Posted 17 years ago! 😮 It's 2023, I'm 55 years old, and finally watching Hardware Wars again decades later. Being 9 years old when Star Wars came out was amazing, hail to my fellow Gen-Xers!
I just want to say. Thank You. I've been using references to this movie since it came out. I remember all the character names even though I've not seen it in over 30 years. I was first in line for the first showing of Star Wars at the Coronet theater in S.F. My best friend an I spent the night in line to be the first two in, and we were. we held 7 seats for friends that were farther back in line.
Every time I'd attend an SF convention that featured a movie room, I'd find out when two films were playing and would stay up as long as needed to make sure I saw them both: Hardware Wars and Mike Jittlov's original Wizard of Speed and Time. Both totally awesome!
This video still doesn't answer the question that's eating at me: How did these two amateur filmmakers with a shoestring budget manage to get Paul Frees to do the narration? Frees was the most well known and sought after voice over artists of his day. His was one of the most recognizable voices in the world at the time. How did they afford him, or get him to do it on the cheap?
@@Leo_Safko That was one of his schticks, Peter has a cameo as a reporter with a tape recorder in The War of the Worlds (1953) and a very Orson Welles voice in Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Vol. I (LP).
I saw this too when I was a kidl Hardware Wars was a blast. It was actually shown to me at church. I don't know how they distributed it back then that my church got a hold of a copy back in the 80s. Good memories.
That's actually I first heard about it. They used to do these "making of" shows for the big budget movies, and I it hink they did one for each of the original Star Wars trilogy. Then, a few months or a year later, they showed it at the local library and my mom took me to see it. Then a few years after that, I saw it on TV, but I dotn' think it was HBO or Showtime, I think it might have been Night FLight or some sort of anthology show where they strung together short films. Anyway, I taped it on VHS, this had to have been sometime around 86 or 87. I eventually got the Special Edition VHS that came out in the late 90's, which I understand Ernie Fosselius was unhappy about.
I saw your film when it was new. I loved it. The audience interaction, hilarious situations, cookie monster Chewie, the pastries as "hair" was an immediate hit with the audience.
I remember seeing Hardware Wars on HBO as a kid back in the 80's and me and my friends having a good laugh about it at school the next day. Good times....😄
I have this on VHS from Showtime! (Still.....watched it a year or so ago though not as clean as it used to be..the tape is starting to degrade but the posted versions here are just as good if not better!)... This video MADE Showtime, not HBO on the cable...I still have one of the monthly mailed scheduled to Showtime..which was the only "premium channel that was available at the time in our area...and Hardware Wars had gotten so popular, they actually showed it in the list when it would play.. ;) All done on a credit card...
hey . . . has anyone ever noticed most of the props are in fact appliances and not actual hardware? lol great film, I'm 43 an remember when it came out on Showtime Shorts. It has always been one of my favorites. i enjoyed seeing this clip with Michael Wiese.
HBO used to show movies...(I'll let that sink in first). The movies were always scheduled to start at "even" times (on the hour or half hour or maybe even quarter hour but never at random minutes). To fill the time between the ending of one movie and the beginning of the next, HBO had "Intermission" and showed short films. My brothers and I had Hardware Wars memorized backwards and forwards. Another favorite intermission film was the one in which Steve Martin explains (I think to his son) why you should always drink out of this half of the lip of the glass and never from the other half of the lip of the glass.
@michaelwiese - nice to see the Big Breakfast getting a mention, think it was Paul Verhoeven who swore at just after 8am, and was promptly sent outside to the naughty step... 🤣🤣🤣
I remember it as a kids too. When Spaceballs came out I did not like as much. Hardware was was always funnier. Only a few knew what i was talking about. It was like I was in an exclusive club. Welcome new members.
I notice that the tag line is "you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll kiss three bucks goodbye" but the DVD on your website is lcearly $11.21 (reduces from $14.95). I mean, what are we to believe this this is some sort of, auh, magic money or something? Boy, I really hope someone got fired for that blunder.
