21 year-old Olivia Newton-John stars, pre-GREASE fame, in this utterly bonkers Mod-Pop / Sci-Fi musical about a multi-racial group of London art college musicians whose songs are the cure to the computer sterility suffered by the alien Alphoids, circling Earth in their crystal spacecraft. “It’s the only thing Planet Earth can teach us: the vibrations of Youth,” as the androgynous Alphoids, led by veteran British actor Roy Dotrice, tell Olivia & band. A jaw dropping, must-be-seen-to-be-believed combination of “Josie & The Pussy Cats” and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, the film is filled with super-groovy Sunshine Pop tunes, student protests and carefree sexual hijinks — plus aliens. (The Alphoids’ glimmering ship is like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude on ecstasy, one of the film’s highlights.)

Directed & written by the great British filmmaker Val Guest (the first two QUATERMASS films, THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE) in his most Pop-friendly, CASINO ROYALE-style, TOOMORROW was produced by James Bond 007 co-producer Harry Saltzman and veteran American music impresario Don Kirshner, who were intent on creating another The Archies/The Monkees style sensation. The other band members include guitarist/vocalist Benny Thomas, fringe-jacket wearing drummer Karl Chambers (who played with Philly-area groups like MFSB and Archie Bell & The Drells), and keyboardist Vic Cooper – but it’s clearly Newton-John with her irresistible smile, blonde locks and dollybird clothes that’s the superstar of the group. (Her slang dialogue of “Not you, you drongo!” is a great throwaway nod to her Aussie roots.) Released for barely a week on its original 1970 run and unseen for decades, TOOMORROW has been restored by the British Film Institute and Deaf Crocodile from the original 35mm negative for the first time. “Sure, I dig it. We’re too much. We’re Toomorrow.”

For thoughts on Toomorrow, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Toomorrow debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a new restoration by Deaf Crocodile, in collaboration with the British Film Institute, of the 35mm Original Camera Negative, along with some brief sections from an original 35mm IB Technicolor print from the BFI. Given the scarcity of the feature and damage sustained by the source, Deaf Crocodile should be commended for the quality transfer they have delivered here. The groovy photography captures the various real-world locales and practical sets with the appropriate care in high definition, as the natural film grain remains intact and flawlessly resolved.

There is a striking amount of detail present with exceptional textures within the rad outfits, the foliage on campus, and the distinct production design. The new transfer reveals a favorable amount of depth in the environment. Colors are boldly saturated for a lush viewing experience. Black levels are deep with no signs of black crush or compression artifacts, and the contrast is balanced without blooming. Even with the careful restoration work, there is the occasional stray line that could not be eliminated, but it is not severely distracting by any stretch. Deaf Crocodile has played a major part in rescuing yet another wonderful oddity.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a terrific DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in the original English (with optional English and English SDH subtitles). When you are dealing with a music-driven adventure, the sound quality is of paramount importance, and Deaf Crocodile has ensured that there are no glaring stumbling blocks. Every earworm emerges from the speakers with a powerful fidelity. The lyrics come through clearly without the music dominating everything in its path, and the spoken dialogue is similarly crisp and clear. The film deploys some unique sound effects, such as some otherworldly gadgets, that are given the appropriate presence to thrive within the mix. This track presents everything exceptionally with lovely fidelity, free from damage or other unwanted issues. Deaf Crocodile has pulled through for fans.

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of Toomorrow arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page bound book featuring new essays by film critic and author Walter Chaw and Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok, as well as a transcript of a 2002 Q&A with Val Guest at the American Cinematheque. All of this provides great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Author & music historian Andrew Sandoval provides an informative commentary track in which he doles out valuable context and analysis to help understand this era in music and how it ties to the film, as well as the background of the production.

Musical Humanism Through the Stars: A 12-minute visual essay from film critic Celeste de la Cabra that explores the arc of the narrative and more.

The Nose Has It: An eight-minute short film starring comedian Arthur Askey that functions as WWII propaganda.

Val Guest Guardian Interview: A 65-minute panel with filmmaker Val Guest reflecting on his life and career.

If I Could Turn You On: A nearly 13-minute experimental short film that documents an avant-garde performance.

Val Guest Interview: A newly edited piece that pulls together audio from a 1988 interview with the director as he speaks about his work on the film.

Final Thoughts

Toomorrow is a wonderfully campy, easy-going sci-fi musical romp that doesn’t aim to challenge you thematically, instead choosing to keep things fun and engaging. Olivia Newton-John will be the draw for most here, and she truly lights up the screen in this early starring role. Still, the rest of the movie has its merits with plenty of clever wordplay, catchy tunes, and inventive aesthetic flourishes. If this movie had been more widely available, it likely would have garnered a greater cult following sooner, but the film is sure to pick up a number of fans now. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which boasts a terrific A/V presentation and a notable assortment of special features. If anything about this sounds appealing, you should definitely take the plunge. Recommended

Toomorrow is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.