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Westworld - 1973

December 16, 2007 - 4:01 pm - Posted by Administrator

The early seventies could be considered a dark age of science fiction films. Both in terms of their modest success at the box office, and the tone of the films holding focus.

Films like The Omega Man (1971), The Andromeda Strain (1971), Soylent Green (1973), and The Stepford Wives (1975), dominated the science fiction box office… all light on special effects and heavy on thought provoking visions of the future. Westworld is another entry in this fraternity of films. It is presently scheduled to get a remake in 2009.

Written and Directed by Michael Crichton [The Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park], Westworld is a vision of a future where Delos has become the most popular vacation destination in the world, a place where humanoid robots are a reality, slaves to the whim of man, and (supposedly) incapable of harming a human. When robots start going crazy, tourists Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) and John Blane (James Brolin) find themselves being stalked by a homicidal, unstoppable robot gunslinger, incredibly portrayed by Yul Brynner.

Westworld hit theatres at a time when the public consciousness was consumed by an emerging scandal called Watergate, Vietnam, and the AIM’s occupation of Wounded Knee. At the same time in history, the Supreme Court ruling on Roe vs. Wade overturned the states’ ban on abortions, the World Trade Center and Sears Tower domintaed skylines in New York and Chicago for the first time, and America’s first space station, Skylab, was launched. So it should come as no surprise that Westworld is loaded with questions. Who are we? Where are we going? Will humans be victims of their own ambition?

Westworld succeeds marginally at addressing some of these questions, but falls short, like many flicks of the era, in the special effects department. See Westworld for Yul Brynner’s portrayal of the Gunslinger, and don’t laugh too loud at some of the effects.

*** Three Stars

Posted in 1973, Artificial Intelligence, Robots/Cyborgs, The Future, Three Star Rating | No Comments »

Soylent Green - 1973

December 13, 2007 - 8:06 pm - Posted by Administrator

Soylent Green stars Charlton Heston in another of his 1970’s sci-fi roles. Many people are familiar with this movie via the well-known parody done by Phil Hartman on Saturday Night Live, and Soylent Green is frequently the butt of many jokes by those who would label it low-budget sci-fi schlock.

OK, so maybe it is low-budget sci-fi schlock, but worthy of a look nonetheless. The world of Soylent Green is New York in 2022. The world is hopelessly overpopulated, supplies are short, and food is rationed. Fresh food is nearly non-existent, and millions survive on processed government surplus foods known as “Soylent”. Soylent Green is the newest variety and hyped as the answer to mankind’s hunger.

Much like one of Heston’s other starring sci-fi vehicles, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green has a surprise ending (which will be spoiled for you if you’ve seen the aforementioned skit from SNL with Phil Hartman, so if you haven’t seen it, try to avoid it until you watch Soylent Green).

Being a sci-fi movie of the seventies, Soylent Green suffers from the same malady as many other flicks of the era - nothing much happens. But the movie is worth a view if for no other reason than to familiarize yourself with one of the most persistent science fiction themes - that of overpopulation and the Earth’s surrender of every natural resource to a ravenous human race.

** Two Stars

Posted in 1973, Environmental Disaster, Overpopulation, Surprise Ending, The Future, Two Star Rating | No Comments »