Screamers (1995)

A military commander stationed off planet during an interplanetary war travels through the devastated landscape to negotiate a peace treaty, but discovers that the primitive robots they built to kill enemy combatants have gained sentience.

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
Andy Lauer	...	Ace Jefferson
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:

matte painting | miniature model | shakespearean quotation | 2070s | based on short story | 

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Taglines:

The silence of space is about to be shattered.

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dan O'Bannon's second adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel, the first being Total Recall (1990).

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Goofs

On the way out of NEB HQ, when Jefferson jokingly repeats the line "Can I come with you?" we see Hendricksson from behind as he points his rifle upward and away from Jefferson. When we cut to a front view, he is still pointing the rifle forward. Then we cut to a rear view again and the rifle is still pointed upward.

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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

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Awesome Robot Fights in Movies (2015)

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Soundtracks

Hard Luck Solution
Music by Jerry De Villiers Jr.
Lyrics by Dwight Druick
Vocals by Loulou Hughes

User Reviews

Truly an under-rated file

Obviously most people didn't think this movie to be much anything special, although I tend to disagree. I thought this movie was probably one of the best sci-fi films in years that I've seen. Peter Weller (best known as RoboCop) is also a very under-rated actor who deserves some good roles these days. The only problem with this movie was the very poorly done special fx. I'm sure if this movie would have been given a bigger budget it would have done better in theaters.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures

Country:

Canada Japan

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