DVD review | The Final Programme (1973) | Robert Fuest’s decorative dystopian sci-fi is a tasty one indeed | Movie Talk | What's on TV

Cult director Robert Fuest’s dystopian 1973 sci-fi thriller The Final Programme makes its UK DVD debut on 7 October 2013.

THE STORY In a futuristic world where war and famine rages, a group of British scientists led by programmer Miss Brunner (Jenny Runacre) plan to create an immortal, self-replicating human being using a super computer. Jerry Cornelius (Jon Finch), a playboy physicist whose late father devised this ‘final programme’, is key to the project’s success. But first he must retrieve the formula from his family’s isolated mansion, which is laden with deadly traps and guarded by his drug-fuelled psycho brother.

THE LOWDOWN This very British black comedy sci-fi thriller from cult director Robert Fuest takes its cues from Michael Moorcock’s seminal 1968 novel of the same name. The film is definitely stylish, but has its flaws, mainly because director Fuest puts most of his energies into the film’s elegant production design rather than capturing the essence of Moorcock’s wild vision. The Final Programme is, however, a decorative delight, sharing the same camera angles, colour schemes and art deco styling that Fuest had used in his two Dr Phibes films starring Vincent Price.

Visuals and retro décor aside, there’s much to savour here – including the hip Beaver & Krause score and the wonderfully OTT performances, especially Hugh Griffith as a Hindu scientist dispensing cryptic advice to Finch’s modern dandy Jerry - who encapsulates the glam period with his wild locks, black nail polish and fashionable Ossie Clark threads.

THE RELEASE The Network DVD release http://youtube.com/v/76woVbd9IdU