Colossus: "The Forbin" Project

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

The granddaddy of all "computer run amok" films, Colossus: The Forbin Project concerns a huge electronic brain designed to control the American missile defense system. Colossus' technicians do not count on the computer developing an intelligence of its own. Communicating with its Russian counterpart, Colossus decides to take over the earth, threatening global destruction should anyone try to pull its plug. The film's climax is unsettling, but no more so than the actual state of world affairs in 1970. Colossus: The Forbin Project was filmed in Canada. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: DDM2.0
• Features:
  • [None specified]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Eric Braeden - Forbin
       Susan Clark - Cleo
       Gordon Pinsent - President
       William Schallert - Grauber
       Leonid Rostoff - First Chairman

• Director:

  Joseph Sargent

• Producer:

  Stanley Chase

• Book Author:

  D.F. Jones

• Screenwriter:

  James Bridges

• Cinematographer:

  Gene Polito

• Composer (Music Score):

  Michel Colombier

• Editor:

  Folmar Blangsted

• Production Designer:

  John Robert Lloyd

• Art Director:

  Alexander Golitzen, John J. Lloyd

REVIEW:

• This thoughtful film isn't as well known as 2001: A Space Odyssey or Silent Running but has attracted a deserved cult following amongst sci-fi fans. Like many early-'70s science fiction films, Colossus: The Forbin Project allows its ideas about the impact of technology on humankind to take center stage. Joseph Sargent's crisp direction gives the film the technological sleekness it requires but downplays flashy visual effects in favor of a strict focus on story. This low-key approach is demanding on the viewer but ultimately reaps plentiful rewards for those patient enough to stick with it. When Colossus starts playing hardball with its human creators, the effect is devastating. Colossus: The Forbin Project also benefits from subtle but affecting work by its cast. Eric Braeden's cool, detached interpretation of Forbin is difficult to warm up to initially, but his carefully modulated performance is ultimately haunting as he moves from a cool intellectual to a tormented and angry pawn of his own creation. Susan Clark also adds an important bit of human warmth to the story as the colleague who finds herself falling for Forbin at the most inopportune time. All in all, Colossus: The Forbin Project is a sobering, well-told cautionary tale that is well worth a look to fans of serious science fiction. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

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