Screamers (1995)

Soldiers attempting to negotiate the end to a long-running war discover the robots they built to assassinate enemy combatants have gained sentience and are plotting against both sides.

Director:

Christian Duguay

Writers:

Philip K. Dick (short story "Second Variety"), Dan O'Bannon (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Weller, Roy Dupuis, Jennifer Rubin

3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Peter Weller	...	Joe Hendricksson
Roy Dupuis	...	Becker
Jennifer Rubin	...	Jessica Hanson
Andrew Lauer	...	Ace Jefferson (as Andy Lauer)
Charles Edwin Powell	...	Ross (as Charles Powell)
Ron White	...	Chuck Elbarak
Michael Caloz	...	David
Liliana Komorowska	...	Landowska
Jason Cavalier	...	Leone
Leni Parker	...	Cpl. McDonald
Sylvain Massé	...	N.E.B. Soldier
Bruce Boa	...	Secretary Green
Tom Berry	...	Technician
Henry Ramer	...	Screamers Crawl Narration (voice)

Storyline

(SIRIUS 6B, Year 2078) On a distant mining planet ravaged by a decade of war, scientists have created the perfect weapon: a blade-wielding, self-replicating race of killing devices known as Screamers designed for one purpose only -- to hunt down and destroy all enemy life forms But man's greatest weapon has continued to evolve without any human guidance, and now it has devised a new mission: to obliterate all life. Col. Hendricksson (Peter Weller) is commander of a handful of Alliance soldiers still alive on Sirius 6B. Betrayed by his own political leaders and disgusted by the atrocities of this never-ending war, Hendricksson decides he must negotiate a separate peace with the New Economic Bloc's decimated forces. But to do so, he will have to cross a treacherous wasteland where the deadliest threat comes from the very weapons he helped to create.

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Plot Keywords:

stop motion | matte painting | miniature model | shakespearean quotation | 2070s | 

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Taglines:

The Last Scream You Hear Will Be Your Own.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sci-fi violence and terror, some language and a brief moment of nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 January 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Claw

Filming Locations:

Joliette, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,904,140, 28 January 1996

Gross USA:

$5,711,695

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,711,695

Company Credits

Production Co:

Triumph Films, Fuji Eight Company Ltd., Fries Film Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels) DTS-Stereo DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an episode of Entertainment Tonight (1981) which aired in 1995, when visiting the set the interviewer asks Peter Weller about his character. Weller, a notoriously private actor, replied; "he is paid and turns up and says the lines. That's all". No further subsequent interviews were given.

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Goofs

Becker is the last to go through the hatch into the NEB bunker, but when the camera switches to the view inside the bunker, Becker is seen already on the walkway while the others are still climbing down the ladder.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Screamers Crawl Narration: [voice over narration] For the last fifty years, the new economic block, the 'N.E.B.' Corporation, has controlled mining operations throughout the known solar systems.

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Connections

References Pinocchio (1940)

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Soundtracks

Naya
Music by Jerry Devilliers
Lyrics by Dwight Druick
Vocals by Loulou Hughes

User Reviews

one of the better sci-fi flicks

I must confess, the trailer for this film was not impressive. However, the look of the film aesthetically was very impressive. What grabbed my attention were the locations and the actor's costumes. I saw vast desolated landscapes as the backdrop for this sci-fi picture and that really attracted me. I am a fan of Science Fiction so I rented it. And I really enjoyed this movie.

First off, it stars Peter Weller. I really enjoy this actor and am very disappointed that we do not see much of him these days. The only real roles I choose to remember him as are Alex J Murphy in the 1987 Verhoeven classic ROBOCOP and Bill Lee in Cronenberg's 1991 NAKED LUNCH.

SCREAMERS is basically a futuristic blend of THE TERMINATOR (1984) and TREMORS (1990). The film is about an alien world dead of life except for two fighting human armies. A specific weapon called "screamers" were designed for warfare. These small (blade-like) killing machines attack from beneath you, exploding upward from the ground. With a quick slice of horror, victims are left missing a limb...or two. Soon enough the machines grow smarter and modify themselves. Let's just say all hell breaks loose.

The movie has a good blend of the sci-fi and horror/suspense elements needed for a good movie and the FX aren't bad. The story never falters (there are even a lot of scares/surprises) and all the actors give good performances. Also, upon watching this movie I noticed many impressive credits that I should share with you. First off, the film is based on a short story by Philip K Dick (other films inspired by his shorts are 1982's BLADE RUNNER and 1990's TOTAL RECALL). The screenplay is cowritten by Dan O'Bannon (whose writing credits include 1979's ALIEN and 1981's HEAVY METAL). And of course SCREAMERS stars Peter Weller, RoboCop himself. Another great Science Fiction movie.

*SIDE NOTE* is it just me or does Peter Weller frightenly resemble Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy? And check this out, "Peter" Weller plays Alex "Murphy" in ROBOCOP. Put the two names together and you have "Peter" "Murphy" ??!?!?!?!?!?!!?

Anyway, back to SCREAMERS. In a nutshell: if you love Science Fiction or even like it, then I highly recommend this movie. It is worth your time.