If you watch the new obi wan show with your friends or family, one thing to try is just saying "basketball is a peaceful planet" every time baby leia opens her mouth. I think it makes her seem a little funnier.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Posted 17 years ago! 😮 It's 2023, I'm 55 years old, and finally watching Hardware Wars again decades later. Being 9 years old when Star Wars came out was amazing, hail to my fellow Gen-Xers!
I'm 54 and I remember this coming out as a short on HBO when I was 19 and in the Marines in 1977 or so. Laughed so hard I thought I'd split a gut.
I know, it’s too short, and had awesome re-releases in ‘97 just like it’s Alma-mater.
Ditto. I loved this when I first saw it. It bums me out how it's become forgotten. People need to bring this back
I just want to say. Thank You.
I've been using references to this movie since it came out. I remember all the character names even though I've not seen it in over 30 years.
I was first in line for the first showing of Star Wars at the Coronet theater in S.F. My best friend an I spent the night in line to be the first two in, and we were. we held 7 seats for friends that were farther back in line.
I remember this short film being a reel-to-reel that was always checked out at the local public library. Awesome!
Every time I'd attend an SF convention that featured a movie room, I'd find out when two films were playing and would stay up as long as needed to make sure I saw them both: Hardware Wars and Mike Jittlov's original Wizard of Speed and Time. Both totally awesome!
...as long as it didn't conflict with the costume contest 🦹🏻♀️🧝🏻
This video still doesn't answer the question that's eating at me: How did these two amateur filmmakers with a shoestring budget manage to get Paul Frees to do the narration? Frees was the most well known and sought after voice over artists of his day. His was one of the most recognizable voices in the world at the time. How did they afford him, or get him to do it on the cheap?
Yes, this I must know as well...8 years later.
He was Boris Badinov! With an $8,000 budget Frees was probably the biggest expense.
He also voiced the Inner Space voyage ride at Disneyland
Wow I thought it was Orson Welles at first! 😅
@@Leo_Safko That was one of his schticks, Peter has a cameo as a reporter with a tape recorder in The War of the Worlds (1953) and a very Orson Welles voice in Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Vol. I (LP).
I saw this too when I was a kidl Hardware Wars was a blast. It was actually shown to me at church. I don't know how they distributed it back then that my church got a hold of a copy back in the 80s. Good memories.
I don't even remember how old I was when I first saw this. We used to call it "the flying toaster movie."
You too?
You'll laugh , You'll cry , You'll kiss 3 bucks goodbye ! 🤣
This video doesn't have enough views, and not nearly the number of likes that it deserves.
It was actually a theatrical release. You could go to a theater and see it with other shorts.
I saw it with "Watership Down" back in 1978.
I remember seeing this film referenced in a show about Star Wars and other films which was hosted by Mark Hamill. It was a long time ago.
That's actually I first heard about it. They used to do these "making of" shows for the big budget movies, and I it hink they did one for each of the original Star Wars trilogy. Then, a few months or a year later, they showed it at the local library and my mom took me to see it. Then a few years after that, I saw it on TV, but I dotn' think it was HBO or Showtime, I think it might have been Night FLight or some sort of anthology show where they strung together short films. Anyway, I taped it on VHS, this had to have been sometime around 86 or 87. I eventually got the Special Edition VHS that came out in the late 90's, which I understand Ernie Fosselius was unhappy about.
I saw your film when it was new. I loved it. The audience interaction, hilarious situations, cookie monster Chewie, the pastries as "hair" was an immediate hit with the audience.
I remember seeing Hardware Wars on HBO as a kid back in the 80's and me and my friends having a good laugh about it at school the next day. Good times....😄
@0:35 Is that Ari Gold?
Classic film thanks for sharing interview about hardware wars for the fans
I have this on VHS from Showtime! (Still.....watched it a year or so ago though not as clean as it used to be..the tape is starting to degrade but the posted versions here are just as good if not better!)...
