}}
}}

'''Massad F. Ayoob''' (born July 20, 1948) is an American firearms expert, self-defense instructor and security advisor. He has taught police techniques and civilian [[self-defense]] to both [[law enforcement officers]] and private citizens since 1974. He was the director of the Lethal Force Institute in [[Concord, New Hampshire]], from 1981 to 2009, and now operates his own company.<ref name="MassadAyoobGroup_dot_com_page_id_165">{{Cite web|url=http://massadayoobgroup.com/?page_id=165|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215001818/http://massadayoobgroup.com/?page_id=165|url-status=dead|title=MassadAyoobGroup.com page discussing LFI and MAG.|archivedate=December 15, 2010}}</ref> Ayoob has appeared as an [[expert witness]] in several trials. He served as a part-time police officer in New Hampshire since 1972 and retired in 2017 with the rank of captain from the [[Grantham, New Hampshire|Grantham]] police department in New Hampshire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.granthamnh.net/police_department.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525180445/http://www.granthamnh.net/police_department.htm|url-status=dead|title=Grantham NH Police Department website|archivedate=May 25, 2007}}</ref> On September 30, 2020, Ayoob was named president<ref>{{Cite web|title=Second Amendment Foundation|date=September 30, 2020 |url=https://www.saf.org/massad-ayoob-named-president-of-second-amendment-foundation/|access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref> of the [[Second Amendment Foundation]].

== Career ==
Ayoob has authored several books and more than 1,000 articles on firearms, combat techniques, self-defense, and legal issues, and has served in an editorial capacity for ''[[Guns (magazine)|Guns Magazine]]'', ''[[American Handgunner]]'', ''Gun Week'', ''[[Guns & Ammo]]'' and ''Combat Handguns''. Since 1995, he has written self-defense and firearms related articles for ''[[Backwoods Home Magazine]]''. He has a featured segment on the television show ''Personal Defense TV'', which is broadcast on the [[Sportsman Channel]] in the US.

Ayoob has appeared in the courtroom as a testifying police officer, expert witness, and police prosecutor. Ayoob is believed to be the only non-attorney to serve as Vice Chairman of the Forensic Evidence Committee of the [[National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers]] (NACDL), a position he formerly held.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.recguns.com/Sources/XI2.html|title=About Massad Ayoob, Popular Firearms Author|first=Patrick|last=Casey|publisher=recguns.com|accessdate=June 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name="envisage">{{cite web|title=Massad Ayoob joins the ENVISAGE Advisory Board |url=http://www.envisagenow.com/press_ayoob.asp |date=May 9, 2006 |accessdate=June 23, 2008 |publisher=ENVISAGE |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818131605/http://envisagenow.com/press_ayoob.asp |archivedate=August 18, 2007 }}</ref> His course for attorneys, titled "The Management of the Lethal Force/Deadly Weapons Case", was, according to Jeffrey Weiner: "the best course for everything you need to know but are never taught in law school."<ref name="envisage"/>

Ayoob has designed two [[fighting knife#Tactical knife|tactical knives]];<ref>{{cite web|title=About custom knives|url=http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2009/06/06/about-custom-knives%E2%80%A6/|publisher=[[Backwoods Home Magazine]]|accessdate=October 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923041115/http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2009/06/06/about-custom-knives%e2%80%a6/|archive-date=September 23, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> in 1998 a [[sheath knife]] for ''Master of Defense'' (currently [[Vista Outdoor#List of brands|Blackhawk]]),<ref>{{cite web|title=Razorback TROCAR Knife|url=https://www.officer.com/home/article/10248380/razorback-trocar-knife|website=Officer|accessdate=October 3, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Seven Supreme Sequels - MOD Knives|url=http://www.tactical-life.com/tactical-knives/seven-supreme-sequels/|publisher=[[Harris_Publications#Guns|Tactical Life Magazine]]|accessdate=October 3, 2017|date=January 30, 2009}}</ref> and in 2001 a [[Pocketknife#Tactical folding knife|folding knife]] for [[Spyderco]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kertzman|first1=Joe|title=Sporting Knives 2002|date=2001|publisher=Krause Publications|isbn=9780873492669|page=51|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JDkRYBAqdjIC&q=massad+ayoob+|accessdate=October 3, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Spyderco Massad Ayoob - Spyderco, Inc.|url=http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=685|website=spyderco.com|accessdate=October 3, 2017}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Ayoob is of [[Syrian Americans|Syrian]] descent.<ref>[http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0205/0205ayoobinterview.htm An interview with a lethal man] by Peter and Helen Evans, web posted February 14, 2005</ref> His grandparents emigrated to North America in the latter part of the 19th century.<ref>[http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2009/02/20/reflections-on-the-immediate-past-presidency/ Reflections on the Immediate Past Presidency] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923080241/http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2009/02/20/reflections-on-the-immediate-past-presidency/ |date=September 23, 2010 }}. February 20, 2009. "Being the grandson of Arab-Americans who emigrated to this country more than 110 years ago..."</ref>

