Westworld
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Michael Crichton
Produced by	Paul Lazarus III
Written by	Michael Crichton
Starring	Yul Brynner Richard Benjamin James Brolin
Music by	Fred Karlin
Cinematography	Gene Polito
Distributed by	MGM
Release date(s)	November 21, 1973
Running time	88 min. (theatrical)
Country	US
Language	English
Followed by	Futureworld Beyond Westworld
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Westworld is a 1973 science fiction / thriller film written and directed by Michael Crichton. It stars Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, and James Brolin. It was followed by a sequel, Futureworld, and a short-lived television series, Beyond Westworld. Theatre of Hate is a post-punk band which formed in Britain in 1980. ... Westworld is the only studio album released by Theatre of Hate prior to the bands dissolution in 1983. ... Westworld were a British rock band active in the late 1980s. ... Westworld were an American hard rock band formed in 1998 by vocalist Tony Harnell and guitarist Mark Reale. ... Michael Crichton, pronounced [1], (born October 23, 1942) is an American author, film producer, film director, and television producer. ... Yul Brynner (July 11, 1920[1] – October 10, 1985) was a Russian-born Broadway and Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor. ... Richard Benjamin in July 1986. ... James Brolin (born July 18, 1940) is a two-time Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning American television, film, character actor, producer, and director. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Futureworld was a 1976 sequel to the 1973 science fiction film Westworld. ... Beyond Westworld was a 1980 TV show that carried on the stories of the two feature films, Westworld and Futureworld. ... // Events The Marx Brothers Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Look up Thriller in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Michael Crichton, pronounced [1], (born October 23, 1942) is an American author, film producer, film director, and television producer. ... Yul Brynner (July 11, 1920[1] – October 10, 1985) was a Russian-born Broadway and Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor. ... Richard Benjamin in July 1986. ... James Brolin (born July 18, 1940) is a two-time Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning American television, film, character actor, producer, and director. ... Futureworld was a 1976 sequel to the 1973 science fiction film Westworld. ... Beyond Westworld was a 1980 TV show that carried on the stories of the two feature films, Westworld and Futureworld. ...

Plot summary

The film is set sometime in the near future, in a fictional high-tech amusement park called Delos. The park is divided into three zones: WesternWorld, MedievalWorld and RomanWorld. The entertainment in all three areas consists primarily of interaction by the guests with androids programmed to act in character (the Old West, medieval Europe, and pre-Christian Rome, respectively). The androids are indistinguishable from human beings, apart from minor flaws in their hands, and guests are encouraged to indulge in any fantasy, including killing the androids. The androids are programmed to respond positively to guest requests, specifically including requests for sex. Delos's guests pay $1,000 a day for the experience. Theme park redirects here. ... For other uses, see Android (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Android (disambiguation). ...

Peter Martin (Benjamin) and his friend John Blane (Brolin), who has visited previously, visit the WestWorld zone, where one of the main attractions is the Gunslinger (Yul Brynner), a robot programmed to start duels. Thanks to its programming, humans can always outdraw the Gunslinger and kill it. The guns used are electric six-shooters that can sense when they are pointed at a human being, in which case they will not fire.

Gradually, the technicians running Delos begin to notice problems with the androids. First, the robots in MedievalWorld begin suffering an inexplicable number of systemic failures. Then, a robot rattlesnake strikes Blane. Against her programming, a female servant android refuses a guest's request for sex. The failures increase until the robotic Black Knight kills a guest in a swordfight in MedievalWorld. The resort's supervisors, in an attempt to regain control, shut down power to the entire park. Unfortunately, this results in trapping them in the control rooms, while the robots run amok.

Martin and Blane, who have been passed out drunk after a barfight in WestWorld, wake up unaware that there has been a change for the worse. The two men are confronted by the Gunslinger, who challenges them to a duel. Blane treats the confrontation like a joke, until the robot shoots him. Martin runs for his life as the robot implacably follows him.

Martin flees to the other areas of the park, but finds only dead bodies and damaged robots. He manages to open an access panel to the underground control area, but finds that the resort's technicians have all suffocated since the ventilation shut down. The Gunslinger pursues Martin through the corridors, arriving at the robot repair facility where Martin lies in wait, pretending to be a disabled robot. Martin ambushes the Gunslinger by throwing a beaker of sulphuric acid, found amongst the repair materials, into the machine's face. Thinking he has disabled the Gunslinger, he leaves the service area and enters MedievalWorld. Sulfuric acid (British English: sulphuric acid), H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid. ...

