Where to begin? Supposedly based on a story by H.G. Wells, The Shape of Things to Come opens with a narrator informing us that "This is Washington. New Washington. A thriving colony on the surface of the moon..." But it looks like a rented sound stage populated by extras with bad hair dressed in vintage K-Mart disco wear. And it just gets better. The story is set in a time after the great "Robot Wars" when mankind is dependent on a drug, Ridic-2-Q, that protects against radiation poisoning, a constant concern. But when the evil Omus (Jack Palance in a purple cape) takes control of Delta Three where Ridic-2-Q is produced, he uses extortion and acts of violence to blackmail mankind into accepting him as the emperor of the universe. Of course, he didn't count on any serious opposition from Dr. Caball (Barry Morse of The Fugitive and Space: 1999 TV fame) and his renegade band of rebels.
Shot on location in parts of Quebec and Ontario, The Shape of Things to Come is a rock-bottom, no-frills production that looks like it was filmed in a shopping mall. Imagine a threadbare version of Logan's Run (1976) and you've got the picture. What action there is usually involves scads of extras racing up and down antiseptic corridors or frantically pacing back and forth in control rooms where they shout out technical gibberish and stare intently at small computer monitors. Oh yes, we forgot to mention the kamikaze robots who are controlled by Omus. They're big, clunky affairs that are much closer in design to Robby the Robot in Forbidden Planet (1956) than the Star Wars cyborgs. Occasionally they'll blow up something or engage in very slow hand-to-hand combat with a jump-suited extra. On the side of the good is "Sparks," an annoying, Shakespeare-quoting piece of metal that is a sad imitation of R2D2. But the best special effect in The Shape of Things to Come is Mr. Palance who cuts quite a figure in his purple cape and unflattering space-age attire. Not only does he get most of the best lines but he has a great freak-out scene toward the end where he's surrounded by his faithful robot bodyguards. He even gets to appear as a spinning hologram that changes color in one scene. Hollywood veterans like John Ireland and Carol Lynley aren't as lucky and aren't required to do much more than look extremely distressed....and who wouldn't in those clothes?
The DVD edition of The Shape of Things to Come is presented in an anamorphic 1.66.1 transfer and, although slightly grainy with instances of spotting, this transfer probably looks better than the original film did when it was first released in 1979. The Dolby Digital Mono track is acceptable despite some muffled dialogue and a background hiss. But overall, this DVD is a labor of love and connoisseurs of really bad cinema should throw down their purple capes and worship Blue Underground. By the way, the disk extras include the French theatrical trailer, a domestic TV spot and a poster and still gallery.
For more information about The Shape of Things to Come, visit Blue Underground. To purchase a copy of The Shape of Things to Come, visit TCM Shopping.
by Jeff Stafford
