Cherry 2000 (1987) (film review).
You know the usual romance story. A man goes home to his wife, she short-circuits and crashes. That’s the problem with having a robot wife. Sam Treadwell (actor David Andrews) needs a replacement, another Cherry 2000 (actress Pamela Gidley). Unfortunately, she’s an obsolete model, so he goes to Gloryhole to hire a tracker, E. Johnson (actress Melanie Griffith), to find one in Zone 7 so he can install her mini-disc. Johnson insists he comes along to ride shotgun.
This is the near future. 2017. All right, this film came out in 1987 and 2017 still seemed a long way off. Reality hasn’t quite turned out this way, so perhaps give it another 80 years and we might face a similar situation. I mean, who wants a wife when you can have an artificial one?
Unfortunately, Sam and Johnson get separated while retrieving her car, and Treadwell ends up at Sky Ranch, run by Lester (actor Tim Thomerson), who has a tendency to kill anyone he doesn’t like. Johnson eventually catches up with him and they flee, leaving a trail of carnage behind them. Lester isn’t happy. He sends two of his gang ahead to capture them while he and the others repair their vehicles. The chase is on and, from that point onwards, anything more would be spoilers.
At the repair shop, Silm the repairman (actor Michael C. Gwynne) has Robbie the Robot and Gort sitting in the background as a nice nod to classic science fiction.
Considering this was all made before CGI became commonplace, the Nevada scenery is truly impressive. The practical effects are particularly spectacular, especially when Johnson’s car is lifted by a gigantic industrial magnet across a seemingly bottomless valley while under attack.
The cast list is extensive, with plenty of recognisable faces, although most of them only appear briefly.
The audio commentary pairs TV critic Walter Chaw with director Steve De Jarnatt. I do wonder how the special effects team got away with creating bubbles using toxic carbon monoxide. De Jarnatt explains that he largely allowed his production crew, including costume designer Julie Weiss, to follow their own instincts when creating the costumes and sets. Eight Mustang cars were used during filming. There’s a lot of interesting behind-the-scenes information here, and De Jarnatt points out that many members of the crew went on to enjoy successful careers.
The other extras include a 13-minute interview, recorded in 2015, with actor Tim Thomerson, who explains how he began his career playing villains in Mannix. He also talks about much of the cast and how well they all worked together.
Making Cherry 2000 runs for just over six minutes and features short interviews with members of the cast. The Lobby Cards, Posters And Stills Gallery is exactly what it sounds like, although you do need to use the play button to move from one image to the next.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started watching this film, but it shifts from a relatively calm beginning into something increasingly manic and homicidal. It kept my eyes glued to the screen, apart from the occasional bit of typing. And whatever you do… don’t refuse the sandwiches.
GF Willmetts
June 2026
(pub: MGM. 1-disc, 98-minute film with extras. Price: varies. ASIN: S1880008)
Cast: David Andrews, Melanie Griffith, Pamela Gidley, Ben Johnson, Tim Thomerson, Cameron Milzer and many others.
