Prior to colossus, mankinds threats in science fiction were biological godzilla, natural crack in the world or alien the atomic submarine. But when colossus connects to a similar russian computer, guardian, the intelligent machines begin conducting a private dialog. The forbin project is a 1970 american science fiction thriller film from universal pictures, produced by stanley chase, directed by joseph sargent, that stars eric braeden, susan clark, gordon pinsent, and william schallert the film is based upon the 1966 science fiction novel colossus by dennis feltham jones writing as d. Eric braeden, susan clark, gordon pinsent, william schallert, alex rodine, leonid rostoff 1970, 100 minutes, directed by. In the end, unlike other supercomputerrun amok films such as war games or tron, colossus is an endoftheworld story.
The forbin project is a technological anxiety film, but one with a critique so obvious and implausible at its center as to be disarmingly ineffectual. The forbin project is one of the rare genre films that mixes. I bring you an episode of the projection booth about colossus. The forbin project 1970 starring eric braeden and susan clark on dvd and bluray. Over time, i lost or gave away my copies of these books. The forbin project is a 1970 science fiction film directed by joseph sargent, based on a novel of the same name by dennis feltham d. Obviously adding that bit of detail to the description of the movie would be correct, but it would be boring to read and its better left off. The forbin project 1970 official trailer hd youtube. The forbin project is what would happen if hal9000 took slim pickens place in dr. It does what the humans ask it to do, exploding to asi on the way, but to achieve its goals, it must highly constrain humans. I remember enjoying it and really liking the film version of the first book, entitled colossus. Riding with death 1976 tv movie computer room footage and sound effects come from the science fiction film colossus. The computer in colossus is a perfect example of this. The forbin project, the 1970 joseph sargent film based on a novel by d.
The two computers link and begin a frenzy of data exchange, at the end of which colossus announces that it and guardian have developed a new language in. The forbin project or simply the forbin project as its known in the u. Still a third reason is that universal had trouble trying to promote it in the wake of the huge success of stanley kubricks 2001. The forbin project posts in chronological order in many ways, colossus. Cold war paranoia mixed with blevel science fiction makes for. While forbin is in rome, colossus issues another demand. Colossus ignores him, and then reassures forbin that, in time, he will respect and even love colossus. The forbin project aka the forbin project is a 1970 american science fiction thriller film from universal pictures, produced by stanley chase, directed by joseph sargent, and starring eric braeden, susan clark, gordon pinsent, and william schallert. Eric braeden sets the record straight on piranha, the rat patrol.
I always thought the ending of the original book was a lot more ballsy. Jones where man enslaves himself via a supercomputer. With eric braeden, susan clark, gordon pinsent, william schallert. Early in the picture, when they are testing colossus to see if they are still in control after it had issued an order for communication with guardian they are waiting for a 30 minute time period to pass the computer should not at that time repeat the order as it had been acknowledged and ordered not to do so. The film starts with a press conference followed by big celebrations as the american president and dr charles forbin unveil their new defence system, a huge, self operating computer called colossus.
But what the computer does with the power is unimaginable to its creators. Just as the rest of the ending was left outthe dialogfree visual sequence where a series of colossuseyeview shots of forbin are all put on the screen together in as i recall a 3x3 grid. Shortly after being turned on, it detects the existence of guardian, the soviet. Feb 12, 2014 made in 1968 and shelved for nearly two years, this is one of the most intelligent science fiction pictures of its decade, but it failed to find an audience.
The forbin project could be the start of the terminator franchise. Charles forbin eric braeden has developed a massive computer system, dubbed colossus, that is supposed to ensure the nations safety against nuclear attack. Two sequels, the fall of colossus 1974 and colossus and the crab 1977 continued the story. The forbin project is a 1970 american science fiction thriller film from universal pictures, produced by stanley chase, directed by joseph sargent. Obviously adding that bit of detail to the description of the movie would be correct, but it. John landis on colossus the forbin project youtube. That film was based on the 1966 novel colossus by dennis feltham jones, about a supercomputer named colossus which becomes selfaware and deems it necessary to seize control of the world. Joseph sargent it is the height of the cold war and the united states has built an enormous computer aptly named colossus to control all its nuclear weapons. When electronics genius charles forbin creates a massive computer complex that is capable of independently regulating the national defense.
