Hardware (1990)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Richard Stanley

Writers:

Steve MacManus (story) and
Kevin O'Neill (story) ...

Release Date:

14 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

It activates it exhilarates... it exterminates

Plot:

A wandering soldier finds a robot head in the post-apocalyptic desert. He brings it back to his girlfriend for use in one of her sculptures...

Plot Keywords:

Sculpture | Scavenger | Future | Sculptor | Surrealism

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

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

Also Known As:

M.A.R.K. 13

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality and language. (also edited version)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 (MGM channel rating) | New Zealand:R18 (original rating) | Australia:R | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (also edited version) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

BSB

Trivia:

William Hootkins improvised a lot of the foulest and most obscene lines of his character.

Quotes:

Vernon: Oh we all walk the Wibberly-Wobberly walk.
Vernon: And we all talk the Wibberly-Wobberly talk.
Vernon: And all we all wear Wibberly-Wobberly ties.
Vernon: And we look at all the pretty girls with Wibberly-Wobberly eyes.

Movie Connections:

Features A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief (1988) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Order of Death

Future kill...

Dylan McDermott stars as a scavenger who gives his girlfriend a robot head, his girlfriend an artist who smokes Mary Jane (Stacey Travis) and paints an American flag on such, doesn't realize that said robot has been built to destroy humans and so said robot reassembles itself and McDermott and Travis must stop it. Hardware is a movie that is often in its own way, quite brilliant. The movie has a fascination with the atmosphere and right away we want to learn more on how the future got to be like this. Also the reason for why the robot is made is never explained. The movie does works in the vein of Blade Runner, in that the less known about the film, the stronger it is. It's a movie that invites you to ponder the details, and with many experimental camera angles, suspenseful stalking sequences, well sketched characters and energetically staged action, Hardware works as one of the better in the genre of robots run amok. Indeed it's more in the science fiction approach with mood,atmosphere and style, and in my opinion is how they should've done Lawnmower Man and Johnny Mnemonic. Indeed director Richard Stanley would've made those movies great. Iggy Pop provides excellent comic relief with the opening and closing sequences.

* * * out of 4-(Good)