Friday, April 10, 2009

Movies You Haven't Seen But Should: Silent Running


Wiki:
Silent Running is a 1972 ecologically-themed science fiction film directed by Douglas Trumbull which depicts a future in which all plant life on Earth has been made extinct, except for a few specimens preserved in space in greenhouse domes. When orders come from Earth to jettison and destroy the domes, the ship's botanist (Bruce Dern) opts instead to send the last dome into deep space to save the remaining plants and animals. In addition to Dern, the film starred Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin and Jesse Vint.

The three "drones" were played by four double-amputees, an idea inspired by Johnny Eck. The 20 pound (9 kg) "drone suits" were custom tailored for the different actors. The suits still exist, and are in Douglas Trumbull's personal collection.

Freeman Lowell
: [after jettisoning the last dome with Dewey] You know when I was a kid, I put a note into a bottle and it had my name and address on it. And then I threw the bottle into the ocean. And I never knew if anybody ever found it [presses button on nuclear charge, destroying his ship]
Silent Running on the IMDB

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