Disc Reviews
Westworld 4k Review
Think of a cosplay amusement park for adults where you can holiday and get right into playing the part of one of three famous historical eras. You don’t have to worry about hurting others, as you are surrounded by androids built to take all the hits you want to give them; but they in turn are not able to harm you. You can even have sexual encounters with them without fear of being rebuffed. It’s a pleasure park most dedicated to what pleasure you want to seek out of the situation. So why not book a spot now and escape from reality and take part in history. That is, until things start to go wrong.
One of the all-time classics of science run amok movies, Michael Crichton’s original film from the 70s has had quite a legacy. Crichton had a bigger hit with his novel Jurassic Park a couple of decades later, which was turned into one of the biggest franchises to date, but the out-of-control amusement park idea he first did back in 1973’s Westworld, and with very little explanation going towards why, only that people die when science turns against them.
The film was adapted into a moderately successful, yet ultimately cancelled, series on HBO, which delved deeper. But it’s nice to see this one get the spit and polish for 4K.
We largely follow park visitors Richard Benjamin and James Brolin, who are holidaying together. For one of them, it is their first time, and they are encouraged to make themselves at home in an uncomfortable world and to really get into the part of gunslinging. Opportunity knocks there when local black-clad bad guy Yul Brynner stomps in and gets in his face. Of course, Brynner is an android, programmed to be this way and to ultimately take the hits from the customers. And he is duly sent back to the lab to then have a fresh coat of paint put on him before being sent back out into the park. And that’s how it works. But behind the scenes, we start to hear word that there are a few inconsistencies happening, and a few minor things start to go wrong, which then escalate.
On the surface, the rules don’t make sense. Of course, not being able to get hurt makes no sense when you end up in a bar fight. Clearly, you’re going to get punched, and the film doesn’t address this sort of violence and its potential aftereffects on guests. And it doesn’t have the time to do so either, the film is just under 90 minutes long, and once things really go wrong and it’s all too late to do anything about it, the last half hour stretch is a prolonged stalking between Brynner and Benjamin.
The casting of Yul Brynner is as much odd as it is genius. An iconic western figure, and a standout look that has him easily identifiable as a robot. This was something not done as well until Arnold showed up in the original Terminator.
The film has been parodied down the decades (see The Simpson’s “Itchy and Scratchy Land” for a very funny rendition of the story), and most notably remade as a semi-successful science fiction show on HBO. Sadly, that one ran amok with itself as well and ended up being cancelled before the proposed final season. Oh, the irony.
The picture quality is good, but there are definitely moments in darker corridor scenes where you can see a lot more noise than normal. This is at least a good indication that the film hasn’t been smoothed out, but it can also be distracting.
The film comes with a decent enough critical commentary. The two heroic lead actors both take part in a new interview, as does the film’s producer.
There is a decent 15-minute video essay on the subject to help pad the package out, and then there is some archival materials, including an episode of the short-lived TV series Beyond Westworld. Nobody really talks about the future of the idea that much – it’s largely all focused just on the material here.
Westworld was an ingenious idea seen through the lens of early 1970s science fiction (which has a lot to answer for in terms of visions of the future when it comes to computers, robotics, fashion and particularly haircuts).
It seems that this edition has come a little later than it probably should have, but it’s nice to see the love and attention it has received. It’s an important part of the science fiction revolution and a very strong argument within the sub-genre of science out of control, an argument that remains prevalent today. So, there is no reason to ignore this if you don’t own it already.
Steven Hurst
4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original restored lossless 4-channel stereo, 2.0 stereo, and 1.0 mono audio options
• Optional remixed 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer
• Cowboy Dreams, a newly filmed conversation between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski
• At Home on the Range, a brand new video interview with actor James Brolin
• HollyWorld: Producing Westworld, a brand new video interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III
• Sex, Death and Androids, a brand new appreciation of the film by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• On Location with Westworld, an archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film from 1973
• Beyond Westworld, the 48-minute pilot episode of the 1980 follow-up television series
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
• Collectors’ perfect bound booklet featuring new writing on the film by David Michael Brown, Priscilla Page, Paul Anthony Nelson, and Abbey Bender
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roperhttps://library.iterable.com/3110/20487/445646dbb1174d9a8bc050ec55348036-ipm-4.png
• Six postcard-sized art cards
Westworld is out on 4K Blu-Ray February 23rd