TOOMORROW, 1970, Screenbound Int’l, 94 min. 21 year-old Olivia Newton-John stars, pre-GREASE fame, in this utterly bonkers Mod-Pop / Sci-Fi musical about a multi-racial group of London art college musicians whose songs are the cure to the computer sterility suffered by the alien Alphoids, circling Earth in their crystal spacecraft. "It's the only thing Planet Earth can teach us: the vibrations of Youth," as the androgynous Alphoids, led by veteran British actor Roy Dotrice, tell Olivia & band. A jaw dropping, must-be-seen-to-be-believed combination of “Josie & The Pussy Cats” and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, the film is filled with super-groovy Sunshine Pop tunes, student protests and carefree sexual hijinks -- plus aliens. (The Alphoids’ glimmering ship is like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude on ecstasy, one of the film’s highlights.) Directed & written by the great British filmmaker Val Guest (the first two QUATERMASS films, THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE) in his most Pop-friendly, CASINO ROYALE-style, TOOMORROW was produced by James Bond 007 co-producer Harry Saltzman and veteran American music impresario Don Kirshner, who were intent on creating another The Archies/The Monkees style sensation. The other band members include guitarist/vocalist Benny Thomas, fringe-jacket wearing drummer Karl Chambers (who played with Philly-area groups like MFSB and Archie Bell & The Drells), and keyboardist Vic Cooper – but it’s clearly Newton-John with her irresistible smile, blonde locks and dollybird clothes that’s the superstar of the group. (Her slang dialogue of “Not you, you drongo!” is a great throwaway nod to her Aussie roots.) Released for barely a week on its original 1970 run and unseen for decades, TOOMORROW has been restored by the British Film Institute and Deaf Crocodile from the original 35mm negative for the first time.
“Sure, I dig it. We’re too much. We’re Toomorrow.”
Ralphadeus. Music movies comics feature in this look at life from Somerset.
