Thanks for the memories!

Pretty Good

It is a performances centric movie

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

When it aired in 1980, I wondered what the heck happened to the promised BNW miniseries with a one-night broadcast that left so much out.Almost three decades later, due to the miracle of the Internet, I saw the entire version as broadcast by the BBC & then bought the DVD. I totally loved it. The cartoonish Gil Gerard Buck Rogers-ish special effects and the superficial characterization, much disdained, totally fit the "soulless streamlined Eden" of the book.Btw, back in 1980, I was fortunate enough to buy the PB tie-in, which I still own.Please put this on official DVD!

Here we are, jolly good fellows of the Balliol College at Oxford making some good old fun of the ever prevalent lack of human substance among the peasantry. "Brave New World" is to the common intellectual that what has been labeled an English national trait in "Trainspotting". You could also liken watching the film to drinking some home brewed apple wine, more prominently known as Soma in the terminology of the Rigveda, a golden stream of delight in the face of those ever smiling Americans and these "I know not what I do" pseudo emancipated university who... cuties, Gammas and Betas that is. If that doesn't sweeten your day, what ever will? Shakespeare quotes perhaps? No? Well, you can't please everyone. Those on the other hand whose eyes already lightened up with the glee of the person who sees its investment finally coming to fruition cannot miss by watching this film, for it was made for them, an almost private and quite definitely guilty pleasure.

This 1980's interpretation of Brave New World, despite the wobbly sets, despite the Buck Rogers style acting, despite the made for television feel, this is an awesome movie. How accurate this movie is to it's source I have yet to discover, but as a sci-fi movie which depicts society, and culture it is perfect, this movie is truly inspiring.As I have mentioned despite this movies more obvious faults, there is essentially a strong narrative running through this movie, the characters are all believable, well played and fitting with the irony of the culture that they represent. One of the most subtle scenes is when John Savage is told he can have what ever he wants to eat by pressing a button on the machine, and he presses the button about four times, then when he is asked why he has ordered so much food, his reply is 'I don't know'. The subtlety of this scene played out in such a extravagant setting is a good example of how well the director and the actors understand Huxley's world. Clearly this movie was made for TV and feels like a mini space drama, but the genius of Huxley's vision is evident on screen.Trying to recreate Huxley's Brave New World is akin to creating a land of Oz governed within Stalinist Russia, I'm sure many directors would find it near impossible to effectively portray the right amount of comedy, tragedy and realism in a adaption of Brave New World, and here we have a fine example of how it can be done.Undoubtedly a good watch, for those who have both read the book, and those who haven't and of course for those who enjoy Science fiction, this is a forgotten movie classic to be enjoyed, so I urge for those who know of its where abouts to go see.

If you haven't read the book, this 1980 made-for-TV rendition will do quite nicely. It strikes the right balance between humour and futuristic melodrama to hold interest but always remain credible. Julie Cobb is hysterical in her supporting role, and Jonelle Allen is wonderful. It does a great job of illustrating Huxley's vision of what could be the future, and its potential downside.