Futureworld (1976) starring Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner
Futureworld is the sequel to Westworld – the playground for the ultra-rich, where nothing can go wrong. But this time, it may be on purpose …
Review
Tracy Ballard: Don’t you think it’s dangerous to rely too much on the robots? Don’t you think something could go wrong again?
I suppose it depends on your definition of “wrong”.
Futureworld is set two years after the disaster of Westworld. Robots went wild, and murdered multiple guests, nearing driving the Delos corporation to bankruptcy. But the’ve supposedly fixed all of the bugs, and introduced new safeguards. But, they need good publicity to overcome their negative image. So, they invite two reporters (among other influential guests) to visit.
One of the two reporters is a print reporter, who’s following a lead. Someone was murdered, and gave him a lead before dying. The other is a television reporter, who’s not suspicious. Initially.
Cast of characters
- Peter Fonda (Easy Rider) … Chuck Browning. The suspicious print reporter. He keeps breaking the rules, and finding small things that don’t quite fit. He’s the only one who calls Tracy “Socks”. Because of their history.
- Blythe Danner (The Tomorrow Man) … Tracy ‘Socks’ Ballard.
- Arthur Hill (The Andromeda Strain) … Duffy. The high-ranking Delos executive, who takes care to chaperone the two reporters. And keep them from going where he doesn’t want to. Before the end of the movie, it’s clear that that’s something physically going on with him.
- Yul Brynner (Anastasia) … The Gunslinger. The villain from the first film, here he has an extended cameo in a dream sequence with Socks.
- John P. Ryan (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm) … Dr. Schneider. Chief scientist, Duffy’s right-hand man.
- Stuart Margolin (Kelly’s Heroes) … Harry. The “grunt” technician at Delos. He’s been there since the very beginning. And risks his life, telling what he knows, or suspects, to Chuck and Socks.
- Allen Ludden (Password) … Game Show Host
- Robert Cornthwaite (The Thing from Another World, War of the Worlds) … Mr. Reed
- Angela Greene (Night of the Blood Beast) … Mrs. Reed
- Darrell Larson … Eric
- Nancy Bell … Erica
- Burt Conroy … Mr. Karnovski
- Dorothy Konrad … Mrs. Karnovski
- John Fujioka (Mortal Combat) … Mr. Takaguchi
- Dana Lee … Mr. Takaguchi’s Aide
- Alex Rodine … KGB Man
- Judson Pratt … Bartender. He says he’s not programmed to lie …
- James M. Connor … Robot Clark. The machine that was once one of the Roman World robots. Now, he keeps Harry company. And cheats at cards.
- Walter Olkewicz … Chief Technician
- Mike Scott … Steven
- Ed Geldart … Frenchy. Chuck’s lead, who gets murdered at the beginning of the film, and puts him on the track of Delos. He used to be Harry’s friend, before his death.
Product Description
Fantastic follow-up to “Westworld” finds that the Delos theme park’s robots are now totally under control after some expensive upgrades… or are they? Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner star as reporters who learn the sinister plan behind the resort’s reopening. Arthur Hill, Stuart Margolin, and (reprising his Gunslinger role in a dream sequence) Yul Brynner also star. 104 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo. Region Free
This follow-up to the successful 1973 thriller Westworld stars Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner as Chuck Browning and Tracy Ballard, investigative reporters. The team has been dispatched to the expensive theme park Westworld on the remote island of Delos, to find out what caused the park’s robots to go berserk and begin killing the cash customers. They discover that Duffy (Arthur Hill), creator of Westworld, has retooled his park into Futureworld, a supposedly “fail safe” recreational mecca. In truth, he is scheming to replace all of the world leaders with robot clones, the better to take over the globe.