Westworld: A Dream Vacation Gone Wrong

The late Michael Crichton is widely celebrated as an author and filmmaker, having written books like The Great Train Robbery, Sphere, Congo, Rising Sun and Disclosure, all of which were adapted into movies. Of course, he's probably best remembered for his novel Jurassic Park, which was turned into a wildly successful film franchise. But that tale of cloned dinosaurs running amok in an amusement park wasn't the first time that Crichton imagined a story about a technologically advanced theme park where things go horribly wrong.

 

That honor belongs to Westworld, a 1973 film written and directed by Crichton, which tells the story of Delos, an adult amusement complex featuring three separate parks: Westworld, Roman World, and Medieval World. Guests live out their fantasies in these meticulously crafted, simulated worlds, which are populated entirely by sophisticated robots. You can become a gunfighter, a roman lord, or even a knight. in highly realistic scenarios that allow you to become the hero of your own story.

 

Westworld centers on two friends, John Blane and Peter Martin, played by James Brolin and Richard Benjamin, who visit Delos for a vacation. At first, they enjoy their time in the Old West scenario, engaging in bar fights, spending time with beautiful ladies, and triumphing in shootouts with a villainous black clad gunman. What begins as a playful lark quickly spirals into a deadly battle for survival when the robots begin to malfunction, and start wounding, and even murdering the guests throughout the parks. Spoiler Alert: John is killed, and Peter ends up in a relentless battle with the mysterious gunfighter android, chillingly portrayed by Yul Brynner.

 

The film feels remarkably prescient in its celebration of advanced technology being accepted as infallible, then taken a bit too far, too fast, purely for the purposes of profit and entertainment. The robots are marvelous creations, but when they malfunction due to the effects of what appears to be a computer virus, the scientists and staff members of Delos are completely unprepared to deal with the situation. This results in Peter's dream vacation turning into an absolute nightmare. Can he defeat the unstoppable gunslinger? Will anyone survive the robot rampage at Delos?

 

Westworld is an entertaining, thought-provoking film, featuring solid performances by Benjamin, Brolin and Brynner, who deftly channels his Magnificent Seven persona as the gunslinger. You'll also spot familiar faces like Alan Oppenheimer, Dick Van Patten and Majel Barrett in supporting roles. One of the film's technical innovations is that it features one of the earliest cinematic uses of digital image processing to represent the pixelated point-of-view of Brynner's deadly gunslinger robot. The film is also an early example of the techno-thriller, a genre which Crichton re-visited several times throughout his career, in films like Looker and Runaway.

 

The film spawned a sequel, Futureworld (1976), starring Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner as reporters investigating mysterious goings on at a re-opened Delos. Futureworld is an entertaining film, which expanded upon the themes of the original and added a conspiracy thriller angle to the storyline. Neither Futureworld, or a short-lived 1980 TV series on CBS entitled Beyond Westworld included any involvement from Michael Crichton. In 2016, HBO launched a new Westworld  television adaptation of the film, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, re-imagining Crichton's original concept, and updating it for the 21st century. That well-received series, featuring Ed Harris and Evan Rachel Wood, ended its run in 2022.

 

Westworld feels less like old school sci-fi and more like one of the origin points for modern speculative fiction, which includes cautionary tales about the misuse of technology. Crichton didn’t just make a memorable, riveting thriller, he issued a warning about the unbridled acceptance of technology, a message which still resonates today. Westworld was recently issued on 4K and  Blu-ray by Arrow Video, in an extras-packed special edition. Here's a trailer for Arrow's release of the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vezkZIMm74/.

A Different Kind of "Knight's" Tale

George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones novels gained a whole new legion of fans when they were adapted for television by HBO. The series redefined genre television with its cinematic scope, epic storytelling and larger than life characters. The recent prequel series, House of the Dragon, has largely retained the style of the original, but the latest entry in the franchise has a smaller scale, more personal focus in mind.  

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg, tells the story of Ser Duncan the Tall, a "hedge knight" from a lowborn background who's a far cry from the larger than life Targaryens and Starks we're used to seeing in the previous iterations of Game of Thrones. After his mentor dies, "Dunk" travels to a tournament where he hopes to prove himself as a knight. Along the way, he encounters Egg, a young boy who offers to be his squire. The two unlikely heroes become friends, but there are challenges ahead that will test not only Duncan's mettle, but their friendship as well.

