News: BEYOND WESTWORLD (1980) on DVD

The complete, short-lived 1980 television series, Beyond Westworld, is now available on DVD from the fine folks at Warner Archive. This series was a sequel to/continuation of the 1973 Michael Crichton film, Westworld, and posited that after the meltdown at the infamous Delos resort, a scientist (James Wainright) absconded with a bunch of the lifelike androids and planned to use them to conquer the world. Delos Security agents John Moore (Jim McMullen) and Pamela Williams (Connie Selleca) are tasked with hunting him down and foiling his evil schemes.

The show only had five episodes (and was cancelled after three). The pilot film was included on the semi-recent Westworld Blu-ray a couple years back, but this marks the first time that the complete series has been available on home video in the U.S.  At the moment, the DVDs are only available from the Warner websites, but it should be available through Amazon in a couple of weeks. 

Captain's bLog: 1125.13

• It's been a long time since I've posted anything here - over a month, in fact - and this is the first post I've made in November... and that's nearly over. I even missed marking Space: 1970's fourth anniversary on the 1st. Really rather embarrassed about that.

I have no good excuse. November's just been a bad month for me overall, writing-wise, and this site has suffered from that unfortunate (and frustrating) motivational drought along with all my other writing projects.

But that doesn't entirely account for the reduced posting here since the Summer. I've kinda been feeling like it's getting harder to find cool images to post, and the more involved articles - essays, film and DVD reviews, "Fave Episodes," "Fave Fives," "Hall of Fame," etc . - well, it's always been difficult for me to make the time to really do them up properly. And that's always been frustrating, because, for me, anyway, those are the most personal and satisfying posts to write.

Another factor in my Space: 1970 ennui is that due to recent changes in my state's tax laws, I no longer receive any kickbacks from Amazon's affiliate program. Don't get me wrong - this site was never about making money, and it never amounted to much anyway, but the couple hundred bucks a year at least helped me justify to myself the time and effort I put into Space: 1970, and it did allow me to buy more cool 70s sci-fi stuff (videos, books) for my collection. (I do still have the Paypal button over in the right-hand sidebar, but nobody's donated anything in over a year.)

Now, I know this all sounds pretty grim, but I'm not about to abandon this blog. My passion for disco-era sci-fi (and sci-fi disco, for that matter) hasn't diminished one iota. I'm just going through an extended  low-energy phase (or as they're referred to around here, a "funk"), and with a little luck, I'll be back up to speed soon. In the meantime, I'll try to scrape up a few more interesting photos over the next few weeks so the site doesn't go completely fallow. I appreciate your patience.

•  I did pick up the Hanna-Barbara series Space Stars on DVD from Warner Archive, and will try to post a review here soon. I will say now that the transfers are surprisingly good, and Warners has included some fun additional content that was not included in their original network airings. If you're a fan, it's a great package.

In upcoming video releases, I'm definitely still looking forward to the imminent release of 1980's Stanley Donen sci-fi gothic, Saturn 3, on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory, which goes on sale on December 3rd.

I'm somewhat less excited about Sony's new manufactured-on-demand Salvage 1discs - I'm deeply annoyed that the studio has chosen to release only a couple of random episodes on standalone (expensive) discs, rather than assemble a complete series package. Also, my interest in the show diminished after the moonshot pilot, so I have little incentive to pick up these releases. If you're interested, TV Shows On DVD has the release info and packaging pics.

• Friend of the blog/Star Kid Paul Quinn recently sent me some cool stuff - all but one of the Beyond Westworld episodes and the 1983 Roger Corman flick Space Raiders, along with a complete run of Starlog magazine on DVD-ROM. This kind of "audience participation" certainly helps motivate me to keep plugging away at Space: 1970, and I wanted to publicly thank him for his generosity.

• Finally, I'm still working on my sci-fi adventure webcomic, Perils On Planet X, which is illustrated by the talented Gene Gonzales, and colored by the equally-talented Ian Sokoliwski. It runs a page a week, with a new one posted every Friday, and it's absolutely free. We're about halfway through the second chapter now, and the story is moving along like a rocket, packed with Flash Gordon-styled pulp thrills. I hope you'll check it out, if you haven't already.

