Finally The Final Programme

Finally got my hands on Robert Fuest's adaptation of Michael Moorcock's The Final Programme this week, and have watched it tonight.

I've previously blogged about the film, also known as The Last Days Of Man On Earth Here to mark the passing of Fuest and to highlight the petition to get an official DVD on sale again once more.

I'd read the book many moons ago and found it baffling, bizarre, frustrating but still fun, enjoyable and fascinating nonetheless.

Quele surprise, the film is the same. Moorcock however feels differently and disowned it, calling Fuest 'a crap director'. This I think is greatly unfair; Fuest has a superb visual style and is in tune with the nature of the novel and the characters. As such his take on the Jerry Cornelius saga, part sci fi, part Bond, part satire is spot on because the novel is pretty much unfilmable. 

The first half of the film is the best, seeing Cornelius attempt to rescue his sister/lover from the clutches of his nemesis brother in the ancestral seat. It's the chapter I remember the most from the book too. The rest of the film does rather descend into barely comprehensible silliness, but it still holds the attention...and then there's that ending! *blinks*

Great cast led by Jon Finch who is great as Jerry (Future Bond Timothy Dalton-amazingly- and Mick Jagger having turned it down; Mick claiming the script 'too weird' which I don't buy as I'm sure Mick was a fan of Moorcock's novels) Jenny Runacre as Miss Brunner and the legendary Graham Crowden as Dr Smiles. There are also turns from Hugh Griffith, Harry Andrews, Ronald Lacey, George Coulouris, Patrick Magee, Sterling Hayden, Julie Ege and, in her first film role, Sarah Douglas as the incestuous Catherine.

It's a film with wonderfully kooky witty dialogue too that enticingly suggests how alternate this reality is. A prime example is in this scene with Julie Ege's Miss Dazzle and JC...

Miss Dazzle: Do you know Rome at all?

Jerry: We've met

Miss Dazzle: I love it

Jerry: Doesn't seem the same without The Vatican though does it?

Miss Dazzle: Mmm. I like the new place better

So, splendid visuals, great actors, sublime fashions, witty sparkling dialogue and a chocolate digestive chomping hero....what's not to like?