1 Blade Runner
Admittedly, I do not watch Blade Runner for the acting. But where would it be without its colourful villains? Daryl Hannah, Brion James and, in particular, Rutger Hauer. Harrison Ford's turn as the film's hero is numb at best; lacking all the charisma he brought to Han Solo and Indiana Jones. I'm probably not the only one who is a Rutger Hauer fan because of his immortalization of the poetic android Roy Batty. He famously improvised most of the memorable speech at the end.
2 The Hitcher
Rutger Hauer is menacing from the moment he gets into C. Thomas Howell's car in this top-notch serial killer thriller from 1986, and though his screen presence is minimal it is nevertheless one of his most memorable. He brings the right amount of intensity, intelligence and quirkiness to the role, and makes John Ryder not just a psycho, but more of a force of nature. Fun fact, the film's screenwriter was inspired by The Doors' 'Riders on the Storm.'
3 Ladyhawke
I had this film on VHS as a child, and I watched the shit out of that tape! Back then it was mainly because of my first celebrity crush, Michelle Pfeiffer, but watching it again through the eyes of a Rutger Hauer fan makes it a whole new experience. Made during the fantasy boom of the 1980s (which also brought us such classics as Willow, The Neverending Story, Legend, Labyrinth and The Princess Bride), Ladyhawke is remarkable for being one of Rutger Hauer's few romantic hero leads. Although it's still beautifully shot, the dialogue is unintentionally laughable by today's standards. However, the story is so good in itself one can overlook its many flaws; the story of a couple in medieval Europe who are cursed to never meet in the flesh, as he turns into a wolf by night and she into a hawk by day.
4 Blind Fury
Blind Fury is a good example of how many American action movies from the 1980s tried to be family-oriented, which resulted in a weird mix of silly goofiness and violence. But if you don't mind a little of that, it's a good time. You haven't seen Rutger Hauer act until you've seen him play a blind Vietnam veteran who's so skilled with a samurai sword that he can slice a man's eyebrows off! Seriously though, he handles the acting quite well, along with action scenes, the comedy and the pathos. Full of memorable one liners (like "I'm gonna put that blind man in a wheelchair!" and "That thing's got more holes in it than my Daddy's rubber!") and a host of amicable supporting actors, including Lost's Terry O'Quinn, Blind Fury is a hoot.
5 Nighthawks
Rutger Hauer's American debut was not an auspicious one. He had turned down a role in a much bigger production to play the stylish international terrorist Wulfgar in Nighthawks (a film that began life as French Connection III), which was marred by production difficulties and heavily re-edited (almost an hour of character development ended up getting cut in post to make it more fast-paced). Yet Hauer's sophisticated psycho with an affinity for charming women, and who looks like a cross between Anthony Hopkins and a Bond villain, is the best part of the movie, something that even its star Sylvester Stallone later admitted, despite the two of them allegedly having a strained working relationship to say the least. It remains one of the best bad guys of his career.
6 Wanted Dead or Alive
This forgotten sequel to an old TV show starring Steve McQueen reeks of 1980's action flicks; cheesy blues rock, over-the-top violence, totally politically incorrect villains (including Kiss legend Gene Simmons), goofy one-liners. Wanted Dead or Alive totes Rutger Hauer in a platinum blonde mullet, spouting lines like "I don't like cops, and they don't like me!" If you ever had any doubt that Rutger Hauer once had the potential to be an action movie star on par with pre-asshole era Bruce Willis or pre-insanity era Mel Gibson, here's the proof.
7 Split Second
Rutger Hauer really gets to chew some scenery in this British sci-fi/buddy cop flick from 1992, partly because he has more lines than usual but also because he plays a nutty anxiety-ridden, cigar-munching, rat-killing copper who drinks too much coffee and talks to dogs, as he hunts down a monster on a murder spree in a flooded alternate universe London. Having never heard of Split Second before I did research for this list, I'm really glad I found it because it's quite funny and one I highly recommend.
8 The Blood of Heroes (aka The Salute of the Jugger)
Written and directed by David Peoples (known for his work on Blade Runner, The Unforgiven, 12 Monkeys and Ladyhawke), The Blood of Heroes is a great little film that I wish I had known about 20 years ago when I was starved for Mad Max-like post-apocalyptic entertainment. Rutger Hauer plays Sallow, the aptly named leader of an itinerant group of gladiators called 'Juggers,' who challenge dog-town teams in a game which is sort of American football with weapons, ultimately heading off to play in the big league. The game in the movie seemed like such fun that it became an actual game in real life (google it!). Rutger Hauer certainly has the right appearance and acting style for crazy post-apocalyptic antiheroes.
9 Hemoglobin (aka Bleeders)
Rutger Hauer is rather dapper as the local doctor on a small island off the coast of Maine that harbours a dark secret in this gothic horror film from 1997. Although the subject matter of inbreeding is seriously outdated (H.P. Lovecraft's original story was first published in 1922), and though the film has been mauled by critics and movie-goers alike, I find it to be entertaining B-movie fair. Rutger Hauer only has a small part, but it's pivotal, and he does get to strap on boots, grab a gun, a torch and save the day!
10 Hobo with a Shotgun
Originally one of the fake trailers in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse project, Hobo with a Shotgun is outrageous, gory and hilarious; a riot from start to finish! Of course, it isn't for all tastes, but then again it's solely aimed at fans of the exploitations genre, and dedicated to bringing its audience exactly what it wants and more, which is why it's so amped up. Rutger Hauer has always been a bit of a campy actor, which I attribute to the fact that he cut his teeth on the early Dutch films of his countryman Paul Verhoeven, so he is perfect for the role as the nameless hobo who gets tired of crime and goes on a vigilante killing spree with a 12-gauge shotgun.