This video MADE Showtime, not HBO on the cable...I still have one of the monthly mailed scheduled to Showtime..which was the only "premium channel that was available at the time in our area...and Hardware Wars had gotten so popular, they actually showed it in the list when it would play.. ;) All done on a credit card...
When I saw this as a kid Tractor beams were never the same still to this day.
hey . . . has anyone ever noticed most of the props are in fact appliances and not actual hardware? lol
great film, I'm 43 an remember when it came out on Showtime Shorts. It has always been one of my favorites. i enjoyed seeing this clip with Michael Wiese.
I think Kitchen Appliances and utensils could also be called 'Hardware', though and are typically sold in the 'hardlines' sections of retail stores.
That is where I first saw it as well. Back then HBO and Cinemax even showed music videos between movies.
I first saw Hardware Wars around 1990 or so. It was a frequent VHS rental after that.
HW was shown like a cartoon before SW in the theater in my home town during the original release of SW.
Seeing a brown cookie monster as Chewchilla was hilarious !
HW makes one helluva double feature with "Closet Cases of the Nerd Kind."
HBO used to show movies...(I'll let that sink in first). The movies were always scheduled to start at "even" times (on the hour or half hour or maybe even quarter hour but never at random minutes). To fill the time between the ending of one movie and the beginning of the next, HBO had "Intermission" and showed short films. My brothers and I had Hardware Wars memorized backwards and forwards. Another favorite intermission film was the one in which Steve Martin explains (I think to his son) why you should always drink out of this half of the lip of the glass and never from the other half of the lip of the glass.
Were they short & specials?
the wookie monster :)
Ha , I met Ernie Fosselius. Inspirational.
So cool. I love Hardware Wars
i was gonna do the whole youll laugh youll cry bit, but someone already did it, too damn funny.
Love this movie! By Far the BEST Parody ever made.
Airplane a solid 2nd
Truly fascinating.
Fun Fact: there is a special edition of this little film.
Fun Fact: the SE was not authorized by Wiese or Fosselius.
@michaelwiese - nice to see the Big Breakfast getting a mention, think it was Paul Verhoeven who swore at just after 8am, and was promptly sent outside to the naughty step...
🤣🤣🤣
Well thank you .
I was really surprised to hear the samba reggae music in the background.
Chewchilla the Wookiee Monster still cracks me up.
Hardware Wars for life!
“That’s my yacht out there”..hilarious
How and where is Ernie now? I knew him in the 80's.
Skyler White at 2:42?
Chewchilla! Full reverse!
It's a very nice send up to StarWars. It's very funny.😊
I'm dissapointed they never did a parody of every Star Wars film. I'd love to see there take on Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi
I remember it as a kids too. When Spaceballs came out I did not like as much. Hardware was was always funnier. Only a few knew what i was talking about. It was like I was in an exclusive club. Welcome new members.
I notice that the tag line is "you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll kiss three bucks goodbye" but the DVD on your website is lcearly $11.21 (reduces from $14.95). I mean, what are we to believe this this is some sort of, auh, magic money or something? Boy, I really hope someone got fired for that blunder.
close your eyes and imagine Jeff Goldblum
If you watch the new obi wan show with your friends or family, one thing to try is just saying "basketball is a peaceful planet" every time baby leia opens her mouth. I think it makes her seem a little funnier.
The real Ham Sandwich!
"...it's just a headache..."
Hardware Wars inspired our rip-off scene I mean Sweded scene: ruclips.net/video/uJmdh0Bad34/видео.html
Me being a kid thought Star Wars was the knock off
I remember seeing Hardware Wars at the Dr. Demento 10th Anniversary show in Reseda California when I was in junior high. Still, HW makes me laugh.
I saw this a few times as a child, and yes, remember mostly the wookie monster eating the "hair" part.