However, Martin is followed by the Gunslinger, whose face has melted but who is still functional, though its visible spectrum optics were destroyed by the acid. The robot can still see Martin, but only via infrared backups, and is confused when he moves in front of several flaming torches, something it would not have been programmed to deal with in WestWorld. The Gunslinger begins to leave the room, but Martin accidentally makes a noise, allowing the Gunslinger to zero in on him again - when it lunges to strike (its electric pistol is exhausted), Martin seizes the opportunity to set fire to it with the overhead torch. Visible light redirects here. ... For the book by Sir Isaac Newton, see Opticks. ... For other uses, see Infrared (disambiguation). ...

Thinking this has destroyed the robot, Martin leaves the burning Gunslinger and wanders out of the great hall, finding a female guest chained up in the dungeon. He releases her and gives her a drink of water, whereupon her face bursts into sparks, revealing she is a machine. Backing away in shock, he is confronted by the still moving burned hulk of the Gunslinger, which continues its attempt to attack him. However it falls off a high set of steps in the process and, finally succumbing to damage, shuts down. The dungeons of Blarney Castle. ...

Production details

The Gunslinger's appearance is based on Chris, Brynner's character from The Magnificent Seven. Both characters wear the same costume. The Magnificent Seven is a 1960 western film directed by John Sturges about a group of hired gunmen tasked with protecting a Mexican village from bandits. ...

In the scene when Richard Benjamin's character splashes "The Gunslinger" (Yul Brynner) in the face with acid, Brynner's face was covered with an oil-based makeup mixed with ground Alka-Seltzer. A splash of water then produced the fizzing effect. Cherry Alka Seltzer Plus Tablet dissolving in water Alka-Seltzer is a name owned by the German Bayer Corporation for a line of medications sold over the counter and taken by means of rapidly dissolving tablets that form an effervescent solution in water. ...

Filming process

The cinematographic process used in this film was anamorphic. This process was first developed in the 1940s, but did not become widely used until the 1960s. The anamorphic cinematographic process employs a lens which films a wider image than other technologies used in filmmaking. Therefore, the aspect ratio of the image imprinted onto the film is larger. When projected, this process provides the viewer with a wider, more natural view of the scene. Anamorphic widescreen is a cinematography and photography technique for capturing a widescreen picture on standard 35mm film. ... For other uses, see Aspect ratio. ...

Computer graphics

Westworld was the first major feature film to use 2D computer generated images (CGI) during scenes showing the point of view of the robotic gunslinger. The first use of 3D CGI in a feature film was Westworld's sequel, Futureworld, in 1976. Computer-generated imagery[1] (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. ... Futureworld was a 1976 sequel to the 1973 science fiction film Westworld. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Information International, Inc., or better known as Triple-I, created the digitized shots of The Gunslinger's point of view for the movie. According to Turner Classic Movies, some of the shots took eight hours to render completely, and many tests were made to get the right look. Information International, Inc. ... Perspective in theory of cognition is the choice of a context or a reference (or the result of this choice) from which to sense, categorize, measure or codify experience, cohesively forming a coherent belief, typically for comparing with another. ... Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. ...

Music

The music in last part of the movie (the pursuit) was created by Fred Karlin.

Sequel

A sequel to Westworld, Futureworld, was filmed in 1976, with only Brynner returning from the original cast to reprise his Gunslinger character. Four years later, in 1980, the CBS television network aired a short-lived television series, Beyond Westworld, expanding on the concepts and plot of the first film with new characters. Its poor ratings caused it to be canceled after only three of the five episodes aired. Futureworld was a 1976 sequel to the 1973 science fiction film Westworld. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... Beyond Westworld was a 1980 TV show that carried on the stories of the two feature films, Westworld and Futureworld. ...

A remake of Westworld is in development as of 2007^[1], and a director is still not attached to the film. Quentin Tarantino was approached as director, but turned it down^[2]. The film has been announced, but has not begun pre-production. The remake was originally speculated to be star vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Michael Crichton and Billy Ray are currently listed as writers on the early screenplay of the film. Quentin Jerome Tarantino (born March 27, 1963) is an Academy Award- and Palme dOr-winning American film director, screenwriter and actor. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German IPA: ; born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, Golden Globe-winning actor, businessman and politician currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... Michael Crichton, pronounced [1], (born October 23, 1942) is an American author, film producer, film director, and television producer. ... William (Billy) Ray began writing television and movies since 1994 with Color of Night and is currently working on the movie Breach. ...