WESTWORLD (1973) Blu-ray Review

In his lifetime, best-selling author Michael Crichton saw many of his popular novels turned into movies, including The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Sphere and Jurassic Park. But not content to simply turn his stories over to others to interpret cinematically, Crichton also directed several movies himself, and turned out to be a rather fine filmmaker. His first feature, Westworld (1973), has recently received the HD Blu-ray treatment from Warner Home Entertainment.

Set in the then-near future, Westworld tells of a high-priced amusement park/resort called Delos. Divided into three worlds - Western World, Medieval World and Roman World - the proprietors of Delos offer perfect recreations of their themed environments with remarkably lifelike androids that allow their guests the opportunity to indulge almost any whim. The androids are programmed to serve, are unable to harm a human being, and according to Delos' army of technicians, are utterly infallible. Of course, something goes wrong, as Western World guests Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin, Quark) and John Blane (James Brolin) discover when their Wild West fantasy is transformed into a nightmare by a homicidal, black-clad robot gunslinger (Yul Brynner, The Ultimate Warrior).

Westworld is a corker of a science fiction thriller, with a simple, straightforward plot (a variation of which Crichton later used for his novel, Jurassic Park), plenty of imagination, great performances, and an appropriately paranoid view of technology. The movie was a relatively low-budget effort - the three "worlds" were picked because of the easy availability of pre-existing costumes, props and sets - but it never looks especially cheap, thanks to Gene Polito's cinematography and Crichton's ingenuity. Benjamin and Brolin make engaging protagonists, and the charismatic Brynner - wearing his iconic Magificent Seven cowboy costume - makes an effective, impressive killing machine.

Space: 1970 fans will also note that Alan Oppenheimer, who played Dr. Rudy Wells on The Six Million Dollar Man (as well as the the voice of Ming the Merciless in Filmation's Flash Gordon) plays the lead Delos roboticist, and Star Trek's Majel Barrett appears as the proprietor of Western World's cathouse!

The new Blu-ray from Warner Home Entertainment presents Westworld in fine form, with a lovely 1080p, 2.4:1 widescreen transfer from a near-pristine source and crystal clear DTS-HD Master Audio. The film's 70s color palette looks accurate, and fine detail is very good. It won't be mistaken for a 2013 sci-fi opus, but for a 40 year-old catalog title, it looks exceptional and is a marked improvement over the previous DVD editions.

Warner has also included a couple of bonus features - and one of them is a real gem. In 1980 the CBS television network aired a very short-lived TV series spin-off called Beyond Westworld. Only five episodes were made, and the show was cancelled after just three of those five had aired. The premise was that a rogue Delos scientist was using the android technology to replace real people in positions of power in a bid to take over the world (a continuation of plot threads developed in the 1976 theatrical sequel, Futureworld - Blu-ray review on the way). A Delos security agent (Jim McMullen) was assigned to hunt down the imposter androids and foil the evil robot master's plot. In a surprise move, Warners has included the complete 90-minute pilot episode on the disc. Beyond Westworld is presented in standard definition at its original television 4x3 aspect ratio. It's not great, but it is fun to see this all but forgotten program unearthed.

The only other extra is the original Westworld theatrical trailer.

Westworld is a classic 70s science fiction film, imaginatively conceived and directed by Crichton. The Warner Blu-ray is beautiful to look at and the inclusion of the Beyond Westworld pilot is a treat for fans. Highly recommended.

BUY:  Westworld [Blu-ray]

Captain's bLog: 0307.13

•  March has gotten off to a bit of a slow start, but I'm hoping to get back to regular posting here next week. Look for reviews of The Questor Tapes, The Aliens Are Coming and the Cathy Lee Crosby 1974 Wonder Woman TV pilot on the site in the next few weeks, along with the usual mix of sci-fi memorabilia, and vintage video clips.

