6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The abandoned parts of a disfunctional android, after being brought into the home of a scrap- metal artist, reconstruct themselves into its former self, a violent killer.
Starring: Dylan McDermott, Stacey Travis, John Lynch (I), William Hootkins, Iggy PopHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 5% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Richard Stanley's cult picture "Hardware" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed contains some terrific supplemental features. Region-B "locked".
The Zone
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-AVC and granted 1080p transfer, Richard Stanley's Hardware arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
Similar to Terence Young's Red Sun (1971), Hardware is one of those films that never saw a proper treatment on DVD. In every single region, the film was either PAN/SCAN-ed or sourced from a terrible master. So, I was very much looking forward to Optimum's Blu-ray release, hoping that it would be something fans of the film could use to retire their problematic DVDs.
Generally speaking, the basics for Optimum's transfer are intact. Contrast is substantially stronger, clarity finally acceptable and detail enormously improved. Macroblocking, a major issue of concern on the German DVD release, isn't something that plagues Optimum's transfer. Edge-enhancement pops up here and there, but given how heavily manipulated the video is (as intended by Richard Stanley), I think that the overwhelming majority of you won't notice it at all. The color scheme is convincing. The memorable red colors from The Zone, for instance, finally look rich and well saturated.
This being said, Optimum's transfer is far from perfect. During the first twenty or so minutes there are plenty of minor specks, scratches and debris. Given how dark the majority of Hardware is, a lot of these are fairly easy to spot. Later on, however, many of these specks disappear completely. Nevertheless, I believe that some of you will be slightly annoyed with their presence. Still, I think that Optimum's Blu-ray release is very easy to recommend -- simply put, there are no deserving presentations of Hardware on the market, and this is the only release that I have seen that comes close to the type of presentation the film rightfully deserves. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, unless you have a native Region-B or Region-Free player, you won't be able to access its content).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 (48 kHz). Similar to the video presentation, the audio presentation is acceptable. The dialog is mostly crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Additionally, Simon Boswell's soundtrack is balanced quite well with it, and I personally did not detect any disturbing dropouts, pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. As expected, there isn't much depth on the English LPCM 2.0 track, which obviously has to do with the manner in which the film was shot, but, overall, this new English LPCM 2.0 track is more than pleasing. Finally, I would like to note that Optimum have not provided optional English subtitles (or a HOH track) for the main feature.
There are a number of supplemental features on this disc. All of them, however, are in standard-def PAL. Therefore, you need to have a Blu-ray player that converts PAL-NTSC, or a multi-system TV set, in order to access them.
Audio commentary with Richard Stanley and Paul Trijbits – This is a fantastic commentary that was recorded in March of 2009. The two gentlemen provide plenty of terrific information pertaining to the production history of the film, a lot of the footage that was censored, the filming locations (Roundhouse Studios, London and Morocco), the motley crew of actors, the different cuts and takes that were shot, etc. Really, this is one of the better commentaries that I have heard in a very long time.
Deleted, Extended and Behind the Scenes Clips – "Sex and Death", "Jill and Mo", "M.A.R.K. 13", "The Death of Lincoln-Behind The Scenes", "The Kids Get Theirs – rough cut deleted scene". (Please note that while every effort has been made to secure the best source material, imperfections commensurate with the age and nature of the archival footage are unavoidably evident).
The Sea of Perdition - Richard Stanley's 2006 short film about a stranded cosmonaut on Mars. Produced by Grebhtor Smoo and Nikolai Galitzine (special effects technician on Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth) (8 min).
The Early Days – Early Richard Stanley Super 8 movies - Two of the director's early films – "Rites of Passage" (10 min) and "Incidents in an Expanding Universe" (44 min) are offered here.
The Voice of the Moon - A documentary by Richard Stanley about the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. This is a beautifully lensed film with a terrific score by Simon Boswell (33 min).
Original Hardware Promo - (4 min).
Aside from the minor specks and scratches that I've noted in my technical analysis, Optimum's Blu-ray release of Richard Stanley's "Hardware" looks good. More importantly, this UK release contains some terrific supplemental features, including a freshly recorded commentary with Richard Stanley and Paul Trijbits. Recommended.
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