Went into our local TK Maxx shop today to look for Space Voyagers lurking on the clearance shelf. No joy there but they did have 2 Matchbox Mega Rig boxed sets for £14.99 should anyone want one. And huge framed canvas prints of the cinema poster for the Day The Earth Stood Still, Gort and all. Wow [birthday list potential!]. In a Robot Top Trumps game, should such a set exist, I can well imagine old Gorty scoring zero on personality, unlike say C3PO, but being off the scale for destructive power. Like Candyman and his name, never mumble near Gort's invisible ears, as explained by his Boss Klaatu in the film:
"There's no limit to what he can do. He could destroy the earth... If anything should happen to me you must go to Gort, you must say these words, "Klaatu barada nikto", please repeat that."
All powerful robots remind me of a novel I once read about a super robot built by the USA I think, only to be matched by a similar Soviet one. They battled like Titans and the Earth rumbled. I think it was called Collosus, although I have a feeling that's about a super computer, which goes quite mad. Or?
"There's no limit to what he can do. He could destroy the earth..."
ReplyDeleteAlways thought that was one of the most chilling lines in all Sci Fi. Just something so matter of fact about it...you just know Gort could do it too.
One of my favourite films...hated the remake though.
Never seen the Keanu remake, although I like the Cruise rehash of War of the Worlds, especially the first sequence when one of the alien tripods erupts from the street!
ReplyDeleteAnother spooky computer line is in an old Sunday afternoon favourite with a young Matthew Broderick [of later Godzilla fame], War Games. Fed by cold war paranoia and video game crash and burn it's a kids film with an adult theme. When I first saw it I was amazed at all the countless war scenarios the WHOPPER cooked up and wondered if higher powers really did map out every possible conflict. After seemingly nuking the entire planet, WHOPPER delivers the final line: "Wouldn't you prefer a nice game of chess?"!
colossus - that was a super computer from the Forbin Project film. "warning - there is another system.."
ReplyDeleteJust heard about a short story new to me. Sounds entrallingly grim. 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream' by Harlen Ellison. Anyone read it?
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