Reason to Die (1990) User Reviews

For any fan of exploitation or Wings Hauser

[tarbosh22000 · 6/10 · 3 June 2011]

Elliot Canner (Wings) is a streetwise bounty hunter on the streets of NYC who always gets his man. When his number one most wanted target, the sadistic serial slasher Wesley Wilson (Vosloo) escapes the city and ends up in Angelique, South Africa, Canner is hot on his trail and he follows him there.

The situation is getting desperate, as Wilson has revved up his knife-slashings and gun-shootings to very frequent levels. So Canner enlists the reporter/love interest Lena (Kriel) to act as bait. And it doesn't help that the local cops are always harassing Canner and not Wilson. But it seems Canner and Lena are always one step behind the nefarious and crafty killer...

Because the movie stars Wings and Vosloo, and has a similar title, you'd think this was some sort of companion piece to Living To Die (1990). But it appears to be completely unrelated otherwise. Wings is his usual charismatic, likable self, and Vosloo puts on his best scowl and evil eye as the baddie. Vosloo as Wilson doesn't say much, but he does have a menacing presence. Plus his kill count is pretty outrageous.

The plot is as basic as could be: Wings is after the serial killer. End of plot. But because Wilson is primarily hunting hookers, Wings must delve into the seedy underbelly of the city. Sure, there's some half-assed psychological motivation to Wilson's prostitute murders, but what's really interesting is seeing Wings as the hero in a relatively strange foreign land, investigating amongst the seamier side of life in a quasi-slasher movie scenario. We tended to like the horror movie elements, especially since the movie also features some decent stunt work in the action scenes. Unquestionably, Wings carries the movie.

Importantly, the Vidmark VHS released in the U.S. came in two versions: one cut and one uncut. Make sure you get the uncut version. Vidmark made it easy enough to do so, as there should be a square white sticker that says "the original unedited version" on the proper tape.

While certainly not perfect, any fan of exploitation or Wings Hauser should find some meat on the bone with Reason to Die.

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Typical Hauser treading African ground on the sick path

[PeterMitchell-506-564364 · 6/10 · 13 February 2013]

This is an ugly and unpleasant film. You do feel this at times, one example where the blood flows freely over the opening credits, thanks to our women hating psycho with a switchblade. Again Hauser, with his mysterious and little known past plays a bounty hunter, chasing down the guy in South Africa. A sexy, if brazen reporter, (Kriel) like in the wake of a murder attempt, teams up with Hauser, where a relationship forms, and there is some sex. The psycho's reason here, was that he blames prostitutes for his sister's death. She was also a prostitute. Hauser does get a little bloody on his investigation, when chasing down a few scumbags, associates of our psycho. The son of Hauser's best friend, who acts as a tour guide, a eager assistant, does strongly disapprove of his hardened methods, Wings actually cuts him loose of from helping him in further investigations. And again too, Hauser clashes with African authorities, adding some humor to the situation, one of the African cops stating "You have the right to shut the f... up?" The film becomes personal, when our psycho, Wilson, kills Hauser's mate's son. Here was one truly dramatic acting moment from Wings. The film title has a double meaning too, I love. This is one of Hauser's sicker films that joins "The Art Of Dying". I do admit, I've seen this movie a couple of times, and it was one I quite liked. I haven't seen it for years, where I have to make another viewing time soon. Yes Reason To Die, is an overly sick violent, action psycho thriller that Hauser fans should add to their must watch list, though not doubt, some viewers will see this movie as "a reason to kill".

"Wings" in South Africa ..........

[merklekranz · 5/10 · 18 January 2011]

The scene of a bounty hunter (Wings Hauser) hunting bail jumper (Arnold Vosloo) quickly moves from New York City to South Africa. An obviously unhinged Vosloo is on a rampage cutting up hookers as if he were a human "Vegimatic". While there is plenty of slicing and dicing, his motivation is rather far fetched and weak. Vosloo's sister was a prostitute who was killed while in the "life", and he is out seeking revenge on call girls. The movie delivers just enough sleaze and action to entertain, but lacks a lot in the logic department. For "Wings" fans this might be a worthwhile watch, while others need not bother. ..... - MERK

Back to Africa with Wings

[lor_ · 22 May 2023]

My review was written in June 1990 after watching the movie on Vidmark video cassette.

Wings Hauser heads back to South Africa in the uneventful actoner, "Reason to Die", a direct-to-video title set in the fictional nation of Angelique (read: Angola).

Hauser's a skip tracer who's illogically sent back to Angelique from N. Y.'s Chelsea Hotel to capture a mad killer (Arnold Vosloo) who's preying on hookers.

Pointless action scenes ensue as Hauser protects lovely Anneline Kriel, who becomes the killer's next target after her photo is printed in a magazine alongside her expose on massage parlors. Main problem with the potboiler script is that Hauser doesn't investigate so much as keep bumping into the killer by accident.

Idiotic finale has Vosloo agreeing to play a variation on "The Most Dangerous Game" (man hunting man) with Hauser and Kriel instead of killing them outright.

Bright spot here is Kriel, a South African star who dressed up the James Ryan chopsocky hit "Kill and Kill Again" a decade ago. Pic exists in both R and unrated versions, presumably differing as to gore content.