Final Programme, The (4K UHD Review)
Director
Robert FuestRelease Date(s)
1973 (March 31, 2026)Studio(s)
Goodtimes Enterprises/Gladiole Films (Severin Films)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: A-
- Audio Grade: B+
- Extras Grade: A
Review
Describing 1973’s The Final Programme (released in the United States by New World Pictures as Last Days of Man on Earth) should be considered a silly endeavor, but let’s give it a try. Though sourced from a well-received and respected novel by Michael Moorcock, it feels like an amalgam of eccentric 1970s science fiction cinema, juncturing somewhere in between A Clockwork Orange, Zardoz, and The Andromeda Strain. Its source was a considered a form of “counterculture” science fiction, the kind that relied less on spaceships and monsters, and spent more time examining the human condition in strange worlds and time periods. The film certainly didn’t light any fires anywhere in the forest when it was released, in fact it was considered a failure, but many look back on it with a great fondness and find more about it to admire than not.
In a dystopian future, Jerry Cornelius (Jon Finch) is a wealthy playboy who, upon the recent death of his father, a respected scientist, is questioned by his father’s colleagues about his private designs for a secret computer project called “The Final Programme.” Among those seeking out these plans is Miss Brunner (Jenny Runacre), who has an unspecified interest in the program and literally consumes her lovers and their abilities. She and the scientists meet Jerry at his father’s house, where his uncooperative brother Frank (Derrick O’Connor) has set off various alarms and booby traps to keep them from finding the plans and retrieving his and Jerry’s sister, Catherine (Sarah Douglas). As Jerry attempts to break in and rescue her, we soon learn that Miss Brunner is a part of “The Final Programme,” which will combine the bodies of a man and a woman into a perfect hermaphroditic being, and Jerry has unknowingly been chosen to be half of it. The rest of the cast includes Ronald Lacey, Sterling Hayden, Hugh Griffith, Graham Crowden, George Coulouris, Basil Henson, Harry Andrews, Patrick Magee, Sandy Ratcliffe, and Julie Ege.
Most of the filmmakers behind and fans of The Final Programme are baffled by why it was so rejected upon its initial release, but living in a world where queer identity, even if it isn’t specifically underlined, won’t be accepted by everyone. Look no further than the fact the original poster was being ripped down almost as soon as it went up, which featured an impressionistic half man and half nude woman design. That should be clear as day for you. Despite some of its dry humor, there’s also an obtuseness to the film, and each of these aspects are specific wavelengths that not everyone can ride, even if the preceding novel was a popular read at the time.
The most appealing facets of the film are in its look and its characters. Robert Fuest, who had just directed both Dr. Phibes films prior, puts his own personal stylistic touches on it, despite not having a large budget to do so. The majority of the film takes place indoors, with only a couple of key sequences shot outside, and in one case, Almería, Spain where many Italian Westerns were filmed. Jerry Cornelius’ Jim Morrison-esque sex appeal and dandy bravado matched with Miss Brunner’s devilish but beautiful, come-hither qualities are a dynamite screen pairing in and of themselves. They’re both magnetic and keep you engaged, even if the intricacies of the plot and occasional technical jargon can get a little thick.
The Final Programme was also infamous for the fact that its author, Michael Moorcock, openly hated the film, despite appreciating specific things about it and not the overall product. Among his many issues with it, he wasn’t happy with the alteration of the ending. Knowing what’s in the original text, the ending is, more or less, a slap in the face to not just the book, but everything that film has been leading up to. It’s a far more cynical take that gives its characters and its world no hope for humanity. It also undermines the idea of creating the “perfect being”, coming across more as transphobic, which Moorcock definitely felt was the film’s largest problem.
Nevertheless, The Final Programme is still a fascinating science fiction yarn. The character of Jerry Cornelius was used many more times by Michael Moorcock in his other books, and according to actress Jenny Runacre, there were brief talks of sequels had the film done well. Sadly, it did not, and one does have to wonder where they would have taken things with the ending that we actually got. But seeing this world fleshed out more would have been interesting. After all, “It’s a tasty world.”
