Screamers (1995)

Réalisateur:

Christian Duguay

Scénaristes (WGA):

Philip K. Dick (short story "Second Variety")
Dan O'Bannon (screenplay) ...

Date de sortie:

26 janvier 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Aventure | Drame | Horreur | Science-Fiction | Thriller

Accroche:

The silence of space is about to be shattered.

Intrigue:

(SIRIUS 6B, Year 2078) On a distant mining planet ravaged by a decade of war, scientists have created the perfect weapon: a blade-wielding...

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Nudity | Syndicate | Future War | Roman Coin

Récompenses:

3 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

Not bad considering the budget

Ensemble

Peter Weller	...	Joe Hendricksson
Roy Dupuis	...	Becker
Jennifer Rubin	...	Jessica Hanson
Andrew Lauer	...	Ace Jefferson (as Andy Lauer)
Charles Edwin Powell	...	Ross (as Charles Powell)
Ron White	...	Chuck Elbarak
Michael Caloz	...	David
Liliana Komorowska	...	Landowska
Jason Cavalier	...	Leone
Leni Parker	...	Cpl. McDonald
Sylvain Massé	...	N.E.B. Soldier
Bruce Boa	...	Secretary Green
Tom Berry	...	Technician
Henry Ramer	...	Screamers Crawl Narration (voice)

Autre(s) titre(s):

Claw (USA) (working title)
Screamers - L'armée souterraine (Canada: French title)
Sukurîmâzu (Japan)

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi violence and terror, some language and a brief moment of nudity.

Durée:

108 min

Pays:

Canada | USA | Japan

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur

Rapport de forme:

1,85 : 1

Son:

Dolby Digital | SDDS (8 channels)

Classification:

New Zealand:M | Australia:M (re-rating on appeal) | Australia:MA (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:18A

Lieux de tournage:

Joliette, Québec, Canada

Société:

Allegro Films

Anecdotes:

In the original short story by P. K. Dick the plot takes place on Earth, instead of Sirius 6B. Originally, Screamers were designed by Americans troops hiding in the moon to destroy the Russian Army after the Soviet Union had completely wiped out the United States.

Goofs:

Equipe ou équipement visible: In the scene where Hendricksson, Jefferson and David first meet the two N.E.B. soldiers, David is shot and you can clearly see the wire use to lift and pull David backwards into the snow.

Guillemet:

[first lines]
Screamers Crawl Narration: [voice over narration] For the last fifty years, the new economic block, the 'N.E.B.' Corporation, has controlled mining operations throughout the known solar systems.

Connexions De Film:

Référencé sur "Game-On: (#3.2)" (1998)

Bande son:

Naya

Not bad considering the budget

In the future the mining planet Sirius 6B has become a war zone with two warring factions. The ground is patrolled by underground robots called Screamers who target anyone not wearing identifying marks. One side receives a plea for peace negotiations after 10 years of war and discover from a lost soldier that the war has been forgotten on earth. The two sides have been left to die on Sirius 6B while another way is started on another planet. Commander Hendricksson (Weller) sets out with the lost soldier Jefferson (Lauer) to contact the other side and declare peace. However what they find will spell the end of their war one way or another.

This is based on a Phillip K. Dick story and has all the intelligence you would expect from a sci-fi from him - this is not a gory horror movie. This is an intelligent story about the creation of the Screamers and their "evolution". It also has a cynical edge lended by the way that the soldiers have been deserted by their leaders and continue to be tricked into fighting while the leaders get on with their business.

Weller is excellent as the world weary commander who finds his life sold out from under him. The supporting cast are OK with their stereotyped characters but the real stars are the Screamers who start out by small things with saw-blades and gradually take other forms. The child versions of Screamers are particularly creepy and perhaps a little disturbing.

However this is not as terrifying as it should be, nor is it as intelligent as it starts out being. The whole issue behind the different screamers is not explained and towards the end they just keep popping up without reason! It also has one of those "watch out for the sequel" style endings - although in fairness it isn't quite as bad as that. The special effects are a bit ropey but do the job - after all this is a very low budget movie.

The whole thing is not as good as it could have been but is certainly head and shoulders above a lot of low budget sci-fi thrillers.