Max Headroom

The original version of this film, which was titled 120 minutes into the Future (I believe) was by far one of the most impressive and subversive things I have seen on TV. The premise involves the idea that Blipverts, or high-speed advertisements, are allowing the TV stations to create more ad time, but are also at risk of causing the most indolent members of society to spontaneously combust.

This is absolutely wonderful!

The whole Max Headroom angle was never really exploited until this became a (too short lived) TV series shortly after. However, this movie is nothing short of being among the most impressive and visionary movies ever made, and by far one of the most interesting (and underrated) cyberpunk tales told.

The low-budget enhances the bleakness of this dystopic future, and the utter pessimism about the future of mankind is palpable at every moment. Watching the TV zombies wander the streets in search of more TV, the dark rooms where the future of man (and media) is decided... the burnt-out buildings, the police-state siege mentality. I have rarely seen anything this ambitious attempted in the past.

This movie warned us about the dangers of mass media, and managed to do it in a way that was not ironic and was highly entertaining. Run out and find this movie if you can (I have seen it on tape, and Sci-Fi channel runs it occasionally). Go... NOW!

I've been long overdue to watch this. One hears the name 'Max Headroom', and sees star Matt Frewer all over the place, long before knowing anything else about the character, or the associated film or TV programs. I assumed a cheeky cyber sci-fi comedy; what I didn't anticipate was how stunningly dark the underlying ideas are, however sardonically they're approached. True, in the broad strokes it's a familiar dystopia of wealth, power, and extreme corporate malfeasance without one shred of humanity; one recognizes glimmers in every aspect of the production of similar fare from all throughout the 80s, and the reality of how much Network 23 has in common with real-life organizations in 2022. For that matter, one also has to consider the equivalence between the development in-universe of the talking head, and how there's a certain oblique correspondence to present-day discussions of artificial intelligence in online spaces. This picture is unquestionably an original creation all its own, though, and even in a runtime of just under one hour, the result is reliably outstanding. '20 minutes into the future' is fantastic!

It may be "just" a TV movie, and a veritable prologue to introduce a character, yet in every regard the feature benefits from care and craftsmanship recalling major studio films instead of its actual kin. In various ways I'm reminded of John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, or other big name filmmakers: the digital additions, practical effects, production design and art direction, hair and makeup, costume design, and even Phil Meheux's vibrant cinematography. The original score of Midge Ure and Chris Cross, lending somber atmosphere, would feel right at home in the works of any of those mentioned, and sounds in turn like it could have been penned just as well by Carpenter, Howard Shore, Jerry Goldsmith, or any such composer. Directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, and screenwriter Steve Roberts, all demonstrate a spark of ingenuity that lets every component part of their contributions and the picture at large resonate with unexpectedly rich, imaginative spirit. It's at once both delightfully tongue-in-cheek and astoundingly grim, and always wonderfully smart and sharp with every idea to present.

One is quite accustomed to any film of such an abbreviated length, and made for TV movies too, coming across as very direct, and possibly rushed and forced. It would be very easy as a viewer to feel shortchanged by such a production, nevermind that Channel 4 ordered this simply as an origin for the title character. Yet the writing and direction is marvelously keen, the crew turned in work just as fine as any picture one could point to as a comparison, and the entire cast - even those in small supporting roles - bring their parts to life with such incredible, gratifying personality. It seems an impossible task, but 'Max Headroom' comes off as a complete, balanced, well-rounded feature, more than can be claimed by some Silver Screen blockbusters with the all the resources of Hollywood behind them. Even if every constituent element weren't so stupendously well done in and of itself, the film as whole is a rather impressive accomplishment given what it pulled off within its chosen medium. I don't think it's at all unreasonable to suggest that when all is said and done, frankly this is a must-see. Whether one goes on to watch the programs that followed from this introduction, or just takes in '20 minutes into the future' of its own accord, it's a tremendous, intelligent, witty, and highly entertaining genre piece that not only continues to hold up but is arguably more relevant than ever. However one must go about watching it, this is worth far more than sixty mere minutes of one's time!

