Death Machine (1994) Reviews

• So far over the top it vaults over the wall

  thunderpuppy2000-08-21

  One of the characters yells at his friend: "You just knew Ho-Ho was going to turn out to be the fat, sweaty, desperate psycho!" And of course, we all did too... There is no question what this movie was. There are even characters named Scott Ridley, Sam Raimi, and John Carpenter. While the surface of the film is a long-corridor (Aliens) horror movie, what lies beneath is sort of a manic, director-oriented comedy that reminds me more of Evil Dead 2 than anything else. The hyper sound to dead silence, the overly dramatic lighting, the first-person Missile Cam, the cool line followed by backlit explosion... it all leans towards a wild but fun ride through all of the most common camp in these types of movies. It's a satire subtle enough to pass as just another bad horror movie, if you're not paying attention. Brad Dourif (who was B-B-B-B-Billy Buh-Bibbit, a long time ago, and the voice of Chucky-- and might become a little more prevalent in film after being in the upcoming Lord Of The Rings trilogy) is the great shining spot in this film, and alternates from acting well (check out his outpouring at the end) to completely terrible (awful references to hacking... "Molebdenic composite"?). And all of the best subtle jokes are bad guy parodies-- my favorite example is his inability to get his threat right over the monitors: "Turning me off won't turn you off. No. Wait. Turning you off--" click. But the real flair here is in the direction. None of this would work if it wasn't played half serious with the sights and sounds. As the climax builds, the ambient noise cuts out completely for the doors to chime "Welcome!" cheerily. The HUD from the machine's point of view displays 1P and Hi Score. The Robocop-style machine whirring in the Hardman gear as Raimi actually gets into a fistfight (!) with the machine... there is never any "set 'em up, knock 'em down" standard cue that *these* are the jokes... but there they are. Dig in.

• Superb straight to video - capped by Dourif's excellent performance

  TTKKane2007-08-16

  When people ask "What are some good straight to video horrors?", Death Machine is usually top of my list. Its a great blend of sci-fi/horror that borrows heavily from others but still emerges as a cool flick nonetheless. The simplified plot leaves some good guys (and gal) trying to stay alive in a sealed corporate skyscraper, while being hunted by a robot controlled by the fantastically OTT Brad Dourif. There are a few sub-plots to keep things interesting between the characters. The heroine of the piece is the very cute Ely Pouget, who gives a terrific performance. She is joined by a couple of would-be terrorists - Martin McDougall and John Sharian (who some may recognize from his role in The Machinist). The plot is good, if a little far-fetched (hey I did say this was sci-fi/horror), and director Stephen Norrington skillfully constructs an effective sense of fear with tongue-in-cheek humor, which belies this being his first time at the helm (he would later go on to direct Blade and the less-than-stellar The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). The effects are very good for what must have been a small budget, and the robot (which is reminiscent of a alien/terminator hybrid) is well designed. There are "strong influences" from movies such as Universal Soldier, Alien and Hardware...and most of the death scenes are quite vicious, though its not really that gory. Also many of the characters are named after horror directors - John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Scott Ridley etc - not so much as a wink to them but rather a 10 foot neon sign - but it kinda adds to the charm. Final word goes out to Mr Dourif, who steals every scene he is in. He's funny, creepy, pathetic and totally manic. I have a feeling Norrington just let Dourif go wild in the role. TTKK's Bottomline - If you like sci-fi/horror mixed with a bit of cheese and some laughs, you can't go wrong with Death Machine

