The Seventies Sci-Fi thread

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Illustrator_Nick

I always find myself coming back to these films, love the style and creative vision of so many of them. THX 1138, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Phase IV, Andromeda Strain, Punishment Park, Westworld....I have a Sci-fi Movies book from the late 70s, published by Octopus and I've systematically worked my way through it several times trying to find similar gems!

I highly recommend Beyond The Black Rainbow (2010) then....

[Illustrator_Nick]

Thanks Demoncrat, already there my man, I love that film!

[theflicksthatchurchforgot]

I do feel that the 70s were a fantastic decade for science fiction cinema. There was something about the bleak, thoughtful nature of many of the films back then that really grabs me.

[Inspector Abberline]

Capricorn One. (1977)
Peter Hyams writes and directs this conspiracy theory about about a mission to mars that is hoaxed because of the cost of a faulty life support system that has failed on the spacecraft that was due to take off.The three astronauts James Brolin as Colonel Charles Brubaker, USAFSam Waterston as Lieutenant Colonel Peter Willis, USAF and O. J. Simpson as Commander John Walker are whisked off to an undisclosed air base in the middle of nowhere,where a mock mars landing has been set up. Falling somewhere between All The President's Men [1976] and Parallax View, The [1974] with its determined journalist Elliott Gould as Robert Caulfield and the mid 1970's science fiction boom, Hyams manages to give us not only a great thriller but something that is so plausible it would not be a surprise what so ever if these sort of things actually happened at all. In fact Hyams lays the whole thing out so matter a factually and in such a realistic approach It would make more sense to fake it in real life.In fact im beginning to think that Tim Peake is actually hiding out in a aircraft hanger in Reading playing canasta with Bin Laden and Timothy Leary. The 1970's saw a slew of great conspiracy films,mainly because it was the age where the public started to doubt its leaders and governments and all the conspiracies that followed every scandal or assassinations.Hal Holbrook as Dr. James Kelloway is suburb as the NASA official who orchestrates the whole cover up and manages to convince the astronauts to play along with the whole scandal. James Brolin, Sam Waterston and O. J. Simpson are all excellent as the astronauts faced with another crisis as there lives are threatened when they realise the empty spaceship that went into orbit has really malfunction and every one now believes they have in fact died re entering the earth's orbit. Although different in tone this fits well with that breed of 70's film that looked at science fiction as science rather than fiction,like The Andromeda Strain,THX 1138,Silent Running and Phase IV to name a few.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

My dad didn't actually believe anyone had been on the moon due to this film. He was slightly more convinced when he saw a shuttle take off whilst in Florida though.

[Inspector Abberline]

No Blade of Grass (1970)

There can not be that many post apocalyptic films which has a theme song from that folkster balladeer Roger Whittaker,and as his dulcet tones sings it sweet melody the mushroom clouds start going off.damn you Whittaker damn you to hell. The third world is slowly dieing because all the pesticides have caused a virus killing off all the grass,mean while Nigel Davenport as John Custance decides to take his family away to his brother in Scotland just in case the government decides to nerve gas the big cities. Marshall law is being declared in London with rioters looting food shops the police are armed and ready to kick arse .Unfortunately neither the police or military are able to control the masses as anarchy breaks out.Meanwhile Davenport and his family steal some guns from a local gun shop and pick up a slutty Wendy Graig and her psychotic gun toting husband Anthony May as Andrew Pirrie. Im sure at the time of release Cornel Wilde's No Blade of Grass (1970) was supposed to be a meaningful look at the way society and the environment is in decay,but im afraid any film that has bikers with horns on there helmets loses any credibility and No Blade of Grass is just another fun and mad end of the world flick. Although its interesting seeing how a lot of its themes and topics have been used in later films like 28 weeks Later, Omega Man,Code Name Trixie,Dawn of the Dead and Mad Max 2. It portrays an England which crumbles at the first sign of its government threatening to nerve gas its own population sheesh. Im not sure what's more scary the prospect of famine or a band of farmers roaming the countryside saying "get off my land" oh yeah and hand over everything you own. Its very hard to take the film seriously with its randy Wendy Craig,horned bikers and Good Life style ideology,but its fun action film.

[Inspector Abberline]

The Terminal Man (1974)
Michael Hodges adapts and directs The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton,a 1972 novel.Crichton's story puts forward the theory,what if medical science could cure people of seizures and the violent outbursts that sometimes goes with it.Harry Benson played by George Segal has suffered with terrible seizures and violence,ever since a car crash,where he received a terrible head injury. Richard Dysart as Dr. John Ellis ( does he play anything else apart from doctors) and Donald Moffat as Dr. Arthur McPherson ( The Thing ) plant a computer into Benson's head that controls the seizures by stimulating the pleasure points in his brain cells.But hey this a medical science fiction film,nothing is gonna go right, after the operation which seemed successful,Benson is monitored,seems like his brain is still getting seizures and stimulation from the computer,and Benson's brain is gonna go into violent overload. The Terminal Man is a really thoughtful and extremely interesting film, although it may well be a tad on the slow side,as its a real slow burn of a film. Interestingly Segals character a highly intelligent computer programmer,is also of the opinion that one day the computers will one day take control,which in his case they have.George Segal himself give a fine performance especially in the second part of the movie,where his seizures are taking place nearly every few hours,which then send him on a psychotic killing spree. Mike Hodges has had a wide and varied directorial career,hard to believe this the same director as Get Carter,Flash Gordon and yes Morons from Outer Space,but what they do have in common with Terminal Man is that they are wonderfully shot films. Apparently Michael Crichton had written his own screenplay for the film,which would of been interesting as I am a big fan of his film adaptation of that other medical thriller Coma by Robin Cook. I really rate Terminal man,it is slow but well worth a look.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Is Futureworld any good, Inspector?

[Inspector Abberline]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Is Futureworld any good, Inspector?

Im sorry to say in my humble opinion NO,its a very pale imitation of Westworld,only up side being that's Peter Fonda's wooden acting is tailor made to play a emotionless robot or maybe he is one,I wonder?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

Im sorry to say in my humble opinion NO,its a very pale imitation of Westworld,only up side being that's Peter Fonda's wooden acting is tailor made to play a emotionless robot or maybe he is one,I wonder?

Right, cheers. I was thinking of adding it on to my HMV order of Scalps as it's only £3.99, which would have enabled free delivery. I'll go for Split Second or a New York Dolls cd instead.