The Final Programme (1973 UK) a.k.a.The Last Days of Man on Earth

Derrick O’Connor (Frank); Gilles Millinaire (Dimitre); Ronald Lacey (Shades); Sandy Ratcliffe (Jenny); Sarah Douglas (Catherine);
Muir, John Kenneth (2013-10-25). Science Fiction and Fantasy Films of the 1970s (p. 173). The Lulu Show LLC. Kindle Edition.

John Muir wrote:Story: Adventurer Jerry Cornelius (Finch) teams up with the techno-mage Miss Bruner (Runacre) to acquire a micro-film from his deceased father, one boasting a scientific secret that could revolutionize the world and mankind. The micro-film is ensconced in Cornelius’s booby-trapped country estate, where his brother Frank (O’Connor) is holding Cornelius’s junkie sister, Catherine (Douglas) hostage. As Cornelius works with Brunner to get the film and rescue his sister, he learns that his ally boasts the unusual ability to absorb the knowledge (and apparently bodies…) of her lovers, and that she plans to use the most advanced computer in the world, Duel , along with the micro-film data to create a completely self-replicating, “self-fertilizing, self-regenerating” hermaphroditic human. And worse, in a secret Nazi underground station in Lapland, Brunner plans to use Jerry as her guinea pig in the bizarre experiment.

Muir, John Kenneth (2013-10-25). Science Fiction and Fantasy Films of the 1970s (p. 173). The Lulu Show LLC. Kindle Edition.

John Muir wrote:Studying The Final Programme today, its primary strengths are its colorful pop visual design, which might aptly be described as “psychedelic chic” and the lead performance by Finch , who proves dashing and entirely in-the-know regarding the satirical aspects of his character. Outside those admirable elements, however, the film makes for a frequently a baffling viewing experience, especially to those unfamiliar with the source material and the character of Cornelius. To put it bluntly, Fuest seems to have directed all of his considerable attention into the admittedly-impressive avant-garde visualizations but given scant thought to the script and how it moves from scene-to-scene, set-piece to set-piece. Absolutely nothing is made clear regarding who the characters are, their relationships to each other, or what motives drive them.

In some sense, the film feels as though it is happening in some alternate universe where the viewer knows none of the rules, history, people, or other details of life. For example, Sterling Hayden appears in just one scene in the film, in the first few minutes, and gives such an odd, over-the-top performance -- right down to a fourth-wall-breaking glare at the camera -- that the movie grinds to a self-indulgent halt. Is Hayden attempting to revive some mirror universe version of his beloved Dr. Strangelove (1964) character? He is introduced with flourishes of grandeur as though he is a main character, but then he never reappears. He furnishes Cornelius a new, kitted-up jet…. which the film never actually shows, either.

Muir, John Kenneth (2013-10-25). Science Fiction and Fantasy Films of the 1970s (p. 174). The Lulu Show LLC. Kindle Edition.