• I picked up Warner's Blu-ray edition of Westworld on Tuesday, and it's a very nice disc, with a fine HD transfer of Michael Crichton's seminal sci-fi film. It had been a few years since I'd seen it, and I'd forgotten that Majel Barrett (Star Trek) and Jared Martin (of The Fantastic Journey) had small parts in the movie. I also found it amusing that Alan Oppenheimer, the original Dr. Rudy Wells from The Six Million Dollar Man, played the Delos supervisor responsible for the androids.

The inclusion of the Beyond Westworld pilot (as I reported a few days ago) on the disc was a nice bonus, and I encourage anyone who'd like to own the entire short-lived series to visit the Warner Archive Facebook page, and make a public request. If they get enough interest, I think chances are good that they'll release it as a MOD disc.

I'll be posting a full review of the Westworld Blu-ray on my DVD Review site, DVD Late Show, early next week.... and it probably should go without saying that I'm looking forward to Shout! Factory's forthcoming Futureworld Blu-ray release, due out later this month.

• Stats: It's been a while since I've looked at the numbers, but when I checked today, I was pleased to find that the Star Kid Legion continues growing at a formidable rate! The blog here now has over 500 followers, and the Space: 1970 Facebook page currently has1,264 "Likes!" On Twitter, under my "AtomicPulp" handle, I've just passed 400 followers, many of whom are there just for the blog updates, I'm guessing.

•  Blatant Cross-Promotion: First, I want to remind you all that my new weekly sci-fantasy webcomic, Perils On Planet X, drawn by the talented Gene Gonazles, can be read for free at perilsonplanetx.com.  This serialized interplanetary swashbuckler sees a new page posted every Friday, and chronicles the adventures of modern-day Earth astronaut Donovan Hawke, stranded on the lost planet of Xylos, hundreds of millions of years in the past. The story is packed with monsters, beautiful women and lots of Flash Gordon/Blackstar-styled thrills. I hope you'll check it out, bookmark it, and follow the comic each Friday.

Anyone who enjoys my writing and the DVD reviews on this blog should check out my DVD Late Show site, where I have been reviewing B-movies, cult films and genre television shows on DVD and Blu-ray disc since 2005. Among the over 700 reviews on the site are plenty of Space: 1970-era favorites, like Battle Beyond The Stars, Damnation Alley, Starcrash, The Starlost, the Space: 1999 Blu-rays, and many more.

News: BEYOND WESTWORLD (1980) TV Pilot on Blu-ray

Yep, the pilot episode of the very short-lived Beyond Westworld television series has been included as bonus feature on Warner Brothers' forthcoming Westworld Blu-ray (along with a vintage featurette and the theatrical trailer).

The obscure television spin-off, Beyond Westworld, was canceled after only three episodes were aired (although five were shot) by CBS in 1980. It starred Jim McMullan as Delos Security Chief John Moore, who had to stop a rogue roboticist named Quaid (James Wainright) from using the Delos robot technology to replace key political, military and corporate leaders and thus, conquer the world.

The Westworld HD disc is due in stores next Tuesday... and will be followed on the 26th by Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release of the American-International sequel, Futureworld.

I'm still hoping that Warner's MOD division, Warner Archive, will release the entire Beyond Westworld series this month, but they usually don't announce their new titles until the week they become available, so who knows?

You can pre-order the Blu-ray from Amazon: Westworld [Blu-ray]

Coming Attractions: FUTUREWORLD (1976) Theatrical Trailer

Following up on yesterday's great Westworld/Futureworld news, here's the original theatrical trailer for Richard T. Heffron's return to the Delos resorts, where nothing can possibly go wrong... again. Futureworld. Enjoy.

News: WESTWORLD (1973) & FUTUREWORLD (1976) Coming To Blu-ray In March

Here's some good news for those of us Star Kids who are equipped for HDTV: Warner Home Video will be releasing the 1973 Michael Chricton killer android thriller Westworld, starring James Brolin, Richard Benjamin (Quark) and the unstoppable Yul Brynner (The Ultimate Warrior), on Blu-ray disc in March of 2013.

