Connect with us

Film

‘Hardware’ – an Action-Packed, Thought-Provoking Cyberpunk Thriller

Upon its initial release, Hardware was dismissed by most as a rip-off of The Terminator, but in fact, the film was actually inspired by a 2000 AD comic called SHOK! Walter’s Robo-Tale. Richard Stanley’s bizarre post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller has rightfully earned a cult following through the years and for sci-fi fans growing up in the 90s, Hardware was a hidden gem that found an audience on VHS.

The low-budget indie horror has its roots in earlier films featuring killer robots, but adds components of spaghetti westerns, 80?s slashers, and even ’70s exploitation cinema – and the bag of influences results in a film which is, in many ways, very original.

Stanley stretches his shoestring budget to impressive lengths, creating a despairing, barren future under blood-red skies, radiation clouds and desert wastelands. Despite being restricted by financial realities, Hardware still remains one of the most stylized science fiction film films of all time. Stanley’s retro-futuristic set design takes some visual and thematic cues from the films of James Cameron and Ridley Scott, but incorporates colour schemes that mirror Giallo films of the 1970’s. Composer Simon Boswell does an admirable job providing a churlish mood with his synth guitar solos, and the soundtrack became a personal fave amongst the industrial and metal music scene, with music by Iggy Pop, Motörhead, Ministry and Public Image Limited. Also, worth noting was the guest appearances by Lemmy (of Motörhead) as a taxi driver, Carl McCoy (of Fields of the Nephilim) as a zone tripper, and Iggy Pop as Angry Bob, a radio personality. Hardware sees a society under Big Brother surveillance and population control and amidst the violence and chaos, it features some social and biblical commentary. This is a movie about man and machine in a time where it’s difficult to tell the two apart.

nomad

Fans of sci-fi action will admire Stanley’s cyberpunk thriller. He delivers an action-packed, thought-provoking and quite disturbing thrill ride with the American flag painted on its killer android and a hero sporting a duster, a robotic hand, and a sawed-off shotgun. A Must see.

– Ricky D

hardware-stacey-travis-attack-1990

Written By

Some people take my heart, others take my shoes, and some take me home. I write, I blog, I podcast, I edit, and I design websites. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Goomba Stomp and Tilt Magazine. Host of the Sordid Cinema Podcast and NXpress Nintendo Podcast. Former Editor-In-Chief of Sound On Sight, and host of several podcasts including the Game of Thrones and Walking Dead podcasts, as well as Sound On Sight. There is nothing I like more than basketball, travelling, and animals. You can find me online writing about anime, TV, movies, games and so much more.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Cam Newton’s Controversial Marriage Comments Spark Viral Discussion

Culture

ASAP Rocky Explains Why Rihanna Is The “Perfect” Partner

Culture

Meghan Markle to Appear with Oprah for California Bookstore Launch

Celebrity

With Tyla, Wizkid, Burna Boy and More, UTA’s Early Bet on Afrobeat Has Paid Off

Celebrity

Lainey Wilson and Devlin “Duck” Hodges: A Love Story in the Spotlight!

Celebrity

Who is Sarah Feuerborn Harbaugh?

Celebrity

Bill Skarsgard Ate Steak Tartare, Raw Eggs and No Sugar to Train for ‘The Crow’: ‘He’s a Machine of Destruction’

Film

Olivia Munn and John Mulaney: A Relationship Timeline!

Celebrity

‘Nutcrackers’ Review: Ben Stiller Gets Saddled With a Farm and Four Rowdy Kids in Easy-Target Heart-Tugger

Film

Fatman Scoop, rapper and Mariah Carey collaborator, dies at 53 after collapsing on stage

News

Andrea Arnold offers up another tale of social realism with mixed results in Bird

Film

Drew Afualo announces engagement to Pili Tanuvasa 

Celebrity

Tom Daley’s Family: Love, Marriage, and Parenthood!

Culture

Who Is Aaron Judge’s Wife: The Woman Behind the Legend–Samantha Bracksieck!

Celebrity

Ben Platt and Noah Galvin’s Relationship Journey!

Celebrity

Shania Twain’s 59th Birthday Celebration: A Loving Tribute from Husband Frédéric Thiébaud!

Celebrity

Connect