What "Ice Station Zebra" was to Howard Hughes, "Gone With the Wind" is to Michele Lee and "Lawrence of Arabia" is to George Takei, 1962's "The Creation of the Humanoids" was, famously, to Andy Warhol: the reported favorite film of a renowned celebrity. As it turns out, however, "Humanoids" is as idiosyncratic and offbeat as was its famous admirer. In it, 92 percent of the Earth's population has been killed off by a 48-hour atomic war, and the so-called "Clickers"--humanoid robots with dozens of varying abilities--have been created to improve mankind's lot. The film centers on a hunky dude named (The) Cragis, a gerontologist by day and a member of the robot-fearing Order of Flesh and Blood by night. Cragis learns that the robots have perfected a method of transplanting a man's essence into a robotic body, fueling his organization's paranoia. But more far-reaching secrets are yet in store....
Anyway, this truly is one bizarre little movie, and I use the term "movie" with reluctance, as that expression implies movement, which this picture most assuredly lacks. If anything, "Humanoids" resembles a filmed stage play, with six or seven discrete acts; really, it would be easily adapted for the theatre. The picture is nothing if not stagy; it is basically all talk, with zero action and almost no motion whatsoever. The actors stand in place and deliver their lines theatrically, while director Wesley E. Barry keeps his camera trained on them. There is hardly a special effect to be had, and the picture looks as if it had cost around $500 to make (but probably cost twice that). That's the bad news. Fortunately, there IS plenty of good. The film is also surprisingly well acted by its relatively no-name cast (the only name I recognized was Dudley Manlove, of "Plan 9 From Outer Space" fame!); Don Megowan as (The) Cragis is particularly good. The script, although a tad dry, nonetheless contains highly challenging philosophical discussions on the nature of man and machine (although not to the degree attained by Data and Picard in "ST: TNG"); it is a refreshingly intelligent film, full of ideas. The look of the picture is also unique, with interesting sets and great use of color; the film FEELS like no other I have ever experienced. Clocking in at 75 minutes, "Humanoids" is compactly told, and features an atmospheric, all-electronic score, a la the great "Forbidden Planet." Though the film bears little resemblance to its supposed inspiration, Jack Williamson's famous novel "The Humanoids" (1949), it is yet a sui generis effort that succeeds in impressing. And where else are you going to find the line "How do you apologize to someone for killing them?"? All in all, an interesting choice, Andy!
Anyway, this truly is one bizarre little movie, and I use the term "movie" with reluctance, as that expression implies movement, which this picture most assuredly lacks. If anything, "Humanoids" resembles a filmed stage play, with six or seven discrete acts; really, it would be easily adapted for the theatre. The picture is nothing if not stagy; it is basically all talk, with zero action and almost no motion whatsoever. The actors stand in place and deliver their lines theatrically, while director Wesley E. Barry keeps his camera trained on them. There is hardly a special effect to be had, and the picture looks as if it had cost around $500 to make (but probably cost twice that). That's the bad news. Fortunately, there IS plenty of good. The film is also surprisingly well acted by its relatively no-name cast (the only name I recognized was Dudley Manlove, of "Plan 9 From Outer Space" fame!); Don Megowan as (The) Cragis is particularly good. The script, although a tad dry, nonetheless contains highly challenging philosophical discussions on the nature of man and machine (although not to the degree attained by Data and Picard in "ST: TNG"); it is a refreshingly intelligent film, full of ideas. The look of the picture is also unique, with interesting sets and great use of color; the film FEELS like no other I have ever experienced. Clocking in at 75 minutes, "Humanoids" is compactly told, and features an atmospheric, all-electronic score, a la the great "Forbidden Planet." Though the film bears little resemblance to its supposed inspiration, Jack Williamson's famous novel "The Humanoids" (1949), it is yet a sui generis effort that succeeds in impressing. And where else are you going to find the line "How do you apologize to someone for killing them?"? All in all, an interesting choice, Andy!