Originally Posted by
codystarbuck
Westworld was 1973, The Stepford Wives was 1975.
The original features Yul Brynner in his costume, from the Magnificent Seven. There was actually an entire resort, Delos, with themed worlds: Westworld, medieval World, Roman World, and Future World. Glitches begin to arise in the robots, leading to the gunslinger's killing rampage. The sequel, Future World (1976), has Peter Fonda, as a journalist, along with Blythe Danner (as another) who are part of a group that goes to Delos, after it reopens. There is a hidden conspiracy there. Nowhere near as good as the original. There was also a very short-lived tv series, Beyond Westworld (1980).
Westworld was basically Michael Crichton's beta test for Jurassic park, about 20 years before. Quite frankly, it's the more believable scenario. In an IMDB review, I described it as Disneyland, if the Hall of Presidents ran amok.
Westworld is also one of several sci-fi tv series and movies ripped off by James Cameron, with the Terminator (others being The Outer Limits "The Soldier" and "Demon With a Glass Hand" and Colossus, the Forbin Project). The Terminator POV is blatantly swiped from the Gunslinger, in Westworld, as is the relentless, slow pursuit of prey.