Cherry 2000 (1987)

December 30, 2024 1:31 PM

[TRAILER] In the distant future year 2017, Sam (David Andrews) hires renegade tracker E (Melanie Griffith) to guide him through the forbidden zone to find an exact duplicate of his android "wife."

Also starring Pamela Gidley, Ben Johnson, Marshall Bell, Harry Carey Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Brion James, Tim Thomerson, Robert Z'Dar.

Directed by Steve De Jarnatt (Miracle Mile). Written by Michael Almereyda (Until the End of the World). Produced by Caldecot Chubb, Edward R. Pressman, Julie Kirkham, Elliot Schick for Orion Pictures. Cinematography by Jacques Haitkin (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Edited by Edward M. Abroms, Duwayne Dunham. Music by Basil Poledouris.

38% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on Amazon Prime, Tubi, MGM+, and Tubi. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (13 comments total)

A silly smaller studio (but not low budget... $10 million!) sci-fi satire of mid-80's sexual politics. Many people settle for negotiating sexual encounters via lawyer, while others rent or buy maintain android companions. Sam considers himself a romantic and thinks of the rare Cherry 2000 unit he owns as his "wife." When she's damaged, he hires sexy tracker E Johnson to find her a replacement body.

And then exactly what you would figure happens, happens.

Still, it's a bonkers Mad Max gone western gone 80's neon gone just the slightest bit sexy pastiche and it has its moments. The stunt work is terrific, the production design is weird and fun, the small roles from old Western stars Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr. are great, and Tim Thomerson's weird yuppie/New Age cult leader/warlord is bonkers fun.

And it should surprise no one at all but Melanie Griffith is the best part of the movie, bringing her sideways line readings and oddball charisma as ever. The biggest challenge to the movie's believability is that it takes Sam until the final reel to fall in love with her, when most of us will barely make it five minutes.

I might have actually preferred a father figure-surrogate daughter forbidden zone adventure with her and Ben Johnson over the soppy romance she has with Sam, as her chemistry with ol' Ben is terrific.

Still, it's enjoyable in its way, a goofy little lost gem that somehow only made $14,000 in its theatrical run.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:39 PM on December 30 [7 favorites]

U.S. release first set for August 15, 1986, then March 1987, then September 1987, finally released in Feb. 1988. Orion suits must have known something.
posted by Ideefixe at 3:53 PM on December 30

I feel like I've probably seen most of this movie but only in pieces here and there. It seemed to be a staple on low-budget random cable channels and space-filler over-the-air channels for a bit.

I remember thinking it was vaguely stylish but also not particularly interesting (like I'd watch it until a commercial break and move on).

I don't know if I really have it in me to devote actual time to watching it all the way through, but it's also the kind of stupid trash (said with love) I have a soft spot for.
posted by edencosmic at 5:22 PM on December 30

I remember watching this on USA or something 20 years ago. I was planning to make fun of it MST3K style but ended up just kind of enjoying it...
posted by mmoncur at 7:05 PM on December 30 [1 favorite]

I believe this movie is the catalyst for a long running gag with some friends about the bazooka I keep in my trunk. You'd be surprised how often you wish you had a trunk bazooka, once the concept is introduced to your imagination.

It came up when I was on a tear through 80s post-apocalyptic sci-fi, and while it's no Road Warrior, it has some quality set pieces (once again: trunk bazooka,) its characters have more charm than most, and it doesn't abandon all of its momentum to a long "wandering around the desert looking for the plot" middle portion that is the real kiss of death for most of these. (I'm looking at you, Damnation Alley.)

I remember liking it a lot.
posted by Phobos the Space Potato at 7:42 PM on December 30 [4 favorites]

I watched this movie way too many times when I was younger, and I still love it.
I'm going to watch it again tomorrow just for Ideefixe.
posted by miss-lapin at 8:24 PM on December 30 [1 favorite]

Mod note: A couple deleted. If you're not a fan of the film, either you can comment in a way that brings something to the discussion (talk about the film, even if you have some criticisms) or you can just skip this one and discuss a different film that you have more interest in, but a sort drive-by "it's not good" isn't what Fanfare is here for. (It might be easier to remember we called it FANfare on purpose, as a place for fans to discuss media they like).
posted by taz (staff) at 9:14 PM on December 30 [12 favorites]

So only comments that agree are allowed? All Metaites must share the same opinions? Is this a site-wide ruling? Lockstep commences?
posted by Ideefixe at 8:47 AM on December 31 [1 favorite]

If you're not a fan of the film, [...] you can comment in a way that brings something to discussion
posted by fleacircus at 8:53 AM on December 31 [3 favorites]

Ideefixe if you take exception to the rules or their application, please make a MeTa ot FanTalk post instead of co-opting this post.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:20 AM on December 31 [7 favorites]

As for this movie: I only saw it recently. I'm not sure how it slipped by me in the 80s. I saw it with a group of trans women who are also interested in robots. I think they were re-writing it as a better movie in their brains. (Most likely an anime as well lol.)

The 80s consumerist hell is still kind of interesting and fun today and the worldbuilding is fun. But yeah it is a pretty bad movie.

I found Sam and E's relationship pretty unpleasant though, a pretty bad instance of the city/country thing. It's a little too pissy, and there's no reason to ever think they would end up liking each other. I don't have the tsundere gene I guess.
posted by fleacircus at 9:57 AM on December 31 [1 favorite]

Yeah, they didn't have chemistry. She and Ben Johnson did though!
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:29 PM on December 31 [4 favorites]

Tim Thomerson did some great Tim Thomersoning.
posted by detachd at 8:14 PM on January 1 [4 favorites]