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Silent Running (1972)

Rate: 2
Viewed: 3/25

SilentRun
3/25: While watching Spaceship Earth, I thought I would check out Silent Running after the founders of Biosphere 2 cited it as an influence.

Well, it's one of the most boring movies I've seen which is disappointing given that 2001: A Space Odyssey's Douglas Trumbull is the director although his handwork is unmistakable throughout. There isn't much of a story, and nothing happens for the longest time.

Often alone, Bruce Dern can only scream or talk slowly to communicate his thoughts. At one point, his character, who happened to be a psychotic and antisocial murderer, couldn't figure out why his forest was dying. I was like, "There's no sun, moron." Eventually, he gets it and proceeds to solve the problem by placing artificial light around. I don't think so.

The biggest highlight of the show is the little drones which were fitted with double-amputee thespians. And yes...this is the one that influenced the robots, most especially R2-D2, in Star Wars, having been made five years afterwards.

All in all, Silent Running is as bad as Bio-Dome but in a different way.