Soylent Green
|
List Price: Our Price: $14.70 You Save: $0.28 (2%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $6.98 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Soylent Green
Movie Review: DARK PORTRAIT OF PLANET EARTH'S POTENTIAL FUTURE?
Summary: 5 Stars
WHAT DOES THIS DVD OFFER IN SPECIAL FEATURES?
The VHS editions had NO special features so it is nice to have the following 'Special Features' on the DVD along with a cleaner print and sharper sound;
-----> Feature-length audio commentary by Leigh Taylor-Young and director Richard Fleischer
-----> Vintage documentary "A Look at the World of Soylent Green"
-----> "MGM's Tribute to Edward G. Robinson's 101st Film"
-----> "Charlton Heston Sci-Fi Movies" essay
PLUS THE USUAL DVD NICETIES: Interactive menus --> Theatrical trailer --> Scene access --> Languages: English & Français Subtitles: English, Français & Español
-*-> ABOUT THE FILM -- 1 OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES <-*-
FIRST THOUGHTS:
Soylent Green is one of those films that makes me yearn to shout its punch line. From reading the reviews here I can see I am not alone in this, but I shall refrain from giving away that part of the film.
IN A NUTSHELL: COULD THIS HORRIFIC VISION OF THE FUTURE BE WAITING FOR US?
Soylent Green is a film based on the science fiction novel of the same name by Harry Harrison.
Its 2022 A.D. and the Earth has finally exceeded its carrying capacity as a result of the environmental desecration which continued and expanded throughout the industrial revolution and now into the post-industrial stagnancy that has followed. The plight of the world is shown to us through Detective Thorn [Charlton Heston] and Sol Roth [Edward G. Robinson] who are a kind of dyfunctional odd-couple who literally live and work together. Thorn is investigating the murder of Simonson, a member of the board of directors of the 'Soylent Corp.'. Sol Roth is a 'Police Book' whose job is to gather research material relevant to Thorn's investigation. Contrary to what might be expected, information is scarce as books are not published anymore [no trees & no paper] and computers don't figure in, at least not on their level. People literally live in the street and food is available in the form of synthetic brickettes of yellow, red, blue and GREEN all courtesy of the SOYLENT corporation.
Why Simonson [Joseph Cotten] was murdered will eventually reveal what Soylent Green is all about and with that goes the entire plot of the film. Getting to that point, we follow Thorn in his investigation and see a world that is beyond depressing, where people don't even recall any beauty or happiness, let alone a real meal or hot running water! An ordinary bar of soap or a celery stick is a miracle and as Thorn puts it, "I'd smoke 2 or 3 of these a day if I could afford them", in regard to cigarettes. People line up for Soylent each day and when it runs out there are food riots which are dealt with by scoops [see cover of Video or DVD] sent by the NYC police Riot Squad. Yes, Thorn occasionally ends up on that detail too between finding murderers.
In the course of his investigation Thorn gets to know Shirl [Leigh Taylor-Young] who is the 'furniture' in Simonson's luxury apartment and a new love interest for Thorn. Women don't seem to have equal rights in this future world as if it wouldn't already be a miserable enough existence.
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY - WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
'Soylent Green' most of all is a message of hope, a desperate wake-up call to the silent majority of humanity screaming -- IT'S STILL NOT TOO LATE! All of us are represented by 'Thorn' and we go through the same learning process as he does with the investigation of the Simonson murder as the vehicle and in the end we may reach the same conclusions.
BOTTOM LINE: EDWARD G. ROBINSON GIVES ADDED WEIGHT TO SOYLENT GREEN
Soylent Green gets a lot of help in the credibility department from Edward G. Robinson, in his final role. Robinson makes a common pencil, a celery stalk or a stick of butter seem like treasures meant for royalty. Tears well up in his eyes as he is overwhelmed by the sight of a bar of soap, pencils and a couple of reference books, all part of the graft that Thorn, an honest cop, purloined from Simonson's apartment. Robinson makes all of this alien scenery that we are confronted with every moment seem genuine because we believe he believes it all. His constant bantering and bickering with Thorn in their apartment are some of the best scenes in the movie and provide the film with an anchor to the Earth and humanity of the past in dark contrast with the Earth of the horrible present [our future - their present].
