FutureWorld (1976)

Two reporters visit Delos, a futuristic technologically-sophisticated theme park, which has recently re-opened following the accidental tragic deaths caused by the events of Westworld (1973) – this time with fail-safe robots.

Investigative newspaper reporter Chuck Browning (Peter Fonda) and hip TV news personality Tracy Ballard (Blythe Danner) are invited to explore the new entertainment facility in the hope that favourable reports from them will help the park overcome the bad publicity it received when its gun-toting robots went awry and killed off lots of guests in the first movie.

Chuck suspects that the new resort – now comprising Futureworld, Medievalworld, Spaworld and Romanworld – masks a dastardly plot by park administrator Dr Duffy (Arthur Hill) to dominate the world by luring heads of state, military leaders, powerful bankers and captains of industry to the centre and replacing them with robot doubles.

He’s right, of course, and the fun is in watching him and Tracy poking around in an electronic funfair that charges its rich and powerful customers $1200 a day to joust with medieval lances or ski over the red snows of Mars.

Much of Futureworld was filmed at Houston’s Manned Spacecraft Center which gives the picture a spectacular yet realistic look which is enhanced by great special visual effects and a fine score by Fred Karlin.

Fonda’s part could have been played with more emotion by one of the humanoid robots but the film succeeds in spite of him. Yul Bryner returns briefly as the robot gunslinger from Westworld in a dream sequence that is one of the film’s highlights.

Chuck Browning
Peter Fonda
Tracy Ballard
Blythe Danner
Dr Duffy
Arthur Hill
Gunslinger
Yul Brynner
Harry
Stuart Margolin
Dr Schneider
John P. Ryan
Ron
Jim Antonio
Game Show Host
Allen Ludden
Mr Reed
Robert Cornthwaite
Mrs Reed
Angela Greene
Eric
Darrell Larson
Erica
Nancy Bell
Mr Takaguchi
John Fujioka
Mr Takaguchi’s Aide
Dana Lee
General Karnovski
Burt Conroy
Mrs Karnovski
Dorothy Konrad
Maiden Fair
Joanna Hall
Steven
Mike Scott
Frenchy
Ed Geldard
Holcombe
Charles Krohn
Page
Barry Gremillion
Shorty
Jim Everhart

Director
Richard T Heffron

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