For quite some time now I kept hearing murmurs from our community about a 90’s film called HARDWARE which was reportedly one of the greatest indie scifi horror films ever made. Having just seen it and heard all of the hype I am here to say it deserves every ounce of it. Richard Stanley’s Hardware is a toss back to when Sci-fi horror movies were actually scary and is a nice hybrid of Screamers meets James Cameron’s original Terminator meets Runaway.

Hardware stars Dylan McDermott as a space marine that purchases a robotic head and machine debris from a nomad for his girlfriend. His girlfriend is an artist and loves to create ‘art from crap’ so Moses purchase from the desert fatigued nomad will be a bit hit. Unfortunately for her the new gift her boyfriend has brought home is the Mark13 and its the kind of cyborg killing machine nobody wants to get for Christmas. Set in an apocalyptic world where mankind is on the brink of nuclear destruction Hardware has a very classic 80’s scifi look and feel and made me reminisce of the original Mad Max movie. Dark, distinct and apocalyptic Hardware features an all star cast an outstanding visual appeal and a fantastic plot that is overseen perfectly by Richard Stanley.

Hardware is a disturbing look at society as a whole as it progresses from apocalyptic love story to a tale of brutal violent cyborg destruction. Tied within the story of Moses and Jill is the tale of a perverted neighbour, a drug addicted neighbour and a security team made up of misfits who all come together to try to contend with the brutality of the Mark 13 that is introduced into what they thought was their otherwise safe bunker.

Hardware is a well written, powerfully directed look at the kind of future you and I never want to live in and a Cyborg killer called the Mark 13 which has a hidden purpose that doesn’t reveal its truth till the very end. Dark, disturbing and a throw back to classic sci-fi horror films of the 80’s HARDWARE is an absolute must buy for fans of the genre. At this point I am going to make a mad dash to checkout Richard Stanleys other film Dust Devil and hopefully someday soon somebody will tap Richard Stanley on the shoulder and get him making more genre films that fans can love!