Another overlooked gem from this era is "Dark Star".<p>The dreary psychological effects of prolonged confinement in closed quarters seem particularly poignant today; and the dispute and argument with Bomb is a delightful foreshadowing of the frustrations of dealing with advanced, yet imperfect and inhuman, artificial intellegences.<p>And yes, the beach ball alien was intendedt be humorous; and yes, the closed-quarter panic in narrow vent shafts was inspirational on later science fiction movies.
> "These robots, often treated by critics as little more than a cute addition, "<p>That's really odd. When I saw the film all those years ago Huey, Dewy, and Louie seemed to me to be essential supporting characters.
I’ve been thinking about The Machine Stops a lot since the start of covid, it’s wild that it was published in 1909.<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Machine_Stops" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Machine_Stops</a>
Love the film, but am bothered by how nonsensical the decision to nuke the domes was. The linked piece explains it as "cost cutting", which I don't remember from the film but anyway, how is nuking something more economic than leaving it unnuked?
I loved silent running. (Except I always thought Bruce Dern wasn't the best casting choice. He always seemed to have too bold of a personality for a lower-key scifi movie)<p>They're right about 2001 stealing the spotlight for that time period though.
I watched this mesmerizing sci-fi in my childhood in the early 80s, nearly a decade after its original release. It left an indelible mark on my psyche and it might be the reason why I hate the "system" so much.
Reminder that there's a fantastic analysis of the film over at Centauri Dreams : <a href="https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2019/02/01/in-wildness-is-the-preservation-of-the-world-silent-running-and-our-choice-of-futures/" rel="nofollow">https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2019/02/01/in-wildness-is-th...</a>
Douglas Trumbull | Silent Running (1972) | the making of<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xtsNdLj1F4" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xtsNdLj1F4</a>
The two things that endeared me to this movie:<p>1. The theme song; Joan Baez's "Rejoice in the sun"<p>2. Huey, Dewey and Louie, the little Robots that assist Bruce Dern's character Lowell in maintaining the space ship.<p>I always take the trouble to show my kids Joan Baez songs on YouTube so they don't feel that good music only started with their generation :). Oh what a beautiful voice!
My father took me and my brother to see it at the movies, and I remember me and my brother crying and my Dad consoling us. We were 8 and 7 at the time. I haven't seen it since!
The main environmental issue at the first Earth Day was pollution. Climate change was then theoretical and not at the forefront. Air and water pollution were terrible in most major cities of US and Europe. They made good progress by the end of the century.
This movie does not hold up. This is the second time I’ve seen this touted as an unheralded classic. Watch it if you need a nap! Phenomenally boring and ham handed.