Digital Man (1995)

An out-of-control robot is inadvertently set loose in a small community, and a crack squad of soldiers are sent to hunt it down. Gradually, the members of the squad begin to suspect that some of them are robots.

Director:

Phillip J. Roth

Writers:

Phillip J. Roth (screenplay), Phillip J. Roth (story)

Stars:

Ken Olandt, Kristen Dalton, Adam Baldwin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ken Olandt	...	Sergeant Anders
Kristen Dalton	...	Gena
Adam Baldwin	...	Captain West
Matthias Hues	...	Digital Man
Paul Gleason	...	Dr. Parker
Ed Lauter	...	General Roberts
Don Swayze	...	Billy
Chase Masterson	...	Susie
Sherman Augustus	...	Jackson
Woon Young Park	...	Woon
Megan Blake	...	Lt. Thompson
R.J. Bonds	...	Co-Pilot #1
Philip Bruns	...	Bob
Joe Cook	...	Long
Cliff Emmich	...	Sheriff

Storyline

An out-of-control robot is inadvertently set loose in a small community, and a crack squad of soldiers are sent to hunt it down. Gradually, the members of the squad begin to suspect that some of them are robots.

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Plot Keywords:

killer robot | terminator | android | robot pretending to be human | android pretending to be human | 

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Taglines:

Built for war. Programmed to win. Now he's online...and out of control

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for futuristic military violence and some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

While filming the scene wherein Digital Man blows up a house, Matthias Hues was unnerved by how the rest of the crew took cover outside of a 500 yard radius, giving him the impression that the stunt was potentially too dangerous. Director Phillip J. Roth assuaged him by agreeing to stand parallel to him when the explosion went off, demonstrating his confidence that the stunt was safe. Neither were hurt.

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Quotes

Billy: [comes out with a shotgun in hand and is startled to see Digital Man messing with his satellite dish] What the hell are you doing?!
Digital Man: [identifies Billy as a civilian and goes to "civilian mode"] I must use this uplink to transmit launch code data, with your assistance. Your connection will be temporarily cut off for this process. Thank you. Have a nice day.
Billy: [puzzled] Huh? I ain't assisting you with nothing, ya' crazy bastard, now get ya' damn hands off my satellite dish.
Digital Man: I must transmit launch codes. I...
[...]

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Soundtracks

AFTER THE RODEO
Performed by Frank & Ernest Crow
Written by Jim Goodwin & Leslie Bohem (as Les Bohem)
Tileface Music, BMI & Atomic Passion, BMI

User Reviews

"Damn robot people think they own the world!"

In an era of movies like TERMINATOR: GENISYS and CHAPPIE, can a B-grade robot adventure from the mid-90s find an appreciative audience? The answer is yes, at least if it can find its way into my hands. No low-budget filmmaker loved the sci-fi genre more than Philip J. Roth ("APEX"), and this particular cyborg-themed outing highlights the best that he – or almost anyone – could bring to the table under B-movie constraints. Though not terribly original, DIGITAL MAN is engaging and action-packed enough to accommodate its target audience and perhaps win over a few new fans as well.

The story: A squad of futuristic soldiers (led by Ken Olandt) is sent to a backwater Earth settlement to neutralize a deadly combat cyborg (Matthias Hues) run amuck.

It bears emphasizing that viewers who need expensive production values and state-of-the-art special effects to enjoy sci-fi flicks will be disappointed by this one, with its outdated CGI and gooey prosthetics. Personally, I love the production design, which is so skillfully implemented that there's no stylistic discord even when the setting shifts from a high-tech space station to the dusty Earth setting. Despite a handful of esthetic lifts from ALIENS and THE TERMINATOR, DIGITAL MAN looks and feels very much like its own movie, and in the process manages to avoid the artistic pitfalls of basing a production in the desert: it's never not fun to look at, despite its limited color palette.

The action's comprised primarily of explosions and shootouts, with a smattering of kickboxing. Though bluntly effective, the firefights aren't worth the price of the picture alone, and it's disappointing that Hues' physical talents are limited to only a single, one-sided brawl. Despite looking cool in his armor, Matthias is generally the worst-utilized performer of the film, having next to no lines and virtually nothing to do other than stalking and shooting. The rest of the cast does much better, with especially the soldiers getting enough character moments so as to not feel expendable. The rest of the cast is pretty memorable, too: Don Swayze (brother of Patrick) is a decent supporting goof, Amanda Wyss does what she can in an uncredited role, and the great Susan Tyrell has two glorious cameo scenes.

Director Roth infuses the picture with the enthusiastic pacing and gusto so often missing from low-budget productions, thereby keeping the film upbeat and rolling along nicely. He might have also included a tad too much story for his own good, as the paranoia angle of squad members potentially being cyborgs themselves feels unnecessary for a movie this small. Nevertheless, the film is worth a rental, and potentially even a purchase if you still own a VCR.

Details

Official Sites:

Green Communications [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Digital Man

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Green Communications, Sci-Fi Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color