Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future
| Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Written by |
George Stone Steve Roberts |
| Directed by |
Rocky Morton Annabel Jankel |
| Starring |
Matt Frewer Nickolas Grace Amanda Pays W. Morgan Sheppard Roger Sloman Hilary Tindall |
| Music by |
Midge Ure Chris Cross |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Terry Ellis |
| Producer(s) |
Peter Wagg Chris Griffin (line producer) |
| Location(s) | East Ham, London, England |
| Cinematography | Phil Meheux |
| Editor(s) | Michael Bradsell |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
| Distributor | Virgin |
| Release | |
| Original release | April 4, 1985 |
Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future is a 1985 cyberpunk television film created by Chrysalis Visual Programming Ltd. for Channel 4 in the UK to provide a back story for Max Headroom, a computer generated TV host. A British produced, yet American broadcast, television series, Max Headroom, was later developed from the original film.HBO provided some of the original funding.
The film introduces Edison Carter (Matt Frewer), a television reporter trying to expose corruption and greed. Carter discovers that his employer, Network 23, has created a new form of subliminal advertising (called "blipverts") that can be fatal to certain viewers.
While attempting to flee the network headquarters with proof, Edison suffers a serious head injury, caused by striking a low-clearance sign labelled "Max. Headroom 2.3m". Bryce Lynch, an adolescent genius working as a scientist for Network 23, suggests to the network's chief executive that they keep Carter sedated and generate a computerized version of him by digitally recording Carter's mind. It will be used as a temporary replacement for Carter in order to hide his disappearance.
Bryce's program is flawed. It burbles "max headroom" repeatedly. Bryce instructs his hired goons to dispose of both Carter and his virtual clone, but the thugs sell both of them — Carter to a body bank, and the machine copy to Pirate television station owner Blank Reg.
After a bit of nurturing from Reg, the computer program achieves a somewhat eccentric life of its own. With a gift for rapid-fire gags, he hosts his own show, and sends Reg's ratings through the roof.
Meanwhile, a merely unconscious Carter escapes from becoming a premature organ donor, pursued by Bryce's goons, who quote Hamlet's Response to Corruption as they search ("'Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes contagion to this world."). With the help of colleague Theora Jones (Amanda Pays), and the distraction provided by Max, Carter eventually defeats Network 23.
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