Known as ‘The Streetfighter’ in the UK and elsewhere, Hard Times was director Walter Hill’s debut and was to be the only time he and Charles Bronson would work together.

The trailer can be watched on YouTube.

Writer Josh Olson adds a commentary on the great Trailers From Hell site.

This was cult director Walter Hill’s debut feature film and starred action legend Charles Bronson in one of his more memorable roles. A mysterious drifter named Chaney (Bronson) arrives in New Orleans and has a chance meeting with Speed (James Coburn) an organiser of illegal bare-knuckled boxing matches. Chaney asks Speed to set him up with a fight and he quickly proves himself as a fearsome boxer. He also meets and begins a relationship with Lucy Simpson (Jill Ireland – Bronson’s wife at the time) but it’s not long before Speed’s chaotic nature and addiction to gambling begins to threaten more than just their partnership.

This was to be the only time Hill and Bronson would team up together with the director later recalling “We had kind of a falling out over the film. He thought I’d been a little too… how do I put this? Too draconian in my editing of his wife’s scenes.”

The film was originally released as Hard Times in the US.

The trailer can be watched on YouTube. Writer Josh Olson adds a commentary on the great Trailers From Hell site.

Suitably over-the-top artwork by Jinda features on this Thai poster for From Beyond. Loosely based on the short story of the same name by famed horror author H. P. Lovecraft, the film was director Stuart Gordon’s second following Reanimator (1985). Gordon once again called on the services of two of the stars of that film, with Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton both returning. The film was produced in Italy in order to keep costs down and the director also shot his film Dolls at the same time in the same studio.

Combs plays Crawford Tillinghast, a physician and assistant to Dr. Edward Pretorius (Ted Sorel). The pair have been working on a device called The Resonator which they hope will stimulate the pineal gland. The machine appears to be a success but one unforeseen consequence is that it allows people in the vicinity to see creatures from an alternate dimension that are all around them. Determined to carry on, Pretorius is eventually attacked and seemingly killed by an unseen creature. Tillinghast escapes from the laboratory and is arrested by police who suspect his involvement in the scientist’s death. 

Dr. Katherine McMichaels (Crampton) begins treating Tillinghast and eventually persuades the hospital to allow her to release him into her care to investigate his claims. The pair return to the Pretorius’ home accompanied by a police detective called Bubba Brownlee (Ken Foree). The trio soon discover that the scientist is alive but no longer very human in appearance. Once again The Resonator is activated and events start to spin out of control.

I’ve been unable to find out much about Jinda other than the titles of several of the Thai film posters he painted the artwork for. If anyone has anymore information on him please get in touch.