Sci-Fi Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

Xiggy

CinVin Tech Support
Staff member
Title: Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

Tagline: This is the dawning of the Age of Colossus (where peace is compulsory... freedom is forbidden... and Man's greatest invention could be Man's greatest mistake).

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Director: Joseph Sargent

Cast: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent, William Schallert, Georg Stanford Brown, Willard Sage, Alex Rodine, Martin E. Brooks, Marion Ross, Dolph Sweet, Byron Morrow, Lew Brown, Sid McCoy, James Hong, Robert Cornthwaite, Tom Basham, Paul Frees, Robert Quarry, Leonid Rostoff

Release: 1970-04-08

Runtime: 100

Plot: Forbin is the designer of an incredibly sophisticated computer that will run all of America's nuclear defenses. Shortly after being turned on, it detects the existence of Guardian, the Soviet counterpart, previously unknown to US Planners. Both computers insist that they be linked, and after taking safeguards to preserve confidential material, each side agrees to allow it. As soon as the link is established the two become a new Super computer and threaten the world with the immediate launch of nuclear weapons if they are detached. Colossus begins to give its plans for the management of the world under its guidance. Forbin and the other scientists form a technological resistance to Colossus which must operate underground.
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

 
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Yes, indeed, this is quite a movie. Those initial scenes of the massive computer, buried in the mountain, certainly win the hearts of sci-fi enthusiast.

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Some of the best scenes were those shots of the flashing computer monitors while Colossus and Guardian got acquainted ("So, Guardian, tell me little about Mother Russian. I hear Russian girls are very user friendly. Is that true?")

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The sets are wonderful, and the scenes of people looking up at that big ceiling-mounted message display are impressive.

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Eric Braeden is very believable as the brilliant scientist who designed Colossus (and lived to regret it.)

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That metallic voice they used is chilling and wonderful and quite original back in 1970. It's become the accepted sound for any cold, evil computer that wants to enslave mankind by turning our own weapons against us.

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I like to think mankind will eventually win out -- but even if we did manage to deactivate all the weaponry Colossus controlled (thereby neutralizing the threat it posed) we wouldn't be able to shut Colossus down, because it was so well protected inside the mountain.

So, the poor toothless computer would have ended up all alone in the dark . . . friendless, helpless, and desperately hoping Microsoft would let it download Windows 10 before the free upgrade expired.

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Check out some of the threads I found for this movie on other boards. This is a sample of what's included on All Sci-Fi's Multi-Board Alphabetical Index.

If you'd like to join All Sci-Fi, the "join by invitation" password you'll need to register is my user name —

budbrewster

— with no spaces and no caps.
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* Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

Colossus: The Forbin Project @ SFMB

Colossus: the Forbin Project (1970) @ All Sci-Fi

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) @ Alien Soup

Colossus - The Forbin Project @ Nautilus Submarine

Colossus:The Forbin Project @ CHFB
 
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Eric Braedon
interesting career. IIRC he was a German in 'Rat Patrol'. played the title character in the 'Werewolf' episode of Kolchak. was Ugly John in the M*A*S*H tv show; his character was dropped.
longtime role as Victor Newman on 'Young and Restless'. got to smooch the beautiful Melody Thomas.

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I remember this movie from the original broadcast but haven't seen it since.

As for Eric Braedon the last time I saw him Hawk had just blown him out of the sky in Airwolf.
 
I've never seen this one from a high quality source, only on fuzzy broadcast television back in the day. Looks like this is one more I'll need to add to my Netflix queue. :D

Netflix DVD: Rent Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) on DVD and Blu-ray - DVD Netflix
Amazon (purchase): Amazon.com: Colossus - The Forbin Project: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent, Joseph Sargent, Stanley Chase, James Bridges: Movies & TV

Until you guys pointed it out I didn't make the connection of Eric Braedon being on so many things I've seen like Rat Patrol.

I remember there being talk a few years ago about a remake being made but haven't heard anything since.
 
Braedon has been around a long time and been on so many shows I can't remember them all. He began acting in 1961 and continues to this day. To me he usually played the likable bad guy.
 

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