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Soylent Green

Soylent Green

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $15.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Anohter outdated picture.
Review: This movie is just all around outdated. Bad acting, Cheap effects, Slow moving and cheesy. Overall: BAD

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Soylent Green"
Review: "Going Home" Soylent Green,the Movie is about a possible future for mankind and a warning! The Main Character,is a man named Thorn,a Criminal Investigator,whom is paired with an Old Man called Sol Roth,which works as a Book. Sol Roth,job is to support Thorn,by gathering information at the Exchange.A place where all information is collected and stored. I enjoyed the relationship that existed between Thorn and Sol Roth. The Character development in the movie is excellent. The story begins with a murder of a Board member of the Soylent Green Corporation. Thorn,is assigned to investigate the murder. In the process of investigating,he gets involved with woman called Shirl,whose job is to be Furniture at a Luxury Apartment Complex.So much for Womans Lib. The Investigation unfolds a Conspiracy. Towards the end of the movie,Sol Roth,goes home,by going to facility,where you can Self terminate your life. Thorn,hurriedly arrives to view Sol Roths' Death. Sol Roth,is treated to spectacular display of Nature,that once existed on Earth,at one time. Sol Roth tells Thorn,about the Conspiracy. Later Thorn,investigates. To his horror,Sol Roth,was right. Soylent Green,is people. I found the ending quite an emotional connection to Humanity. It also helped me become more self aware of Global over-population. Thorn at the end is bleeding and dying.He warns Hatcher, the head of detectives.. Thorn:"You got to warn them" Hatcher:"Warn who Thorn". Thorn: The Ocean,is dying.The Plankton,is dying.You got to tell Them" Hatcher :"Tell them What" Thorn:Soylent Green,is people. Soylent Green,is made out of people. The next thing you know,they will be breeding us like cattle. You got to go to the main Exchange,to tell them". Hatcher:Okay,Thorn, I'll tell them". As he is being carried off,he is yelling ."You got to stop them. Soylent Green,is people".

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Population control [gossip]
Review: This movie was made at a time when Paul Ehrlich's "The Population Bomb" was causing alarm throughout the academic and cultural elites in this country. Anyone who has taken the time to research will find out the scenarios portrayed in that book have not come to pass. Instead of mass starvation, we have a crisis in obesity in much of the world. The famines we have are largely human-engineered, the result of war and population displacement. It is ludicrous to believe New York City or any other place in 2022 will look anything remotely like it does in "Soylent Green".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Youve Got To Tell Them !!!! Soylent Green Is......GREAT!!!
Review: I just wanted to comment on this DVD version of Soylent Green. Its very good. I saw things that were too dark in the VHS version or were not seen because of the "Formatted for TV" style, but now thanks to widescreen, its all there.

You actually get a real feel for the cramped apartment that Thorn and Sol share. For the first time I could see the work area that Sol uses for his research as well as the bunk he used for a bed and all the books he had there on his shelves. Maybe not a big deal for some, but it does enhance the overall impression of their living quarters, but hey, didnt know it was there till now.

In the VHS version, when Simonsons assasin is sneaking into the Chelsea Towers West complex it was so dark you couldnt see what him moving across the dividing moat or the hugh comoplex of the area, kinda like, where is he? Well now I can follow his path and not go, huh?!?!!

The DVD is clean and sharp, and even if youve seen Soylent Green a zillion times on Video like myself, the DVD will make it appear new again in so many ways.

