Westworld (1973)

Two Chicago men (Richard Benjamin, James Brolin) are vacationing in a $1,000 a day resort known as Westworld where guests can act out their wild west fantasies with life like robots as gunslingers and saloon girls. But inexplicably the robots begin to rebel against their human counterparts. Directed by Michael Crichton (COMA) in his feature film debut; this clever, almost inspired, premise was influential in several later films like JURASSIC PARK (also written by Crichton) and THE TERMINATOR. Unfortunately, the potential of its tantalizing premise isn't fully realized. While there are two other fantasy resorts as part of the complex (the others being Romanworld and Medievalworld), the film concentrates on Westworld, specifically the robotic gunslinger played by Yul Brynner in a satiric homage to his role in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, rather than the more cinematic carnage in the other two parks. Benjamin is very good as the mild mannered everyman suddenly thrust into a "tables are turned" nightmarish world where he's made a hunted victim. The film seems ripe for a remake if in capable hands. With the lovely Victoria Shaw in her final film role, Dick Van Patten, Steve Franken, Nora Marlowe and Marjel Barrett.