It's 2185. Three astronauts led by Jeff Morrow are forced out of their trajectory and land on an asteroid. When they open the door they're shocked to see a world that resembles Earth in 1985, the world that was mostly destroyed in an atomic war. It's a small town with tree-lined streets, bands playing, lovers dancing, a beauty contest, a mayoral election. The only problem is that everyone is frozen still, as if time had stopped. The director used still photos when practical because it's hard to get two dozen extras all to hold still at the same time.
After exploring the town and being unable to explain any of what's going on, they stumble across Cecil Kelaway as Mister Wickwire. He moves. He talks. He's friend. And he explains the situation after a toast to world peace.
The astronauts are in a cemetery. The figures in town are dead and wealthy enough to have been transported to this asteroid and posed in circumstances that realized their earthly fantasies. If a guy wanted to be mayor, he's posed in a tableau surrounded by others who smile and cheer motionlessly for his winning the election.
Wickwire is merely the caretaker of this elaborate cemetery. He's not human but a machine that falls asleep until the arrival of newcomers, when he wakes up long enough to see that they're properly disposed. That toast to world peace before? The wine was filled with "eternalization fluid," a painless poison and the astronauts wind up where they wanted to be -- back in their space ship, heading home, although both ship and crew are as motionless as a display in a wax museum.
Why was it necessary for Mr. Wickwire to eternalize the three astronauts, each of whom seemed normal enough? Well, where there are living human beings there can be no peace, and this cemetery is above all else peaceful. Plato is supposed to have said, "Only the dead have seen the end of war," but actually the apothegm can't be traced back beyond Santayana. No matter. It's sure peaceful in this cemetery. There's an anti-war message there, if you look for it.
After exploring the town and being unable to explain any of what's going on, they stumble across Cecil Kelaway as Mister Wickwire. He moves. He talks. He's friend. And he explains the situation after a toast to world peace.
The astronauts are in a cemetery. The figures in town are dead and wealthy enough to have been transported to this asteroid and posed in circumstances that realized their earthly fantasies. If a guy wanted to be mayor, he's posed in a tableau surrounded by others who smile and cheer motionlessly for his winning the election.
Wickwire is merely the caretaker of this elaborate cemetery. He's not human but a machine that falls asleep until the arrival of newcomers, when he wakes up long enough to see that they're properly disposed. That toast to world peace before? The wine was filled with "eternalization fluid," a painless poison and the astronauts wind up where they wanted to be -- back in their space ship, heading home, although both ship and crew are as motionless as a display in a wax museum.
Why was it necessary for Mr. Wickwire to eternalize the three astronauts, each of whom seemed normal enough? Well, where there are living human beings there can be no peace, and this cemetery is above all else peaceful. Plato is supposed to have said, "Only the dead have seen the end of war," but actually the apothegm can't be traced back beyond Santayana. No matter. It's sure peaceful in this cemetery. There's an anti-war message there, if you look for it.