• Jack Dante- just misunderstood

  hidalgovn2006-07-03

  Jack is a creative guy with a good job. He makes weapons to defeat dictators and tyrants. He'd like to attract a girlfriend, so he's fashion conscious, with a rock and roll/ goth/ hippie/ Rastafari vibe to his look. He's really attracted to Hayden. He's an enthusiastic owner an adult publication she appeared in in her younger days. He's quirky, but he does his best to win her heart with a great sense of humor, trys to earn her trust.- Then Scott trys to arrange to get Hayden killed, so Jack takes the creep out with his death machine. Hayden doesn't know that Scott got what he deserved and that Jack saved her life, she thinks he's crazy. Before Jack can explain fully, the Eco Terrorists, who may just be after "$350 billion in master soft wear bonds! - AROO AROO AROO-HA!" bust in and point machine guns...Jack understandably sicks the death machine on them, preserving Hayden just by surveillance and lifting his finger off the dead-man's switch on his remote. The director TRICKS us! He trys to make us despise Jack, by tricks in the story, and casting bizzaro Brad Dourif as Jack. Mr. Dourif was born in 1950, but they try to make him look like 25(using a wig) in 1995. This makes him creepier than he already is. Plus he's a hacker. I think there are more than a few of us online who hate the word. This film was almost pre-internet, so new viewers will hate Jack more than 1995 viewers. The first death machine murder is foisted on Jack, but there's no proof of his involvement and no real exploration of the circumstances of the crime. The Hardmen project doesn't kill it's participants, or erase their minds permanently, in fact, they may be paid black-opps recruits in my opinion. In the last scene, we think Jack is killed by his own death machine, but he couldn't have been.. since he knows it only attacks those who fear it! -So, what we have is an absolutely brilliant script that fools the heck out of us, plus, it is a very poingent love story, as well intentioned Jack, ends up like Romeo ended up.(but not really!) A lot of the camera work in the film is original and outstanding. I think this film owes more to Bladerunnner than any other film, in look and soundtrack. If they cut or re shot the "cop", cut a line or two here and there, or voiced over them, we'd have a popular masterpiece. -- Rachael Weisz has 10 seconds in this film. A close up of her face with 4 lines in her British accent, and black hair. Very pretty. I love you Rachael...you love me too, right???

• Extremely enjoyable and surprisingly funny

  matt_notley2002-03-03

  Death Machine is a film which really surprised me. I was expecting a gore-fest with weak plot and even weaker acting. That was until I found out it had Brad Dourif starring in it, who is in my opinion one of the best actors ever. The film itself is not overly gory but is instead remarkably discomforting and surprisingly funny and thoughtful. It takes quite a while for any real action to start, the beginning instead being used for interesting plot and character development sequences. Brad Dourif does one of the most wonderful acting performances of his life here as the child-like psychotic genius Jack Dante who develops the ultimate killing machine. Wearing a long black leather coat and having long black hair, he looks perfect for the part and gives a genuinely creepy performance - yet still makes you feel sorry for him. He's also been given most of the best lines in the pretty fantastic script, with many laugh-out-loud moments for the viewer ("It's cool here! There's tons of... stuff!"). A note about the violence and gore: the film has an 18 certificate in the UK and you would expect some pretty gruesome stuff for a film in that category, yet there is surprisingly very little. When the Death Machine of the title gets to kill someone, in most cases the death isn't seen at all and left up to the viewer's imagination. There ARE some fairly bloody moments but I don't think this film really deserves the 18 certificate, I've seen worse in 15-rated movies. The film remains constantly engaging, has strong actors all round and is directed very well. A great script with quite a lot of comedy moments sets this film apart from other low-budget sci-fi horror movies. Great fun.

• Cult sci-fi that could teach the mainstream a thing or two.

  Zombified_6602005-07-06

  On watching Death Machine, I had no real idea what to expect other than a Sci-Fi movie. I'd heard it mentioned in the same breath as Hardware, a film I love dearly, and had seen Norrington's League of Extraordinary Gentleman and Blade, so checked it out. Death Machine is an efficient, exciting slice of sci-fi action, with more or less everything one looks for in the genre. The first thing that hits with this movie is the look. Every frame oozes pure class, and the production design is flawless. From Jack Dante's hellish office through to the Death Machine itself, everything has been designed to a tee, with all elements gelling together like clockwork. Production design is often an area cult movies skimp on, and to see such painstaking work will fill anyone, especially cult movie buffs, with a sense of glee. Second thing is the wonderful cast. Just as the design was obviously a labour of love, so was the casting. Everyone is just right for their part, and acts with great gusto, never jolting the viewer out of the film world. Main players Ely Pouget and Brad Dourif (a personal favourite) turn in performances of a calibre rarely seen in the cinema, let alone a straight to video title, both more watchable than any Hollywood star or starlet I can think of. The supporting cast are fantastic too. There are a few unfortunate aspects to the Death Machine though. Firstly, the movie is long for an action movie (longer in Britain than America, strangely) and therefore may not appeal to the 'quick rental and a takeaway' crew that these movies normally filter down to. Secondly, the movie has unfortunately dated a little, purely due to the fact that the blockbuster action genre took a turn for the worst somewhere around the release of The Fast and the Furious and they therefore don't make 'em like this anymore. I had no problem with this, having been brought up with the movies of the 80s and 90s, but newer film enthusiasts may find this a tricky movie to get their heads round as a result. Still, as always with good STV titles, your perseverance and curiosity will be firmly rewarded if you take a chance on this. It's a brilliant movie, and shouldn't be overlooked as one of the better sci-fi movies to come out of the 90s. Add to that the fact that it's recently been reissued at a budget price in my native UK, and you have the makings of a bona-fide rediscovered underground classic.