Futureworld

Futureworld
Theatrical release poster
Theme/Genre	SciFi Western
Starring	Peter Fonda Blythe Danner Arthur Hill Stuart Margolin John Ryan Yul Brynner
Directed by	Theatrical release poster
Produced by	Paul N. Lazarus III James T. Aubrey
Distributed by	American International Pictures
Released	July 14, 1976
Preceded by	Westworld

Futureworld is a 1976 American science fiction thriller film directed by Richard T. Heffron and written by Mayo Simon and George Schenck. It is a sequel to the 1973 Michael Crichton film Westworld and is the second installment in the Westworld franchise. The film stars Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner, Arthur Hill, Stuart Margolin, John Ryan, and Yul Brynner, who makes an appearance in a dream sequence; no other cast member from the original film appears. Westworld's writer-director, Michael Crichton, and the original studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, were not involved in this production. Composer Fred Karlin was retained.

The film attempted to take the plot in a different direction from Westworld, but U.S. critics did not receive it well. French critics appreciated the film more, listing it as one of the best science fiction films ever made in Demain la Science Fiction. It was produced by American International Pictures (its predecessor was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which later bought AIP's successor Orion Pictures). A short-lived television series titled Beyond Westworld followed.

Plot

In 1985, two years after the Westworld tragedy, the owners of the Delos Corporation reopened the park after investing $1.5 billion in safety improvements and shutting down Westworld. For publicity purposes, newspaper reporter Chuck Browning and TV reporter Tracy Ballard are invited to review the park.

Just before the junket is announced, Browning arranges to meet with a Delos employee who promises to have dirt on the corporation. During the meeting, the tipster is shot in the back and dies after giving Browning an envelope.

At the resort, guests can choose from four theme parks: Spaworld ("where old age and pain have been eliminated"), Medievalworld, Romanworld, and Futureworld. Browning and Ballard decide on Futureworld, which simulates an orbiting space station. Robots are available for sex as well as amusements like boxing. They are guided through the resort by Dr. Duffy, who shows them the marvels of Delos, demonstrating that all the problems have been fixed.

The reporters are stunned to discover that the Control Center is entirely staffed by robots. That night, their dinners are drugged, and while they sleep, medical tests are conducted so Delos can create clones of them. A visiting Russian general and a Japanese politician are also subjected to cloning tests. Hours later, back in her room, Ballard wakes in a fright, recalling the experience as a nightmare.

Ballard and Browning sneak out to explore the resort's underground areas. They end up triggering a cloning machine, which generates three samurai from the development of an Eastworld park. Just as they are about to be captured by the samurai, a mechanic named Harry saves them. He takes them back to his quarters, where he cohabits with a mechanic robot he has named Clark after Superman's alter-ego. The reporters interview Harry, but they are interrupted by Dr. Schneider and two security officers, and escorted back to their rooms, where they kiss.

The following day, while Ballard tests a Delos dream-recording device (which includes a dream sequence of being saved by, dancing with, and making out with the Gunslinger), Browning slips out to see Harry. Harry takes him to a locked door that he has never been able to enter, although robots routinely access it. Realizing the key is in the robot's eyes, Harry destroys a robot and steals its face. They return with Ballard and open the door. Inside, they find clones of themselves, as well as clones of the Russian and Japanese leaders. The clones are instructed always to work for the good of Delos and to destroy their originals. Browning explains that his tipster's envelope was filled with clippings about leaders from around the world, realizing that Delos must be cloning the rich and powerful.

The trio decides to flee the resort on the next plane. The reporters return to their apartment where Duffy is waiting for them; he explains that by cloning world leaders, they can ensure that nothing harms Delos' interests and that without "proper" guidance, humans will eventually destroy the planet. Cloning the reporters would ensure favorable coverage, allowing people to forget about the Westworld tragedy. Browning attacks Duffy but is easily overpowered by Duffy's unnatural strength. Ballard shoots the doctor twice, and Browning peels back Duffy's face to reveal that he is a robot.

As Harry races to meet up with the reporters, he runs into Browning's clone, who kills him. Ballard and Browning are then chased by their own duplicates, all the while taunting them with details about their lives. Eventually, one of each pair is killed, though which one is left unclear. When they find each other, Browning seizes and kisses Ballard.

In the end, as they leave the resort with the other guests, Dr. Schneider meets them to ensure they are the clones. The reporters confirm they will write positive reviews for Delos, but just as they reach the exit, Ballard's badly injured clone stumbles toward him, and Schneider realizes too late that he has been deceived. On the jetway, Browning tells Ballard that his editor is publishing the exposé on Delos, that the whole world will know what they are up to, and that kissing her was his idea to determine whether or not she was a duplicate.

Dream sequence

​In the 1976 film Futureworld, there's a notable dream sequence involving the character Tracy Ballard, portrayed by Blythe Danner. During this sequence, Tracy dreams of being rescued by the Gunslinger, a character reprised by Yul Brynner from the original Westworld film. In the dream, she dances with and kisses the Gunslinger, creating a surreal and somewhat romantic interlude that stands out from the rest of the film's tone. ​

This dream sequence is often described as campy and has been critiqued for its lack of relevance to the main plot. Some viewers interpret it as a manifestation of Tracy's subconscious desires or fears, while others see it as an attempt to capitalize on Yul Brynner's iconic role in the original film. Despite its ambiguous purpose, the scene adds a layer of psychological complexity to Tracy's character and provides a moment of nostalgia by featuring Brynner's Gunslinger once more.

A Personal Note from Robin

"Bound to a cross, wrists bound while in a corset dress, whip, oh, my!"

Futureworld Dream sequence with Yul Brynner and Blythe Danner

Cast

Wikipedia article: Futureworld Cast

Production

Wikipedia article: Futureworld Production

Release

Wikipedia article: Futureworld Release

External links

• Review Futureworld   at the Internet Movie Database
• Futureworld at AllMovie
• Futureworld at the American Film Institute Catalog
• Review Futureworld at the Turner Classic Movie Database
• Futureworld at Rotten Tomatoes

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