While Michael Crichton is most famously associated with writing , a cinematic classic that launched a progressively declining franchise that makes Billy and the Cloneasaurus appear brilliant by comparison, he was far from a one-hit wonder. His creative influence permeates popular culture: the series ER continues airing indefinitely, his posthumous novel Eruption focuses on a massive volcano, and ranks among the finest sphere-themed films ever produced.
The 1973 film Westworld occupies a middle ground between Crichton’s memorable works (Congo, ) and his more obscure creations (quick, what are Runaway and Looker about?). Having long been eclipsed by HBO’s dense four-season adaptation, and remembered more for its technical innovations than its narrative, Crichton’s story of a malfunctioning robot gunslinger receives new life through a release from Arrow Video.
How Was Westworld Received?
The film earned considerable acclaim for its visual effects and Yul Brynner’s acting, while the storyline received more tempered approval. The narrative follows two visitors to an android-filled amusement park, and Pauline Kale’s “” captures the consensus. Critics like Kale noted the film’s slow build to the robot malfunction, and observed that character development is limited to the protagonists’ desire for violence and vice. As Crichton’s directorial debut, the film occasionally reveals its inexperience.
Brynner, who had transitioned to TV and low-budget westerns, delivered an unforgettable performance as the relentless Gunslinger in black, serving as an obvious precursor to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800. Portraying a believable android is deceptively difficult, yet Brynner’s icy stare is truly menacing. The sequences from the robot’s perspective are also noteworthy; being the first feature to employ computer-generated imagery, animator John Whitney Jr. spent four months using the era’s most powerful computers to create just 151 seconds of robot point-of-view footage.
Why Is It Important to Watch Westworld Now?
The film represents a piece of science fiction history that predates Terminator, Jurassic Park, and modern AI anxiety. While killer robots appeared in cinema prior to Westworld, they seldom seemed realistic; the sheer novelty of their cinematic appearance was sufficient to engage viewers. It’s like discovering Tristan and Iseult for the first time, but for killer robots (so, better)—both stories were eventually eclipsed by their successors, yet they fundamentally influenced vast areas of popular culture.
Understanding why 1970s critics deemed Westworld intellectually stimulating can be challenging, considering their concerns centered on hypothetical tape-driven machines, yet the film’s inquiries into technology’s distortion of entertainment remain strikingly pertinent today. Westworld’s central concept—paying $1,000 nightly for unchecked violence and vice—borders on sociopathic; if such a park existed now, one can easily envision content creators competing to showcase increasingly depraved behavior.
The author posing these questions was already established in 1973, yet Westworld proved crucial in Crichton’s journey toward cultural icon status. Westworld contains the foundational elements of Jurassic Park‘s ethical quandary nearly two decades before Crichton explored scientific ethics through dinosaurs, not to mention his recurring fascination with malfunctioning amusement parks.
While subsequent films have generally improved upon the original, as a frequently neglected chapter of science fiction cinema, Westworld remains deserving of attention. Kale’s closing thoughts included the remark that “The film is O.K., but it might have been marvellous.” Many of its successors achieved that level of excellence.
What New Features Does the Westworld 4K Blu-Ray Have?
In addition to the restoration, Arrow has produced new interviews featuring actors Richard Benjamin and James Brolin, screenwriter Larry Karaszewski, and producer Paul N. Lazarus III, along with a commentary by film historian Daniel Kremer and a featurette with film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. The release also includes archival materials, most significantly the pilot episode of the brief 1980 television series Beyond Westworld. Here’s the full list of features:
- New 4K scan from the original camera negative by Arrow Films
- High-definition (1080p) Blu-ray version
- Restored original lossless 4-channel stereo, 2.0 stereo, and 1.0 mono soundtracks
- Optional 5.1 DTS-HD MA remixed surround sound
- Optional English SDH subtitles
- New audio commentary from filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer
- Cowboy Dreams: a newly recorded discussion between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski
- At Home on the Range: a new video interview with actor James Brolin
- HollyWorld: Producing Westworld: a new video interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III
- Sex, Death and Androids: a new film appreciation by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- On Location with Westworld: archival behind-the-scenes footage from 1973
- Beyond Westworld: the 48-minute pilot episode of the 1980 television sequel series
- Original theatrical trailer
- Stills gallery
- Reversible cover with original and new artwork by Arik Roper
- Collector’s booklet with new essays on the film by David Michael Brown, Priscilla Page, Paul Anthony Nelson, and Abbey Bender
- Double-sided foldout poster with original and new artwork by Arik Roper
- Six postcard-sized art cards