Space: 1999 (1975) – Breakaway, and Force of Life

After Star Trek, but before Star Wars, Gerry Anderson, who was responsible for such series as UFO, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Fireball XL5 took viewers around the world on an exploration of space, all on our planet’s own moon – which was jolted out of orbit by a nuclear explosion! Playing a little more cerebral…

Tommy (1975) – Ken Russell

As I dig into the recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Grease, I got rather excited about what I would see, and if there would be anything I hadn’t screened before. In fact there was. The Who’s Tommy. Playing like an experimental film that is undeniably…

The Stepford Wives (1975) – Bryan Forbes

  Katharine Ross headlines in William Goldman’s adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel, which is the next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Ross is Joanna Eberhart, a smart, beautiful woman, who is much put-upon by her husband, Walter (Peter Masterson), who wants his wife to be more ‘ahem’ traditional. Packing up the family, they leave…

A Boy and His Dog (1975) – L.Q. Jones

  Harlan Ellison’s classic novella comes to life in this adaptation that is my next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Vic (a very young Don Johnson) is wandering the post-apocalyptic world, accompanied by his dog, Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire), with whom he can communicate telepathically. Together they navigate the barbarity, the cruelty and…

Rollerball (1975) – Norman Jewison

James Caan mumbles his way through this entry on the 101 Action Movies list under Norman Jewison’s guidance working from a script by William Harrison (based on his own short story). In a dystopian future when corporations have replaced governments (so you know, sometime around now), the game of rollerball is the only release for…