Fused Film’s Friday Classics: Forbidden Planet
Welcome to a new feature on Fused Film, where I will throw may age in everyone’s face and educate you all on classic films that have inspired the good, bad and ugly of today’s movies. While doing our weekly podcast I have been utterly amazed at the lack of past sci-fi movie knowledge from our readers, listeners and most of all my counterparts.
So I have decided to start giving some sci-fi/fantasy history lessons. Believe it or not they did make sci-fi movies before Star Wars. We will feature a classic movie that influenced sci-fi of today and us as well. We will give a brief description and then try and discuss it on the Fused Film Podcast. If this is well received The Fused Film Friday Classics will be a regular feature.
We will be starting with the Granddaddy of them all Forbidden Planet. You will be hard pressed not to find a sci-fi movie today that was not at least partially influenced by this movie. Keep in mind this film was released in 1956 and it has better special effects than the latest The Incredible Hulk and better acting than The Dark Knight.
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox and stars Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen. The characters and setting were inspired by Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”.
The film features a number of Oscar-nominated special effects, groundbreaking use of an all-electronic music score and the first screen appearance of both Robby the Robot and the C-57D flying saucer starship.
Forbidden Planet Plot Synopsis:
MGM’s first big-budget science fiction film, Forbidden Planet, combined state-of-the-art special effects with a storyline based on “The Tempest.” In the 23rd century, Cmdr. J.J. Adams (Leslie Neelson) guides United Planets cruiser C-57-D on a rescue mission to faraway planet Altair-4. Twenty years earlier, Earth ship Bellerophon disappeared while en route to Altair-4. Only the ship’s philologist, Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), survived; in the intervening decades, Morbius has created an Edenlike world of his own, for the benefit of himself and his nubile young daughter, Altaira (Anne Francis). His private paradise is zealously guarded by Robby the Robot, a piece of technology far in advance of anything on Earth. When Adams and his crew land on Altair-4, Morbius announces that he has no intention of being rescued and returned to Earth. When Adams attempts to contact home base, he finds that his radio equipment has been smashed by some unseen force. Holding Morbius responsible, Adams confronts the scientist, who decides to tell all. At one time, according to Morbius, Altair-4 was populated by the Krel, a wise, intellectually superior race. Using leftover Krel technology, Morbius has doubled his intellect and gained the ability to shape a new world to his own specifications. Forbidden Planet was a big influence on future sci-fi outer-space efforts, especially Star Trek. The letterboxed video version is the closest to the original.
So there you have it, step out of your mold and enjoy the movies that inspired the movies we have today.
Remember kids knowing is half the battle!
~ Peace out! MajorXero!!
