Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 39 minutes ago
Released in 1990, Hardware is the abrasive feature debut of cult filmmaker Richard Stanley. Starring Stacey Travis as sculptor Jill and Dylan McDermott as desert drifter Mo, the film begins with a romantic gesture that – through the entirely avoidable gift of salvaged military hardware – turns into a claustrophobic battle with a self-repairing government robot determined to follow its programming to the letter. Emerging at the tail end of the VHS-era cyberpunk boom and somewhere in the industrial-grime lineage between The Terminator and Mad Max 2, Stanley’s film quickly carved out a reputation as a cult object: equal parts grimy dystopian satire and mechanical slasher movie. But is this often hard-to-find rusty curio a gem that deserves to be given pride of place in your lounge, or is it best left in the desert? Find out!
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Support the show and get access to bonus content on patreon.com/movieoubliette
Released in 1990, Hardware is the abrasive feature debut of cult filmmaker Richard Stanley. Starring Stacey Travis as sculptor Jill and Dylan McDermott as desert drifter Mo, the film begins with a romantic gesture that – through the entirely avoidable gift of salvaged military hardware – turns into a claustrophobic battle with a self-repairing government robot determined to follow its programming to the letter. Emerging at the tail end of the VHS-era cyberpunk boom and somewhere in the industrial-grime lineage between The Terminator and Mad Max 2, Stanley’s film quickly carved out a reputation as a cult object: equal parts grimy dystopian satire and mechanical slasher movie. But is this often hard-to-find rusty curio a gem that deserves to be given pride of place in your lounge, or is it best left in the desert? Find out!
Support us on Patreon (patreon.com/movieoubliette) to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict!
Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us.
Follow us on TikTok (tiktok.com/@movie.oubliette), YouTube (youtube.com/c/MovieOubliette), Instagram (instagram.com/movieoubliette/) and Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/movieoubliette.bsky.social).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/32236038?utm_source=youtube
Support the show and get access to bonus content on patreon.com/movieoubliette
