CYBORG 2: GLASS SHADOW

CYBORG 2: GLASS SHADOW. Michael Schroeder, dir., co-author script. Trimark Pictures (prod.), 1993. "Sharad Patel Presents | An Anglo-American/Films International Production." Ron Yanover, Mark Goldman, story; RY, MG, and Michael Schroeder, script. Sharad Patel, Jeffrey Konvitz, exec. prod. Ca. 100 min. Jack Palance, Elias Koteas, Angelina Jolie, featured players.

Set in 2074, when "Cyborgs have replaced humans in every respect, from the soldier in the field to the prostitute in the brothel" (opening title and voice-over). Basic plot (from newspaper summaries): Corporate-owned cyborg programmed as bomb. For the bomb, cf. and contrast THE CHAIRMAN, DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS, and FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE; for the bomb on a timer of sorts and controlling behavior, cf. and contrast W. Gibson's Neuromancer. Film's establishing SpFx shot with the credits establishes a cyberpunkish world right out of BLADE RUNNER. Opening sequence set in a corporate, high-tech underworld: frequently surveillance, mostly computerized, heavily militarized. The insides of the cyborgs are Terminator-like, but less elegant and bronze in appearance rather than stainless steel in appearance. As in Blade Runner, the featured cyborgs tend to be "more than human." Also features "Mercy": a Max Headroom-like cyborg—and like Wintermute in Neuromancer—that comes through on monitors and TV screens and at last appears as Jack Palance. In her "Loneliness of Cyborgs" Pt. 2 (cited under Background), M. Lloyd stresses Mercy's "sacrificing himself to save Cassella and Colt," the female cyborg and more biologically human male featured in this film. Cyborg 2 raises question of possibility of love between a very long-lasting cyborg and a mortal: the two must share one another's time for the relationship to work. Final 2-scene sequence outdoors in Africa, among earth-tones, with touches of green, ending with female cyborg embracing aged human male lover: the machine/human love worked.

(RDE, 14/01/95), RDE, Title, 20Aug19