Z.P.G.

Whenever I go shopping with my baby son, I hear o's and r's quite a lot. I even have people coming up and talking to me because of my baby son. I can see why. Babies are cute, adorable and most importantly, a symbol of hope. In the future world of zpg (Zero Population Growth), they have become objects of fear.

The world is overpopulated, polluted and on the verge of a collapse from centuries of environmental abuse. The governments of the world have had to make the painful decision to ban birth for 30 years in an attempt to save the human race from extinction. Food is synthetic, and so are the robotic children. It is one fake, sterile place to live in.

The government uses all kinds of methods to quash the yearning for children with the death penalty being the ultimate deterrent. Despite this, many still decide to have children. One such couple are the Mcneils (Geraldine Chaplin and the late and great Oliver Reed). But their friends, the Bordens find out and want the baby for themselves and threaten to grass on the Mcneils if they don't let them have their baby. The Mcniels have to find a way out before time runs out.

This film very much reflects the hopes and fears of the era it was made (including the flares on the protective suit the populace have to wear outdoors). The environmental movement was in full swing with the fears that human race was destroying the planet. Zpg showed a disturbing outcome to way that the environment is treated and like in other films like 'Soylent Green' shows the affect on the quality of life. In zpg, technology had made life 'confortable'? But the populace was constantly starving because of eating only synthetic food. This very much reflected the belief that more and more things would become 'fake'. It was during this era that plastic furniture came into the home. There was also nylon clothing and the first 'ready meals' and of course, the 'Pot Noodle'.

The technology of this world offered so many distractions including the horrible robot children, but could not hide the yearning that people wanted things to be real. Including children.

The government of this world pretty much like in 1984 has a grip on the peoples minds from interfering on almost every part of daily life. Okay, there might not be a camera in every home, but one such example is an official government video that was playing while the McNiels were 'getting it on'. Such is the control that the government have, one such scene shows a baying mob surrounding a couple with their baby. The police turn up to arrest and execute the family. A women brags about spotting the baby and alerting the police. Proud of killing a baby. The awful thing is that this actually happens in China. The Mirror newspaper printed a picture of a dead newborn baby in a gutter in a street in China, with people just walking by like it was just a bit of trash. The one child, 1 family policy has caused many newborn girls to be murdered because a lot of couples want boys.

This is a good if sometimes disturbing film that should be viewed on the one chance it is shown on TV.

ZPG played recently on the Science Fiction channel, and I found it dull. Only the fourth PLANET OF THE APES film, and THE OMEGA MAN, could compare to this lame mid-70's sci-fi (except for maybe LOGAN'S RUN). Yes, I dare to say it, all those films were pretty lame, but ZPG is the leader of the pack.

Oliver Reed is living in a society where the government controls everything, especially reproduction. He and his woman have a child, and they have to conceil it. Well, that's the plot, and it goes on and on like that. I could've cared less, honestly, because the film lacks dramatic thrust. Perhaps I didn't allow myself to become as emotionally attached to this film as some people may, but I found it thought-provoking only in the sense that I was think,'When is this going to end?'

Don't get me wrong, I respect the sentiment behind the story. And the movie is professionally mounted, the costumes and sets are wonderfully drab. But, somehow I just couldn't get into the spirit of this cynical view of what our future holds. BLADE RUNNER it isn't.

But, ZPG is not bad exactly. It is just exceptionally mediocre.

Usually most any film with Oliver Reed has its moments, even the worst, and he made some stinkers (LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF, SPASMS). This little sci-fi offering about a LOGAN'S RUN type society where babies are disallowed, animals exist in stuffed form only and the weekly roast comes out of a tube, just never engenders any audience interest.

No ONE particular fault - direction is competent, cinematography suitably bleak and the cast suitably depressed, just no SOUL to the thing and inclined towards the so-whattish?

If you want to see Reed and Chaplin on the run having been way too naughty one night, then this is the film for you. I carry a permanent memory of this film in my head as a mini black and white "trailer" Good companion piece to the much bigger budgeted but in the upshot, no better, LOGANS RUN.

ZERO POPULATION GROWTH is a very cool little, subtle/in-your-face, sci-fi movie from 1972. It's literally LOGAN'S RUN meets CHILDREN OF MEN but staring Oliver Reed (and released in theaters before either film). I had 8 beers before I watched this and I suggest you do too (and I'm sure Oliver Reed had at least that before the cameras rolled so when in Rome...). Anywho ZPG is one of those "utopian future but utopia is actually totally f'd up" movies where most of the inhabitants are like "hey, I'd complain, but nobody would listen" but one guy manages to step up and fight the power. I love that theme so if you're into that kind of thing too then you should absolutely check this movie out. Sure, the beer helped, but I sort of loved this movie.

It has been years since I've seen this film and I remember enjoying the premise very much.

Like "LOGAN'S RUN", it takes a similar "What If?" scenario, and places it in a bleak, controlled society. While the film itself may not be great, the concept does prove interesting and qualifies as good science fiction.

In my opinion, Oliver Reed is always worth watching. Along with Geraldine Chaplin and the great (and often underrated) Don Gordon, Reed delivers a solid performance, giving the film it's real thrust rather than placing it in the usual special effects laden territory.

In closing, "THE BLOB" is a great film. And, anyone who may think otherwise can join a previous reviewer and soak their head.

Thank you. -NM.