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Richard Stanley’s long lusted after post-apocalyptic sci-fi/horror flick makes its way to Blu-Ray (and DVD).

In the world of alternative cinema there are many names that are infamous.  Quite a few of these filmmakers have crossed over into the public eye, like Dario Argento H.G. Lewis thanks to the nod to them in Juno, but there are many who still stay underground.  South African born Richard Stanley is one of these auteurs.  Over the course of his career there have only been two feature films made and they became infamous almost before they were even released.  Money and rights disputes caused them to be rarely seen after their initial release, Dust Devil was only released a couple years ago and now the more sought after film Hardware makes its way to DVD and Blu-Ray courtesy of Severin Films.  This film is an assault of sexual deviance and technology run amok in a very bleak post-apocalyptic future. 

Moses (Dylan McDermott) is a scavenger in the radioactive desert wasteland.  He comes across a strange looking broken robotic drone which he takes home to his girlfriend, Jill (Stacey Travis).  She is an artist and always on the lookout for something to incorporate into her next sculpture.  What they don’t know is this drone is known as the M.A.R.K. 13 and a prototype of a very advanced killing machine.  The head activates and pieces itself back together, using parts around Jill’s apartment, and sets out to do what it does best - kill. 

What makes the film more frightening is the way the world has gone since the nuclear fallout.  Law seems to be a thing of the past and home security has advanced to the point of thick steel doors with electronic combinations.  When the killing machine goes berserk on Jill there is nowhere to go.  The door is malfunctioning and she is trapped in the room with a seemingly unstoppable force.  Hardware was released in America on a decent amount of screens but was way mis-marketed.  Ads touted this to be the next big budget hit along the lines of Alien and The Terminator, in reality this is pretty low budget and more of an avant-garde look at horror and sex. 

This film has entered into film discussions since its release in 1990, but this is the first I have ever seen.  I really thought I was going to love this movie.  This is not to say I didn’t like the film, but it is a very different monster than I expected.  There is a definite cyberpunk feel to everything with the gnarly soundtrack featuring Ministry, some videos of GWAR (the greatest live concert of all time), an appearance by Motorhead’s Lemmy and the one and only Iggy Pop.  If the mix of these items give you any clue to the kind of film you are going to watch you will know you’re in for a wild ride.  The robot sequences are insanity as its best.  Plenty of heart racing violence and gore for the blood thirsty audience. 

Severin’s new release really succeeds in bringing a full package home for the fans.  The high definition transfer is stunning and really adds depth the such a dark film.  Are there extras?  You bet!  There is a near hour long look back at the filming with Stanley, Travis, Director of Photography Steven Chivers, composer Simon Boswell and the film’s producers.  Stanley provides a commentary track and a look at about 25 minutes of deleted/extended scenes sourced from a VHS tape he possesses.  There is also a chat with Stanley about his script or Hardware 2 which could never get made because of all the rights issues and a German trailer and original release video promo reel.  A few more really cool features here are three of Stanley’s short films, including the inspiration for Hardware, Incidents in an Expanding Universe.  The others are another early Super 8 short from his teen years (Rites of Passage) and another made just a few years ago about an astronaut trapped on Mars (The Sea of Perdition). 

Seeing as Hardware is kind of “out there” the casual movie goer may not find much merit in renting or purchasing this new disc.  However, fans of alternative cinema and horror sci-fi will no doubt want to check out this long lost flick. 

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