SYNOPSIS ...

A middle-aged man writes in his attic. Soon, he time trips to World War Two. He reexperiences traumatic events that happened to him in wartime Germany,

In the course of the film, the veteran time trips to various periods and places, from World War Two, to times in his life in the 1950's and 1960's, as well as to an alien planet, in a seemingly random fashion.

On the alien planet, the guy mates with a beautiful Earth woman, who's a movie actress. Following the birth of their child, the aliens celebrate.

REVIEW ...

Director George Roy Hill's, SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE, is a unique and involving Sci-Fi tale.

Michael Sacks ("Sugarland Express") plays Billy Pilgrim, a man who witnessed the firebombing of Dresden , Germany, in World War Two. Now middle-aged, he time trips to various periods in his life, including World War Two, as well as to the alien world, Tralfamadore.

Michael Sacks is good as a nice, dull man, who has gone through life doing what he's supposed to. What happened to Sacks after this movie is a mystery to me. Perhaps he is on the planet Tralfamadore.

Eugene Roche ("Newman's Law") is endearing as an older, fatherly-type who the German's appoint as leader of the G.I.'s. His fate is sudden, stunning, and heartbreaking.

Valerie Perrine ("Superman") plays Montana Wildhack, a movie actress Sacks mates with on the alien world. Perrine is a warm, natural screen presence, and her topless scenes aren't bad either. These are my favorite scenes in the movie.

Stephen Geller's Screenplay effectively conveys the flavor and unique, time tripping nature of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s novel, "Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade". This is a considerable achievement, considering the complex nature of Vonnegut's source material.

Director of Photography, Miroslav Ondricek's, work is strong. He delivers a memorable, painting-like shot, at night, of a German train steaming into a station.

The music, by Glenn Gould, varies between simple piano and classical compositions, with some pipe organ stuff for dramatic emphasis. It's the perfect counterpoint to the on screen action.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE will be fairly watchable for most Sci-Fi viewers. Valerie Perrine fans will be on cloud 9.