Its a worthwile investement IMHO.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Oldie but goodie.
Review: I added this to my collection partly because I had not seen it in maybe twenty years. I think it is better then I remember except Heston is such an obvious overactor now. Honestly, he makes John Wayne's amble look like a Woody Allen shuffle. The funny thing about this film viewed now is that the original message of nasty proletarian overpopulation is easily replaced by the message of pure corporate greed without missing a beat. It is a must see for Edward G. Robinson fans.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A lost classic
Review: This is simply the best sci fi film made in the 1970's. Period. It is certainly the best film that Charleton Heston ever made. What I admire most about this film is the fact that it's set in the future but it's not futuristic; the world looks just like the real world today--only amped up slightly;nothing too crazy has caused the misery that is seen in the film; just too damn many people breeding and needing something to eat. If we are not careful this film won't seem like sci fi at all in another 20 yrs. I've probably seen this 35 times and I still think it's enetrtaining and, during Edward G. Robinson's final scene, quite touching.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Food For Thought
Review: Troughout the 60's and mid 70's, many science fiction films, had a post apocolyptic view of the future. Soylent Green, like many of the films of the day, had something to say about our world and where we may be headed. The film may be decades old, but it has held up well and remains a classic of the genre.

The year 2022. The earth is over populated and on the verge of an ecological colapse. For the citizens of New York City, life is a mess. Crime is up. Folks are forced to live, almost on top of one another, in crowded buildings. When a prominant city official is killed, Detective Thorn (Charlton Heston) is put on the case by his boss (Brock Peters), and told to solve the case at any cost. His investigation leads him to Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young)and a government conspiracy. When Thorn is pulled from the case, he turns to his roommate (Edward G. Robinson, in his final role) for advice.

Directed by Richard Fleischer, the film has a great cast, and features Heston playing another noble good guy, in a science fiction movie, following the landmark Planet Of The Apes, and 1971's The Omega Man. Based upon Harry Harrison's book of the same name, the film has brief moments where it seems "dated" or the acting is over the top, but for me-the film still stands the test of time.

The commentary by director Richard Fleischer and Leigh Taylor-Young is fairly decent. Fleischer is amicable enough, while Young started to fade halfway through. Still, I have to say, I was surprised to find a commentary at all. "A Look at the World of Soylent Green" is a vintage featurette made at the time the film was released. MGM's tribute to Edward G. Robinson's 101st film is a 10 minute piece, made up of archival footage. Some of which can also be seen in the other featurette. The essay-"Charlton Heston: Science Fiction Legend", is a bit over written if you ask me. The exact same essay can also be found on The Omega Man DVD, as well. Lastly, the extras include the vintage theatrical trailer. Recommended

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A SCI-FI CLASSIC, MAYBE...BUT IT SURE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT
Review: This is part of and the worst of Heston's "last man who can save the earth" trilogy (the other films being PLANET OF THE APES (9/10) and THE OMEGA MAN (7.5/10). The story is very simple: New York 2022, the world has become a polluted place -where over population and starvation, due to lack of food, have reduced the earth to a mess. The government and the Soylent Corporation have developed a food source that is capable of solving some of the hunger problem (Soylent Green, Red, and Yellow). Heston plays a cop who, while investigating the murder of a former Soylent chairman, discovers the truth behind what Soylent Green is made of and the truth may shock you. The film is pretty lousy in terms of aesthetics and even the story and characters don't always "jive" (Since the movie uses 70's slang I figured I should)at times. The story idea is great but the execution of the story leaves a little something to be desired. There are some definite inconsistencies in the plot and I found myself put off by the low-budget sets and cheesy 70's clothes (who in their right mind would wear a neckerchief in 2022?). The movie is not meant to be incredibly believable as a tale of the near future but simply a morality tale for the preservation of the environment. There are some fun moments in this movie and some of the blatantly bad dialogue and cheesy sets may make you laugh out loud but then, isn't that what B-Movies are for? This film hasn't aged well at all.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The first cyberpunk vision on film- a prophecy from '73
Review: Soylent green had that gritty, decaying, non-utopian view of the future long before any other film. Now, ordinarily, I don't care for cyberpunk, but this film is just too prophetic to ignore. Released in 1973 (the year when so much was going wrong politically, economically, militarily, ecologically, and technologically) the writers clearly saw that the "golden age" was coming to an end. The vision that they extropolated from these trends has proven disturbingly accurate. Just one example would be widespread homelessness- no one in '73 ever dreamed that that would ever be a problem in the United States. Another example is climatic degradation- no one saw that coming in '73 either.

