Tuesday, August 30, 2011

New Space: 1970 Poll - 'Bots!

Time for another Space: 1970 Reader's Poll, which you'll find over at the top of the right-hand sidebar. This one fits right in with the graphic I've been using for the feature, because it's all about 70s sci-fi retrobotics - in particular: "Which 70s sci-fi robot and/or droid was YOUR favorite?"  I'm limiting this to live action feature films and  U.S. TV shows, but if you want to write-in Doctor Who's K-9 or some other android or robot I missed, feel free to do so here in the comments.

By the way, if you read this blog through its RSS feed, you should know that the Poll is only available here on the actual site. Have fun!

D'OH! I can't believe I forgot The Delos Gunslinger from Westworld! (And the Fembots, too.) Dammit....
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18 comments:

  1. MetryqAugust 30, 2011 at 5:27 PM

    Is the "Box" listed in the poll the one from LOGAN'S RUN? I ask because he's not a robot, he's a cyborg. And although the T-800s from THE TERMINATOR are described as cyborgs, I would call them robots with living disguises. What's the difference? I'd say any living creature with machine enhancements—up to full body prosthesis, like Alita/Gally or Motoko Kusanagi—is a cyborg. According to the original definition, there must be feedback enhancement. I don't believe the Terminators get anything out of it except stinky, sweaty disguises.

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  2. Christopher MillsAugust 30, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    Is "Box" ever called or defined (i.e. having any human parts) as a cyborg in the movie?

    The character may have been a cyborg in the novel (it's been a long time since I read it), but since they changed so much from the book, it doesn't necessarily follow that the character is a 'borg in the film.

    I never get the impression that there's anything organic in Box in the movie, but if that's the case, I stand corrected.

    Unfortunately, I cannot remove Box from the Poll without losing all of the votes to date, so...

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  3. AnonymousAugust 30, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    My write-in vote is for The Gunslinger from 'Westworld'.

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  4. Christopher MillsAugust 30, 2011 at 5:59 PM

    Great choice! Can't believe I forgot that!

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  5. Dave swanAugust 30, 2011 at 6:09 PM

    I can't remember if it was Huey Dewey or Louie that got killed in the space storm, But I cried, Yes! I'm a grown man and I'm not ashamed to say that, Any robot that can make you weep with sorrow must win...

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  6. AnonymousAugust 30, 2011 at 7:13 PM

    My write-in vote is for K-9 from Doctor Who.

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  7. RoboAugust 30, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    I'm with Dave Swan. The "Silent Running" candidate gets my vote

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  8. Greyhawk GrognardAugust 30, 2011 at 7:50 PM

    I almost went for Box (and he's most certainly a cyborg by implication: "More than machine. More than man. More than a fusion of the two".), but had to give the nod to the Cylon.

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  9. TimAugust 30, 2011 at 8:09 PM

    Huey, Dewey and Louie from Silent Running will always have a special place in my heart. I also love Donald Moffat's portrayal of Rem from the Logan's Run TV series.

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  10. KazekageAugust 30, 2011 at 8:17 PM

    Maximilian, by a mile. When I first saw The Black Hole as a kid that thing scared the hell out of me, especially at the end when it's screaming.

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  11. AnonymousAugust 30, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    K-9 from Doctor Who

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  12. Greyhawk GrognardAugust 30, 2011 at 9:44 PM

    Wait a sec... no Bionic Bigfoot?

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  13. MetryqAugust 31, 2011 at 9:39 AM

    The reason I brought up Box (thanks for the quote, Joseph) is because he appeared in a graphic recently on Geekologie:

    http://www.geekologie.com/2011/08/wheres-walle-or-every-robot-ever-made.php

    The poster includes a few non-robots, like the Daleks and the Cybermen, and the Android logo is for an OS. I'd still class Hector from SATURN 3 as a robot. I can't recall if the movie said his brains were synthetic or derived from living creatures.

    The poster is very thorough, however. It even has the stove-like thing from "A Grand Day Out."

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  14. AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 9:58 AM

    Although I voted Cylon I feel I need to give a shout-out to Peepo. I loved his design, very modern. When I was a kid Peepo seemed like the kind of personal robot assistant we would all have in the very near future - according to Omni magazine anyway...

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  15. AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 11:48 AM

    Well, I voted for Box before reading any of these comments, because I never got the impression that the movie version was a cyborg.
    Box was very creepy in its human-ness coupled with cold logic, and made such an impression on my mind at the tender age of seven or eight.
    CR

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  16. dusty abellAugust 31, 2011 at 2:47 PM

    had to ultimately go R2, although i was wavering pretty heavily toward the Cylon......... R2 ultimately summed up the whole 70's robot experience for me but damn those Cylons were awesome!

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  17. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2011 at 11:53 AM

    Not quite a robot I know, but does anyone else remember this?

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072405/

    Very little about it on the internet. Seems to be known under two different titles. I remember really enjoying it anyway

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  18. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2011 at 6:12 PM

    You know, I always also liked the Cygnus sentry robots for their look, if not for their worthiness in combat, but I'd already voted for Box.
    CR

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