Set decades before Game of Thrones, this series trades continent-shaking wars, dragon fire and political machinations for something more intimate and emotional: at its heart, the show is a character study. Ser Duncan, who's earnest, kind, and often out of his depth, anchors the narrative as a decent man trying to live up to a knightly ideal in a less than chivalrous world. His companion and squire, the quick-witted Egg, provides both support and wise beyond his years counsel. Their growing friendship and respect for one another is at the heart of this entertaining series.

Despite the fact that, like its sister shows, some of the high born characters in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are unlikable and often downright villainous, there are people like Dunk and Egg who illustrate that decency and kindness still matter, even in an indecent world. The visual style of the series is a bit different from what we've seen before, as the show leans into providing a street-level view of the Game of Thrones universe. Taverns and tents are dirty and dusty, people are unkempt, and often revel in small pleasures like wild dancing, and singing colorful songs about loose women. There's definitely a more irreverent tone on display here than was featured in Game of Thrones, but it works well within the context of the series.

Peter Claffey as Dunk and Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg have strong chemistry, and they lead a fine ensemble which also includes Daniel Ings as Lyonel Baratheon and Shaun Thomas as Raymon Fossoway. The series was created by Ira Parker and George R.R. Martin, and the directors for the six-episode first season are Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max, and this well-produced, well-acted, character driven tale is worth a look for Game of Thrones fans. The show also might be a good entry point to those new to the franchise. Here's a look at the trailer for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sItUCKJQLTU.

Ponies: Cold War Spies and 70s Rock & Roll

Haley Lu Richardson and Emilia Clarke

Ponies (Persons Of No Interest) is a well-crafted espionage series now airing on Peacock. It's part Cold War thriller, part character drama, and part buddy comedy. Ponies tells the story of Bea and Twila, two women whose husbands are CIA agents based in Moscow. When their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances, Bea and Twila convince Dane, the CIA station chief, to let them investigate their husbands deaths by working as undercover agents. The women are both given jobs  as secretaries at the American embassy, where they work with Dane to figure out what the KGB is up to, and uncover the truth behind their husbands deaths.

Bea (played by Emilia Clarke) is  a college-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants, while Twila (portrayed by Haley Lu Richardson) is a sharp-tongued small-town girl with a fearless streak who often flies by the seat of her pants in difficult situations. The two women begin a rocky friendship as they go on increasingly dangerous missions for Dane. The show is sharp, stylish and visually striking. The series features excellent period detail (the show is set in 1977) and a fine supporting cast, including Adrian Lester and Harriet Walter. 

What really sets the show apart are the fabulous needle drops. All of the episodes in the first season are named after famous 1970s tunes, and each episode features several classic tracks, including songs from artists like Fleetwood Mac, Tom Rush, J. Geils Band, Blondie, J.J. Cale and Vicki Lawrence. The excellent soundtrack features the expected marquee names, such as Todd Rundgren and Heart, but also spotlights more obscure artists like folk rockers Goldberg and selections from beloved cult bands like Love and Fanny. The music choices feel very intentional, as the music is often used to underscore and comment on the action, adding depth and color to important scenes, which turns the show's strong moments into memorable ones.

Ponies is an entertaining spy series featuring excellent performances from Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, who exhibit solid chemistry as Bea and Twila. The entire first season is now available for streaming on Peacock. The show should appeal to fans of 1970s era spy thrillers, and the killer soundtrack will bring back a lot of memories for classic rock fans. Here's a link to the trailer for the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DlukUWtoCU.

 

 

The "Monsters" Aren't From Outer Space

The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street

Recently, I've been doing a re-watch of some of my favorite episodes of the original Twilight Zone series. Rod Serling's groundbreaking television show thrilled and fascinated us with memorable tales of science-fiction, fantasy and horror. The Twilight Zone also taught us some important lessons about the human condition, and commented on the state of the world we live in through its fictional lens. "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” is one of the most powerful and enduring episodes of the series, and its central message remains relevant, especially in these troubling and uncertain times.

