Portrayal of Science in Entertainment

[orin stepanek]

I think My favorite; all time, was Forbidden Planet! Oldie but a goodie! No I'm not a bot! I like Sify for entertainment; I don't think there are too many that show much feasibility!

[neufer]

I think My favorite; all time, was Forbidden Planet! Oldie but a goodie! No I'm not a bot!

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

<<Robby's groundbreaking design and dazzling finish represented a radical advance on the conventional "walking oil-can" depictions of robots in earlier features and film serials. However, this did not come cheap: As with every aspect of the production of Forbidden Planet, MGM spared no expense on Robby's design and construction. At a reported cost of US$125,000 (equivalent to at least $US1.1 million today) it was, proportional to total budget, one of the most expensive single film props ever created up to that time, which represented nearly 7% of the film's total budget. (By way of comparison, Robby cost roughly the same, proportional to total budget, as the massive 27-ton, 12 meter-diameter, rotating centrifuge set built for Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The Robby suit was constructed using a range of materials including metal, plastic, rubber, glass, and Plexiglas. The plastic parts were a pioneering example of the use of the then novel technology of vacuum-forming heated plastic over wooden molds. The finished suit stands just over 7-foot tall and was fabricated in three detachable sections: the legs and lower torso, the barrel-like chest section (which included the arms), and the highly detailed 'head'. To access the suit, the three sections were dismantled and the operator climbed into the legs. The torso was then placed around him, the two sections were secured with internal clips, and the operator was strapped into an internal harness; finally the head was fitted, the internal electronics were connected to external power with hidden cables, and the suit was switched on and ready for filming. This design made it possible to film Robby from any angle and for him to move about and carry out the actions required without either betraying the obvious presence of the operator inside or revealing how they got in and out. Robby was operated (uncredited) by stuntmen Frankie Darro and Frankie Carpenter; both actors were of shorter stature (Darro was 5'3").

One of the suit's few drawbacks was that the many intricate moving parts in the electrified headpiece made a considerable amount of noise when Robby was powered up. During shooting, Robby's voice was performed off camera by an uncredited actor who spoke lines into a microphone that was fed into a voice-actuated circuit connected by a cable run into Robby's foot and then up through a leg and all the way to the neon tubes in Robby's head; this device generated a control voltage that synchronized the flashing of the neon tubes to the dialogue. The Robby voice heard in the finished film was re-recorded in post-production by actor Marvin Miller. Actor Les Tremayne read the film's prologue.>>

[orin stepanek]

Thanks for the insight on Robie!
Back in the day; Robie was very cool!

[orin stepanek]

My 2'nd: "The Day The Earth Stood Still!" Then a lot of the rest!

[Chris Peterson]

My 2'nd: "The Day The Earth Stood Still!" Then a lot of the rest! 8-)

We can discuss any science fiction, but it does seem that the OP is mostly focused on what we might call "space movies". A lot of science fiction films (especially older ones) don't really touch on either space or on science at all.

[Orca]

2001 is definitely one of my favorites. I’ve seen the film many times and read the book a couple times as well (apparently the book and film were made concurrently, which is kind of unusual).

I grew up on Star Trek. When I was very young I saw the syndicated episodes of the original series; however Next Generation became “my” Trek. I was 9 when it first came out. Ann – Data is my favorite Trek character but Spock is a close second!

Early on I was drawn to Trek by the action and adventure in space. Later I realized that the show isn’t really about space; the stories are about humanity. The juxtaposition provided by the science fiction genre can allow writers to explore social issues from a new perspective. Some episodes are subtle and well done; others can be “bonk you on the head” obvious. But with this in mind I can pretty easily accept warp drive and replicators: “…tea, Earl Grey, hot.” (Funny story: I was so curious as a kid about Picard and this ‘Earl Grey’ business that I asked my mom pick some up so I could try it. Earl Grey is my favorite tea to this day).

I remember enjoying the X-Files as a teenager. However, the last time I tried to sit down and watch it – after many years of learning about science and skepticism – I just couldn’t handle it. In every episode, science (personified by Scully) is a wet blanket, a Debbie Downer, indirectly helping “the man” keep the “reality” of aliens and the supernatural obscured and hidden from the public. The believer (Mulder), the one who blindly accepts the most extreme and baseless hypothesis without a shred of evidence, turns out to be right every time. Gross. At least they should have split it 50/50 so you couldn’t guess each time.

Chris - the Expanse looks interesting. I’ve only watched an episode or two. Since the story takes place within our solar system, there’s no need for physics-breaking FTL travel - which is nice. The show actually reminds me a little bit of Rendezvous with Rama. The established human colonies have evolved into distinct cultures that are influenced heavily by the physical environments in which they live.

[orin stepanek]

My 2'nd: "The Day The Earth Stood Still!" Then a lot of the rest!

We can discuss any science fiction, but it does seem that the OP is mostly focused on what we might call "space movies". A lot of science fiction films (especially older ones) don't really touch on either space or on science at all.

+1
I guess I never did consider the eerie hobblin gobblin type movies as Sify! Fiction; but not sify! Of course fiction covers a lot of territory! I loved Star trek; Star wars; and even Battle Star Galactica! Of coarse I thought Battle Star Galactica got a way out reality after a while! I mean a big stretch of the imagination! The super powers they showed up with on Earth especially

[orin stepanek]

2001 is definitely one of my favorites. I’ve seen the film many times and read the book a couple times as well (apparently the book and film were made concurrently, which is kind of unusual).

I grew up on Star Trek. When I was very young I saw the syndicated episodes of the original series; however Next Generation became “my” Trek. I was 9 when it first came out. Ann – Data is my favorite Trek character but Spock is a close second!

Early on I was drawn to Trek by the action and adventure in space. Later I realized that the show isn’t really about space; the stories are about humanity. The juxtaposition provided by the science fiction genre can allow writers to explore social issues from a new perspective. Some episodes are subtle and well done; others can be “bonk you on the head” obvious. But with this in mind I can pretty easily accept warp drive and replicators: “…tea, Earl Grey, hot.” (Funny story: I was so curious as a kid about Picard and this ‘Earl Grey’ business that I asked my mom pick some up so I could try it. Earl Grey is my favorite tea to this day).

I remember enjoying the X-Files as a teenager. However, the last time I tried to sit down and watch it – after many years of learning about science and skepticism – I just couldn’t handle it. In every episode, science (personified by Scully) is a wet blanket, a Debbie Downer, indirectly helping “the man” keep the “reality” of aliens and the supernatural obscured and hidden from the public. The believer (Mulder), the one who blindly accepts the most extreme and baseless hypothesis without a shred of evidence, turns out to be right every time. Gross. At least they should have split it 50/50 so you couldn’t guess each time.

Chris - the Expanse looks interesting. I’ve only watched an episode or two. Since the story takes place within our solar system, there’s no need for physics-breaking FTL travel - which is nice. The show actually reminds me a little bit of Rendezvous with Rama. The established human colonies have evolved into distinct cultures that are influenced heavily by the physical environments in which they live.

I got out of X-files pretty early; it just wasn't what I expected it to be!