I'm not sure why I have
Silent Running on the brain this month - I haven't seen it in years, and it's one of the few 70s science fiction films I don't own on DVD or VHS. It's also quite different from most of the era's other genre films that I reminisce about here, as it's a pretty heavy, downbeat flick, rather than a shoot-em-up space opera.
Still, I've always liked the film, especially Douglas Trumbull's classic special effects and the robotic "drones" - and when I came across these one-sheets, it made me want to watch it again. I'll have to see if I can find a cheap copy of the DVD - or maybe I'll just check if it's available to rent from Netflix. (It is - I just checked!)
Great film...always been one of my favorites from the 70s.
ReplyDeleteIt's a funny fact in Spanish the film was known for years as "Naves misteriosas" (Mystery ships), apparently because of an error. Today is mostly known (and has been shown on TV a few times) with the more accurate title "Naves silenciosas" (Silent ships).
ReplyDeleteYou might want to hold off rewatching it then -- of the three heavy "message" movies of the early '70s --Silent Running, Soylent Green and Rollerball-- it holds up least well. (And I say that while whole-heartedly agreeing with the philosophy of your site... )
ReplyDeleteI too remember bawling uncontrollably as a kid at the end, when the last little robot was all alone. But a few years ago I was on a Douglas Trumbull revivial kick and rented Silent Running and Brainstorm, both so my wife could see them for the first time, and so I could see how they held up.
While the robots were still incredible, watching it again, alas, the adult professional me could see that Trumbull wasn't really cut out for directing (and, it appears, running the whole show hurt the SPX overall, which are not up to the rest of his work). Though I have to recognize the sheer ambitions of his 2 movies, I now see how flawed* they are.
*(With Brainstorm, which I still really like, it is now OBVIOUS that Natalie Wood's death impacted the final film. At the time, Trumbull and the producers empahtically stated they had enough footage of her to finish it -- a statement that was obviously a PR patch to cover the sad accident, and save whatever money could be made from the release. Looking at it now, my wife said it was clear there was alot 'missing' from the final product.)
Those posters are wonderful. Real vintage feel to them, especially color wise.
ReplyDeleteYou have an awesome blog here! Thanks for the memories. I know I still have the poster around here somewhere-- maybe I should get it framed. And have the video on DVD, so I should watch it.
ReplyDeleteSilent Running. Soylent Green. Rollerball. By the moons of Jupiter, these are three of my very favorite movies.
ReplyDeleteI've rewatched them all within the past five or so years. They're still lightyears beyond most of the garbage that comes out today. Especially the made for TV stuff.
Great posters and an even greater movie—one of my all-time favs. Like AAEC commented above, I bawled bigtime at the end when I was a kid (this had to be about '76-'77 when I saw it on TV, I'm guessing…I was about 6 yrs. old). It didn't help it was Joan Baez singing the end song…geez what a heartbreaker.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting is the movie is super, super dry and deadpan when compared to the trailer which I saw on YouTube, which makes it look all suspenseful and action-packed…even the music they use! lol
I like this movie so much that I've made a life-size paper craft model of Huey, the orange-colored "Service Drone" appointed to the ship in the movie (he's one of three). I still have yet to assemble it though; for now the art is still rolled up. It's one of my resolutions for 2014, lol…to bring it to life.
I remember reading an article years ago that mentioned that this film wasn´t given it´s deserved credit upon ít´s release, that eventualy happened when it began passing on tv, starting it´s cult following. I saw this movie for the first time on one of the ocasions that it showed on tv, years ago in my teens, nowadays I have it on dvd. Love this film always.
ReplyDeleteYou may wish to FLIP the SILENT RUNNING POSTER ART .... as it is BACKWARDS.
ReplyDeleteBut THANK YOU-!!! for having it anyways. SILENT RUNNING is not only my favorite film of all time ... but ... it was because of it I became a commercial director and produced screenwriter.
SOMETHING ELSE -- I got to work for Director DOUGLAS TRUMBULL in the mid-80's at ShowScan. Yippiee-!!
D.A.