The story takes place on Maple Street, a quiet suburban neighborhood, where strange events, such as power outages and malfunctioning electronics, occur after the residents witness a flash of light and hear a loud noise in the sky. The people of the town believe an alien invasion is imminent, and suspect that there are aliens in disguise living among them. Suspicion, fear and paranoia begin to grip the neighborhood, leading to the residents accusing one another of collaborating with the aliens, turning against their friends, and ultimately ending in violence and death.

 

"The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” illustrates how fear can turn ordinary people into their own worst enemies, and how negative emotions bring out the worst aspects of humanity. By the end of the story, the audience learns that the real “monsters” aren't the aliens, but the residents of Maple Street themselves. Spoiler Alert: The twist in the tale is that there really are aliens hiding outside of the town, manipulating events to show just how simple it is to turn human beings against one another, thus making our planet an easy target for conquest.

 

Written by Rod Serling and directed by Ronald Winston, the episode features a strong cast of familiar faces, including Jack Weston, Barry Atwater, Claude Akins and Mary Gregory. A re-imagined version of the story, entitled "The Monsters Are On Maple Street" was produced for the 2002 revival of The Twilight Zone, and starred Andrew McCarthy. "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” is widely acclaimed as one of the best episodes of the original series, and is certainly one of Serling's best efforts.

One of the episode’s greatest strengths is its powerful commentary on fear and mob mentality. Serling's fine script shows just how quickly kindness and empathy disappear when people feel threatened and paranoia reigns. The townspeople abandon logic and reason in favor of pointing the finger at their friends and neighbors, choosing fear over understanding. "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,” which originally aired in 1960, is a bold and bracing commentary on the social and political situations of the Cold War era, but the themes present in this thought-provoking tale still feel very pertinent today.

The Cynz Rock Our World With "Confess"

The Cynz, the dynamic New Jersey rockers whose terrific version of David Bowie’s “Can’t Help Thinking About Me” was a highlight of last year’s JEM Records Celebrates David Bowie tribute disc, are about to blow your mind (and your speakers) with Confess, their fantastic new album, which will be released by JEM Records on January 24. If you’re not already a fan of this amazing band, you’re about to become one.

Confess includes ten tracks highlighted by hard-driving riffs, knockout vocals, shimmering melodies, and skillfully layered arrangements. Take a listen to the kinetic single “Love’s So Lovely” and the sharp-edged “My Father’s Gun” to see just what I mean. Cyndi Dawson’s evocative lead vocals and Henry Seiz’s masterful guitar work are the heart and soul of this incredible band, and they help bring tunes like the modern-rock flavored “Impossible Ending” and “Watching You” brilliantly to life.

What stands out on Confess is how the songs balance the band’s raw rock and roll energy with a real emotional core. The album includes a mix of gritty rockers like “Woman Child” and heartfelt tunes such as “Don’t Give Up.”  I also dig the picturesque “Ghost Rider” and the expressive “Light The Sky.” There’s also a knockout version of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” which fits in nicely with the rest of the tracks on the disc, and has quickly become one of my favorite Petty covers.

The success of the album is firmly rooted in The Cynz’s deep commitment to their music, and their unparalleled talents, especially Cyndi Dawson’s passionate vocals and Henry Seiz’s powerhouse guitar. The excellent production work on Confess is by the one and only Kurt Reil of The Grip Weeds, and the disc features guest appearances by Reil, Tony Shanahan of The Patti Smith Group and Arno Hecht of The Uptown Horns.

Confess is definitely a statement of purpose by this exceptional group. The album is filled with heart, grit, and top notch songcraft. Whether you’re a longtime fan or are discovering The Cynz for the first time, Confess is a must listen and a must have. Here’s a link to check out “Love’s So Lovely,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W38G8XULMXU.

The Top Ten Posts: 2026 Edition

Happy New Year! Here's a list of the most visited posts from Eclectic Avenue for the last 12 months. There are some new entries and old favorites:

1. Dizzyfish: My review of a terrific concert by the amazing local band Dizzyfish is still in the top spot: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2024/06/dizzyfish-rocks-with-best-of-1970s.html.

2. Marvin Etzioni: My look at Marvin Etzioni's excellent 2020 release, What's The Mood of the Country Now? holds onto the number two spot: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2020/11/etzonis-whats-mood-is-exceptional.html.