I happened on the "Max Headroom: 20 minutes into the future" film on the cable channel Cinemax by accident in 1986 or so. The story, the setting, and the characters drew me in and I was blown away. It had the dreary, rainy, dark mood of "Blade Runner" and "Alien" with a touch of film noir where everyone smokes and the surrounding city is dirty and decaying. The cautionary tale of corporate control is dead on target even becoming more true than when this film came out.

There is an underground of people who don't exist - called 'Blanks' - and others who kidnap and kill people to sell their organs at the local tissue collection agencies.

Amongst this backdrop is Edison Carter - played by Matt Frewer - star reporter for Network 23. He uncovers evidence that his employer is killing viewers in an effort to generate more ad revenue. Instead of "killing the story" as happens today, the bosses decide to kill Edison. They have a problem in doing this however. Being that Edison is the star of the network, if he dies then people will know something is up. Enter teen genius Bryce Lynch - played by Paul Spurrier - who does his best thinking while taking a bath, downloads Edison's brain into a computer. He uses that to create a computer version of Edison in hopes of fooling the viewers.

All is not well when virtual Edison takes the name Max Headroom and escapes the control of Lynch and Network 23.

Helped by the lovely Theora Jones - played by Amanda Pays - and the leader of the Blanks, Blank Reg - played by William Morgan Sheppard - Max puts the screws on Network 23 and the whole corporate control culture.

Frewer is a hoot as Max. His zingers through out the movie help lighten the dark tones and Max is not just a computer clone of Edison. Max is how Edison wishes he could be.

Pays is lovely as Edison's and later Max's producer. She and Max have a good relationship.

Sheppard's Blank Reg is an aging punk rocker with a Mohawk to boot. He has it all figured out.

If you get a chance to see this movie then do it. You won't be sorry.

I grew up as a teen in the 80s being a HUGE computer geek back when the term wasn't popular. There was something special about Max Headroom, & I still to this day (1/24/2005) think it was one of the BEST TV shows made! It was the only show I made time for...otherwise I was outside with friends or doing some programming with my Commodore 64 (once I found out Amiga computers were used in the show I **wanted** one. Sometime later I bought one, I still believe the Amiga IS the BEST computer platform there has ever been. Windows just doesn't match up. Anyway, I digress...

I loved the humor of Max Headroom/Edison Carter. Matt pulled the characters off very well. The show really did inspire the young hacker in me as well as the fantasy idea (of the time) for computer generating a Computer Character like Bryce did. ;) Hehe. The sense of humor was awesome, the character roles were very good & it touched very WELL on the Truth of TV!!! :D

I would love to see all of the episodes, commercials U.S & U.K., talk shows, & the Paranomia music video by The Art Of Noise come out on DVDs. Everything that was Max Headroom should be on DVD by *NOW*!! A lot of other junk TV like Sienfeld, Friends, etc have made it to DVD & they don't have the loyal following that MAX does. Common, we're WAITING to spend our hard earned $$ on MAX HEADROOM DVDs Loaded with EXTRAS, interviews, the Car Commercial, & so MUCH MORE. Get that stuttering dude on DVDs!!!! It's WAAAAAAAAY past time, Folks!!

As we used to say in the 80s... MAX HEADROOM for President!! At least THAT talking Head says something worth hearing!! :D

Bravo to Bravo for when they aired MAX HEADROOM without commercials. I miss MAX on Cinemax, too!

For some reason unknown to me I received this video as a prize/gift from a company called 'Argus Press' who in the early '80's were one of many prolific ZX Spectrum games producers. Don't remember entering a competition, but there you go....

Anyhow, the film was brilliant, and not to be confused with the later TV series that, from the other write ups, I now learn of.

If this film is not on DVD then it should be. The dark urbun setting of some nightmare future is perfectly portrayed and the story is much as has been described in previous reviews.

Blipverts! - I'm surprised they aren't on Fox nowadays, in saying that the most indolent members of society may be most at risk there! The one thing that hasn't been mentioned, but that should be emphasized, is the fantastic soundtrack, coming as it did from the pen of Midge Ure who had recently departed the prolific 'Ultravox'. The setting, soundtrack, script and performance from a tremendous bunch of characters made this a film that, to this day, I still pull out of the loft and watch on my annual pilgrimage back home for Christmas.

To me its the urbun dystopia, the (then) futuristic use of desktop computers to track the action and the soundtrack that made this one hell of a movie and one of the most unsung of the 1980's.