Watch 984: Prisoner of the Future For Free

the audience applauded

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Many years ago I saw this movie on late-night television. Finally, after all this time I stumbled across it on a compilation. It was a pleasure to see this low-budget yet atmospheric film again.The lighting is well executed, editing is solid, acting is descent, and the robot designs are very cool. Shot selection is great, with lots of up-angle shots to add to the scale of the prison. This film has a great hard sci-fi short story feel to it. It's as if it was ripped from the pages of a science fiction serial from the 50s or from a plot by Harlan Ellison. It's nice to see something that hasn't been watered down by committee.Based on the credits it looks like this is a Canadian production. An interesting side-note is that there are very few Canadian productions that even come close to approaching USA Hollywood productions. Besides the relatively small budgets and general lack of infrastructure in Canada for film-production, there's a bit of a story behind the disparity between the two country's movie industries. The way it was relayed to me is something like this: Believe it or not, Canada's film industry started out as a pioneering force in film production and filming techniques. For example, there were some hot-shot crews working with the National Film Board of Canada figuring out advanced techniques for doing night shots and a variety of difficult weather shots and lighting setups. At some point, pressure was put on the NFB to move away from shooting movies and focus pretty much exclusively on documentaries and short films. Some suggest that it was a sort of non-competition clause between Canadian film productions and USA film productions. Hence the NFB is generally associated with very low production-value documentaries and short 'student' films. This gave the impression that Canadian film makers were somewhat inept.The reality of situation is that most of the talented Canadian film makers ended up being assimilated by Hollywood. Hence the vast number of Canadians living in L.A. Pull up a list of Canadian directors and cinematographers and prepare to be blown away. The conclusion is that if you actually supply these people with suitable equipment and a descent budget, they'll actually deliver the goods.

this made for t.v. or pilot episode was well made and enjoyable.Stephen Markle I was impressed he was solid and enjoyable. it follows the rules of show don't tell as well it reminds me of some other sci-fi shocker films I've seen. the reason i rate this so high is the acting is fantastic one or two spots of hammy but other then that,the sound of the film (at least My copy) was very quiet at times.The visual slightly in sepia around the left side of the screen. But with patience and an open mind you can see the enjoyment in a lot of films if you like decent writing and decent acting with a well proposed end i hope you enjoy as i have.

Successful executive Tom Weston (Stephen Markle) is taken to a high security detention centre, accused of being in cahoots with a group of rich businessmen dedicated to toppling current ruling regime The Movement, whose leader Dr. Fontaine (Andrew Foot) seeks to punish the rich and powerful for past indiscretions and recondition them for life in his 'new world'. Weston continually denies his involvement, even after undergoing torture, but although the warden (Don Francks) secretly believes that his prisoner is innocent, he has his own reason for continuing with his sadistic game.Directed by Tibor Takacs, the man who gave us entertaining 80s popcorn horrors The Gate (1987) and I, Madman (1989), this dystopian made-for-TV sci-fi has a cool central idea that might have been extremely effective as a half hour episode of a Twilight Zone-style series, but doesn't work as well stretched out over 76 minutes. Alternating between flashbacks and confrontations between prisoner and warden, the story becomes frustratingly repetitive, and the final revelation—which proves to be such a shock for Weston—is far too easy to guess for anyone paying the slightest bit of attention.4 out of 10, rounded up to 5 for the hilarious roller-skating robot guards.

In a grim future, affluent businessman Tom Weston (a fine and sympathetic performance by Stephen Markle) gets taken prisoner and jailed in a dismal penitentiary for some sort of crimes he committed against the government. Despite being subjected to constant physical and psychological torture by the sadistic and eccentric warden (well played with lip-smacking wicked relish by Don Franks), Weston refuses to break and clings to the hope that he will one day be released so he can be reunited with his wife Margaret (lovely Michele Chicoine). Director Tibor Takacs and writers Stephen Zoller and Peter Chapman do an able job of crafting an intriguing, if at times too frustratingly vague narrative and present a powerfully downbeat, paranoid, and nightmarish vision of a dark Orwellian future that's both effective and unsettling in equal measure (the harsh oppressiveness of the prison environment in particular is captured in a strong and vivid manner). Markle and Franks do sterling work in the lead roles, with sturdy support from Stan Wilson as the warden's brutish assistant Jeffries. The central theme about the strength of the human will and its extraordinary capacity for overcoming the worst possible ordeals is both touching and provocative. Alar Kivilio's cinematography makes neat use of stark lighting and overhead camera angles. The surprise bummer ending packs a devastating punch. Although marred somewhat by the modest budget -- the robot security guards on roller skates are alas more silly than scary -- and a muddled plot, it's nonetheless an unjustly forgotten sleeper that's well worth checking out.