3. The Tearaways: My review of a wonderful album by The Tearaways moves into the number three spot: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-fabulous-trick-from-tearaways.html.

4. Escape In The Fog: My look back at the 1945 thriller Escape In The Fog makes its debut in the top ten at number 4: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2018/12/will-otto-kruger-escape-in-fog.html.

5. The Magnificent Seven: A long-time resident of the top ten, this look at the 1960 Western classic takes the number five spot on the list once again this year: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2017/04/eli-wallach-vs-magnificent-seven.html.

6. Jacques Tourneur: A look at the work of a celebrated film director moves into the number six slot: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2017/05/jacques-tourneurs-world-of-shadows.html.

7. Nick Piunti: My review of Nick Piunti & The Complicated Men's 2024 disc, Up and Out of It, takes the number seven spot: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2024/10/piuntis-latest-shines-with-power-pop.html.

8. Miracle Mile: A retrospective review of the 1988 film Miracle Mile makes its debut at the number eight spot on the list: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2020/06/miracle-mile-fate-love-apocalypse.html.

 9. The Invisible Ray: Another debut in the top ten is my retrospective review on the Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi thriler, The Invisible Ray: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2017/09/what-is-secret-of-invisible-ray.html.

 10. The Pit and the Pendulum: The fourth post to make its debut in the Top Ten is this review of the classic Roger Corman directed thriller, The Pit and The Pendulum, starring Vincent Price: https://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2020/04/price-poe-and-pit-and-pendulum.html.

This past year, the list of most visited posts leaned a little bit more towards movies, and also towards older posts as well. Bubbling just outside the Top Ten were my review of Popsicle Drivethru, a fabulous album by Monogroove, a concert review of a terrific live show from Early Elton, and a look at the classic Burt Lancaster film The Crimson Pirate. Thanks for reading, as always!

Lez Zeppelin Rocks Out at The Kate

The music of Led Zeppelin continues to enthrall, excite and enchant music fans all over the world. There are several fine Zeppelin tribute bands out there, but one of the absolute best is Lez Zeppelin. This dynamic all female group brought their amazing talents to The Kate in Old Saybrook on Sunday, December 28, and they tore the roof off the place, performing the full set list from one of Zeppelin’s celebrated Earls Court concerts from 1975. To call these fabulous musicians a tribute band does them something of a disservice. Lez Zeppelin doesn’t just play the songs of Led Zeppelin, they inhabit them.

The group’s lineup consists of Dana Athens on vocals, Steph Paynes on guitar, mandolin and theremin, Joan Chew on bass, keyboards and mandolin, and Hillary Blaze on drums and percussion. Throughout the almost three-hour show, each of these incredibly talented women had moments of sheer musical brilliance, and their undeniable chemistry and non-stop energy literally lit up the room. The band breathed new life into tunes like “Kashmir,” “Going To California,” and “That’s The Way,” while retaining the essence that made these songs classics in the first place. 

 

photo by John V

 

Dana Athens channeled the soulful qualities of Robert Plant, while bringing a generous helping of rock goddess energy to her performances, and Steph Paynes proved she could hold her own with Jimmy Page with her incredible guitar work. Joan Chew anchored the band with her terrific bass and keyboard playing, and Hillary Blaze electrified the audience with her epic drumming. Every one of the evening’s knockout performances were infused with raw passion, power, and an ethereal quality that deeply enriched the music. Zeppelin's music features a lot of subtle nuances and intricacies that only the best performers can bring out in a live setting. Lez Zeppelin manages to capture the passion and soul inherent in Zeppelin’s oeuvre, while adding a bit of their own compelling spirit to these remarkable songs. 

 

This unforgettable show was a spectacular reminder of the enduring power of Led Zeppelin’s discography, and a showcase for the phenomenal talents of the members of Lez Zeppelin, whose absolute joy at performing these songs was inherent in every note. The band will be touring in 2026 with shows celebrating the music from The Song Remains The Same, Led Zeppelin’s concert film from 1976. If you'd like to hear some high-energy classic rock, performed with a healthy dose of girl power, I highly recommend checking out Lez Zeppelin. For more info on the band, head over to their website at https://lezzeppelin.com/.