Hardware (1990)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Richard Stanley

Writers:

Steve MacManus (story) and
Kevin O'Neill (story) ...

Release Date:

14 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

It activates it exhilarates... it exterminates

Plot:

A wandering soldier finds a robot head in the post-apocalyptic desert. He brings it back to his girlfriend for use in one of her sculptures...

Plot Keywords:

Sculpture | Scavenger | Future | Sculptor | Surrealism

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Dylan McDermott	...	Moses Baxter
Stacey Travis	...	Jill
John Lynch	...	Shades
William Hootkins	...	Lincoln Wineberg Jr.
Iggy Pop	...	Angry Bob
Carl McCoy	...	Nomad
Mark Northover	...	Alvy
Paul McKenzie	...	Vernon
Lemmy	...	Taxi Driver
Mac McDonald	...	Newscaster
Chris McHallem	...	Premier Boelgaxof
Barbara Yu Ling	...	Chinese Mother
Oscar James	...	Chief
Arnold Lee	...	Chinese Family
Susie Savage	...	Chinese Family (as Susie Ng)

Also Known As:

M.A.R.K. 13

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality and language. (also edited version)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 (MGM channel rating) | New Zealand:R18 (original rating) | Australia:R | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (also edited version) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

BSB

Trivia:

The Nomad, played by Carl McCoy, was originally scripted to appear in Jill's dream sequence in the middle of the film. The scene wasn't shot because of the actress' illness during the filming in the desert.

Quotes:

Angry Bob: [on radio] Kill! Kill! Kill! Today's death count is 578.

Movie Connections:

Featured in In the Belly of the Beast (2001)

Soundtrack:

The Ace of Spades

Hollywood did not destroy this movie

I saw this movie in the theater the week it opened way back when. It was a very, very late showing, and there were approximately five other people in the theater. Two walked out during the film. As the film credits rolled, the two women sitting next to us said, "My god! That was the worst film I have ever seen!" My only thoughts were, "They have not seen Starcrash!"

Both my friend and I loved Hardware. I introduced my SO to it this weekend, and he loved it. I think what I like about it is that it's a small movie that manages to execute its space perfectly. The universe of Hardware is dark, dirty, claustrophobic (without being small). The narrative is pure dystopia, which fits very well with the droid gone wild theme. The droid is so unrelenting, as is the dreariness of existence in this post apocalyptic space. I like how tight the movie is. I also like how clean the narrative is. There isn't any extraneous fluff.

I think this movie will appeal to the slightly more sophisticated film lover. It doesn't have big movie pretensions. Hollywood did not destroy this movie. The symbolism is far more subtle than in big productions. The pacing is also different. I loved the slow buildup.

This movie worked, but it's not an easy movie. If you're willing to work a little with a movie that doesn't have the big movie facade of Terminator II or Independence Day, and you enjoy dystopic science fiction, I think you will like this one.