Toomorrow

One of the first films I went to see on my own (in 1970), at the tender age of 14. Well into the synth music of the time, a short piece on TV pushed me to go and see it.

I understood RCA had a number of legal problems with it and thought it would never see the light of day again. However, I managed to obtain a copy of the sound track some 25 years later, but would still love to see the original film again.

Rating Breakdown: Story - 1.00 :: Direction - 1.50 :: Pacing - 1.25 :: Performances - 1.50 :: Entertainment - 1.25 :::: TOTAL - 6.50/10.00.

Imagine if 2001: A Space Odyssey threw on a paisley shirt and jammed with The Beatles, and you'll have some idea of the delightfully oddball charm of Toomorrow. Written and directed by Val Guest, this 1970 sci-fi romp is as groovy as it is inventive. A band of musicians creates a new electronic instrument whose vibrations attract a peaceful alien race. These extraterrestrials, long bereft of pleasure, discover that the band's music gives them a sensory buzz.

Guest's direction is sharp, crafting visually striking scenes that balance humour, wit, and an undercurrent of sci-fi wonder. The special effects may show their age, but they're brimming with creativity, from the crystalline alien spaceship to the moment an alien casually steps out of his human skin suit.

Olivia Newton-John, in one of her earliest roles, shines as the band's frontwoman, while Roy Dotrice and the rest of the cast bring infectious energy and charm to their roles. The interplay between the band members is a joy to watch, crackling with wit and camaraderie.

Though the third act drags slightly, Toomorrow remains a sunny, feel-good sci-fi adventure, complete with a 60s soundtrack that's guaranteed to lift your spirits. It's a hidden gem that's well worth discovering.

Like many Olivia Newton-John fans, I sought out TOOMORROW to catch an early film performance by Olivia (and also because I enjoy seeking out "lost movies"), and while the film is certainly lightweight and contrived I'll admit I enjoyed watching it. The concept here was to take a prefabricated rock group (sort of a British take on The Monkees), inject a sci-fi story line and tie everything together with a groovy pop music soundtrack (with the requisite soundtrack LP and singles). History has told the story: the "aliens desperately looking for new musical vibes" plot was way out there, the tunes were too lightweight and the resulting film opened and closed quickly then promptly disappeared. Despite all that TOOMORROW is still worth viewing for those fortunate enough to come across it. Olivia is absolutely charming here as a college student/band member, and while she later admitted in interviews that she literally resorted to shouting in order to project her voice it really doesn't detract from her performance or the film. Her interaction with her bandmates is lighthearted and carefree. The music is pretty much by-the-numbers pop bordering on bubblegum (perhaps Don Kirshner leaned a little too close to his musical creation The Archies here) and it's a bit of a stretch imagining an alien race finding just the thing they're looking for in these tunes. Hugo Montenegro's musical interludes are definitely dated but they're in context with the time and setting, and the special effects are also decent considering the age of the film. There's also an amusing bit of light farce when a female Alphoid named "Johnson" is summoned "to seduce Vic Cooper"; problem is, Johnson apparently wasn't informed as to which one was Vic Cooper and her crash course in the art of seduction came from viewing a couple of nudie flicks. I'll concur that while TOOMORROW isn't exactly top-rate, it's worthy entertainment (if approached with the mindset of a "midnight movie") and it certainly deserves to be rescued from obscurity. I'm not holding my breath, but if by some miracle "the powers that be" who are keeping TOOMORROW from being officially rereleased have a change of heart, I'd love to see a genuine DVD issue with some cool bonuses to do the film justice (especially if Anchor Bay is given that chance).

I absolutely love ONJ. She has always brought a smile to me and can't whisk me into a good mood. I was so excited to find a bootleg of this on Ebay (soundtrack disk included!) and rushed to watch it.

Ummm, It felt longer than Gandhi, the music was uber cheesy but catchy..i vaguely recall rolling in bed later that night, having nightmares to the tune of "Taking Our Own Sweet Time", one of the films stickier jams. The drummer has swing, Olivia feels underused and the music is competent, if uninspired.

Toomorrow's special effects were good though. Xanadu is my favorite of ONJ's films and this definitely pre-dates some of that neon blue post disco vibe with its trail effects.

My Disk came with some extra gifts, one being the CD soundtrack to the film. This thing is gonna collect some serious dust. If Aliens need the music of Tomorrow to survive, there surely isn't intelligent life out there.

My disk came with an Extra of her performing "Have You Never Been Mellow" on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. That was the point when I really felt I got my money's worth.

If you liked Grease and are curious about an older film of hers, don't bother. If you are a completest, feel free...but you have been warned.

Although admittedly a higher quality picture than I had expected it would be, "Toomorrow" is hopelessly(no...make that wonderfully) dated and rather short on ideas (in fact, the ideas that are in play are pretty weak).

Olivia Newton-John is lovely here, not yet having made her breakthrough in music or films, as the sole female member of a young and very ambitious music band called "Toomorrow" (oooh, groovy!) Their happening tunes are picked up through radiowaves by an extraterrestrial race who are desperate for "new audio vibes". The aliens then embark on a sinister mission...to "kidnap" the band in order to interrogate them for the secrets of their unique "vibrations".

Chock full of twee but catchy bubblegum music interludes, "Toomorrow" was possibly designed to create a public introduction to the manufactured band of the title, a la THE MONKEES (hmmm....I assume Miss Newton-John is not displeased that this marketing strategy failed).

Neither especially satisfying nor entirely unappealing, "Toomorrow" is mostly watchable from a hindsight of four decades as a novelty...a film of its time which nostalgic types might find amusing. Too, it features some fairly decent special effects for a lower-berth picture of 1970.

4.5/10