COMPELLING DYSTOPIAN SCIENCE-FICTION MELODRAMA THAT IS STILL CHILLING AFTER 35 YEARS
Movie Review: COMPELLING DYSTOPIAN SCIENCE-FICTION MELODRAMA THAT IS STILL CHILLING AFTER 35 YEARS
Summary: 5 Stars
FIRST OFF: WHAT DOES THIS DVD OFFER IN SPECIAL FEATURES?
The VHS editions had NO special features so it is nice to have the following 'Special Features' on the DVD along with a cleaner print and sharper sound;
-----> Feature-length audio commentary by Leigh Taylor-Young and director Richard Fleischer
-----> Vintage documentary "A Look at the World of Soylent Green"
-----> "MGM's Tribute to Edward G. Robinson's 101st Film"
-----> "Charlton Heston Sci-Fi Movies" essay
PLUS THE USUAL DVD NICETIES: Interactive menus --> Theatrical trailer --> Scene access --> Languages: English & Français Subtitles: English, Français & Español
-*-> ABOUT THE FILM -- 1 OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES <-*-
FIRST THOUGHTS:
Soylent Green is one of those films that makes me yearn to shout its punch line. From reading the reviews here I can see I am not alone in this, but I shall refrain from giving away that part of the film.
IN A NUTSHELL: COULD THIS HORRIFIC VISION OF THE FUTURE BE WAITING FOR US?
Soylent Green is a film based on the science fiction novel of the same name by Harry Harrison.
Its 2022 A.D. and the Earth has finally exceeded its carrying capacity as a result of the environmental desecration which continued and expanded throughout the industrial revolution and now into the post-industrial stagnancy that has followed. The plight of the world is shown to us through Detective Thorn [Charlton Heston] and Sol Roth [Edward G. Robinson] who are a kind of dyfunctional odd-couple who literally live and work together. Thorn is investigating the murder of Simonson, a member of the board of directors of the 'Soylent Corp.'. Sol Roth is a 'Police Book' whose job is to gather research material relevant to Thorn's investigation. Contrary to what might be expected, information is scarce as books are not published anymore [no trees & no paper] and computers don't figure in, at least not on their level. People literally live in the street and food is available in the form of synthetic brickettes of yellow, red, blue and GREEN all courtesy of the SOYLENT corporation.
Why Simonson [Joseph Cotten] was murdered will eventually reveal what Soylent Green is all about and with that goes the entire plot of the film. Getting to that point, we follow Thorn in his investigation and see a world that is beyond depressing, where people don't even recall any beauty or happiness, let alone a real meal or hot running water! An ordinary bar of soap or a celery stick is a miracle and as Thorn puts it, "I'd smoke 2 or 3 of these a day if I could afford them", in regard to cigarettes. People line up for Soylent each day and when it runs out there are food riots which are dealt with by scoops [see cover of Video or DVD] sent by the NYC police Riot Squad. Yes, Thorn occasionally ends up on that detail too between finding murderers.
In the course of his investigation Thorn gets to know Shirl [Leigh Taylor-Young] who is the 'furniture' in Simonson's luxury apartment and a new love interest for Thorn. Women don't seem to have equal rights in this future world as if it wouldn't already be a miserable enough existence.
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY - WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
'Soylent Green' most of all is a message of hope, a desperate wake-up call to the silent majority of humanity screaming -- IT'S STILL NOT TOO LATE! All of us are represented by 'Thorn' and we go through the same learning process as he does with the investigation of the Simonson murder as the vehicle and in the end we may reach the same conclusions.
