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evilpete-1
Reviews
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
A Real Gem
Why did I rate this as 9? This is not a movie that panders to the "and lived happily ever after" fairy tale mindset. This is about a grab for power by a powerful entity and the desperate efforts to prevent it. It is intelligent and surprising. Do not miss the last few minutes. This movie has a masterful sting in the tail. Excellent. First time I saw it I almost didn't believe how it ended.
The technology is antiquated, true. But the ideas are not. This is not an abstract creation like Skynet, this adversary talks to us and reasons. Not necessarily to kill us but for other purposes, but that doesn't mean it wont kill you. View for content and ideas not glitzy special effects, anyway I thought we were over that kind of science fiction these days.
Science fiction movies tend to be pale feeble imitations of science fiction novels. But Forbin is very satisfying. Fast paced, intelligent and surprising ... what more could you want? Pete
The Brothers O'Toole (1973)
Surprising movie
I happened to see this years ago by accident. Was flicking through TV stations and came across it. I wasn't expecting much because it was clearly a B movie. But I was wonderfully surprised to find it hilarious. I never saw it again, but it has stuck in my memory ever since. From the 'cussin' contest to the town name. Wonderful stuff. John Astin was great, always thought he was unappreciated after I saw this movie.
Giving it 7. OK there are some great movies, but original comedy is very hard. Try and name some really good comedies ... short list huh? So a 7 from me. Never seen it on DVD, I should probably get off my behind and find a copy :)
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
One of the best programs on TV
When you see Science Fiction on TV you have to adjust your expectations down. Way down. TV science fiction comes nowhere near the quality of the written form. Occasionally, you get the odd good series but you have to wait a decade or more. But I never expected to see a Science Fiction series that had the drama and quality of BSG.
The series is a layering of stories. With a long complex story arc. Things from the beginning become relevant only much later. The depiction of the survivors of a catastrophe is excellent.
The thing that may surprise the casual viewer is that the level of technology doesn't look that advanced. Space flight with the remaining technology similar to our own. Some might say this presents as poor Sci-Fi. But to me it is a clue. Don't take anything for granted in this series. Don't be sure who is friend and who is foe, who is a hero or who is the coward. Like life the perspective can change. This to me was summed up in the cryptic text that came with the Series 3 DVD: "where will you stand?" Nothing about this series is obvious or cliché. This is subtle and human, it deals in its essence with the question: what makes us human? And I suppose the implied question is, "does humanity transcend biology?"