Following the end of all botanical life on Earth, ecologist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern), oversees a greenhouse on a space station, preserving various plants species for future generations. Assisted by three robots, Lowell rebels when ordered to destroy the greenhouse in favor of carrying cargo, a decision that puts him at odds with the remaining (human) crew. How far will Lowell go to keep his invaluable greenery alive?
Though somewhat dated, Silent Running is a noble effort and warrants placement in the canon of classic science fiction cinema. Its geological message remains relevant—especially with today’s concerns of climate change—and Bruce Dern’s performance harkens back nostalgically to other great peers of the time. Join us as we discuss the film’s development and its ties to the George Lucas and the Star Wars franchise. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys orbits Saturn, observing the endangered vestige of Earth’s fauna and questioning how far we should go to save it.
***Note: We’ve been having some Zoom connection problems and, occasionally, briefly, you may hear a glitch or our audio (Tim’s usually) does not sync with the video. Never fear, we catch most of the audio and (with video) the error seems to correct itself shortly. We are working on solutions to this problem.***
SHOW LINKS
- Silent Running (1972)
- original trailer
- Douglas Trumbull
- Deric Washburn
- Michael Cimino
- Steven Bochco
- Bruce Dern
- Battle Star Galactica (1978)
- Mystery Science Theatre 3000
- Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (1959)
- Red Dwarf (1988)
- Night Gallery (1969)
- Jurassic Park (1993)
- Dark Star (1974)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
- 2001 (1968)
- The Black Hole (1979)
- The Andromeda Strain (1971)
- Freaks (1932)
- Avatar (2009)
- Get Tim’s book!
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