Futureworld (1976)

Upon uncovering the dirty secret of futuristic theme-park Futureworld, an ex-employee is killed after he tips off two other reporters who decide to do an undercover investigation.

Director:

Richard T. Heffron

Writers:

Mayo Simon, George Schenck

Stars:

Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner, Arthur Hill

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Fonda	...	Chuck Browning
Blythe Danner	...	Tracy Ballard
Arthur Hill	...	Duffy
Yul Brynner	...	The Gunslinger
John P. Ryan	...	Dr. Schneider (as John Ryan)
Stuart Margolin	...	Harry
Allen Ludden	...	Game Show Host
Robert Cornthwaite	...	Mr. Reed
Angela Greene	...	Mrs. Reed
Darrell Larson	...	Eric
Nancy Bell	...	Erica
Burt Conroy	...	Mr. Karnovski
Dorothy Konrad	...	Mrs. Karnovski
John Fujioka	...	Mr. Takaguchi
Dana Lee	...	Mr. Takaguchi's Aide

Storyline

Two reporters, Tracy and Chuck, get a message from a third one who discovered something about "Futureworld" and was killed before he could tell anyone about it. They visit Futureworld to find out what he knew.

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Plot Keywords:

conspiracy | robot | resort | theme park | kiss | 

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Taglines:

Where the only way to survive is to kill yourself

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Futureworld - Das Land von Übermorgen

Filming Locations:

16410 Larkfield Drive, Clear Lake, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP), The Aubrey Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Upon arrival at Delos, the lobby is the lobby of Jones Hall in Houston, TX.

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Goofs

When Harry types in the key code to open the big blue doors, he does not type in the right numbers on the keypad. No button layout that makes any sense matches his input.

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Quotes

Chuck Browning: It's a 400; it's programmed not to stop us.
Tracy Ballard: Are you sure?
Chuck Browning: No

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Connections

Referenced in The Outsider (1997)

User Reviews

It can't happen again... could it?

Coming a couple years after its predecessor "Westworld", the rebooted sequel "Futureworld" is a grade up with a better budget and larger scale production that's just as inventive, if not as clunky as the original. Still I prefer the first a film a little more, as it seemed a bit more enjoyable in its escapism and idea but this one remains a diverting fantasy. The difference here is that the concept is virtually the same, but the angle focuses basically on the things going on behind the scenes at the Delos Corporation, than that of the experiences of their themed vacations. Newspaper reporter Chuck Browning and TV presenter Tracy Ballard, along with some other important guests are invited by the Delos' corporation to attend their re-opening of their theme parks, which is larger and better run to hopefully rid the air of the disaster that occurred years ago at Westworld. However Chuck questions what's really going on and decides to nose around digging up anything that doesn't seem quite right.

Quite a solid, if mechanical follow up, which has a committed cast (Peter Fonda, Blyth Danner, Arthur Hill, Stuart Margolin and a glassy John Ryan in a villain role) and very well executed special effects and implemented set-designs. The story isn't as gimmicky and less than casual, by intertwining between mystery, sci-fi and thriller elements with a strong satirical, if paranoid vibe building upon its suspenseful groundwork. Surprisingly it holds a dark edge, as there's more lurking underneath, but the script can take time out for some agreeable wit. Too bad I think that the ending is quite unfulfilled. When you see Yul Brynner's name tagged to the project, you might just be disappointed… as the gunslinger appears in one sequence involving quite an odd dream inclusion which in the end is rather pointless, but a neat credit for the original film. Richard T. Heffron's direction is tidy with his cruise-like pacing and interesting visuals to match. While Fred Karlin's grandiose music score simply soars.