Cinematographer Norman Warwick shot The Final Programme on 35mm film with spherical lenses. The results were finished photochemically and framed theatrically at the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Severin Films debuts the film on Ultra HD in the U.S. with StudioCanal’s 4K scan of the original camera negative, which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 only, and encoded to a triple-layered BD-100 disc. It’s a very organic picture that has some minor flaws, such as speckling and leftover emulsion damage that likely couldn’t be repaired without resorting to other materials, but it’s ripe with detail and a high bitrate that sits in the 80 to 100Mbps range for the most part. Opticals can be soft, but they’re inherent to look of the film, as is the heavy grain, which is handled well enough, even though some skylines and shots outside of windows can get a little busy. It’s a sharper and clearer picture with boosted hues and more even contrast, thanks to the HDR pass. Flesh tones are attractive and the various hues within the oversized pinball club and the old Cornelius homestead have a newfound richness to them. Blacks are deep and the picture is stable throughout. It’s heads and tails above previous incarnations.
Audio is included in English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s an excellent soundtrack that offers terrific support for the various sound effects and music. Dialogue is strong, though it’s not always discernible due to the performances. There’s also a very minor digital hiccup at 30:05 that lasts for about a second, but it’s an otherwise solid track.
Severin Films’ 4K Ultra HD release of The Final Programme is a 2-Disc set containing a 1080p Blu-ray, with both discs sitting in a black Amaray case with artwork by Jacob Rolfe. Everything is housed in a rigid hardbox slipcase featuring Mal Dean’s artwork from the original novel’s hardcover first edition in the U.K. This is a Limited Edition release of 3,000 units only, and the following extras are included on each disc:
DISC ONE (UHD)
- Audio Commentary with Andrew Nette
- Audio Commentary with Robert Fuest, Jenny Runacre, and Jonathan Sothcott
- U.S. Trailer (Upscaled SD – 2:43)
DISC TWO (BD)
- Audio Commentary with Andrew Nette
- Audio Commentary with Robert Fuest, Jenny Runacre, and Jonathan Sothcott
- A Brighter Apocalypse: Michael Moorcock on Jerry Cornelius and The Final Programme (HD – 33:20)
- Performance Independent: Producer Sanford Lieberson on His Illustrious Career (HD – 30:43)
- From Pythons to Programmes: A Conversation with Producer John Goldstone (HD – 25:02)
- Programmer of Immortality: Jenny Runacre in Conversation with Kier-La Janisse (HD – 21:18)
- Dark Moons and New Worlds: James Riley on the Work and Influence of Michael Moorcock (HD – 36:42)
- Androgynous Android (HD – 12:44)
- Jenny Runacre on The Final Programme (HD – 11:10)
- A Feast of Fuest: Kim Newman on Robert Fuest and The Final Programme (HD – 14:10)
- Italian Title Sequence (Upscaled SD – 2:23)
- U.S. Trailer (Upscaled SD – 2:43)
- U.S. TV Spot (HD – :33)
The first commentary features Andrew Nette, co-editor of the book Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985. It’s a highly informative track as Nette takes us through the history of the production while highlighting specific moments from it, makes comparisons to the original novel, delves into the careers of the main cast and crew, and offers a summary of various radicalized science fiction works of the era. The second track is an archival commentary from 2001 featuring Robert Fuest and Jenny Runacre, moderated by author and film historian Jonathan Sothcott. There are some gaps in between Sothcott asking questions and Fuest and Runacre giving their answers, but both are more than game and bring their memories of the experience to the fore with lighthearted but informative replies. It’s a very nice track if you can put up with the gaps, but do keep in mind that this is the only extra with Robert Fuest on record talking about the film at all, which makes it invaluable.
In A Brighter Apocalypse, author Michael Moorcock discusses British rock bands and the tumultuous events of the era that influenced his novel; getting inspiration from the works of William S. Burroughs, Samuel Beckett, and Boris Vian; creating the character of Jerry Cornelius based upon himself and his generation; seeing a man on the street who ended up looking like Jerry; submitting the novel for publishing and being rejected; the book’s celebration of transgender and queer individuality; realizing that most writers write about the same characters over and over again, including himself; being labeled a science fiction writer; his dislike of the film and being depressed by it upon his perceiving it to be homophobic; disagreeing with Robert Fuest’s approach; being friends with Jon Finch long before the film; re-writing the script and it being ignored by Fuest; his appreciation of the cast; the critical assumption of the film’s tone; befriending Hawkwind and wanting them for the soundtrack; having troubles with British unions at the time; his writing of The Great Rock ’n’ roll Swindle novel tie-in; other books featuring Jerry Cornelius; and wanting Jerry Cornelius stories to reflect the time that they’re written in.