And in a nice bit of marketing syncronicity, Shout Factory has licensed the rights to the 1976 American-International-produced, Richard T. Heffron-directed sequel, Futureworld, starring Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner (with a cameo by Brynner) and will also be releasing it on Blu in March!

I can't wait! Wouldn't it be extra-cool if Warner Archive would take this opportunity to unearth from the vaults and dust off the short-lived 1980 television series Beyond Westworld at the same time?

Both of these eagerly-anticipated Blu-ray discs are available for pre-order from Amazon:

Westworld [Blu-ray]

Futureworld [Blu-ray]

FUTUREWORLD (1976) International Posters

Futureworld, American-International Pictures' 1976 sequel to MGM's Westworld may not have been as good as its precursor, nor as memorable, but it did have some striking advertising art.

The film, which had a pair of investigative reporters (portrayed by Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner) investigating the newly re-opened Delos android theme park (now, with added attraction, "Futureworld," simulating a trip to Mars!) had some potential, but the lack of story input by Westworld scribe Michael Crichton, combined with rather plodding direction by Richard T. Heffron, resulted in a fairly pedestrian sci-fi "thriller." Too bad. I love Westworld and the Delos concept....

Cool posters, though!

BEYOND WESTWORLD (1980) TV Spot

Here's the original CBS network promo for the premiere episode of the (very) short-lived Beyond Westworld television series from 1980. It starred Jim McMullan as Delos Security Chief John Moore, who had to stop a rogue roboticist named Quaid (James Wainright) from using the Delos robot technology to replace key political, military and corporate leaders and thus, conquer the world.

News: FUTUREWORLD (1976) Now on DVD

As a prime example of how MOD (Manufacture-On-Demand) operations from the major studios are changing the face of cult video, I only just discovered that Fox's new "MGM Limited Edition Collection" of MOD DVDs included the 1976 sequel to Westworld among its first wave of titles (which came out last month), with virtually no fanfare (which is why I missed it, no doubt).

Futureworld takes audiences back to the Delos resort and its robots, and starred Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner. Yul Brynner makes a brief appearance as his iconic Gunslinger in a dream sequence. It's nowhere near as good as Michael Crichton's original film, but it's fun.

The disc includes a non-remastered but high-quality transfer in the original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and includes the original trailer. No other extras are included.

The disc is currently only available for mail order through the major online retailers, including Amazon: Futureworld

Futureworld is also currently available on Netflix Instant for online viewing.

BEYOND WESTWORLD (1980)

One of the shortest-lived genre shows in the history of network television, 1980's Beyond Westworld was canceled after only three episodes were aired (although five were shot) by CBS. It starred Jim McMullan as Delos Security Chief John Moore, who had to stop a rogue roboticist named Quaid (James Wainright) from using the Delos robot technology to replace key political, military and corporate leaders and thus, conquer the world.

I actually remember being pretty excited about the show - I first saw Westworld that year on videotape (for some reason, my high school had a copy of it on 3" black & white tape, which, as a member of the AV Department, I got to watch whenever I wanted, pretty much) and thought the idea of expanding on the Delos robots and their potential for misuse had a lot of potential. I also remember that Connie Selleca (a couple years before The Greatest American Hero) was smokin' hot.

But obviously, I was just about the only one watching, because it was gone so fast that for years (before the Internet came along) I couldn't convince anyone that the show had actually existed.

Coming Attractions: WESTWORLD (1973)

Writing about Quark the other day brought to mind Richard Benjamin's other great 70s genre credit - Westworld.

Westworld is one of my favorite sci-fi films of the 1970s, and I am astounded that it hasn't been remade by the originality-deficit folks out in Hollywood. It would be a natural. Not saying I want them to do it, but really, how have they not? It's not like Michael Crichton is going to be writing anything new... and since it's essentially exactly the same plot as Jurassic Park, and today's effects technology would make all the robot stuff utterly convincing, you'd think Spielberg or somebody would have jumped all over this.