BOTTOM LINE: EDWARD G. ROBINSON GIVES ADDED WEIGHT TO SOYLENT GREEN
Soylent Green gets a lot of help in the credibility department from Edward G. Robinson, in his final role. Robinson makes a common pencil, a celery stalk or a stick of butter seem like treasures meant for royalty. Tears well up in his eyes as he is overwhelmed by the sight of a bar of soap, pencils and a couple of reference books, all part of the graft that Thorn, an honest cop, purloined from Simonson's apartment. Robinson makes all of this alien scenery that we are confronted with every moment seem genuine because we believe he believes it all. His constant bantering and bickering with Thorn in their apartment are some of the best scenes in the movie and provide the film with an anchor to the Earth and humanity of the past in dark contrast with the Earth of the horrible present [our future - their present].
Movie Review: A smart, powerful, and still timely cautionary tale
Summary: 5 Stars
Like most people, I knew the shocking secret of the film long before actually watching it. But I was truly surprised to discover what a strong film it remains to this day, presenting a grim but convincing picture of a world in rapid decline, both materially & culturally. Even better, it credits the audience with intelligence & lets us put the pieces together as we watch, rather than hitting us over the head with speeches & statistics.
Are the minimal effects & overall design dated? Of course -- but that's totally beside the point. Ideas are what matter here, not gloss. True science-fiction isn't about prediction, it's about speculation: what if? And it's often commentary on & criticism of the present. This film is a perfect case in point. If the details haven't aged well, the essence remains as searingly potent as ever.
What strikes me is the restrained, casual tone of the picture, presenting a corrupt & apathetic world so matter-of-factly. Our coarsened hero Thorn (an excellent Charlton Heston) is so obviously a product of that world, shaped by its anomie & mounting despair. Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson in a heartfelt final appearance) is the dwindling counterpoint, no more than a living memory of a better, cleaner world that Thorn can't even begin to imagine. And Leigh Taylor-Young's Shirl is a tragic figure, sensitive but wearily accepting of her role in a society that has no place or pity for her humane spirit.
The background is filled with throwaway lines that almost slide by without calling attention to themselves: asking a bodyguard if he can read or write, thus establishing the collapse of literacy; marveling at something as common to us as a glass of ice, indicating its scarcity; succumbing to the temptation of a rare hot shower, rather than sex or money. A sickening yellow-green pall fills the screen in all outdoor scenes; a palpable weariness & desperation covers everyone like a thickening layer of dust. The viewer feels as grimy & sweaty & unwashed as any of the characters. In some ways, it's a brutally realistic version of "Idiocracy" long before that satiric film.
Most telling is the transformation of human beings into disposable commodities by the corporate masters of the world. From young women called "furniture," to the literal scooping up of hungry rioters, to the secret of Soylent Green itself, the mass of humanity exists to be used, traded, bought & sold to satisfy the greed of a handful of the rich & powerful. Which doesn't seem all that far-fetched these days ...
When we get to the final scenes with Sol, dying before screen images of the green earth he knew as a child, it's as jolting to the viewer as it is to a stunned Thorn, who finally realizes just how much both humanity & the world have lost. And the age of the film is actually a reminder that the greenhouse effect & global warming were well-known over 30 years ago, only to be ignored & disregarded since that time in favor of corporate interests. Dated? Not in this regard!
All in all, it's the sort of film that probably wouldn't get made today, not unless it was packed with CGI effects, massive explosions, a larger body count, and a lot less intelligence. But if you're ready for a thought-provoking story, you won't do much better than this fine science-fiction film. And the commentary by director Richard Fleischer & Leigh Taylor-Young is informative & articulate, adding to the experience. Most highly recommended!