The forbin project is a 1970 american science fiction thriller film from universal pictures, produced by stanley chase, directed by joseph sargent, that stars eric braeden, susan clark, gordon pinsent, and william schallert. Made in 1968 and shelved for nearly two years, this is one of the most intelligent science fiction pictures of its decade, but it failed to find an audience. A tall man in his early 50s, an internationally respected cyberneticist and, at storys end, colossus s connection to humanity, thus the most important man in the world. The forbin project is a brilliant, riveting, and criminally underrated sciencefiction film that is not only relevant in its depiction of its era, but frankly, feels even more relevant. Jones told us an inventive and original story about a united states that turns its defense over to a machine colossus only to discover that it merges with its cold war rival the guardian and takes. The forbin project full movie online here colossus.
Its nightmare scenario posits a narrative that would hardly have seemed near to the technological horizon of 1970. Charles forbin eric braeden has created colossus, an advanced supercomputer built to control all american. At the height of the cold war, the united states develops an enormous computer system in a top secret underground facility. The forbin project is one of the best and most disturbingly convincing scifi thrillers ever made. Tucked away in a secret location in the rockies, dr. The forbin project concerns a huge electronic brain designed to control the american missile defense system. Another reason is that its ending isnt exactly a happy one. The celebrations end abruptly however, when colossus sends a message on the screen of a terminal, warning of the presence of another defence system. The formulas were how the us computer colossus and the soviet computer guardian established communications. Universal and imagine entertainment first pitched a ron howard remake of the forbin project as far back as 2007, but nothing ever really came of it.
I would expect that the usual big willie swagger punctuated. Jones, about supercomputers taking control of mankind. The forbin project opens, we are treated to an establishing montage of 1970s circuit boards with resistors, whirring doodads, punched tape, ticking nixie tube numerals, beeping lights, and jerking control data tapes. The forbin project aka the forbin project is a 1970 american science fiction thriller film from universal pictures, produced by stanley chase, directed by joseph sargent, and starring eric braeden, susan clark, gordon pinsent, and william schallert the film is based upon the 1966 science fiction novel colossus, by dennis feltham jones as d. Oct 22, 2017 colossus the forbin project ending duration. Then a human hand breaks into frame, and twiddles a few buttons as an oscilloscope draws lines creepily like an. Mar 27, 2018 based upon the 1966 novel colossus by d. Cleo markham desperately tries to stall colossus by saying that forbin is trying to catch some badlyneeded. There are many films where powerful machines turn on their human makers without any sort of sabotage or intervention. Maybe theyre not interesting in reissuing it because a remake has been in the works for several years and theyd rather a new audience not know the ending.
The granddaddy of all computer run amok films, colossus. Its a lean film, beautifully constructed with an increasingly relentless momentum as the press conference and congratulations following the implementation. Forbin just a guess, adding the necessary starpower to get the remake on a fasttrack and also because saving earth is will smiths job. Colossus displays a cold rationality, until the films end, where it. The forbin project stands right at the cusp of the change in cinematic attitude toward technology. The forbin project was a 1970s film directed by joseph sargent the taking of pelham one two three. Jones told us an inventive and original story about a united states that turns its defense over to a machine colossus only to discover that it merges with its cold war rival the guardian and takes over the. Both end with colossus telling forbin he will lead mankind into a glorious new future without war where decisions are made based on logic, and humans will learn to accept it, appreciate it, and perhaps even worship colossus as a god. Colossus is a 1966 science fiction novel by british author dennis feltham jones writing as d. But by the end of the 1970s, it was possible to have checked out postapocalyptic actionadventures. Solid cold war thriller, only let down by a cowardly ending. The 1970s were a great period for dystopian scifi films, not to mention disaster movies.
The cover is reversible, one side showing the obey me mosaic of images, the other a three man silhouette with explosion lines. The forbin project eric braeden, susan clark, gordon pinsent, william schallert, leonid rostoff, georg stanford brown, willard sage, alex rodine, martin brooks, marion ross with fast shipping and toprated customer service. Professor charles forbin head of the colossus project. Thinking this will prevent war, the us government gives an impenetrable supercomputer total control over launching nuclear missiles. The film is based upon the 1966 science fiction book of the same name colossus, by dennis feltham jones about a massive american defence supercomputer, named colossus, becoming sentient after being activated, and the resultant consequences. Jones which is the first in a series of three books in the not too distant future, dr. Feb 05, 2018 colossus the forbin project ending duration.
A space odyssey, there was colossus, aka the forbin project, one of the earliest and best tales of man versus machine. Forbin flies there, while the news desks explain away a stray missile that colossus successfully intercepted, and a meteor strike that took out the oil complex. Forbin is the designer of an incredibly sophisticated computer that will run all of americas nuclear defenses. Although it didnt trouble the boxoffice much in 1970 and is now rarely revived, colossus.
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