Between the mind and the screen

[jwalt]

My Silent Running droids are likely to get booted out of the first biannual Star Wars Sprite Jam for lack of context. In trying to justify my entry, I found this interesting site:

http://cyberneticzoo.com/not-quite-robots/1971-silent-running-drones-doug-trumbull-don-trumbull-paul-kraus-james-dow-american/

The site has a lot of information about how they made Silent Running, including some early concept art regarding how they envisioned the droids. Quite frankly, the originals scare the hell out of me. With current 3D capabilities, they could have easily brought the original concept to the screen, but the movie wouldn't have worked as well, for me, as what they did create back then, in very workman like fashion. Progress, evidently, can be a bitch.

[Mandle]

Amazing article! I love where the studio was "You can't exploit the handicapped"!!! And the handicapped are like "Hell, yeah EXPLOIT THE HELL OUT OF US!!!" and get paid a load of money.

There was a similar protest by PC idiots years ago about Hollywood "exploiting" little-people to fill the roles of creatures such as dwarves/goblins etc... (All the protesters were non-vertically-challenged)

And then all the little-people actors showed up to protest the protesters with placards like "DON'T TAKE AWAY OUR JOBS!!!"... (The placards were on really long sticks btw...Hilarious self-parody...)

Best picture from the article for me was:



And, if you don't know what that drink is...You are young...

[Cassiebsg]

Really cool article... I've never seen the movie, but only heard about it (since BSG did use "some" Silent Running ship models for the fleet...).

But now am really curious and interested about watching this movie.

BTW, great models you did there.
I was really missing your models and animations!

[cat]

To be honest, I found the film quite boring. But after reading this article, it might be interesting to watch it again...

[jwalt]

@cassie & cat

I can understand why someone might find the movie boring (or tedious, or preachy, or, even, illogical -- plants need light?). I've always liked the film, nonetheless. But, after seeing the original droid concept art, I can totally see them throwing Bruce Dern out an airlock, if that helps in any way.

[Retro Wolf]

OMG! This is one of those films I'd seen on TV as a kid and occasionally get nostalgia flashbacks about! I barely remember what happened in it apart from the robots maintaining the garden after the guy dies. Could never figure out the name of the film, thanks jwalt!