''Timebomb'' is a 1991 American

science-fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, sp ...

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

written and directed by

Avi Nesher Avi Nesher (Hebrew language, Hebrew: אבי נשר; born 13 December 1952) is an Israeli film producer, film director, screenwriter and actor. Biography Avi Nesher was born and raised in Ramat Gan, Israel. The child of a Romanian-born diplomat ...

and starring

Michael Biehn Michael Biehn ( or ; born July 31, 1956) is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in ''The Terminator'' (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in ''Aliens (film), Aliens'' (1 ...

Patsy Kensit Patricia Jude Francis Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Birds Eye frozen peas. She went on to appear in films ...

, and

Richard Jordan Robert Anson Jordan Jr. (July 19, 1937 – August 30, 1993), known professionally as Richard Jordan, was an American actor. A long-time member of the New York Shakespeare Festival, he performed in many Off Broadway and Broadway plays. His films ...

Plot

Mild-mannered

watchmaker A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their par ...

Eddy Kay (Michael Biehn) runs into a burning building to save a trapped woman and is featured in the news as a result. Watching the news, Colonel Taylor (

) is shocked to see Eddy, whom he had assumed to be dead. A game of cat and mouse begins as Eddy, with the help of

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

Dr. Anna Nolmar (Patsy Kensit), tries to discover his past and why they want him dead. Eddy and Dr. Nolmar discover that he was part of a secret government program to create assassins. Using various sensory deprivation and brainwashing techniques, the assassins could be sent to infiltrate other organizations and facilities undetected and carry out programmed missions. Eddy manages to capture and interrogate one of the female assassins ( Tracy Scoggins), finding out the Colonel's current assassination plan. He then plots to confront Colonel Taylor and put an end to the assassination program once and for all.

Cast

as Eddy Kaye *

as Anna Nolmar *

as Colonel Taylor * Tracy Scoggins as Blue * Billy Blanks as Mr. Brown * Jim Maniaci as Mr. Grey *

Robert Culp Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American actor and screenwriter widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on ''I Spy (1965 TV series), I Spy'' ( ...

as Phillips * Raymond St. Jacques as Detective Sanchez * Julius Zagon as Dr. Kosyez Actress and comedienne Julie Brown makes an uncredited cameo as Waitress At Al's Diner.

Production

The film was shot under the title ''Nameless'' with a budget of $7 million. Producers originally wanted

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian martial artist and actor. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate schoo ...

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...

to play Kay, but Nesher saw Biehn as perfect for the role due to his performance in ''

The Abyss ''The Abyss'' is a 1989 American science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. When an American submarine sinks in the Caribbean, a US search and recovery tea ...

''. Biehn himself took a pay cut to show his dedication to the film. Biehn underwent intensive military training for several weeks to prepare for the role.

Release

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

gave the film a limited theatrical release on September 27, 1991. The film was released as a VOD title on DVD by MGM on December 23, 2011.

References

External links

* * 1991 films 1990s English-language films Films directed by Avi Nesher Films produced by Raffaella De Laurentiis Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American science fiction films 1990s American films 1991 science fiction films English-language science fiction films {{1990s-US-film-stub