George C. Scott .... Jake VanDorn
Peter Boyle .... Andy Mast
Season Hubley .... Niki
Dick Sargent .... Wes DeJong
Leonard Gaines .... Bill Ramada
Dave Nichols .... Kurt (as David Nichols)
Gary Graham .... Tod (as Gary Rand Graham)
Larry Block .... Detective Burrows
Marc Alaimo .... Ratan
Leslie Ackerman .... Felice
Charlotte McGinnis .... Beatrice
Ilah Davis .... Kristen VanDorn
Paul Marin .... Joe VanDorn
Will Walker .... Jim 'Jism Jim' Sloane
Hal Williams .... Big Dick Blaque
Director: Paul Schrader
When the daughter of devoutly religious midwestern businessman Jake Van Dorn (George C. Scott) disappears on a trip to Los Angeles sponsored by the family's Calvinist church, Jake's search for his daughter, Niki (Season Hubley), leads him into a shocking world of pornography. In California, Jake hires Andy Mast (Peter Boyle), a sleazy Hollywood private detective, to help him find Niki; the two descend into the sordid realm of the hardcore sex industry, determined to retrieve her.
REVIEW:
Hardcore, an early venture from writer-director Paul Schrader, features what may be Scott's best performance (this side of Patton) as a man shattered by his daughter's descent into the world of porn. An intentionally jarring shift of tones via editing techniques, the inherent strong material of the story, and interesting comparisons between conservative religious fanaticism and the porn industry give Hardcore a unique depth in its portrayal of a man whose moral compass is suddenly put into question.