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Hardware (1990)

post #1 of 29
6/23/09 at 11:27am
Thread Starter 
Finally it's out on DVD.

After seeing it for the first time a few years ago and totally falling it love with it, I decided to wait till the movie got a proper DVD release and this week, it finally did.

This is probably my favourite killer robot movie, surpassing The Terminator easily. I realize it has flaws to it, but I just love everything about the movie. Even Dylan McDermott doesn't annoy in the movie. The soundtrack is great and Richard Stanley manages some very brilliant imagery. Isn't it time they let Stanley out of the director jail? I mean he hasn't done a feature film since he was kicked out of The Island of Dr. Moreau, has he?

Oh, and to those curious, the DVD is packed with extras, it has a commentary, deleted scenes, a short by Stanley, two of his early Super 8 movies and one of his documentaries too. It was well worth the wait.
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post #2 of 29
6/23/09 at 11:34am
Glad to hear the DVD’s a good set. I’ve been thinking of getting it, but I was put off by how bad the UK Dust Devil DVD was in comparison to its American counterpart. I remember watching my mum’s VHS copy of this film when I was nine years old and been utterly enthralled and terrified by the film. It’s like a fever dream of a movie and the design of the robot itself is incredible. It’s a shame that Dr. Moreau destroyed Richard Stanley as a director because this, Dust Devil and his documentaries cemented as a guy who could have become genuinely great.
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post #3 of 29
6/23/09 at 11:35am
From the wikipeida entry....


The film is based on a 2000 AD comic called SHOK! Walter's Robo-Tale.[1][2] In the comic version, the robot head part is recovered from the bloody aftermath of the Cursed Earth Saga (almost making Hardware the first Judge Dredd movie ever). The original theatrical release did not mention the comic book despite heavily plagiarizing its storyline. Following legal action a notice was added to later versions and the strip's creators, Steve MacManus and Kevin O'Neill, now get full writers' credits.

It is now considered to be the first 2000 AD movie spin-off, followed by the better-known Judge Dredd

Does the dvd version have anything about this on it?
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post #4 of 29
6/23/09 at 11:37am
Yeah, I love this film as well. Though I've only seen the censored version.

The Robot reminds me a lot of Death Machine though.
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post #5 of 29
6/23/09 at 11:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Savage View Post
From the wikipeida entry....


The film is based on a 2000 AD comic called SHOK! Walter's Robo-Tale.[1][2] In the comic version, the robot head part is recovered from the bloody aftermath of the Cursed Earth Saga (almost making Hardware the first Judge Dredd movie ever). The original theatrical release did not mention the comic book despite heavily plagiarizing its storyline. Following legal action a notice was added to later versions and the strip's creators, Steve MacManus and Kevin O'Neill, now get full writers' credits.

It is now considered to be the first 2000 AD movie spin-off, followed by the better-known Judge Dredd

Does the dvd version have anything about this on it?
Haven't listened to the commentary yet, but both on the cover and the opening credits, it says "Written and Directed by Richard Stanley" with no mentions of MacManus and O'Neill. The linear notes have the reprinted SHOK! comic though, which is a nice read.
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post #6 of 29
6/23/09 at 11:50am
It's certainly a handsome looking set



What's the video/sound quality like? Stanley's films never seemed to get particularly decent transfers, only the super special Deluxe Edition of Dust Devil has a decent transfer.
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post #7 of 29
6/23/09 at 11:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Savage View Post
[B]The film is based on a 2000 AD comic called SHOK! Walter's Robo-Tale.[1][2] In the comic version, the robot head part is recovered from the bloody aftermath of the Cursed Earth Saga (almost making Hardware the first Judge Dredd movie ever). The original theatrical release did not mention the comic book despite heavily plagiarizing its storyline. Following legal action a notice was added to later versions and the strip's creators, Steve MacManus and Kevin O'Neill, now get full writers' credits.
Yeah, I watched this in theaters and as a big 2000AD fan I was kind of pissed at not seeing any mention of it in the movie. Not to mention that I kept expecting Judge Dredd to kick down the door at any moment.
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post #8 of 29
6/23/09 at 2:39pm
I liked the visual style and the nasty robot, but it would have been nice if the two leads had any appeal whatsoever. I just remember them both being really surly and uninteresting.

