This week on Fabulous Film and Friends we’re maintaining course on our dark path down creepy 70’s sci fi as we explore two trailblazers in the world of robotics and AI: 1973’s Westworld starring Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Dick Van Patten, Steve Franken and Star Trek’s Majel Barrett up against 1975’s The Stepford Wives starring Katherine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson, Tina Louise, Nanette Newman and a whole slew of middle aged men to prove that men can design women better than anybody.
My guests today are series regulars, David Johnson, Roseanne Caputi and Alex Robertson.
Before we roll, the synopses:
Set in a disturbingly near future, Westworld transports rich and lonely swinging singles Peter Martin and John Blane into a theme park /resort called Westworld populated by incredibly life like robots, including a black clad Gunslinger, who inhabit an 1880’s Western town and are there to be shot, fought and screwed to the whims and pleasure of the resort’s guests. But when the robots start to malfunction and go on a rampage against all humans, guess who feels really stupid?
The Stepford Wives tells of the Eberharts, Walter and Johanna and their two daughters who escape the rat race of Manhattan and move to idyllic suburban town of Stepford, Connecticut. It’s a perfect suburban dream for Walter but it turns out to be a nightmare for Joanna when she finds out that all the women are subservient, hard cleaning, perfectly domesticated sex objects for their husbands. The reason? (Spoiler Alert!)
THEY’VE BEEN TURNED INTO ROBOTS!
Which robot movie wins?
Find out!