Heston plays one of his best anti-hero roles here. Yet, even as a corrupt cop in 2022, he still ultimately manages to come across larger than life as the unselfish hero battling the great Beast. Thorn is almost equally unimpressed whether he is dealing with a common, desperate street hood, or some rich, evil member of the power structure in their fortified condo. That says alot for his integrity in a world where people will literally kill to get and keep their job.

This was also Edgar G. Robinson's last role as Thorn's "book." A "book" is a sort of personal assistant/ human computer in a world where the internet has either never existed- or has collapsed and disappeared. When people are literally peddling home generators to charge batteries for lighting, then you have to believe that all utilities and services are gone. Robinson was the perfect choice for the wise old man from another age who can not believe how far civilization has fallen.

The concept in this film about government sponsored euthanasia centers- well, I've lost count about how many times I've heard this topic discused since the film came out. It wouldn't surprise me if it came to pass- suicide has already been decriminalised in some countries and states. In a world as hellish as the one described here, it only makes sense. Besides, the government wouldn't have to pay social security....

As depressing as this film can be, it is Thorn's indomitable, rat-like will to not just survive, but to find the truth, that saves the day.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: "You've got to warn everyone and tell them!"
Review: In 1973, Richard Fleischer directed the film "Soylent Green", which was based upon the novel "Make Room! Make Room!" that was written by long-time sci-fi writer Harry Maxwell Harrison in 1966. The film presents a stark, macabre, polluted and overpopulated world set in the year 2022 in New York City. The vast majority of humanity lives without any privacy, most have never seen a living tree or animal, and most can only afford to eat mass-produced food wafers known as soylent red, soylent yellow and soylent green. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and even water are items of luxury that very few can afford, and only the very wealthy can afford the luxury of a private apartment, which often includes a woman referred to as "furniture". This is Police Detective Robert Thorn's (Charleton Heston) world, and he is called upon to investigate the murder of one of the elite. The murdered man's "furniture" that came with his apartment is a woman named Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young), who Thorn meets. Thorn's friend is an older man named Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson), who remembers what the world used to be like before it became overpopulated and polluted. The most poignant part of the film occurs when Sol decides to end his own life, which is not only perfectly legal, but encouraged by the government. To do this, Sol goes to a facility where he is allowed to watch scenes of what the world once looked like before overpopulation and pollution destroyed it, before his life is ended.

For being a futuristic film, "Soylent Green" very much has the look and feel of the early 1970's, which comes across as being rather dated by today's standards, The script was rather poor and one aspect that the film never addresses is the high probability of Creutzfeld-Jacob disease. Edward G. Robinson, who died shortly after filming "Soylent Green", did a superb job with his role. This wasn't the first time that Robinson acted with Charleton Heston: they both starred in the 1956 film "The Ten Commandments". He distinguished career includes "Double Indemnity" (1944), "Key Largo" (1948) and "Black Tuesday" (1954). "Soylent Green" is not a particularly well remembered film for Charleton Heston, who is better remembered for his roles in "The Ten Commandments" (1956), "Ben Hur" (1960) and "Planet of the Apes" (1968). As far as portraying an apocalyptic future is concerned, the 1968 version of "Planet of the Apes" is much better film overall than "Solyent Green". Also, the bleak, overcrowded world portrayed in the 1982 film "Blade Runner" is also superior to the one in "Soylent Green". Director Richard Fleisher is better remembered for "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954), "Fantastic Voyage" (1966) and "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970). Other characters in "Soylent Green" include Tab Fielding (Chuck Connors, of 1958-1963 TV series "Rifleman" fame), William R. Simonson (Joseph Cotten) and Lt. Hatcher (Brock Peters).

Overall, I rate "Soylent Green" with 3 out of 5 stars. If you have never seen it, I do recommend watching it at least once. You may enjoy it if you enjoy any of its contemporary sci-fi films like "THX 1138" (1971), "The Andromeda Strain" (1971), "Silent Running" (1972) or "Fahrenheit 451" (1966). Clearly, the moral of the film was what could go wrong with completely inadequate environmental responsibility.


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