Brave New World

When it aired in 1980, I wondered what the heck happened to the promised BNW miniseries with a one-night broadcast that left so much out.

Almost three decades later, due to the miracle of the Internet, I saw the entire version as broadcast by the BBC & then bought the DVD. I totally loved it. The cartoonish Gil Gerard Buck Rogers-ish special effects and the superficial characterization, much disdained, totally fit the "soulless streamlined Eden" of the book.

Btw, back in 1980, I was fortunate enough to buy the PB tie-in, which I still own.

Please put this on official DVD!

This 1980's interpretation of Brave New World, despite the wobbly sets, despite the Buck Rogers style acting, despite the made for television feel, this is an awesome movie. How accurate this movie is to it's source I have yet to discover, but as a sci-fi movie which depicts society, and culture it is perfect, this movie is truly inspiring.

As I have mentioned despite this movies more obvious faults, there is essentially a strong narrative running through this movie, the characters are all believable, well played and fitting with the irony of the culture that they represent. One of the most subtle scenes is when John Savage is told he can have what ever he wants to eat by pressing a button on the machine, and he presses the button about four times, then when he is asked why he has ordered so much food, his reply is 'I don't know'. The subtlety of this scene played out in such a extravagant setting is a good example of how well the director and the actors understand Huxley's world. Clearly this movie was made for TV and feels like a mini space drama, but the genius of Huxley's vision is evident on screen.

Trying to recreate Huxley's Brave New World is akin to creating a land of Oz governed within Stalinist Russia, I'm sure many directors would find it near impossible to effectively portray the right amount of comedy, tragedy and realism in a adaption of Brave New World, and here we have a fine example of how it can be done.

Undoubtedly a good watch, for those who have both read the book, and those who haven't and of course for those who enjoy Science fiction, this is a forgotten movie classic to be enjoyed, so I urge for those who know of its where abouts to go see.

This is naturally a low-budget TV version, but it's long enough to go into the themes of the book in some depth, and follows the plot and dialogue accurately enough. It gives the impression of a theatre version really, with the cheap sets and costumes: or maybe the original Star Trek is closer to it, with the pyjamas. So you never forget that it's an adaptation of a novel; which I realise must be a problem for those expecting Blade Runner or something. I thought everyone did a commendable job on this given the limitations of the budget, and while it's not great cinema, it captures the spirit of Huxley's work, and in particular it was nice to hear the Shakespeare quotations very nicely done.

As others have said, this 1980 version of "Brave New World" is far superior to the 1998 version. But what nobody has mentioned, probably because they aren't even aware of it, is that the 1980 film exists in 2 different versions.

This was originally produced as a 2-part mini-series, running 4 hours (including commercials). But at the last minute, NBC chopped it down to fit into a 3-hour time slot. Allowing for commercials, this means that more than half an hour was removed. When it was later aired on the BBC in England, it ran in its original full length, 2-part form.

There are many collectors offering copies of this movie via the IMDb message boards, or eBay. Before buying, I suggest you ask which version they have. (I can personally recommend the copy offered by "deaks".)

If you haven't read the book, this 1980 made-for-TV rendition will do quite nicely. It strikes the right balance between humour and futuristic melodrama to hold interest but always remain credible. Julie Cobb is hysterical in her supporting role, and Jonelle Allen is wonderful. It does a great job of illustrating Huxley's vision of what could be the future, and its potential downside.