Death Machine (1995)

Director:

Stephen Norrington

Writer:

Stephen Norrington (writer)

Release Date:

21 July 1995 (Spain)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It feeds on your fear

Plot:

Chaank Armaments is experimenting with the ultimate fighting machine which is part human - part machine...

Plot Keywords:

Cyberpunk | Psycho | Desert Eagle | Corporation | Cyborg

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Brad Dourif	...	Jack Dante
Ely Pouget	...	Hayden Cale
William Hootkins	...	John Carpenter
John Sharian	...	Sam Raimi
Martin McDougall	...	Yutani
Andreas Wisniewski	...	Weyland
Richard Brake	...	Scott Ridley
Alex Brooks	...	Sheriff Dickson
Stuart St. Paul	...	Glitching Hardman
Jackie Sawiris	...	Waitress
Annemarie Zola	...	Screaming Demonstrator (as Anne Marie Zola)
Julie Cox	...	Screaming Demonstrator
Kathleen Tessaro	...	Reporter
Ronald Fernee	...	Reporter
Lesley Lyon	...	Reporter

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi terror and violence, language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:18 | Spain:13 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Fugitive Features

Trivia:

"Scott Ridley" is named after Ridley Scott, and "John Carpenter" is named after John Carpenter. "Weyland" and "Yutani" are named after the company in Alien (1979), directed by Scott.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Carpenter walks through the glass doors and looks back behind him, two cameramen in blue jeans are reflected in the glass.

Quotes:

Jack Dante: With weapons like mine, and authorization like yours, we can do some serious damage.

Movie Connections:

References Scarface (1983)

Superb straight to video - capped by Dourif's excellent performance

When people ask "What are some good straight to video horrors?", Death Machine is usually top of my list. Its a great blend of sci-fi/horror that borrows heavily from others but still emerges as a cool flick nonetheless.

The simplified plot leaves some good guys (and gal) trying to stay alive in a sealed corporate skyscraper, while being hunted by a robot controlled by the fantastically OTT Brad Dourif. There are a few sub-plots to keep things interesting between the characters.

The heroine of the piece is the very cute Ely Pouget, who gives a terrific performance. She is joined by a couple of would-be terrorists - Martin McDougall and John Sharian (who some may recognize from his role in The Machinist).

The plot is good, if a little far-fetched (hey I did say this was sci-fi/horror), and director Stephen Norrington skillfully constructs an effective sense of fear with tongue-in-cheek humor, which belies this being his first time at the helm (he would later go on to direct Blade and the less-than-stellar The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).

The effects are very good for what must have been a small budget, and the robot (which is reminiscent of a alien/terminator hybrid) is well designed.

There are "strong influences" from movies such as Universal Soldier, Alien and Hardware...and most of the death scenes are quite vicious, though its not really that gory. Also many of the characters are named after horror directors - John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Scott Ridley etc - not so much as a wink to them but rather a 10 foot neon sign - but it kinda adds to the charm.

Final word goes out to Mr Dourif, who steals every scene he is in. He's funny, creepy, pathetic and totally manic. I have a feeling Norrington just let Dourif go wild in the role.

TTKK's Bottomline - If you like sci-fi/horror mixed with a bit of cheese and some laughs, you can't go wrong with Death Machine