Once upon a time, there was a movie called Hard Drive, which surprisingly had absolutely nothing to do with computers, but a lot to do with making a not-so-clever pun in the film’s synopsis. Unfortunately, there was another movie with the same name, which meant Hard Drive had to become Drive Hard. And while it lost it’s synopsis punniness in the process, it still retained the appeal of seeing John Cusack team up with fellow fan favourite actor Thomas Jane in a movie by veteran action director Brian Trenchard-Smith.
Along with the news of the name change, here’s the film’s newly released synopsis (via BleedingCool), which strangely enough has not yet reflected it’s new title.
With a heist in mind, a mysterious American called Keller (John Cusack) arrives in Brisbane needing a getaway driver. Rather than recruit one from the local underworld, he tricks a driving school instructor, Roberts (Thomas Jane) into taking the wheel. Keller chose well, Roberts just happens to be a washed out Formula-One driver. Chased by the cops and the mob, Roberts is forced to use his racing skills to evade pursuit on a Hard Drive that takes the two along the Gold Coast of Australia.
Trenchard-Smith, a master of trashy straight to video action flicks in the 70’s and 80’s like The Man from Hong Kong and Leprechaun 4: In Space, and also listed by Quentin Tarantino as one of his big influences, posted on his Facebook page that principal photography had just been wrapped on Drive Hard.
“Shooting has concluded on HARD DRIVE, now retitled, due to some pesky new Canadian film of the same title, DRIVE HARD. John Cusack and Thomas Jane had great comedic chemistry, the stunt team under John Walton really made those cars fly. Looking forward to the editing.”
While speaking to IndieFilm about his new movie, Sword Point, which follows a fencer trying to make it onto the Beijing Olympic team, the 67-year old English born director also shared a bit about the tone of Drive Hard.
“John Cusack and Thomas Jane are brilliant. It will be a very quirky action comedy.”
I’m a huge fan of both Cusack and Jane, and I can certainly get behind the pair in a “quirky action comedy”, especially when said film has Cusack running around with pistols akimbo, as can be seen in these first three images released for the film.
Drive Hard has no release date yet, but seeing as how the bulk of Trenchard-Smith’s films, while still in his prime, was released straight to video, I don’t expect this one to be any different.
Last Updated: July 2, 2013
