Made in 1971 for CBS, Paper Man remains a unique time capsule of seventies fashion and lingo, but more than just a kitschy thriller with a sci-fi edge, it’s a disturbingly true tale of man’s reliance on modern science for everything from shopping to death. The entire school is run on a rather antiquated looking computer, but what it does for them – and that’s everything from keeping records to the robot that helps the medical students – and how it renders victims powerless against its ability to kill is all handled with intelligence. It also allows the culprit to stay hidden behind wires and gigabytes, making Paper Man a pretty nifty whodunit.

Directed with a firm grip by Walter Grauman who keeps our actors basically in a state of claustrophobia (a good portion of the movie takes place inside the computer lab), which helps add a surreal quality. And some of the deaths are terrifying. The scene with the robot is freaky as all get out! The story was created by Anthony Wilson who also co-wrote and produced another TV sci-fi thriller called Computercide in 1982, and it stars Stefanie Powers, James Stacy and Dean Stockwell. Stefanie is great as always but the movie also captures a bittersweet look at the potential of James Stacy, who was in a horrible motorcycle accident in 1973 that killed his girlfriend and left him without an arm and a leg. He is great in Paper Man. There’s a sexy underscore to him reminding me a lot of Robert Conrad and just a touch of James Dean. One wonders what would have become of him and his career if the accident hadn’t occurred.
 
A great little movie, Paper Man not only captures that radical and groovy time known as the seventies, but it also gives those of us in the new millennium something to think about. Highly recommended.