Project X

I finally saw William Castle's PROJECT X the other night and I was surprised by the story-line. It reminded me a lot of JOHNNY MNEMONIC or THE MATRIX and the whole cyberpunk genre of films or books. PROJECT X is seriously outdated because of the FX and the boring and cheap production values, which makes this movie look like a standard 1960s TV movie. But the story itself screams William Gibson: it's about retrieving some memory from a spy (played by Christopher George) who's suffering from amnesia and who might have the information about Asia's attempt to destroy the West. The amnesia was artificially induced in the spy by someone in order to prevent the information from reaching the authorities in the West. When the film starts, the spy is incased in some coffin-like chamber and he's in suspended animation. Scientists revive the spy and try to get that memory from his amnesiac mind with a holographic device that can see inside the man's mind when he's sleeping. The scientists also recreate a 'virtual reality" setting that looks like something from the 1960s where the scientists hope the spy will be duped and eventually hand them the missing memory (the spy knows a lot about history, which is the explanation for the elaborate set-up. It's also cheaper this way. No expensive futuristic sets. LOL!). Of course, someone tries to botch the scientists attempt to save the world. The story is filled with details like biowarfare, overpopulation, infertility, etc. The identity of the spy is repeatedly changed by the scientists, who keep referring to these new virtual personalities of his as a MATRIX!

JOHNNY MNEMONIC is basically an unofficial remake of PROJECT X. In JOHNNY MNEMONIC, the whole world is suffering from some sort of condition called Nerve Attenuation Syndrome. Keanu Reeves has information implanted in his brain (which has a chip) that could cure NAS. Keanu got this implanted info in Beijing and he only has 24 hours to bring the vital info to the scientists in the US. William Gibson basically reworked the ideas found in PROJECT X and updated them for JOHNNY MNEMONIC. For instance, In JOHNNY MNEMONIC, the world is already suffering from something and the cure is from Asia. In PROJECT X, the threat is from Asia and it's some sort of virus/biochemical/nerve weapon. And the action in both stories are governed by some sort of limited timeline.

While watching the film, I had a vivid sense of deja vu. The whole idea of advanced technology capable of controlling memories, and the "reality vs virtual reality" aspect seen in PROJECT X are the basic ingredients of the whole cyberpunk genre. PROJECT X was very familiar and yet, thanks to the look of the movie, very outdated too. As a movie, PROJECT X is not that good but it's interesting to see where the whole idea of memory manipulation started from.

I taped this film off of a cable TV broadcast, apparently a rare occurrence. The film doesn't seem to get any air time at all, and as far as I know it is not available commercially on VHS or DVD. As much as one would want to corroborate other people's opinions of less-well-known films, I cannot recommend William Castle's "Project X". I found the film wildly over-plotted and very much derivative of other, better films. Where it tries to present something different, I found it just confused. The acting is at its best moments routine, and occasionally goes way over the top. The special effects do not impress; the film eventually resorts to using animation and not very stylish animation at that. But give a gander to the cast and you'll see why. William Castle is most widely known as a showman and promoter. There isn't anything here like that, so the film has to stand on its own. It can't.

MASTERFUL performances from Christopher George (as always) and newcomer Greta Baldwin make this William Castle Sci-fi adventure truly exciting, innovative, classic space adventure with a deep message and meaning. Monte Markham adds another polished performance to his long list of superb acting film and TV credits. The film is way ahead of its time 1968 and deserved Oscar recognition. A truly well made, beautifully acted gem. Christopher George one of the greatest 60s/70s tough action leading men gives another epic, dedicated performance that put to shame other so called major stars. To correct some imbecile comments it is the presence and acting ability of stars like Christopher George, Audie Murphy and similar leading action men that make a film watchable and memorable.

Project X (1968) was a mystery & a science fiction film. The premise is that in the year 2118, the world is very overcrowded and there are two main powers, the Oriental East, and the occidental West. A mysterious message from the main character says that the East is going to destroy the West in 14 days but then he loses his memory due to an anti-torture drug he has taken. The race is on using mind reading technology to try and find out what is going on, but someone is really working for the other side? Who to believe? What is the threat? The movie correctly predicts that genetic manipulation would soon be a real possibility. The ability to read minds with machinery, and the need to go thru an elaborate deception is explained in some detail, they do a good job setting it up, but it complex and hard to follow in one viewing. Henry Jones as the head scientist lends some believability to the situation, making keen observations, but whose side is he on? Greta Baldwin is a very friendly young woman from 2118 that makes me think that there is hope for the future if there are a lot of women like her then. Christopher George as our amnesic hero does a good job portraying a good man thrust into an immoral situation. All in all it was a better than average Sci Fi movie for it's day, with many thought provoking ideas embedded in it. Incidentally I know how this movie can be seen in 1999.

Especially if, like me, you're a William Castle fan. Perhaps that's why this movie is rarely shown. The script here is rather convoluted as the story is basically a sci-fi mystery that slowly gets revealed.

Not much that happens makes sense. For instance, why is it necessary to convince the subject he's in the 1960s? While an unconvincing explanation is made, we all know it's to save money on sets. Also what purpose does Greta Baldwin serve? Besides an interlude of eye candy her character doesn't make much sense in the context of the movie.

The actors are mostly familiar faces, likely wondering how they got talked into this. While Chris George gets top billing he really doesn't have much to do except act disoriented and annoyed.

The FX are pretty standard for a 60s sci-fi B movie or TV. More or less on the level of the original Star Trek series of the same period.

While I haven't seen all of Castle's films, I'd have to place this one at the bottom of the one's I've seen. Overall I'd say skip this one and rewatch any other film from his "gimmick" period. They're all way more fun than this mess.