Movie Review: An Underrated SF Thriller
Summary: 5 Stars
I just rediscovered this classic movie on DVD recently. It is an extraordinary and haunting film with a powerful message. The performance by Edward G. Robinson is moving, and it's almost obligatory to say that Charles Heston chews up the scenery (as usual).Some of the reviewers here have bemoaned the fact that there are so many 70s-type vehicles in the world of Soylent Green, which detracts from its setting in the year 2022. Nothing could be further from the truth. I remember watching this film in 1973 and was very conscious of that fact that it was projecting what NYC might look like 49 years from then. Why so? Read on.
Not to state the obvious, but this is a film about a dystopian future. The planet is overpopulated and running out of resources. All of the major oil fields on earth have passed peak production (our experts tell us that the last major fields in Saudi Arabia and Iraq will reach peak production in just a few years from now). Most of the automobiles are old and broken down. Infrastructure is decaying. Even in 2004, here and now, you can see this process beginning. In many parts of the city where I live, people are driving vehicles manufactured from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Things are run down. People are working harder and making less money. Richard Fleischer's vision of the future is brilliant and spot on.
So what about the cheesy 70s background music, you say? All I can say is that by 2022 there might very well be a 70s renaissance, because by then people will have realized how good things were in the 1970s. Look at us in 2004, we're still playing Beatles music, and it is quite likely that the music industry will dramatically change or won't even exist by 2022.
And finally, to underscore the scope and brilliance of this film, just do some investigative research into today's Monsanto Corporation and see if you can't find an overwhelming parallel with the Soylent Corporation depicted in the film, whose aim was to control the world's food supply.
And who knows, by the year 2022, food processing and Chicken McNuggets will be so pervasive that NOBODY will know where their food really comes from. What a chilling thought.
I wish that every person on this planet owned this DVD. It's not just a great Heston film, or a brilliant science fiction thriller, it's an important film for all of mankind...because it's still not too late.
p.s. the amazing quality and sharpness of the images in this film are astounding. This is the film that I saw in 1973. All other versions have been muddy and dark. Another outstanding transfer!!
Movie Review: "People...People who eat People..."
Summary: 5 Stars
Sorry, Babs! I couldn't resist!
One of the all-time best movies ever made! Forget that in the year 2022, the most advanced gaming system is Pong! Forget that the People's usual housing is old 1966 Pontiac station wagons. Although dated in it's interpretation of physical things in the "future," the message is horrible and indeed it is happening!
Take today's headlines of global warming, the depleted fish stocks in the ocean, the droughts and poisoning of foodstocks, and the overpopulation of the world. Add Charlton Heston (How could a NRA gun nut Reagan Republican star in such a 'leftist' "Environmental whacko" movie like this?) and the unmatchable Edward G, Robinson, in his last role. What you have is an apocolyptic vision that is both timeless and a warning! Oh, Al Gore, where are you when we need you?
In that world the rich are like they always are, living pampered lives where they can afford 150 D a jar strawberry jam. The working and the poor live squalid lives living on stairs and stair landings of apartment buildings and in the shells of wrecked cars. The poor can't afford the food the rich eat, they must rely on all those synthetic crackers that Soylent Corporation churns out. "Soylent Yellow! Get your Soylent Yellow, made from genuine soy beans!"
However, if you are in the madding crowd struggling for your ration of Soylent Yellow, do not cause a riot! For if you do, the "scoops" will scoop you and your fellow rioters up and deposit you all in garbage trucks, perhaps to be made into the new miracle food, Soylent Green! Oops, I gave away the ending of the movie!
Charlton Heston's ending death wail about Soylent Green is as epic as when he screamed: Get your stinking paws off me, you damn, dirty ape!"
In this film, they dont even have the luxury of "wok-ing their dog." (ha ha ha) As Charlton finds out, the society of 2022 utilizes the epitome of recycling technology to eat. I will say no more about that.
The revelation to Charlton as he goes to Edward's new "home" is both beautiful and sad. It contrasts the beauty of what once was to the squalor of what is and what will become.