Hardware (1990 film)

Infobox_Film
name = Hardware


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Richard Stanley
producer = Ray Corbett
Nik Powell
Polly du Plessis
writer = Steve MacManus
Kevin O'Neill
Richard Stanley
starring = Dylan McDermott
Stacey Travis
Iggy Pop
Carl McCoy
cinematography = Steven Chivers
editing = Derek Trigg
music = Simon Boswell
Paul Barker
Al Jourgensen
Motörhead
distributor = Palace Pictures
released = September 14, 1990
runtime = 93 min
language = English
country = United Kingdom
amg_id = 1:21569
imdb_id = 0099740
awards =
budget = $1,500,000 (estimated)

"Hardware" (1990 ), also known as M.A.R.K. 13 is a post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Richard Stanley and starring a young Dylan McDermott.

Overview

The 21st century world is a radioactive wasteland as a result of a nuclear war. A travelling scavenger comes across the remains of a cyborg named Mark 13 in the desert; He salvages pieces of it. The cyborg head ends up with a metal sculptress, who is unaware of the cyborg's infamy as a governmental killing machine project that was scrapped due to its defects. Mark 13 reconstructs itself utilising household appliances and metal parts, and goes amok.

Advertised as "The Terminator" for the nineties, the film's soundtrack features music from Iggy Pop (who, although never seen in the movie, has a cameo role as the radio personality known as "Angry Bob"), Motörhead (whose lead singer, Lemmy, has a cameo as a taxi driver), Ministry and Public Image Limited. Additionally Carl McCoy, the vocalist from Fields of the Nephilim played the 'zone tripper' who brings the Mark 13 into human contact, additionally GWAR is featured in a music video where Ministry plays in the background. The film features excepts from the film Salo directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Special effects were provided by Image Animation ("Hellraiser", "Highlander" and "Nightbreed").

Mark 13

M.A.R.K. 13 is a prototype killer combat droid. Its name is a reference to the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Bible, part of which reads "no flesh shall be spared".

The robot, capable of reconstructing itself if damaged in combat, can augment and rebuild its body using nearest available machinery and metal parts. It also comes equipped with an anti-personnel chemical weapon in the form of an injectable cytotoxin, that causes sensory distortion before death. The ultimate purpose of this weapon is to allow the government to commit mass genocide of its own citizens to alleviate overpopulation.

Its Achilles' heel is a faulty insulation system, highly sensitive to moisture and humidity. Although built for fighting in arid terrain, this huge flaw in the droid caused its governmental project funding to be initially suspended. At the end of the film it is revealed the Mark 13 will enter mass production.

Shok!

The film is based on a 2000 AD comic called "SHOK! Walter's Robo-Tale". [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/index.php3?zone=thrill&page=thrillviewer&thrill=shok The Shok! strip] , requires (free) registration to view online. (Navigate to "One-off Thrills.")] [ [http://www.britishhorrorfilms.co.uk/shok.shtml Shok!] at British Horror Films.co.uk] 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". [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=spinoff&page=films 2000 AD's film adaptations page which includes "Hardware"] ]

Cast

* Dylan McDermott — Moses "Hard Mo" 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 — Water Taxi driver

Notes

References

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External links

* [http://www.everythingisundercontrol.org/nagtloper/write/hwscript.php An early draft of the film's screenplay]