"Hard Times" was Walter Hill's 1975 directorial debut. He also wrote the screenplay. His preferred (more accurate and better) title was "The Streetfighter," as it was/is known in Europe. Hill went on to do more popular films like "The Warriors" (1979) and "The Long Riders" (1980). The reason I was interested in checking out "Hard Times" is because it had garnered a bit of a cult reputation over the years (although not as cult-ish as "The Warriors").