The Blood of Heroes

19891989
RR
1h 30m

Rutger Hauer and Joan Chen in 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.

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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 leag... Read allIn 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.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.

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

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Official Trailer

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The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Joan Chen in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Joan Chen in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Max Fairchild in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Rutger Hauer in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Rutger Hauer and Max Fairchild in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Joan Chen in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Rutger Hauer and Joan Chen in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Rutger Hauer in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Rutger Hauer in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

Joan Chen in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

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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.

post apocalypse sports arena ozploitation game australian science fiction 28 more

Taglines
- When juggers play there is only one way to live - THE HARD WAY! - [Australia Theatrical] [Title as Salute of the Jugger]
Genres
Certificate
- R
Parents guide

Trivia
All five player positions in Jugger are mentioned in the dialogue between characters. "Qwik" and "Slash" are the most mentioned (and most obvious), while the "Drive" and "Back-Charge" are only mentioned when Sallow (Rutger Hauer), Big Cimber (Anna Katarina), and Mbulu (Delroy Lindo) are seen arguing midway through this movie. The "chain wielder", Young Gar (Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio), has a possible name of "Griffer" for his position, as the term appears once when Sallow speaks to Gonzo (Max Fairchild) the first time.

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.

Quotes
Gonzo: Lord Vile, I've broken Juggers in half, smashed their bones, left the ground behind me wet with brains. There's nothing I wouldn't do to win. But I never hurt anyone for any reason other than sticking a dog's skull on a stake.

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..."

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.

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

Top review

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.

helpful•43

5

anborn3000
Feb 9, 2002

What are the differences between the US R-Rated Version and European Version?

Release date
- February 23, 1990 (United States)
Countries of origin
- Australia
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- Salute of the Jugger
Filming locations
- Coober Pedy, South Australia, Australia
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- A$10,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $882,290
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $471,775
- Feb 25, 1990
Gross worldwide
- $882,290

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
1 hour 30 minutes
Color
- Color
Sound mix
- Dolby Stereo
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

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Rutger Hauer and Joan Chen in The Blood of Heroes (1989)

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By what name was The Blood of Heroes (1989) officially released in India in English?

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