The Final Programme — The Final Programme(Blu Ray)
The Final Programme is a decidedly unbalancing ‘n’ unpredictable 1970s Sci-fi film. It’s based on a Michael Moorcock novel, and plays like an acid-soaked take on The Avengers, via the cryptic thoughtfulness of The Prisoner. Here from Studiocanal is a new Blu-Ray release of the film- featuring a new scan of the picture, and a few extras.
The Final Programme (aka The Last Days of Man on Earth) appeared in the year 1973, and was an English production filmed in the UK and Spain. It was directed by Croydon-born Robert Fuest, adapted from a 1965 Michael Moorcock novel of the same name- which was the first book in the Jerry Cornelius series, that took in four novels, four novellas, and a selection of short stories.
Fuest’s Career took in a good mix of genre films such as And Soon The Darkness (1970), The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971), its sequel Dr Phibes Rises Again (1972), and The Devil's Rain (1975). And helming episodes of UK TV series like The New Avengers, C.A.T.S. Eyes, and Worlds Beyond. So he was the perfect director to try & bring a Moorcock novel to the screen, and while The Final Programme has a few issues- jarring shifts, and darting plot lines, it's an enjoyable tripped-out sci-fi romp.
The film is centred around Jerry Cornelius(John Finch)-a foppish black gloved and thrilly shirt-wearing son of Nobel Prize-winning father, billionaire physicist who is been burnt in a roadside funeral as the credits roll. Also at the funereal is greying scientist Dr Smiles (Graham Crowden), who is keen to get hold of the microfiche in Jerry fathers mansion, which has the formula for making a perfect self-replicating human being.
As the film unfolds, we follow the chocolate biscuit nibbling & whisky swigging Jerry paying visits/interacting with various quirky characters. Then he, Dr Smiles & a selection of hatted elderly gents make the way to his father's mansion- which is guarded by all manner of psychedelic traps & puzzles. We get flights & gunplay between Jerry, and Frank(Derrick O'Connor) his more scurfy bowl-haired brother. Before heading to an underground bunker, to see if the microfiche formula can be figured out.
The film blends quirky and trip-dipped adventure fare, debates about reality and the end of time, double crossings, man-sized pinball, literal brainwashing, and more than a few dwells in inversed acid-tinged imagery. The film plays just under the one-hour-and-a-half mark, and it really is an unpredictable & largely entertaining ride.
Moving onto this new Blu-Ray- and we get a lovely new print of the film, which is bold and bright- really heightening both the more trippy & action-bound elements. On the on-disc extras side we get two things- an on-screen interview with actress Jenny Runacre(11.05) who talks with fondness of working on the film, and we find out that there had been around five more Moorcock films were planned with a recurring cast- those these never came about, as Moorcock didn’t like the film. Next, there’s A Feast Of Fuest ( 14.03) which finds the always worthy genre expert/ author Kim Newman- discussing the career of director Robert Fuest- going from his production designer work, to his work as a director- discussing all his films, but of course with a prime focus on The Final Programme. He talks about his personal love for the film, which he went to see when it briefly played in UK cinemas- discussing the film's stylish but rather useless hero, great subtle jokes, and general vibe of the film. So, two most interesting/ worthy extras. Lastly, we get an Italian title sequence, and the original trailer. The finished Blu-Ray release comes presented with six art cards.
It certainly is wonderful to get this new release of this very trippy sci-fi romp of a film. With a wonderful new scan of the picture and a small, but perfect selection of extras. Such a pity that there were never more Moorcock films from Fuest & co, as it would have been great to see where they would have gone next.