Influence on popular culture

• In 1981, Theatre of Hate had a top 40 hit with "Do You Believe (In the Westworld)."
• In 1985, Colourbox recorded a song titled Just Give 'em Whiskey which sampled dialogue widely from the film.
• Stephen Malkmus's self-titled debut album featured the song "Jo Jo's Jacket," which was partially sung from the perspective of Yul Brynner. It included the lines “Perhaps you saw me in Westworld, I acted like a robotic cowboy”.
• The band Westworld takes their name from the film.
• The Canadian band Valley of the Giants's self-titled debut album is heavily influenced by the movie, with a track called "Westworld".
• In the Simpsons episode "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" (S5Ep20), Westworld is parodied in one sequence. Principal Skinner resembles The Gunslinger as he pursues the truant Bart across a river and up a mountain. Musical scoring similar to Westworld's is heard during the chase.
• The Simpsons episode "Itchy & Scratchy Land" (S6Ep04) makes extensive references to Westworld as the amusement park in the title descends into similar chaos. References include the "theme park of the future" slogan, the mispronounced line of dialogue "where nothing can possibly go wrong," an underground control area, and robots designed for entertainment purposes that turn into uncontrollable killers.
• In the Simpsons episode "Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"" (S10Ep08), Westworld is once again parodied. The opening sequence has the Simpson family go on a tour of a ghost town called "Bloodbath Gulch." The tour includes a stop at "Ye Old Animatronic Saloon" where they interact, sometimes violently, with robotic cowboys and other robotic western-themed characters.
• The music video for Muse's Knights of Cydonia features several references to Westworld.
• In the pilot episode of Welcome to Eltingville, "Bring Me the Head of Boba Fett", during the Trivia-Off a character asks "What was the name of the theme park from Westworld?", it is answered correctly.
• In 2003, the Cartoon Network television series Duck Dodgers aired an episode, "The Wrath of Canasta," in which the title character visits a robot-filled, Western-themed vacation planet where the robots are programmed to always lose gunfights with tourists.
• Director John Carpenter has stated that Yul Brynner's character was an inspiration for Michael Myers in Halloween.
• A Hsu & Chan comic featured a minor amusement park parody along with the appearance of a gunslinger.
• The PC game System Shock 2 features the Westworld movie poster at points during the game.
• Writer-Director Michael Crichton would later use the backdrop of an amusement park based on advanced technology gone wrong in Jurassic Park.
• In an episode of What's New, Scooby-Doo? titled "Go West, Young Scoob", the gang visits an Old West theme park named Cyber Gulch where all the inhabitants are robots. Some of the robots turn evil and cause havoc in the town.

Theatre of Hate is a post-punk band which formed in Britain in 1980. ... Colourbox were an English electronic outfit on the 4AD Records record label in the 1980s. ... Stephen Malkmus (born May 30, 1966 , Santa Monica, California) is an indie rock musician and a former member of the band Pavement. ... Yul Brynner (July 11, 1920[1] – October 10, 1985) was a Russian-born Broadway and Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor. ... Westworld were a British rock band active in the late 1980s. ... Valley of the Giants is a Canadian post-rock supergroup formed in Lanark Highlands, Ontario, Canada, in the winter of 2002. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... The Boy Who Knew Too Much is the 20th episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ... Itchy & Scratchy Land is the fourth episode of The Simpsons sixth season and first aired on October 2, 1994. ... For other uses, see Muse (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Welcome to Eltingville is the name of a comedy cartoon based on the Eltingville stories in Evan Dorkins comic book Dork!. The pilot episode, titled Bring me the Head of Boba Fett, premiered March 1, 2002, on Cartoon Networks Adult Swim programming block; no further episodes were ever... For Cartoon Network outside of the United States, see Cartoon Network around the world. ... Duck Dodgers was an American animated television series based on the classic cartoon short Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century produced by Warner Bros. ... For other persons named John Carpenter, see John Carpenter (disambiguation). ... Yul Brynner (July 11, 1920[1] – October 10, 1985) was a Russian-born Broadway and Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor. ... Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. ... Halloween (film) redirects here. ... Hsu & Chan is a Comic book series created by Norm Scott. ... System Shock 2 (commonly abbreviated SS2 or Shock2) is a science-fiction horror-themed PC game, designed by Ken Levine, that incorporates elements commonly seen in first-person shooters and role-playing games. ... For the feature film based on this book, see Jurassic Park (film). ... Whats New, Scooby-Doo? was the ninth incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo. ...

References

1. ^ Sci-Fi Wire: Billy Ray Talks Westworld Remake, June 2007
2. ^ Hostel 2 DVD commentary track.

Hostel 2 is the upcoming thriller sequel to Eli Roths 2006 film Hostel. ...

External links

• Westworld at the Internet Movie Database
• Westworld at Allmovie
• Westworld at Rotten Tomatoes