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Monday, November 25, 2013

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.

5 comments:

Randall Landers said...

Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist. for the Last Days of Man on Earth.

Nightowl said...

Curious. The link looked correct. I re-linked it. Try it again.

Randall Landers said...

That did the trick. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

GREAT site. Enjoyed reliving my youth while reading the movie list, so thanks!

For years I have been looking for a spy thriller, or maybe a cop thriller where a scientist has invented a gun that shoots spores or something that eats human flesh. I am pretty sure it came about around the time of The Satan Bug and Andromeda Strain, two of my favorite movies.

Anyway, if you can help, great. If not, I still have had a great day on your site.

thingmaker said...

Got that spy thriller with the gun that shoots spores...
"Agent for H.A.R.M" (1966) -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060074/
I remember that showing up on "Creature Features"... with apologies from the host (Was it Bob Wilkins or John Stanley at that point?).