I saw HARDWARE on Bluray today, the first time I’ve seen it since the late 90s. Richard Stanley directs this visually inventive low budget apocalyptic robot-on-the-rampage film with a distinct flair for color and design. He followed up this film with DUST DEVIL, and was set to direct the 90s ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, which he was sadly fired from.
HARDWARE is certainly born out of his music video work from the 80s, and at the time I had a certain place in my heart for it because of its unique look, its mordant humor and sleazy secondary characters. Watching it now in high definition highlights how beautiful it still is, and it is surprisingly trippy and not overly story heavy. I don’t take this for a weak script so much as being trapped in a hellish dreamscape, with deep red skies and black metal surfaces. More a state of mind than anything else. Recommended for rock video visual-pigs (like me) and those who like their sci-fi dirty, grimy and with a healthy dose of sex and violence (like me).
James Fazzaro 