Population zéro

Okay, it is kind of depressing. However, it is an interesting viewpoint of the future. I rather liked the ending and wish that there had been more of the movie. I want to know what happens next. If it comes on sci-fi, give it a chance. I actually purchased the vhs version.

I wrote the plot description for this on IMDb a million years ago. I tried to demonstrate how horrible this movie was with my tongue firmly implanted in my cheek, while giving an accurate description, and not making it a review. Some comments compared ZPG to Logan's Run???? Logan's Run is brilliant and a frightening "what if" scenario for the human race. How about comparing it to 2001: A Space Oddyssy or even Citizen Kane while you are at it? And Soylent Green, though not brilliant, SG is a far better movie than this one, and a more plausible future. This movie should have been featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000--only on that show would it have been worth watching. Avoid this film like the plague!

It has been years since I've seen this film and I remember enjoying the premise very much. Like "LOGAN'S RUN", it takes a similar "What If?" scenario, and places it in a bleak, controlled society. While the film itself may not be great, the concept does prove interesting and qualifies as good science fiction. In my opinion, Oliver Reed is always worth watching. Along with Geraldine Chaplin and the great (and often underrated) Don Gordon, Reed delivers a solid performance, giving the film it's real thrust rather than placing it in the usual special effects laden territory. In closing, "THE BLOB" is a great film. And, anyone who may think otherwise can join a previous reviewer and soak their head. Thank you. -NM.

ZERO POPULATION GROWTH is a very cool little, subtle/in-your-face, sci-fi movie from 1972. It's literally LOGAN'S RUN meets CHILDREN OF MEN but staring Oliver Reed (and released in theaters before either film). I had 8 beers before I watched this and I suggest you do too (and I'm sure Oliver Reed had at least that before the cameras rolled so when in Rome...). Anywho ZPG is one of those "utopian future but utopia is actually totally f'd up" movies where most of the inhabitants are like "hey, I'd complain, but nobody would listen" but one guy manages to step up and fight the power. I love that theme so if you're into that kind of thing too then you should absolutely check this movie out. Sure, the beer helped, but I sort of loved this movie.

When I bought this film from a secondhand videoshop I was amazed by the quality of this movie. The use of cameras, music and plot were wery artistic. Twisted utopia genre is allways interesting (like Zardoz), and this movie is no exeption. This movie is a must see 70's scifi gem.

I wanted to like this film, but there were so many gross leaps of logic that I just kind of gave up. At the end we see our two lead characters wander into a radiation zone where a bunch of nuclear missiles are buried. Okay, fair enough. So, we are led to believe there was a nuclear war, right? Well, how do you wind up with a population problem -after- a nuclear war? In addition, most of the plants and animals on the planet are extinct, right? Again, if so many of the plants and animals are gone, what is this huge population eating? It doesn't make any damn sense. At least "Soylent Green" explained what people ate. Finally, there's pollution everywhere. Well, if there's this pollution, and it's so bad you have to wear a face mask when you go outside, don't you think it would accelerate the deaths of thousands of people? Hello? This script didn't give any explanation to a lot of things. It just expected you to come along, regardless if it made any sense.

A fairly depressing view of a future in which having a child is punishable by death. Oliver Reed & Geraldine Chaplin decide to have one anyway. As expected, that proves to be a bad idea. Best friends Don Gordon & Diane Cilento blackmail them into "sharing" the child. There's a good central idea here that's actually quite frightening & the actors, particularly Chaplin & Cilento convey a real sense of misery as wannabe mothers forbidden to give birth. Their desperation and utter sadness is palpable. Unfortunately, the movie is directed with little finesse by Michael Campus. Additonally, this sci-fi thriller suffers from very poor art direction and very dark cinematography...there are times when it's nearly impossible to tell what's going on. Not exactly a dud, but no classic either.