The Blood of Heroes (1989)

In a future where most of mankind and technology is wiped out, six people travel from place to place playing a brutal form of football with a dog skull. They hope one day to play in the league in a city.

Director:

David Webb Peoples (as David Peoples)

Writer:

David Webb Peoples (as David Peoples)

Stars:

Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen, Delroy Lindo

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rutger Hauer	...	Sallow
Delroy Lindo	...	Mbulu
Anna Katarina	...	Big Cimber
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Young Gar (as Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio)
Gandhi MacIntyre	...	Gandhi
Justin Monjo	...	Dog Boy (as Justin Monju)
Aaron Martin	...	Samchin Boy
Joan Chen	...	Kidda
Casey Huang	...	Kidda's Father
Quang Dinh	...	Samchin Head Elder
John Doumtsis	...	Samchin Timekeeper
John Biro	...	Samchin Peasant #1
Brian Cawley	...	Samchin Peasant #2
Gino Terranova	...	Samchin Peasant #3
Cecilia Wong	...	Kidda's Mother

Storyline

A post-apocalyptic world provides the backdrop for a brutal, futuristic game resembling football. Rutger Hauer plays a disgraced former star leading a ragtag group of "Juggers" to one of the remaining Nine Cities for glory and redemption.

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Plot Keywords:

post apocalypse | game | australian science fiction | blood splatter | showdown | 

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Taglines:

He plays the deadliest game of all.

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Sport

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Three weeks of location filming were spent in Coober Pedy.

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Goofs

The 90-minute version lists Greg Jordan as "New Qwik" in the end credits, but the final scene in which he appears is only available in the 104-minute version.

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Quotes

Sallow: Two Juggers can't fuck after the game. It doesn't work. Unless you like to rub wounds against wounds.

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Crazy Credits

Pre-title card: "People no longer remembered the Golden Age of the 20th Century. They didn't remember the miraculous technology or the cruel wars that followed. They didn't remember when juggers first played The Game or how it came to be played with a dog skull..."

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Alternate Versions

The US version stops a little short and omits the "real" not quite so positive ending found in the European/Asian/Australian version.

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Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Our DVD and Blu-ray Collection (2019)

User Reviews

How Did People Miss This Great Film?

What a hidden gem of a cinematic effort! I cannot believe that this film didn't receive the notoriety it deserved back in '88! The backdrop is the standard post-apocalyptic mess that humanity has left itself in after "who knows what." The juggers travel town-to-town in search of food and entertainment, in return for providing matches against the local teams.

The script is well executed and one is led to believe this sport would have a wide following in the aftermath, almost like a team sport of UFC of the future. The characters are superb and Hauer and Chen really give them life. Rutger needs to go back to this flick and see what he has lost! I really cared about this band of juggers and it seemed like everyone in the ensemble was on the same page. The Blood Of Heroes is a tremendous miss in the anals of great sci-fi films. Please go rent it.

Details

Country:

Australia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Salute of the Jugger

Filming Locations:

The Breakaways, Coober Pedy, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$471,775, 25 February 1990

Gross USA:

$882,290

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$882,290

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kings Road Entertainment, Handistom Investment, Kamisha Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1