Hardware (1990)

The head of a cyborg reactivates, rebuilds itself, and goes on a violent rampage in a space marine's girlfriend's apartment.

Director:

Richard Stanley

Writers:

Steve MacManus (story "SHOK!"), Kevin O'Neill (story "SHOK!")

Stars:

Dylan McDermott, Stacey Travis, John Lynch

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carl McCoy	...	Nomad
Iggy Pop	...	Angry Bob
Dylan McDermott	...	Moses Baxter
John Lynch	...	Shades
Mark Northover	...	Alvy
Stacey Travis	...	Jill
Paul McKenzie	...	Vernon
Lemmy	...	Taxi Driver
William Hootkins	...	Lincoln Wineberg Jr.
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)

Storyline

In the future, a nuclear war has transformed the Earth into a radioactive wasteland where the sea has dried up leaving it as a post-apocalyptic desert. In the desert, A desert scavenger named Nomad discovers a robotic head, arriving in New York City, A space marine named Moses Baxter buys the robotic head from Nomad as a Christmas present for his girlfriend Jill Grakowski, who decides to use it for one of her sculptures. But all hell starts breaking loose, when the robotic head is activated and begins to rebuilt itself. When Alvy, a junkyard dealer discover the robotic head is a Mark 13, a military cyborg of a project that was abandoned. Moses learns Jill's life is in danger, as the Mark 13 cyborg goes on a violent rampage in Jill's apartment as Jill has become the the prime target for extermination.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | post apocalypse | cult film | cyberpunk | woman on top | 

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Taglines:

You Can't Stop Progress

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Severin Films

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

M.A.R.K. 13

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,381,285, 16 September 1990, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$5,728,953

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,100,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palace Pictures, British Screen Productions, British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The hair stylist was also the person who worked with and designed the distinctive 'big hair' look for singer Howard Jones in the 1980s.

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Goofs

When the droid rebuilds itself, it picks up a circular saw. When it uses that circular saw as a weapon later, it is completely different design, with an all different cutting disk.

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Quotes

Alvy: Smells like apple pie...

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Alternate Versions

The film was uncut in New Zealand and was given the R18 rating. When the film was released on DVD in New Zealand, also uncut, it was given the R16 rating.

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Connections

Featured in In the Belly of the Beast (2001)

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Soundtracks

Bad Life
Performed by Iggy Pop

User Reviews

Another of my fave movies

I remember first seeing Hardware late on night on cinemax and thinking it was gonna be some really lousy mess. Well that was probably about 6 years ago and still today it's one of my fave movies. Granted it's cheesy at times but it's also pretty intense and very artsy. Richard Stanley will always be one of my favorite directors just because of this movie, from what I've heard he was a music video director before this movie which explains why it's so cool looking (regardless of what some say I love when music video directors get a chance to direct movies). The acting ranges from good to o.k. (William Hootkins who played in the similar Death Machine goes from being the nastiest talking pervert to singing a really goofy song...which is the movies lowest point). The movie was very low budget but looks awesome, the production design is very good as are the effects. It looks like Blade Runner or maybe The Crow with a red/orange filter used to film every scene which gives it a gritty, bleak feel. The cyborg effects are pretty good also, it's filmed in a way that is similar to Alien, quick cuts and covered in darkness which can make the effects look better but also make the cyborg more menacing. And if you're looking for gore u found it here. I had a field day with all the blood effects...people get cut in half, eyes get squished, people are drilled, and there's a really trippy death scene at the end which is gory and poetic at the same time...oh and the cyborg goes to town on one guy's dead body with a chainsaw appendage that it has. Some reviews bitched about style over substance and lack of substance but Hardware is what it is....a really good horror/sci-fi movie. I read an interview in fangoria with Richard Stanley a few years back when he was unfairly fired from Island of Dr. Moreau and he said he was gonna have to do whatever he could to make a name for himself again after that incident and if all's true he did some kids movies last year and all but now he's supposed to come back with a sci-fi movie called A Season Of Soft Rains...hopefully more people will see what a truly gifted and talented director he really is. Now only if we can get an uncut version of Hardware on DVD.