Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

Thinking this will prevent war, the US government gives an impenetrable supercomputer total control over launching nuclear missiles. But what the computer does with the power is unimaginable to its creators.

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

James Bridges (screenplay), D.F. Jones (novel)

Stars:

Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eric Braeden	...	Dr. Charles Forbin
Susan Clark	...	Dr. Cleo Markham
Gordon Pinsent	...	The President
William Schallert	...	CIA Director Grauber
Leonid Rostoff	...	Russian Chairman
Georg Stanford Brown	...	Dr. John F. Fisher
Willard Sage	...	Dr. Blake
Alex Rodine	...	Dr. Kuprin
Martin E. Brooks	...	Dr. Jefferson J. Johnson (as Martin Brooks)
Marion Ross	...	Angela Fields
Dolph Sweet	...	Missile Commander
Byron Morrow	...	Secretary of State
Lew Brown	...	Peterson
Sid McCoy	...	Secretary of Defense
Tom Basham	...	Thomas L. Harrison

Storyline

Forbin is the designer of an incredibly sophisticated computer that will run all of America's nuclear defenses. Shortly after being turned on, it detects the existence of Guardian, the Soviet counterpart, previously unknown to US Planners. Both computers insist that they be linked, and after taking safeguards to preserve confidential material, each side agrees to allow it. As soon as the link is established the two become a new Super computer and threaten the world with the immediate launch of nuclear weapons if they are detached. Colossus begins to give its plans for the management of the world under its guidance. Forbin and the other scientists form a technological resistance to Colossus which must operate underground.

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Plot Keywords:

super computer | technology gone amok | computer | scientist | cult film | 

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Taglines:

We built a super computer with a mind of its own and now we must fight it for the world!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

8 April 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Day the World Changed Hands

Filming Locations:

Lawrence Hall of Science - Centennial Drive, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the Colossus commanded missile re-targeting procedure is shown in a segment where the conspirators are watching for the success their sabotaged warhead arming module replacement, the new target coordinate provided by Colossus (Lon 99 deg 6 min 45 sec, Lat 19 deg 26 min 5 sec) is that of Mexico City, Mexico.

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Goofs

In an effort to prevent Colossus from launching America's ICBMs at other countries, Air Force personnel secretly replace the activating modules in the missiles' nuclear warheads with non-operative dummy modules. Later, when Colossus discovers a plan to overload him and thereby render him powerless, he detonates the warheads in two of the missiles. But detonation would have been impossible with the dummy modules installed.

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Quotes

Colossus: I am a machine vastly superior to humans.

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Alternate Versions

Early in the picture, when they are testing Colossus to see if they are still in control after it had issued an order for communication with Guardian -- They are waiting for a 30 minute time period to pass -- the computer should not at that time repeat the order as it had been acknowledged and ordered not to do so. Before the time was up, originally the following conversation took place: Blake: Colossus can not exceed its programming. It's impossible. The computer cannot physically change its guts. Forbin: Anything the human mind can conceive of is possible, Blake. Blake: Really, Charles? OK, how about a four-sided triangle? Forbin: A triangle in three dimensions would be four-sided. Cleo: It's called a pyramid. In all copies of this film since it was first released on video, the conversation does not take place. The scene just cuts to 30 minutes later with Blake saying "We're still boss".

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Master Ninja II (1992)

User Reviews

Best evil-computer film of the 20'th century.

This is one rare movie. It deals intelligently with complex scientific issues and does so without dumbing down the concepts, nor making any painful errors in trying to keep up with its own topic. I found it convincing when I was a kid hacker in the mid-70's (when "hacker" meant "person who writes programs for fun"), and it is just as persuasive to me now (after I have acquired a computer science grad degree, and 25 years of experience in the field).

Spooky score takes it up a rung on the ladder, too. See it.