Anyone here ever see "Soylent Green"? I saw it when it came out , IN 1973 (I REMEMBER MY BROTHER SAYING "IT'S SCIENCE FICTION. THERE MAY BE SOME PARTS THAT ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND". He was right , too.). It screened here , recently , at The Sci Fi Film Fest , but , I MISSED IT.....Though , I found a VHS copy , last week. The movie is set in New York , in the future , apocalyptic year of 2022 , which does'nt seem radically different from the New York of the mid - 70's , except that it boasts a population of 40 Million , half of which are unemployed.
Destruction of animal and plant life have led an opportunistic , corrupt regime - like corporation to manufacture largely artificial foodstuffs (Kinda like McDonald's.) to just barely keep the teeming masses fed. Real food ,and alcohol , can sometimes be had....for a price. Only the rich can cover the tab , however. a top executive at this corporation , which is called Soylent , is murdered in an amateurish fashion (Actually , he comandeers his own killing , ostensibly to atone for getting rich (Literally) on the backs of the poor. Ironically , his death occurs shortly after giving a present to his "Furniture" (as live - in Prostitutes , who come with high - end apartments , at the customer's request , are called .)....the gift he bought her is a video game. It looks like a stripped - down version of "Space Invaders". Bear in mind , "Pong" was'nt even in the arcades , yet , in 1973. The lower class still gets their news , mainly about when foodstuffs will be available , on ordinary television sets.
Charlton Heston plays a hardened (Shocked , are'nt you?) Police Detective , and his partner and friend , an elderly , idealistic Jewish Intelluctual who can still remember clear skies and water ,and real food , is played by Edward G. Robinson , in his last role. Heston is put on the case , aided by Robinson (See? Nyaaaa. I kid , he plays the melancholy Zayde very well.), he stumbles upon the secret of the most popular foodstuff , Soylent Green , which looks like green cheese , in regular slices , and is only sold once a week (Sale areas are bathed in a green light , much like Spectrum - X , on Soylent Green day.), and are supposedly made from plankton......OHHHH , BUT , THEY'RE NOT !!!! I won't spoil it for you , but , think about the Twilight Zone "To Serve Man" episode. Chuck Connors (The murdered Executive's former bodyguard.) dukes it out with Heston (i Quien es mas macho?) , and the lovely "Furniture" , who'll go to whoever buys the newly vacated apartment , hangs in the balance. Edward G. decides to commit himself to a voluntary extermination facility (The aged and the terminally ill , and , well , anyone else who wants to take part in such a sweet deal , are encouraged to let professionals terminate their existence in a seemingly humane manner. It's what happens , afterward , that does'nt show the dead any favors.). Robinson knows the secret of Soylent Green , and drops a pretty broad clue to Heston , with his last dying breath , but , even he is shocked at what he finds out , a man who once found out The Planet of The Apes , too , was Earth , in the future.......
"Soylent Green" is a pretty low budget effort for one of the majors (I dunno , MGM , Universal , one of 'em , I forget.) , to feature some pretty big names. It's often very dark , seemingly for lack of sufficient outdoor lighting than for atmosphere. When Heston and Connors are beating the Hell out of each other , it's hard to tell which is which , it's so dark.The visions of futuristic affluence read like a considerably pared - down "Clockwork Orange" (You almost expect Heston or Connors to get bonked on the noggin with a giant phallus.), while the immediate squallor of 21st Century street denizens looks no different than the CBGB's - era Bowery , with about 10 times as many people.
Bud Westmore , who suceeded Jack Pierce as Universal's primary monster make-up man , did the make up (There's no monsters in this film , though.) , and , perhaps the only major (Then ) futuristic blunder , besides seeing a kept woman playing a (now) primitive video game in teh year 2022 , like it's the lastest , exclusive thing , is Dick Van Patten as the Attendant , carrying Edward G. Robinson off to be euthanized. Could'nt get that damned "Eight is Enough" theme song out of my head.