Windows 90-Die (universe movie)
| Windows 90-Die | |
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| Directed by | Levi Trevino |
| Screenplay by | Perry Dobson |
| Story by |
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| Based on | "Hackintosh" (1983) by Levi Trevino |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Music by | Christopher Hoffman |
Production companies | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $980,000 |
| Box office | $4.3 million |
Windows 90-Die is a horror movie and sequel to Hackintosh (1983) and the second entry in The Motherboard franchise.
Plot synopsis
Amy, the sole survivor from the end of the first film, becomes fixated on the computer that controlled the killer and attempts to dissect it in hopes of figuring out how it controlled him. However, in the process, Amy becomes possessed by the computer and embarks on a murderous rampage through the city as the new face of technological terror.
Cast
- Amy Norman ..... Betty / Motherboard
- Matthew Stein ..... Tim
- Danielle Wanson ..... Sarah
- John Coleman ..... Police Officer Jim Wilson
- Jed Wyatt ..... Old Man outside hotel
- Kaiden Wang ..... Streetwalker #1
- Christine Stanton ..... Streetwalker #2
- Jenson Scott ..... Motherboard Stand-in
Production
Development
After the cult success of Hackintosh (1983) in 1983, Levi Trevino moved onto other horror films and projects, while always hoping to return to the world of Hackintosh someday. In 1992, while filming the movie "Blood Brain" (1993), he met Perry Dobson, an upcoming filmmaker who worked as that films Cinematographer. One evening the two started discussing potential ideas for a sequel to the first film, ultimately leading to the idea of Amy surviving but ultimately becoming the new killer. The idea of turning the "final girl" into the new killer, was one that intrigued them both and they slowly set out to flesh out the entire story. As production on "Blood Brain" (1993) wrapped, Levi became wrapped up in post-production as Perry moved onto other projects, ultimately stopping their work on the script for the sequel.
In late 1994, Levi and Perry met again, and their discussions of the sequel continued. Levi, now in the midst of a divorce, helped finish the story but gave sole writing duty to Perry, knowing he'd be able to finish the script in hopes of fast-tracking production and helping Levi pay his lawyer bills. By February 1995, a script had been completed that both parties liked, and Levi took it to Paramutual Pictures, the distributor for his last two films, and sold it to them.
Production
In late September 1995, production began on the next entry of the franchise, at that time called "Hackintosh 2: The Rebooting", in Detroit, Michigan. Production was able to get Amy Norman back as Betty, the survivor from the first film. She did not like the idea that her character would become the killer halfway through the film, believing that Betty wouldn't have allowed herself to do that. As production continued, Amy eventually grew to like the idea; however was unable to act properly in the costume and makeup they had designed to create the "Motherboard" character. Filming slowed as Levi struggled to make the prosthetics and acting work with the actor, ultimately hiring Jenson Scott, a known stuntman, to portray the "Motherboard" character in certain sequences.
The cold and rainy Autumn weather caused numerous setbacks, including cast members falling ill, equipment malfunctioning due to freezing, and continuity issues between takes as the rain would stop and start. A dozen or so shots that were to take place outside were ultimately filmed inside an abandoned warehouse with its doors open, allowing the crew to stay dry while still seeing the "grungy, city streets" needed for the sequences.
Edits
Filming ended after a grueling 25-day shoot, which left most of the cast and crew exhausted and hating the film. Levi admitted he reverted to his independent days, thinking he could film everything quickly and forgetting the actual scale of the production. Post-production wrapped by December of 1995, and the first cut of the film was delivered to the executives at Paramutual Pictures. The film was mostly well-received, except for a sequence showing Amy becoming the "Motherboard" character. The execs deemed it unnecessary and asked Levi to cut it, despite its necessity in introducing the "Motherboard" character to the audience. Levi fought the execs and ultimately was able to leave the scene in, just heavily edited to remove some more of the violent imagery of her body transforming. The scene would ultimately be restored in the unrated 10th anniversary edition of the film, released in 2006.
A New Name
During initial marketing meetings, the studio requested a new name for the film, saying the working title was too silly and that it alienated people into thinking they needed to see the first film, which at this point was out of print and unavailable except at some video stores that kept their original VHS copies. The studio suggested using a name closer to the new series of home computers hitting the market and call the film Windows 90-Die, a play on the Microsoft operating system Windows 95. Levi, while disappointed the film couldn't continue the "Hackintosh" naming convention, did like the new name and the film was retitled.
Release
The film was released in theaters on June 14, 1996, and was an immediate success. Fans of the original cult film praised the return to the series and loved the new direction it was taking. New fans enjoyed the kills and a woman being the villain and eventually found their way to the original entry, bringing new life to the film.
The film, with a budget of $980,000, earned $3.2 million at the box office in the US and another $1.1 million in Europe.
Sequel Talks
Paramutual Pictures immediately greenlit a sequel to the film, which Levi Trevino was not ready or prepared for. The studio offered him twice his pay for a third entry, but had notes regarding what the film's premise should be. Based on tests and polls with audiences watching the second entry, they wanted more of the over-the-top gory kills (of which there were 2 in this entry), more nudity, and less of the deep backstory that was present in the first two films. Levi disagreed that the sequel should have those items, and after two months of negotiations, ultimately left the sequel, saying he was disappointed with the direction the franchise was going.
Trivia
- Despite his obvious size difference, Jenson Scott performs the majority of the "Motherboard" character as the makeup and suit were too draining for actress Amy Norman to handle. It's clear during the entire second half that the "Motherboard" character is much larger than Betty was.