Great use of Public Image Ltd's The Order of Death, though.
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post #9 of 29
6/23/09 at 2:51pm
Only Region1?

...Bollocks, just saw everyone posting is Region2...Released already?
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post #10 of 29
6/23/09 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
Only Region1?

...Bollocks, just saw everyone posting is Region2...Released already?
Yeah, the release date for the R2 disc was June 22nd.

As for the transfer, I've seen better. It certainly beats the German DVD, but I can't really say as I was forced to watch it on my laptop, which aren't the most hi-fi of things.

Also I think this movie has my favorite death scene of all time.
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post #11 of 29
6/23/09 at 3:33pm
Love this flick and I'm fascinated by Richard Stanley, who I think is super talented. Would love to see him on a new flick, but alas. Looks like this is sold out at Amazon UK - thanks for the heads up, however. I pop in on his fansite and Myspace page every once in a while (sad stalker), but have not checked in in a bit.
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post #12 of 29
6/23/09 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
According to IMDb, he has a new movie coming out this year, but that's according to IMDb.

Also, I only have the R2 disc of Dust Devil. Is the R1 still out there anywhere or is it all sold out?
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post #13 of 29
6/23/09 at 4:11pm
You can get it for about $40 from amazon.com. It's well worth the investment because it collects a lot Stanley's early documentaries and has some fascinating documentaries and commentaries. It also reveals Richard Stanley to be an extraordinary douchebag.
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post #14 of 29
6/23/09 at 6:42pm
I saw this once years ago, can't remember if it was a rental or on TV, and I hated it. Well, I remember laughed a lot, but I didn't think it was good. It was awful in pretty every respect as I recall.

Was there a really terrible cut released, at some point, or something? Is it possible I saw some inferior version, censored or whatever, and if so is the other version so much different/better that it would be worth giving it a second chance? Because I had to double-check to be sure I actually was remembering the same movie you're all talking about, and I feel like I'm missing out.
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post #15 of 29
6/23/09 at 6:45pm
No, it's quite common to laugh at Richard Stanley films. The guy has a serious mad genius vibe going on that you have to be very forgiving of at times.
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post #16 of 29
6/23/09 at 7:46pm
The scene transition where the helmet's optic lens turns into the shower head is quality! McDermott sensually stroking his scalp and the sex scene that follows, not so much. You can blame that on the late 80s / early 90s aesthetic more than anything else, it's just how they did things back then.

Kudos to what Stanley and his crew achieved given the budget. Its a credible world that they created.
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post #17 of 29
6/23/09 at 8:49pm
Region 1 version on the way, apparently.

I've ordered the Region 2 version but if there's not too much crossover I'll probably get this one as well. Because I'm an easy lay when it comes to Stanley.
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post #18 of 29
6/24/09 at 12:24am
I have pretty fond memories of this little low budget slice of cyperpunk post apocolyptic brit horror. It made quite the impression on me when I was a lad seeing it at thye cinema and I've always enjoyed it's aesthetic and feel. The killer robot is a great little visual invention as well.

Finding out today that it was based on a 200AD story doesn't surprise me in the slightest, I should have guessed really.
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post #19 of 29
6/24/09 at 12:29am
I remember making my dad take me to see this. It's really been years since I've seen it, my VHS copy bit the dust in a basement flood sometime in the 90's.

I don't have any idea what 2000AD is, but I love the little slimy world this movie sets up. Some of the shots Stanley got with the eight dollar budget is beyond impressive, as were the effects. Nice to know that in the apocalypse, GWAR will become huge stars. I guess.

