Hardware was an attempt at a cyber-shock adventure, which ended up in the cyber-schlock scrap heap. Visually, all the key elements are in place: dark sets, backlit actors, lots of brood, mist and anxiety. Everything seedy, entropic.
Here's the set up: Some scavengers, fresh from the radioactive badlands, bring back some military salvage. (Oh No, Mr. Bill!) What they don't know is that they've got a killer machine head in their booty. The main character gives the evil head to his artist girlfriend. (Oh No, Look Out!) The nasty old head takes control of the sculpture she installed him on, and...presto...pomo-futuro Freddy Krueger!
What awful things will he do with those metal arms & legs? As in many of these slasher morality tales, there seems to be a strong sexual subprogram at work here, just under the imperatives of the slice & dice.
It's a mean, pointless piece of work. Nothing new's revealed, just lots of mechanized gore played out with MTV stylistics. If that's what you're looking for...
(P. Sugarman)
Links:
