COLD LAZARUS: FOUR (TV)
Summary
Continued from T:43603. Part four in this four-part miniseries created by British television writer Dennis Potter and set in the rigid and technologically controlled future of 2368. The head of screenwriter Daniel Feeld has been frozen for almost four centuries and is now being revived in a cryogenics laboratory by a team of scientists led by Emma Porlock. The scientists of the Lazarus Project, as it is called, are able to summon forth memories from Feeld's brain, which they project on the laboratory's "living wall." The thrill of seeing into the mind of a man from a distant and far more pleasant past is soon mitigated by moral and ethical dilemmas; and matters are further complicated when two rival conglomerates begin vying ruthlessly for the television and virtual reality rights to Feeld's memories. In this episode Martina Masdon gets an emergency call from Inspector General Challender, informing her of the R.O.N. raid. Hysterical, she offers a large reward for the return of the head and the murder of those responsible. Fyodor does away with the spy on Porlock's team; Challender arrives at the laboratory to grill the remaining Lazarus team members about the raid; and Tony Watson is taken to police headquarters for questioning. Later, Fyodor urges his increasingly frightened colleagues to resign quickly and go to Siltz's facility; and meanwhile, in an isolation chamber, Watson is psychologically broken and then paid a visit by Siltz. The team re-convene in the new laboratory with Feeld's head, and are joined by a cadaverous doctor employed by Siltz to stimulate and exploit Feeld's sexual memories. They view a memory in which Feeld, ailing and disoriented in a karaoke bar, tells a young woman about his brother Chris, a disturbed cryophysicist who has become a danger to himself and others. Porlock's team then makes a startling discovery that leads them to believe that Feeld may indeed be acting on his own volition and manipulating his memories to beg them to let him go, and keep what is left of his privacy intact. Fyodor, Porlock, and Luanda privately discuss destroying the head, but a spy reports this to Siltz, who orders Fyodor killed. Warned by Porlock, Fyodor races to the laboratory to destroy the head and finally set Daniel Feeld free.
(This program contains adult language and material.)
("Cold Lazarus" continues the story of Daniel Feeld, which begins with Potter's miniseries, "Karaoke." The two miniseries, collectively, are the late Dennis Potter's final work and were co-produced and telecast, at Potter's behest, by both the BBC and Channel 4. "Karaoke" is part of the Museum's collection. See T:43605-T:43608.)
(The miniseries "Cold Lazarus" premiered on Channel 4 on four consecutive Sundays from May 26 through June 16, 1996. "Cold Lazarus" was repeated on BBC1 on consecutive Mondays from May 27 to June 17, 1996.)
Details
- NETWORK: Channel 4 (United Kingdom)
- DATE: June 16, 1996 Sunday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:13
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:43604
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Cryogenics; Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Ethics; International Collection - United Kingdom
- SERIES RUN: BBC1/Channel 4 (United Kingdom) - TV, 1996
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Peter Ansorge … Executive Producer
- Michael Wearing … Executive Producer
- Kenith Trodd … Producer
- Rosemarie Whitman … Producer
- Alison Barnett … Associate Producer
- Alison O'Brien … Digital Effects Producer
- Renny Rye … Director
- Dennis Potter … Writer
- Christopher Gunning … Music by
- London Symphony Orchestra, The … Symphony Orchestra
- Albert Finney … Cast, Daniel Feeld
- Frances de la Tour … Cast, Emma Porlock
- Ciaran Hinds … Cast, Fyodor
- Henry Goodman … Cast, David Siltz
- Diane Ladd … Cast, Martina Masdon
- Rupert Penry-Jones … Cast, the Policeman/Militiaman
- Ian Kelly … Cast, Bill
- Michael Culkin … Cast, Inspector Challender
- Guy Masterson … Cast, the Police Chief
- Carmen Ejogo … Cast, Blinda
- Steven Speirs … Cast, Blinda's Apartment Guard
- Victor Power … Cast, the Door Cop
- Grant Masters … Cast, Tony Watson
- Ganiat Kasumu … Cast, Luanda
- John Light … Cast, Student Daniel
- Tara Woodward … Cast, Beth
- Donald Sumpter … Cast, Dr. Rawl
- Harry Ditson … Cast, Harry Schumpet
- Rob Brydon … Cast, Karl
- Jonathan Cake … Cast, Nat
- Darren Bancroft … Cast, the Prison Guard
- Malcolm Rogers … Cast, the Preacher
- Adam Bareham … Cast, Daniel's Father
- Joe Roberts … Cast, Young Daniel and Chris
- Sophie McConnell … Cast, Valerie
- Phillip Dupuy … Cast, George
- Geoffrey Larder … Cast, Siltz's Employee
- Adam James … Cast, Militiaman One
- Rod Woodruff … Cast, Militiaman Two
- Saffron Burrows … Cast, Sandra Sollars
- Yashinori Yamamoto … Cast, the First Japanese Man
- Takahashi Sudo … Cast, the Second Japanese Man
- McElhone. Natascha … Cast, Angie
- Jody Saron … Cast, the First Hostess
- Katy Carmichael … Cast, the Second Hostess
- Roy Hudd … Cast, Ben Baglin
- Anna Chancellor … Cast, Anna Griffiths
- Richard E. Grant … Cast, Nick Balmer