Screamers (1995 film)
A 1995 sci-fi horror film based on Philip K. Dick's 'Second Variety'.
Screamers is a 1995 science fiction horror film directed by Christian Duguay and starring Peter Weller, Roy Dupuis, and Jennifer Rubin. The screenplay, by Dan O'Bannon with a rewrite by Miguel Tejada-Flores, adapts Philip K. Dick's 1953 short story 'Second Variety' and explores themes of societal conflict, blurred reality, and machines rebelling against their creators. The film received generally negative reviews upon release.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Christian Duguay
- Producer
- Franco Battista; Tom Berry
- Screenplay
- Dan O'Bannon; Miguel Tejada-Flores
- Based on
- "Second Variety", Philip K. Dick
- Starring
- Peter Weller
- Roy Dupuis
- Jennifer Rubin
- Andy Lauer
- Music
- Normand Corbeil
- Cinematography
- Rodney Gibbons
- Editing
- Yves Langlois
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In 2078, the planet Sirius 6B, once a thriving mining hub, has become a toxic wasteland due to war between the New Economic Block (N.E.B.) and the Alliance, a group of former mining and science personnel. A fragile stalemate exists between the exhausted, undermanned armies. The empty areas are patrolled by Autonomous Mobile Swords (AMS), AI-powered robots nicknamed 'Screamers' for their high-pitched noise, which target creatures with a heartbeat; Alliance soldiers wear 'tabs' that disguise their heartbeats. An N.E.B. soldier carrying a message about a truce is killed by screamers. Alliance commander Joe Hendricksson reports this to Earth but is told peace negotiations are already underway. Private 'Ace' Jefferson, sole survivor of a transport crash, rebuts that claim. Hendricksson, suspecting both sides have abandoned Sirius 6B, decides the truce is their only chance. Accompanied by Jefferson, he sets out to meet the N.E.B. commander. They encounter a young boy named David clutching a teddy bear and bring him along. That night, they are attacked by a new 'Type 1' screamer immune to the tabs. Near the N.E.B. compound, two soldiers fire on David, who explodes into bolts and gears—a 'Type 3' screamer. Most of the N.E.B. contingent has been wiped out by another David screamer; only soldiers Becker, Ross, and black marketeer Jessica survive.
Production
Screamers spent over a decade in development hell. Screenwriter Dan O'Bannon completed his adaptation of Dick's 'Second Variety' in 1981, alongside his adaptation of 'We Can Remember It For You Wholesale' (which became Total Recall). By 1983, Tom Naud, SFX designer on Outland, optioned O'Bannon's screenplay, but production did not proceed. Charles Fries later showed interest, but the film was not produced until the 1990s, by which time Miguel Tejada-Flores had rewritten the script. O'Bannon was unaware the film had been made until his agent notified him of his screenwriting credit; he noted that much of the plot and characters remained from his original script, while much of the dialogue was changed. Directed by Christian Duguay, the film was made in Canada, with locations including a quarry in Quebec, Montreal's Olympic Stadium, and Joliette. In a 2019 interview, actor Peter Weller called Screamers a 'terrific movie' and said he had 'one of the most fantastic times' making it, adding that it retained the feel and theme of Dick's story.
Reception
The film was not a commercial success, earning about $5.7 million in the United States and Canada and approximately $7 million worldwide against a $14 million budget. It was moderately popular in France, Japan, and the Netherlands. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 29% approval rating based on 34 reviews. James Berardinelli gave the film three stars out of four, saying it 'oozes atmosphere' and 'underlines an important truth: you don't need a big budget or big-name stars to make this sort of motion picture succeed.' Joe Bob Briggs also reacted positively, calling it 'a pretty dang decent' movie and giving it three and a half stars. Roger Ebert awarded two and a half stars out of four, noting it was 'made with a certain imagination and intelligence' and that 'the dialogue is often effective,' while its ambiguity about who is human was intriguing. Time Out New York Film Guide criticized Christian Duguay's 'flashy, aimless direction' and said the film 'lacks the intelligence to follow through its grim premise,' but acknowledged 'guilty pleasures' and effective design. The Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film Review gave three stars out of four, calling it 'two-thirds excellent and intelligent' but noting it 'blows its third act and falls into cliches.' Popcorn Pictures gave two and a half stars, writing that the refinery scenes are creepy but the intro and finale are terrible. Rob Blackwelder of SplicedWire said the film is 'inundated with movie clichés, stock characters, stolen premises and scenes that just don't make sense.'
Sequel
A sequel, Screamers: The Hunting, was released straight to DVD in 2009. Directed by Sheldon Wilson, it stars Gina Holden, Jana Pallaske, Greg Bryk, Stephen Amell, and Lance Henriksen. Set several years after the original, Hendricksson died when he deliberately allowed his escape shuttle to burn up in the atmosphere during reentry to Earth; the official determination was suicide due to post-traumatic stress, but it is strongly implied he did so to prevent a 'teddy bear' screamer on board from reaching Earth. An SOS signal arrives from Sirius 6B, and a contingent of seven soldiers, including Hendricksson's daughter Victoria Bronte (Holden), is dispatched to investigate. The film features all screamers from the original, plus a sleeker, serpentine screamer with cutting mandibles. Critical reaction was mixed. David Johnson of DVD Verdict wrote that visual effects were 'surprisingly effective' and practical effects impressed, but the script 'defaults to a clichéd finale' and a predictable twist. Scott Foy of Dread Central said the sequel 'recycled the first film but dumbed it and dulled it down considerably,' doing away with the paranoia and desolation that gave the original spark, though production values and make-up effects were top notch for a direct-to-DVD production.
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