Performance Independent features an interview with producer Sanford (or Sandy) Lieberson who discusses his transition from agent to film producer; working with the troublesome Peter Sellers and his other various clients; establishing Goodtimes Enterprises and the kinds of films that the company produced; becoming aware of Michael Moorcock and his work; developing The Final Programme and hiring Robert Fuest; the outstanding cast; having some problems with Robert Fuest on the set; casting Jon Finch, and mentioning his departure from Alien when he was cast in that; using Beaver & Krause with Gerry Mulligan instead of Hawkwind for the film’s score; being disappointed in the reactions to the film; showcasing Allen Jones’ original poster and the negative reactions to it; audiences’ confusion over the title; making Lisztomania and Jabberwocky; working for 20th Century Fox in Europe and being a part of the counterculture unknowingly; how proud he was of working with Alan Clarke on Rita, Sue and Bob Too; his advice for young producers; and getting involved with the home video market.
From Pythons to Programmes interviews producer John Goldstone who talks about his early career working with John Schlesinger; becoming friendly with the Monty Python troupe early on in their TV days before becoming a producer on their film projects; developing The Rocky Horror Picture Show and working with fellow producer Michael White; meeting Sanford Lieberson; living in post-war Britain and how it affected young artists; a changing of the times when it came to making movies in Britain; getting The Final Programme together; praising Robert Fuest’s work and the film’s various cast members; getting the most out of very little when working low budget; having to shoot in Spain at the last minute; the EMI marketing department not understanding the poster; and the follies of having to premiere films in theaters exclusively in those days.
Programmer of Immortality is a Zoom call between Jenny Runacre and Kier-La Janisse, author of House of Psychotic Women. In it, Runacre discusses working with John Cassavetes; the controversies surrounding the play Oh! Calcutta! that she had appeared in; being cast in The Final Programme after appearing in Hammer’s The Creeping Flesh; her stylings and costumes in the film thanks to costume consultant Marit Allen and costumer John Bates; her appreciation of Robert Fuest and his talents; the problems with the ending; becoming more creative artistically later; being friends with the Sex Pistols; appearing in the stage play The Ghost Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore; and publishing her upcoming book.
Dark Moons and New Worlds features an interview with James Riley, author of The Bad Trip: Dark Omens, New Worlds and the End of the Sixties. In it, he discusses the history and influence of Michael Moorcock, the unorthodox science fiction genre as it was being written at the time, and the many ideas that it triggers. Androgynous Android is a video essay by costume historian Elissa Rose who talks about the film’s fashion as it relates to the fashion of the era, and the impact that identity, particularly queer and nonconformist identity, had on it.
Jenny Runacre in a 2022 interview discusses how much he enjoyed working on the film, where her career was at the time she made it, and not understanding why the film didn’t have a bigger audience when it was initially released. In A Feast of Fuest, author and film historian Kim Newman speaks about Robert Fuest’s career and his love and appreciation of The Final Programme, lamenting that it didn’t do well and that Fuest didn’t make many films after. Last is the Italian Title Sequence featuring the title Alpha-Omega: Il principio della fine, and a U.S. trailer (cut by Joe Dante) and TV spot, both featuring the title Last Days of Man on Earth.
Not carried over from the 2023 Studio Canal Region B Blu-ray release are the U.K. and Italian trailers for the film, while the 2013 Network Region 2 DVD release features an open matte version of the film, an image gallery, and the film’s pressbook as a .PDF file via DVD-ROM. Also absent is a Trailers from Hell commentary by filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat.
Severin’s release of The Final Programme is definitely the best when it comes to picture quality. It’s also a loaded package when it comes to extras, though no distributor has yet to include the U.S. cut of the film on home video since its VHS and LaserDisc days. It’s inferior, of course, but having it preserved for comparative purposes would make this release that much better. Regardless, this is still the finest edition of the film on optical disc available. Highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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