Sick new facility idea

[Possum]

Harrison was a brilliant author, he wrote the Deathworld series, the Eden series, and his Last works, I forget the title, about an alternate european history in which a resurgent paganism vied with christianity for dominance.

Go Pagans!!!

[geoschmo]

I think "Solvent Green" was a sequel in which homeless people were processed into cleaning supplies...

[This message has been edited by geoschmo (edited 26 April 2001).]

[Urendi Maleldil]

Charlton Heston: Soylent green is people!...people!!!!

[Dracus]

Ok I spelled the name wrong.

anyway Soylent Green is a still a good movie even today no matter what the review says.

Here is a review by tv guide:

A sluggishly directed look at life and death in the 21st century, SOYLENT GREEN is
set in a Big Apple that is rotten to the core. Smog is everywhere, humidity is
constantly oppressive, space is at a premium, and the population explosion has
crammed more than 40 million people in greater New York, many of whom live on
the streets, in subways, in abandoned vehicles, or in burnt-out buildings. Because
real food costs so much that no one can afford it, the government provides the
people with a synthetic substitute, supposedly made from the plankton. Said to have
all the vitamins and nutrients needed to maintain life, this pseudo-food is
manufactured by a huge conglomerate known as the Soylent company. Starving
people line up for their quota of Soylent Green wafers, but when there appears to
be a lack of the foodstuff, riots breakout that the cops quell by scooping up the
rioters with huge garbage-clearing contraptions. Heston is a detective who lives in
a seedy apartment with Robinson, an aged researcher who is a walking data bank.
Robinson is old enough that he can recall what bananas tasted like and what real
soap felt like against one's skin. Cotten, an executive with the Soylent company, is
killed, and Heston gets the job of investigating the murder. From Cotten's mistress,
Taylor-Young, Heston learns that Cotten had been inexplicably depressed for a few
weeks before his death. As one of the society's elite, he had little reason to be so
down, and Heston thinks that Cotten may have been killed by his bodyguard,
Connors, to prevent Cotten for divulging a big secret. Heston continues prying but
then is told by his boss, Peters, that the governor, Bissell, has ordered that he
cease his investigation. A dedicated cop, Heston ignores the order. When an
attempt is made on his life, Heston recovers from the wound and is ready to arrest
his would-be assassin, Young; however, Young is killed before Heston can nail
him. Robinson begins his own investigation and winds up in an underground
repository of books and records where nobody goes anymore. Uncovering the
truth about the Soylent company, he is able to understand why Cotten became so
desperate that he more-or-less condoned his own death. This terrible truth is also
too much for Robinson to bear, and he, too, decides that death is preferable to living
with this secret. In this future world, citizens are encouraged to chose to die. Prior
to being injected with a painless but lethal narcotic, those opting to die are allowed
to listen to 20 minutes of their favorite music and shown films of verdant vistas of
yesteryear. Responding to a note left for him by Robinson, Heston races to the
death clinic just before the old man expires. Robinson tells the cop what he's
discovered, but Heston is still dubious. Hiding aboard a truck filled with people
who've elected to die, Heston can't believe his eyes as he watches the dead being
transported along a conveyor belt to a large manufacturing device, emerging at the
other end of the line as the ubiquitous wafers of Soylent Green. Now that he
knows the secret, Heston's life is worthless. He is able to fight off Connors and his
thugs, but when he returns to the teeming city, he is waylaid by more henchmen.
As he is being beaten by agents of the company, Heston shouts, "Soylent Green is
people!"

Despite winning the Nebula Award as best science-fiction film of 1973, SOYLENT
GREEN is a short, unsatisfying film. Not surprisingly, Edward G. Robinson's
performance here is excellent, but it's shame that it is this film that proved to the
swan song for the immensely talented actor whose career spanned five decades
and included more than 100 movies. Ironically, Robinson knew he was dying when
he performed in the scene in which his character also faces death. Regrettably,
Connors and Heston, who have two of the most stoical faces in films, look as
though they are about to expire through most of the film. Professor and futurist
Frank Bowerman served as the technical consultant on this message picture,
which has dim of view humankind's future. Keep the kids away from this one, it
may cause bad dreams.






[This message has been edited by Dracus (edited 27 April 2001).]

[Dracus]

It is playing on the scifi channel in the us
Central time 2:00pm May 26th. 3pm eastern time

Date
Time
Program
Title
Stereo / CC
Sat, May 26
3:00 PM
SCINEMA FEATURE
SOYLENT GREEN





[This message has been edited by Dracus (edited 27 April 2001).]

[capnq]

My favorite bit in the movie is when the cop is reporting to his superior that a crook escaped their jusidiction by crossing the city limits...into Philadelphia.

------------------
Cap'n Q

[Atrocities]

Harry Harrison wrote the book on this movie. He also wrote the Stainless Steel Rat series. Another good scifi series which was the first to use the "To catch a crook, you hirer a crook" angle. Some of the books are great, while a few of the more recent ones kinda ... well they ... ok, nevermind, they are all worth reading if it continues to support Mr. Harrisons writing efforts.