==Publications==
===Books===
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
! Title !! ISBN !! Year of first publication
|-
| ''Armed and Alive'' ||   || 1979
|-
| ''In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection'' || {{ISBN|978-0-936279-00-8}}|| 1980
|-
| ''The Experts Speak Out: The Police View of Gun Control'' ||   || 1981
|-
| ''The Truth About Self-Protection'' || {{ISBN|978-0-936279-13-8}}|| 1983
|-
| ''Stressfire''. Volume I of ''Gunfighting for Police: Advanced Tactics and Techniques'' with Ray Chapman || {{ISBN|978-0-936279-03-9}}|| 1986
|-
| ''Gunproof Your Children/Massad Ayoob's Handgun Primer'' || {{ISBN|978-0-936279-05-3}}|| 1986
|-
| ''Hit the White Part'' || {{ISBN|978-0-936279-01-5}}|| 1986
|-
| ''The Semi-Automatic Pistol in Police Service and Self Defense'' || {{ISBN|978-0-936279-07-7}}|| 1987
|-
| ''Police Survival Shooting (How Close Is Too Close)'' ||   || 1990
|-
| ''Stressfire II: Advanced Combat Shotgun''. Volume II of ''Gunfighting for Police: Advanced Tactics and Techniques'' || {{ISBN|978-0-936279-11-4}}|| 1992
|-
|''Effective Defense: The Woman, the Plan, the Gun'' with [[Gila May-Hayes]] || {{ISBN|978-1-885036-01-8}} || 1994
|-
| ''Ayoob on Firearms'' || CD collection of 40 articles from ''Backwoods Home Magazine'' || 1994-2001
|-
| ''Ayoob Files: The Book'' || {{ISBN|978-0-936279-16-9}}|| 1995
|-
| ''Fundamentals of Modern Police Impact Weapons'' || {{ISBN|978-0-398-03748-2}}|| 1996
|-
| ''The Complete Book of Handguns'' ||   || 1998–2001
|-
| ''The [[Gun Digest]] Book of Combat Handgunnery'' 5th Edition || {{ISBN|978-0-87349-485-4}}|| 2002
|-
| ''The Gun Digest Book of SIG-Sauer: A Complete Look at [[SIG Sauer]] Pistols'' || {{ISBN|978-0-87349-755-8}} || 2004
|-
| ''The Gun Digest Book of Beretta Pistols: Function, Accuracy, Performance'' || {{ISBN|978-0-87349-998-9}}|| 2005
|-
| ''The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery'' 6th Edition || {{ISBN|978-0-89689-525-6}}|| 2007
|-
| ''The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry'' || {{ISBN|978-0-89689-611-6}}|| 2008
|-
| ''Greatest Handguns of the World'' || {{ISBN|978-1-4402-0825-6}}|| 2010
|-
| ''Combat Shooting with Massad Ayoob'' || {{ISBN|978-1-4402-1857-6}}|| 2011
|-
| ''Greatest Handguns of the World'' Volume 2 || {{ISBN|978-1-4402-2869-8}}|| 2012
|-
| ''Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry'' 2nd Edition || {{ISBN|978-1-4402-3267-1}}|| 2012
|-
| ''Gun Safety in the Home'' || {{ISBN|978-1-4402-3987-8}}|| 2014
|-
| ''Gun Digest Book of SIG-Sauer'' 2nd Edition || {{ISBN|978-1-4402-3914-4}}|| 2014
|-
| ''Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense'' || {{ISBN|978-1-4402-4061-4}}|| 2014
|}

===Videos===
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
! Title !! Year of first publication
|-
| ''LFI Handgun Safety'' || year unknown
|-
| ''Stressfire Series'' Part One: Handgun || 1986
|-
| ''Stressfire Series'' Part Two: Shotgun || year unknown
|-
| ''Stressfire Series'' Part Three: Rifle || year unknown
|-
| ''Judicious Use of Deadly Force'' || 1990
|-
| ''Physio-Psychological Aspects of Violent Encounters'' || 1990
|-
| ''Post Shooting Trauma'' || 1990
|-
| ''Shoot to Live: Gunfight Survival'' || 1994
|-
| ''Cute Lawyer Tricks'' || 1995
|-
| ''Masters of Defense: An Inside Look at the Designs, the Designers, and Their Tactics'' || 1999
|-
| ''Make Ready with Massad Ayoob Home Defense'' || 2011
|-
| ''Make Ready with Massad Ayoob On Concealed Carry'' || 2013
|-
| ''Make Ready with Massad Ayoob Lethal Force FAQ'' || 2013
|}

===Podcasts===
Ayoob hosts the ProArms Podcast.<ref name="ProArms_Podcast">{{Cite web|url=http://proarmspodcast.com/|title=The ProArms Podcast|website=The ProArms Podcast}}</ref><ref name="Gun_Rights_Radio_Network">{{Cite web|url=http://gunrightsradio.com/|title=gunrightsradio.com is coming soon|website=gunrightsradio.com}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Jeff Cooper]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://massadayoobgroup.com/ Massad Ayoob Group]
*[http://www.backwoodshome.com/ayoob_index.html ''Backwoods Home Magazine'' columns by Massad Ayoob]
*[http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0205/0205ayoobinterview.htm An Interview with a Lethal Man]
* [http://www.gunsandammo.com/content/new-season-personal-defense-airing-now-0?channel=more/personal-defense Personal Defense TV Season V]

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayoob, Massad}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:American columnists]]
[[Category:American magazine staff writers]]
[[Category:American municipal police officers]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American people of Syrian descent]]
[[Category:Firearm training]]
[[Category:Gun writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Law enforcement officials from New Hampshire]]
[[Category:People from Grantham, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Writers from New Hampshire]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers]]