Flashback Friday

Hands of Steel (1986)

Hey Synthetix fans, it's that time of the week again and I've got quite a gem lined up for you all.  Imagine a bad mash up of Terminator and Over The Top with a hint of Bladerunner and Rambo, backed by an intense synth score.  This weeks choice is just that with loads of exquisitely bad acting and laughable fight sequences, you definitely want to check this one out!

1986's Hands of Steel, directed by Sergio Martino stars Daniel Green as Paco Queruak, a cyborg created by evil industrialist Francis Turner to murder an ecologist responsible for an environmental activist movement.  When Paco attempts to murder the ecologist his human side shows empathy and he only wounds him.  Knowing Turner's men will be looking for him for not finishing the job, Paco flees to a small Arizona town where he meets a motel truckstop owner named Linda who offers him a room to stay in exchange for some labor.  During his stay he makes enemies with Raul Morales and a few local truck drivers who challenge him to arm wrestle and after defeating Raul, the truckers begin plotting ways to get rid of Paco.

With Turner's guys after him, along with the FBI for the shooting of the ecologist, and now the truckers breathing down his neck Paco must escape to Mexico but Linda convinces him to stay one more night.  A female cyborg is sent to dispose of Paco but he knocks her head off.  Turner's hitmen blow up the motel while Paco and Linda escape in his car only to be ran into by Raul in his semi.  Pinned against a rock, Paco gets out of the car and crushes Raul's head with his bare hands.  As Paco disposes of Turner's men, Turner realizes he must take out Paco himself.  When the two meet up Turner tries to kill Paco with what appears to be the biggest and funniest looking laser cannon in cinema history, Paco dodges it and eventually kills Turner by ripping his heart out.

The score to the film was composed by Claudio Simonetti and features fast paced synths and enjoyable saxophones.  A great accommodating synthwave album would be Python Blue's Cyborg, evoking an awesomely intense atmosphere to rival your experience of this film.  Certainly an album you'll want to check out.

So, if you're interested in a cheesy amalgamation of classic 80's action and sci-fi then look no further! Until next Friday my fellow Synthaholics, have fun and be safe!

Magnum Crockett