1974

This year saw a large number of sci-fi films released. It was also the year of the last SkyLab mission, and the year that India joined the “Nuclear Club” of nations. 70s-style anxiety continues to motivate film makers and audiences.

Below are the sci-fi films of 1974, in roughly chronological order.

The Last Days of Man on Earth — Based on a Michael Moorcock story, “The Final Programme”, about creation of an Übermensch.

Zardoz — Future dystopia of mankind split into effete elites and labor class. Sean Connery stars as Zed, the human that exposes the false god: Zardoz.

The Questor Tapes — A Gene Roddenberry creation of an android given sentience by mysterious tapes from a Dr. Questor. He turns out to be more than just an android.

Dark Star — A student film by John Carpenter. A dark comedy of a planet clearing crew in the lonely isolation of space and a self-aware nuclear bomb.

Planet Earth — Second attempt by Roddenberry to get a television series on his Genesis II premise. Picks up the same story thread sometime later.

Digby: Biggest Dog in the World — Another small-thing-big heart-warming comedy of a sheepdog made huge by secret space serum.

Moonchild — A convoluted quasi-New Age tale of Deja’ vu, reincarnation and Hotel California story of a young man's encounter with allegorical characters of good and evil. (mostly evil)

Chosen Survivors — Just before nuclear armageddon, a group of semi-random citizens are put in a deep bunker. Trouble is, a flock of crazed vampire bats live down there.

Terminal Man — George Segal stars as a mentally-ill killer to reformed via computer implants. The process did not account for the adaptable human mind.

UFO: Target Earth — A low-budget film about a man’s search for a UFO hiding in a mountain lake.

Invasion: UFO — Feature film created from episodes of British TV series UFO, the work of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.

Phase IV — A planetary alignment causes Earth’s ants to become collectively sentient. They set about subjugating mankind in phases.

It’s Alive — A mother gives birth to monster baby that kills when frightened. It escapes the hospital, eluding searchers, some with ulterior motives.

The Stranger Within — Barbara Eden becomes mysteriously pregnant with what turns out to be an alien baby. She is not alone.

Where Have All The People Gone — Peter Graves stars as a father who survives (along with his son and daughter) a solar flare that turns people into powder.

Invasion From Inner Earth — An obscure, low-budget tale of aliens, dormant for centuries beneath the earth, rising to spread a killer virus.

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