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Timebomb (1991) - blu-ray

3 beersAh, the 1990s.  When gunning down an entire hospital’s staff and then later opening up fire with a machine gun inside a famous movie theatre as a porno plays was greeted with a big grin and a thumbs up.  Sex and violence, man.  Good times.  Good, good times.    At some point, before Michael Biehn smashes through a thrift storefront window for a vintage tee and military pants, Timebomb goes off with a loud and blinding white BOOM.

Damn it, Biehn.  The coulda been, shoulda been, woulda been superstar was blessed in the 1980s with cool parts in The Terminator, Aliens, and (because he was owed the favor) The Abyss.  James Cameron kept killing him off, though.  Fans loved him.  Audiences wanted more from him.  But Biehn apparently struggled to find the right material outside of Cameron. 

Unfortunately, much like Sean Bean, the scripts he took had him as martyr.  Silence followed. 

Biehn would resurface from time to time, like here in 1991’s Timebomb, a b-movie actioneer concerning a deadly game of cat and mouse as assassins are ordered to kill one of their own in order to protect the top secret program they are a part of, but nothing he did had the impact needed to sustain that rising star.  Bummer.  Thankfully, Shout Factory aids in his possible renaissance (fingers crossed!) with their 1080p release of Avi Nesher’s spy vs. spy flick as the Blue Bird program takes flight again.

“Do you remember Eddy Kay?”  That’s the questions posed on an early morning phone call when Colonel Taylor (Richard Jordan) is shocked to see a former – and presumably dead – member of his secret government assassins program out saving lives on national television.  They don’t know that Eddy, now a rather polite watchmaker in Los Angeles, doesn’t remember a thing about his training and brutal skills.  But the closer they come in taking him out, the more he remembers about their behavior modification tactics.  Muscle memory is a real thing.

Starring Biehn and Patsy Kensit (Lethal Weapon 2) as psychiatrist Dr. Anna Nolmar, who helps Eddy rekindle the action-packed flames of his lost memories, Timebomb also follows a fairly interesting science fiction angle as some of the flashbacks suggest elements of Kubrick influences as murder against an all-white backdrop is replayed in Eddy’s mind.  It doesn’t always work but it is a good tease as more and more information about this secret government program is revealed.  If it sounds a bit like The Bourne Identity, well, you aren’t far off the mark.  Just imagine that story on a low, low budget with a bunch of not so swell actors. 

Nesher, who also directed She, keeps things on the b-level as Eddy’s relationship with Nolmar heats up, with flashes of a nude blonde in his bed, too.  There’s also the parking lot battle between Eddy and his former assassin associates.  Bullets are firing left and right and somehow Eddy gets hold of a sawed-off shotgun before hopping a ride with Nolmar, who has heard none of the gunplay and screams.  Raymond St. Jacques and Robert Culp play some Los Angeles detectives assigned to the mysterious case and their help is just about as obvious as all the beer advertisements dangled throughout the city.

Biehn is solid throughout the narrative, phoning in only a couple of “why me” moments.  As is Kensit who gives it up for her mean sweet tooth cravings.  Jordan and the rest of the baddies are caricatures, though, and that definitely keeps this one – as does some of the melodrama as Kensit explores Biehn’s past – permanently locked in the land of the mindless matinee.  Harmless fun, though.  And, yes, the action scenes are what ultimately work the most throughout Timebomb.

Tick…tick…tick.  BOOM.  Timebomb goes off thanks to Shout Factory’s new blu-ray release.  Fuck the receipt, man!  A Biehn fan’s collection is not complete without this mild explosion.

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Timebomb (1991) - blu-ray

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 96 mins
Director: Avi Nesher
Writer: Avi Nesher
Cast: Michael Biehn, Patsy Kensit, Tracy Scoggins
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Who is Eddy Kay, who is trying to kill him and why...?
Memorable Movie Quote: "They used you like they used me, don't you understand that? We're not enemies!"
Theatrical Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Official Site:
Release Date: September 27, 1991
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 29, 2017
Synopsis: Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens) and Patsy Kensit (Lethal Weapon 2, Absolute Beginners) star in the pulse-pounding action thriller, Timebomb. When unassuming watchmaker Eddy Kay (Biehn) finds himself the prey in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, it triggers a series of disturbing flashbacks ... to a past he does not remember. Seeking help from the beautiful psychiatrist Dr. Anna Nolmar (Kensit), Eddy uncovers the shocking truth about his true nature: he is the product of a shadowy government plot to create and program assassins. Shattered by this explosive revelation, the normally reserved Eddy leaps into action to shut down the assassination program before it's too late. The odds seem insurmountable ... but his adversaries quickly learn that nothing can stop Eddy Kay when he gets tick ... tick ... ticked off.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Timebomb (1991) - blu-ray

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - August 29, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; aingle disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Shout Factory presents Timebomb on 1080p with a fine 1080p transfer that is detailed and fleshy.  It definitely has a new life on blu-ray.  With an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and Dolby Digital Stereo track, the film is treated nicely by Scream’s efforts.  Nicely saturated, there are no dents in its shiny armor.  Colors are strong throughout and are particularly memorable with their inclusion of details and strong edges.  Black levels are clearly defined, too.  Important considering the film takes place during the evening hours.  Shadows are detailed and the streets of Los Angeles look crisp and unrecognizably clean.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • none

Special Features:

A trailer and nothing else.  Boo.

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Timebomb (1991) - blu-ray

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