Hardware (Richard Stanley, 1990)
2000AD was a weekly comic I would read throughout most of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was a font of creative talent exemplifying the comic book renaissance at the time; some of that talent, would be poached by the Big Two (Marvel and D.C.) and eventually see their works adapted into film.
It's no big secret that Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi classic, Robocop (1987), took blatantly inspiration from 2000AD's flagship lawman Judge Dredd during its pre-production.
Similarly, writer and director Richard Stanley tapped into the Dreddverse with his debut feature film Hardware (1990). Evidently, Fleetway Publications, the owner of 2000AD, thought Stanley's film was doing more than just taking inspiration and successfully won a legal case for plagiarism. Despite Stanley denying he ever read, SHOK!, the seven page story which first appeared in the 1981 Judge Dredd annual, did have some obvious similarities; and some other elements, for that matter. Thus, Steve MacManus and Kevin O'Neill were credited in all subsequent versions of the film.
Hardware is set in a dystopian future ravaged by atomic warfare. Nomads scavenge for scrap in an irradiated wasteland. Ex marine, Hard Mo' Baxter (Dylan McDermott), acquires a robot skull from one particular nomad. He gifts it to his sculptor girlfriend Jill (Stacey Travis) upon his long return home as a Christmas present. (Yes, it's a Christmas movie!) However, both Mo' and Jill are unaware that the skull is part of a deadly M.A.R.K. 13 robot capable of resourcing power, reassembling itself and delivering a fatal toxin. Furthermore, it is later revealed that the M.A.R.K. 13 was programmed by the government to reduce the human population.
The mise-en-scène is central to Richard Stanley’s vision, with the plot serving as secondary. Cyberpunk and industrial imagery are prevalent. Computer, machinery and metal junk are littered everywhere. Computer generated wire-mesh visuals and thermal vision flicker on crummy monitors. Steam is ejected from unknown vents. And colourful lights cast Bava-esque beauty on every ugly surface. Hardware is an unapologetic film; favouring style over substance.
This is a nightmarish future. A stark example of the grim state of the human race, is a child tied to its deceased mother on a forgotten apartment level. Furthermore, media announcements for enforced sterilisations commencing in the New Year are both chilling and nonchalant in their delivery.
The performances are mixed. Stacey Travis and Dylan McDermott are great as the leads, maintaining professional composure throughout Richard Stanley’s avant-garde direction. John Lynch’s character Shades, is both shallow and superfluous. This is largely due to the character’s poor writing rather than Lynch's performance. His ill-suited Ray Bans and aviator jacket are better served as a background extra in Top Gun than a supporting character in a cyberpunk thriller. The character's solo scene, in which he appears high in his apartment, adds nothing to the film and is a complete waste of time.
Mark Nothover plays Alvy, a dwarf junkyard trader whose voice appears to have been dubbed by an American actor. Despite his limited screen time Alvy’s role is more integral to the film than Shades and actually serves a purpose. The merchant makes the discovery about the M.A.R.K. 13, providing a greater sense of urgency.
William Hootkins, best known for his role as fat X-Wing pilot Jak Porkins in Star Wars, plays Jill’s stalker neighbour. He is memorable as a slimy pervert and for his singing of They All Walk the Wibbly-Wobbly Walk. Your just praying for him to die horribly.
Given Richard Stanley’s background as a music director (credited for directing Superfly Guy by S-Express and Blue Pearl’s Naked in the Rain), he features several musicians in his film. The aforementioned nomad is played by Carl McCoy of Fields of the Nephilim, while Lemmy of Motörhead is a water taxi driver, crossing a polluted river with Ace of Spades playing on his stereo. However, the most memorable cameo is Iggy Pop as the off-screen DJ Angry Bob, whose over-the-top performance and quote-worthy lines are particularly notable:
"This is Angry Bob, the man with the industrial dick. Coming at you loud and clear on W.A.R. Radio. Rise and shine, folks! It's a beautiful day! Just look at that sky; it's a work of art. Huh! Nature never knew colours like that. And a friendly reminder: when you look at it, be sure to wear your shades! The radiation count's way up in the heatwave and ain't expected to let up, either. Weather Control tell us it'll probably hit 110 down town, before nightfall. As for the good news: there is no fucking good news! So let's rock with one of our golden oldies" - Angry Bob
Elsewhere, Public Image Ltd’s The Order of Death is prominently featured in the film. Soundtrack composer Simon Boswell provides an original score, consisting of loud industrial and brash synthesisers. It may be considered intrusive by some, but complements the film’s high tech and junkyard metal aesthetic.
The film’s premise, a woman confined to her apartment with a killer robot, may evoke moments from other science fiction films such as Saturn 3 (1980) and The Terminator (1984), but Richard Stanley seems to forgo all that for much of Hardware's run time and spend much of it with post-apocalyptic world-building. This does come at the expense of of one's expectations from a conventional slasher, though. At least forty minutes have to pass by before the M.A.R.K. 13 begins its murderous rampage.
A surreal sequence involves the deadly toxin running through the veins of one character. A hallucinatory M.A.R.K. 13 appears like a dance artist performing on Top of the Pops, followed with acid trip spiral patterns. Dramatic opera music soundtracks the fatal psychedelic experience.
Hardware did not resonate with me, initially. Despite its connection to my teenage interests at the time, its unorthodox style was too ostentatious for me. However, it has grown on me considerably since then; largely due to the technical merits of its impressive world building produced on an ultra low budget. It retains a remarkable cyberpunk aesthetic that is both stunning and more competent than more recent studio efforts.
Although not an easy recommendation, it is worth investigating for any film enthusiast with an interest in cult science fiction cinema. Better than Alphaville, that's for sure.
Merry Christmas!
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