I think this film's lack of availability elevates it stature among fans.

As to the story, I dunno; it is kind of your Phillip K. Dick / Twilight Zone mix of fantasy and Sci-fi. But the main plot element is just too powerful to wield compellingly - that someone's dreams can reshape the entire world unbeknownst to anyone else. There are some interesting twists, but they're not explored enough to be more than garnish. For instance, the story implies that somehow the aliens, once present, transcend George's power, specially communicate with him and indeed reveal some clues in one scene about what his power means, going so far to give him the pivotal '45' record.

Philosophically, I dislike the demonizing of Haber as the one who believes life should have meaning & purpose, and man should move toward progress. Orr, on the other hand, is the hero for his eastern view that life is simply life, with no meaning. In order to make this point, the author simply makes George's power always make matters worse (with one politically correct exception) which to me seemed artificial and contrived within the bounds of George's near infinite power.

Production-wise, though I actually like low-budget films, the lack of funds really shows here. Too many of the details are papered over. I don't expect to see modern quality specialy effects, but I expect to see something more than expressions of people looking out a window. (e.g. seeing the lone alien at a hot dog cart at the end just doesn't portray what the earth would be like with them there.) There is an art to showing without showing, and the moviemakers weren't masters at it.

Tangentially, I enjoy seeing how the authors perceived the future back in the 70s - e.g., lots of flashing lights, austere modern clean buildings, and a near certain destruction of the earth through overpopulation, ecological meltdown, etc. I always chuckle a bit when I see that people have to go into certain rooms to access computers - a far cry from our network-everywhere world today.

-- MattWalsh - 06 Jan 2004