The Shape of Things to Come (1979)

Some time in the future, man has set up colonies on the Moon, when Earth becomes uninhabitable. A madman decides to destroy the Moon colonies with his robots and automated ships, and only three people and their robot dog can stop him.

Director:

George McCowan

Writers:

H.G. Wells (novel), Martin Lager (screenplay)

Stars:

Jack Palance, Carol Lynley, Barry Morse

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Palance	...	Omus
Carol Lynley	...	Niki
Barry Morse	...	Dr. John Caball
John Ireland	...	Senator Smedley
Nicholas Campbell	...	Jason Caball
Anne-Marie Martin	...	Kim Smedley (as Eddie Benton)
Greg Swanson	...	Sparks (voice)
Mark Parr	...	Sparks
William Hutt	...	Lomax (voice)
Ardon Bess	...	Merrick
Lynda Mason Green	...	Lunar Technician (as Lynn Green)
Albert Humphries	...	Robot Technician
Bill Lake	...	Spacesuited Man
Michael Klingbell	...	Robot
Jonathan Hartman	...	Robot

Storyline

Earth's a devastated wasteland, and what's left of humanity has colonised the Moon in domed cities. Humanity's survival depends on an anti-radiation drug only available on planet Delta 3, which has been taken over by Omus, a brilliant but mad mechanic who places no value on human life. Omus wants to come to the Moon to rule, and intends to attack it by ramming robot-controlled spaceships into the domes. Dr. John Caball, his son Jason, Jason's friend, Kim, and a robot named Sparks embark on Caball's space battlecruiser on an unauthorized mission to Delta 3; to stop Omus.

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Plot Keywords:

computer | resistance | robot | planet | spaceship | 

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Taglines:

Beyond the earth... Beyond the moon... Beyond your wildest imagination!

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Genres:

Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

H.G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come

Filming Locations:

Ontario Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 3,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

SOTTC Film Productions Ltd., CFI Investments

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Koo Stark was announced for this film but left the project.

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Goofs

When Omus is trying to kill Jason with the sonic device. Jason jumps on Omus and take him down. Look closely, Omus has kept his anti-sonic helmet on his head. On the next scene, Jason is taking the helmet, now lying a few feet from Omus.

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Quotes

Dr. John Caball: You spoke to us of a new technology, of peace, not war.
Omus: Don't you understand? Once you accept me as ruler, there will be no acts of aggression, only peace. Under my rule, the people will want for nothing.
Dr. John Caball: Except, freedom! Well, the Moon Colony will never accept a dictator. That's one thing we've learned at least from the history of the planet Earth.
Omus: You insult me, Doctor.
Omus: You are the one who inspired me, taught me to place science above all else.
Dr. John Caball: But not above humanity! If I didn't teach you ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

[Prologue] The time is the tomorrow after tomorrow. Earth has been polluted and devastated by the great robot wars and is all but deserted. Man has moved onto the moon, colonised its surface and erected vast cities in what was once wasteland. Ranging further out into deep space he has embarked on an even greater era of adventure and discovery. But the survival of mankind is dependent on a continuing supply of the miracle drug RADIC-Q-2.....And RADIC-Q-2 is produced only on the distant planet DELTA THREE.

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Connections

Referenced in Newhart: The Shape of Things (1985)

User Reviews

Hilariously awful space dreck

What's most striking about this hilariously awful film is that someone actually thought that it was worth putting up money to make it. Two years after Star Wars and Close Encounters, someone actually felt that terrible dialogue and direction foisted upon decent actors like Jack Palance and Barry Morse, special effects out of a high school film class, a cheesily overwrought synthesizer score, and clunky 50's toy-robot villains would make for a worthwhile movie.

I recently saw it with the benefit of fast forward (as another commenter said, the only way to watch this film) and have to wonder if it's really a parody. Everything about it is so stereotypically and perfectly awful, one wonders if the director was pulling a stunt like Princeton physicist Alan Sokal's hoax "postmodern physics" article in a doofy po-mo "science" journal.

But Carol Lynley looks great, as does the Canadian National Exhibition complex in Toronto lit from behind.