Max Headroom (1985)

In the dystopic near future, a crusading TV reporter investigates news stories with the help of a wisecracking computer version of himself.

Directors:

Annabel Jankel, Rocky Morton

Writers:

Steve Roberts (screenplay), George Stone (story)

Stars:

Matt Frewer, Nickolas Grace, Hilary Tindall

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Frewer	...	Edison Carter / Max Headroom
Nickolas Grace	...	Grossman
Hilary Tindall	...	Dominique
William Morgan Sheppard	...	Blank Reg (as Morgan Sheppard)
Amanda Pays	...	Theora Jones
Paul Spurrier	...	Bryce Lynch
Hilton McRae	...	Breugal
George Rossi	...	Mahler
Roger Sloman	...	Murray
Anthony Dutton	...	Gorrister
Constantine Gregory	...	Ben Cheviot
Lloyd McGuire	...	Edwards
Elizabeth Richardson	...	Ms. Formby
Gary Hope	...	Ashwell
Joane Hall	...	Body Bank Receptionist

Storyline

In the post-apocalyptic future where television sets are more important than food, TV ratings are the all important currency of the nation. A new technique of preventing viewers from channel surfing proves somewhat detrimental to particularly sedentary couch potatoes. The top studio becomes concerned: dead viewers make for low ratings. Edison Carter, top news reporter, is sent to find out more. After a motorcycle accident, his mind is preserved by wizz-kid Bryce and becomes his wise cracking, computer generated alter-ego: Max Headroom, who manages to boost ratings above those of any live hosts to date. This made for TV movie was later remade (sanitized version) as the first episode of the series.

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | max headroom character | television | woman sweating | alternate reality | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 1985 (UK)

Also Known As:

Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future

Filming Locations:

East Ham, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chrysalis

Technical Specs

Runtime:

57 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Max Headroom would re-appear in 2007, in a series of 6 adverts for Channel Four's "Get Set for Digital" awareness campaign. Within the adverts Max, still played by Matt Frewer, had aged and become bitter and twisted about how Channel Four had treated him. In one, Max also makes a bitingly pointed comment that Jim Carey stole Max's schtick. (It has been noticed that Jim and Max do have very similar manic personas).

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Quotes

Edison Carter: This is Edison Carter, coming to you Live and Direct, on Network 23.

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Crazy Credits

The credits roll over a shot of the overpass that our heroes just passed under. After a few minutes the van owned by the thugs that "killed" Edison passes under it - apparently going after our heroes.

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Connections

Spoofed in Roundhouse: Politics (1992)

User Reviews

Max Headroom - 20 Minutes Into The Future

For some reason unknown to me I received this video as a prize/gift from a company called 'Argus Press' who in the early '80's were one of many prolific ZX Spectrum games producers. Don't remember entering a competition, but there you go....

Anyhow, the film was brilliant, and not to be confused with the later TV series that, from the other write ups, I now learn of.

If this film is not on DVD then it should be. The dark urbun setting of some nightmare future is perfectly portrayed and the story is much as has been described in previous reviews.

Blipverts! - I'm surprised they aren't on Fox nowadays, in saying that the most indolent members of society may be most at risk there! The one thing that hasn't been mentioned, but that should be emphasized, is the fantastic soundtrack, coming as it did from the pen of Midge Ure who had recently departed the prolific 'Ultravox'. The setting, soundtrack, script and performance from a tremendous bunch of characters made this a film that, to this day, I still pull out of the loft and watch on my annual pilgrimage back home for Christmas.

To me its the urbun dystopia, the (then) futuristic use of desktop computers to track the action and the soundtrack that made this one hell of a movie and one of the most unsung of the 1980's.