Paper Man

I'm watching the flick right now. It's fascinating to recall that at the time the flick was made, computers were something very seldom encountered in daily life. Heck, even credits cards like BankAmericard and MasterCharge were only three or four years old. The computer lab is pretty realistic. Sure the computer has waaaaaay more blinky lights than a real one would have and there are two windows behind the computer that are there solely to give it a look of evil eyes. But when the computer students set down to work, they works at teletype consoles!

Four college students (including Stefanie Powers) decide to go on a spending spree when one of them mistakenly receives a credit card for one "Henry Norman" in the mail. When the bank starts to get suspicious and requests "Henry" fill out a background questionnaire (hey, it was the early 70s), the group recruits computer whiz Avery (Dean Stockwell) to create a "real" history for the man in the computer. However, it appears Henry Norman is quite real himself and is angry his credit rating is being ruined so he starts offing the kids via the computer. Engaging TV movie that seems to have been ahead of its time when it comes to computers. Unfortunately, there are two problems. One, the kids are totally unsympathetic and annoying; two, the mystery is pretty dang obvious when you have the five kids whittled down to two and there is only one other character in the story. Still, a fun little computer gone wild flick to enjoy with its big brother COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT (1970).

PAPER MAN was ahead of its time. A computer system ends up taking control over a scam a group of college students start with a stolen credit card. The movie is well acted and well written. Dean Stockwell is very good as the computer expert who first goes along with the con. Of course, for 1971, all the computer stuff is incredibly dated. The "computer" is actually two rooms full of equipment with flashing lights and reel and reel tape, computer cards, etc. Dean Stockwell even has to explain that he is "logging in". So, the dated computer aspect just makes it even more fun but the plot works. It's fun. It's well directed too. Check it out.

I saw this on TV when I was 8; it was incredibly scary then. Saw it years later and marveled at the prescient use of computers and identity theft mixed with s.f. horror that could have appeared in "Ring." And there would be no "Videodrome" without it.

After a credit card is mistakenly issued to someone who does not exist, four college students (Stefanie Powers, James Stacy, etc.) take advantage by using the university's computer to create a fictitious person and partake of the benefits thereof. An introverted computer wiz (Dean Stockwell) helps them get away with it. Then cryptic things start happening. James Olson is on hand as a technician who objects to the proceedings.

"Paper Man" (1971) was initially released to theaters, but quickly pulled and cut by 15 minutes, then released to television as a 75-minute movie. It's a cautionary techno-thriller with bits of horror ahead of its time, predicting a world of computer fraud and identity theft at least 25 years before they came into vogue.

The inspiration for the story was likely taken from the 1969 episode of Journey to the Unknown "The Madison Equation" and maybe "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). But it's different enough to stand on its own and no doubt influenced the future "Demon Seed" (1977). There's an interesting plot twist that I didn't see coming and Stockwell's character is interesting, as are James Stacy's fiery Vietnam vet and Olson's concerned tech.

On the female front, Stefanie appears as a redhead and sure was a looker back then. William Shatner's beautiful raven-haired wife, Marcy Lafferty, also shows up for a brief bit as a secretary in the last act (they were married from 1973-1996).

The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, with the television cut being 1 hour, 15 minutes (I advise seeing the longer version as it fleshes out the characters more). It was shot in Los Angeles.

GRADE: B-/B.