There was an interview Stanley did with Fangoria back then where he claimed that Bill Paxton was the original choice for the lead, but couldn't get out of his NAVY SEALS commitment. Apparently Stanley and McDermott didn't get along. Anyway, I think Paxton would have brought a sense of fun to the part, it's a nice what if.
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post #20 of 29
6/24/09 at 12:35am
Paxton surely would have found something in the script to run with. Bill Hootkins did with his role in the final film.
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post #21 of 29
6/27/09 at 9:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith F View Post
I don't have any idea what 2000AD is, but I love the little slimy world this movie sets up. .
2000 AD is a weekly British sci fi orientated comic that has been going since 1977. The most famous character from it is Judge Dredd. There have been alot of famous Brit writers and artists who started on 2000 AD and have gone to work for DC and Marvel, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Alan Davies, Garth Ennis and Dave Gibbons.
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post #22 of 29
11/17/11 at 7:52am
Finally watched this courtesy of Netflix. Found it to be mostly terrible. Visually it was pretty terrific, and two days later I can't get it (or its soundtrack) out of my head. The leads were boring, and the movie seems to end 3 or 4 times. The special effects were great when considering the budget. Its age shows in the stylistic choices, most egregiously in the sex scene. It is a weird case, though, I wanted it to end about 20 minutes before it actually did, but a lot of it has stuck with me.
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post #23 of 29
11/17/11 at 8:29am

Hardware is fucking awesome. Plays like David Cronenberg's The Terminator. Hallucinatory, badass, and gory as fuck.

 

Also, Dylan McDermott is forever knows as "the guy from Hardware" to me.

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post #24 of 29
11/17/11 at 8:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by James May View Post

Finally watched this courtesy of Netflix. Found it to be mostly terrible. Visually it was pretty terrific, and two days later I can't get it (or its soundtrack) out of my head. The leads were boring, and the movie seems to end 3 or 4 times. The special effects were great when considering the budget. Its age shows in the stylistic choices, most egregiously in the sex scene. It is a weird case, though, I wanted it to end about 20 minutes before it actually did, but a lot of it has stuck with me.

Yup horrible.

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post #25 of 29
11/17/11 at 10:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HunterTarantino View Post

Hardware is fucking awesome. Plays like David Cronenberg's The Terminator. Hallucinatory, badass, and gory as fuck.

 

Also, Dylan McDermott is forever knows as "the guy from Hardware" to me.



IA.  Granted, I haven't seen it in a while.  I remember going into it thinking it would be an Alien/Terminator rip-off but being pleasantly surprised.  Plus, resourceful, scrappy filmmakers with no budget always deserve good will. 

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post #26 of 29
11/17/11 at 10:52am

I've been meaning to revisit this. Might make for some good Thanksgiving afternoon viewing.

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post #27 of 29
11/18/11 at 5:31am

The lengths the movie goes to keep the action situated in not just a single apartment building but a single apartment are ridiculous! Around the time the female lead was hanging from a flagpole outside the window I checked out.

 

Incredible visuals and clever worldbuilding do not a movie make. Hardware's ambition was greater than its means, but that is to be commended. 

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post #28 of 29
11/18/11 at 8:22pm

THE WIBBERLY WOBBERLY WALK is one of the greatest things EVER. Also Zakes Mokae as one of the security guards of the apartment complex. Remember seeing the trailer as a kid in the theater, but never got to see it until around 2005 or 2006 when I got the vhs tape from the Hollywood Video I'd frequent when they were liquidating all their vhs stock. Loved it. Of course now I own the Severin Blu-ray which I got as soon as it was available.

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post #29 of 29
12/25/11 at 2:16pm

I tried watching this on VHS one time when I was twelve. I got bored and turned it off sometime after the sex scene, but well before the robot showed up.

 

I had a well developed B-Movie palette for my age then, but not the patience. I decided to check it out again based on this thread, and it was actually pretty damn cool.

 

I get how people don't like it, because it's one of those movies that's bizarrely fascinating in a way that you can't quite put your finger on.

 

The robot action is pretty damn awkward and limited (especially the first scene sawing the bed, ugh), but the director gets in some really cool shots later on. I love the weird wide angled stuff when it's charging up at the console.

 

It's a slow....sloooowwwww build. When I had it paused at around the 40 minute mark for a snack break, I pondered the possibility that the universe was playing a joke on me, and the movie doesn't actually have a killer robot in it. But, yes, there is a robot. And the visual aesthetics, good kills, bizarre characters, and ever-increasing level of just plain weird shit makes this a gem in my eyes.

 

A few lingering questions...so, was Shades on acid for everything after he started meditating, or what? Does that make him a surrogate character for the director? Because I got a very LSD/shrooms cocktail bad trip vibe from some stuff in this.

 

And why the hell did Dylan Mcdermott kill himself? I hope i didn't miss something, because a completely unexplained Dylan Mcdermott suicide makes any movie that much better.

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