Hands of Steel (1986)

A cyborg is programmed to kill a scientist who holds the fate of mankind in his hands. He fails and hides in a diner in a desert run by a woman who likes him. The people who sent him are after him and so is the local arm wrestling champ.

Director:

Sergio Martino (as Martin Dolman)

Writers:

Sergio Martino (story by) (as Martin Dolman), Elisa Briganti (screenplay by) (as Elisabeth Parker Jr.)

Stars:

Daniel Greene, Janet Agren, Claudio Cassinelli

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Daniel Greene	...	Paco Queruak
Janet Agren	...	Linda
Claudio Cassinelli	...	Peter Howell
George Eastman	...	Raul Morales
Roberto Bisacco	...	Cooper (as Robert Ben)
Pat Monti
Andrea Coppola	...	Eddie (as Andrew Louis Coppola)
Donald O'Brien	...	Prof. Olster
Frank Walden
Darwyn Swalve	...	Anatola Blanco
Amy Werba	...	Dr. Peckinpah
John Saxon	...	Francis Turner

Storyline

Sinister industrialist Francis Turner, played by John Saxon, creates a cyborg known as Paco Queruak (Daniel Greene) who has been programmed to terminate the leader of an ecological faction that stands in the way of the dystopian country in which the story is set. After failing in his mission to eliminate the ecologist, Paco flees to Arizona where he must face his opponents; and ultimately choose between his humanity and robotic natures.

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Plot Keywords:

world trade center | chinatown manhattan new york city | tragic event | watching tv | cyborg | 

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Taglines:

30% human, 70% robot, 100% lethal. [Scandinavian DVD cover]

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian Spanish English

Release Date:

29 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hands of Steel

Filming Locations:

Lee's Ferry Lodge at Vermilion Cliffs - Highway 89A, Marble Canyon, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Cinematografica,Dania Film,Medusa Distribuzione

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Saxon, strictly adhering to Screen Actors Guild rules, refused to act in any scenes shot in America (all his scenes were shot in Italy) because this was not a union film. He credits SAG with saving his life, as he would have likely been on the helicopter that crashed, claiming the life of his co-star Claudio Cassinelli; he has not violated any SAG guidelines since. Two different but identically painted Bell helicopters were used for filming; the aircraft seen in close-up shots with Saxon has Italian registration, whereas the one seen flying--the helicopter involved in the fatal crash--has American registration.

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Goofs

At approximately 29 minutes and 46 minutes a Hughes 500 (369) helicopter is seen. These have a 5-bladed main rotor. The sound heard is that of a 2-bladed main rotor helicopter.

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Connections

References The Terminator (1984)

User Reviews

low budget but great...

I actually saw this movie many years ago. I was a kid when I saw it. The thing is, the movie never left my memory. Unlike so many other low budget action flicks, this one still has a spot in my memory. That is why it is great. I remember the awesome stereotype bounty hunter character (long white hair, long white beard, black leather trenchcoat, sawed off shotgun), I remember the arm wrestling match where the loser gets his wrist pinned in a shackle to be bitten by a poisonous snake, and how the cyborg beat the former champ (who had much bigger arms, by the way), but then saved him from his own snake, I remember the acid rain scene where the cyborg must quickly drive through the acid rain road section, and how you see the hood of the car start to dissolve, and more. For some reason, this movie just was pretty good. It is very low budget looking, but don't let the looks fool you. I have been wanting to see this again for a long time now but I haven't been able to find it anymore. Well, if you find it, consider yourself lucky and watch it. I don't remember much more about it, so, that's all, folks.