Bezenby You know what this film reminded me of? The Cabin in the Woods. If you've seen that, you'll know what I mean when the film totally takes you out of the 'moment' and twists things up a bit.Keir Dullea wakes up somewhere with no memory except a card in his pocket that tells him how many people he's killed. Not that he reads it mind. His other buddies at the time do, but by the time the plot gets going most of them are dead.He finds himself in some sort of Cowboy world where life is cheap and terrible clothes are even cheaper, but who can he trust? Probably not Jack Palance. And is this world even trustworthy anyway? It's a very early take on Virtual Reality, this one. But then it's another film where you shouldn't really reveal much of the plot, because that's where the enjoyment lies. P'ting

Leofwine_draca This is an interesting but flawed attempt at producing a sci-fi western hybrid in the form of WESTWORLD. In this case, the western scenario is actually a virtual reality plot designed to work out the survival of the fittest, thus discovering who the best killer is. In this "game", points are awarded for making a kill, so life is cheap as you would imagine. However, there are certain rules which must be obeyed at all costs. Sadly, WELCOME TO BLOOD CITY is spoiled by a confusing plot which remains irritatingly ambiguous as to what the heck is going on in the real world. We never learn who the subjects really are, or why they have been selected; instead we see glimpses of them in their past lives which don't really help. Similarly, the actions of Jack Palance - initially appearing to be a good guy - are never explained at the end.Although it doesn't have anything in the way of shocks or surprises, this film does have some fun with the clichéd western shoot-outs and gun battles, which are kept lively and fun. Director Peter Sasdy injects certain scenes with style and power, and its just a shame that the film can't follow this through as a whole. Although it was a UK financed-production, this was shot in Canada (just like THE HAUNTING OF JULIA and THE UNCANNY from the same period). The Canadian locations are pretty but unconvincing for a western town.The acting is pretty good, with even the poorest performers still being above average. Palance is great as the friendly Friedlander, and seems to be having a ball as in most of his films. Keir Dullea is a charismatic and tough hero, while familiar faces such as that of Barry Morse pad out the cast. I'll make it clear that I've never really liked THE BROOD's Samantha Eggar, and here she plays a duel role of an occupant of the town and a scientist guiding the events. Bad news for me, I thought, but thankfully she's not too irritating this time around.Although WELCOME TO BLOOD CITY lacks the exploitational ingredient of violence to make it enjoyable, I found the whole idea of the game to be an interesting one, and the film kept me watching throughout without ever becoming boring. It just would have been nice if some of the actions and story behind the plot had been explained in greater detail. In all, though, not a bad attempt and worth a watch for fans.

Jonathon Dabell An initial look at the storyline of Welcome To Blood City screams :'Westworld rip-off!' As it happens, it's not really much like Westworld at all. Welcome To Blood City has a few good ideas and a decent score by Roy Budd, but is rather hampered by lacklustre handling.A number of strangers, all suffering some form of amnesia, wake up in a barren desert wasteland. They cannot remember how they got there or where they came from, but in their pockets they carry an unusual card which tells them how many people they have killed (even though, as far as they're aware, they have never killed anyone in their lives). The bewildered group start hiking in search of food, water and shelter. Soon they find themselves in Blood City, a violent town which seems to be based on an alternate wild west. The leader/sheriff of the town, Frendlander (Jack Palance) explains to them that, as newcomers, they can either choose to become slaves for one year (if they choose this, they will be protected from being killed) or they can refuse to become slaves and go it alone (this is a much riskier choice, as they will be fair game to be killed by another citizen). It turns out that Blood City has its own complicated laws and rules, with credits awarded for fair-fight killings, and immortality awarded to anyone who can successfully carry out twenty fair killings. One of the newcomers, Lewis (Keir Dullea) is determined to fight the system, and sets about striking back his own way. Meanwhile, it is made clear to us, the audience (though not to the inhabitants of Blood City) that the entire thing is an artificial reality – a game, almost – in which various people are being tested for their mental and physical resolve under dangerous circumstances, so that the best ones can be employed as government agents and assassins back in the modern world.Certainly weird, Welcome To Blood City unfortunately fails to be similarly wonderful. It's a near-miss more than anything else, a good idea which doesn't quite make the transition into a good full-length film. The concept of a virtual reality scenario in which human guinea pigs are put unknowingly through a dangerous game is quite intriguing, and there are interesting moments throughout the film. Dullea is OK as the 'hero' and Palance does his usual shifty-eyed, furtive, twitchy turn as the sinister sheriff. Samantha Eggar is rather wasted in a dual role as one of the citizens of Blood City and a laboratory technician in the 'real' world overseeing the experiment. The promising plot doesn't really develop into anything unfortunately – it's an idea that never really gets beyond the 'idea' stage. The resulting film that stems from it doesn't reach the heights of cleverness, thoughtfulness or excitement that one might have hoped for. Worth a look for its intriguing possibilities, but ultimately Welcome To Blood City is a bit of a disappointment.

Woodyanders A group of people suffering from amnesia find themselves as slaves in a savage Old West town that's really a virtual reality program designed to test how ruthless they all are. To get ahead in Blood City, one has to kill others. However, willful and sarcastic new arrival Lewis (a fine and likable performance by Kier Dullea) refuses to adhere to the rules. Director Peter Sasdy, working from an offbeat and intriguing script by Michael Winder and Stephen Schneck, relates the compelling story at a steady pace, presents a chilling portrait of a harsh world where random violence and brutality reigns supreme, and stages the shoot-outs with real flair. The sound acting by the able cast keeps the picture buzzing: Jack Palance has a villainous ball as fearsome local lawman Freedlander, Samanthan Eggar likewise does well as sultry and manipulative scientist Katherine, plus there are sturdy contributions from Hollis McLaren as the sweet and fetching Martine, Barry Morse as the stern project supervisor, Chris Wiggins as the vile Gellor, Henry Ramer as amiable bodyguard Chumley, Allan Royal as the pragmatic Peter, and John Evans as nerdy technician Lyle. Moreover, the nifty premise predates "The Matrix" with its concept of a computer-generated alternate reality, there's a genuine weirdness to the film that makes it engrossing throughout, and the filmmakers leave a good deal of the plot for the viewers to figure out on their own (for example, we never find out who exactly is behind the virtual reality program). Roy Budd's strong dramatic score rates as another major asset. Worth a watch.