MovieChat Forums > Soylent Green (1973) Discussion > I thought it held up very well

I thought it held up very well


It's still 70's cheesy, but just watched this the other night. Great message. Cities over-crowding, the government controlling food production, synthetically made food, massive unemployment... this was/is a perfect sci-fi film.

The twist has been given away over the years (SNL & the Simpsons), but it does not detract from the film's story or message.

reply

I will have to agree on that. Even though I have not seen SNL (or remember that episode The Simpsons for that matter) the concept and its relevance doesn't look outdated.
Our generation could be the most overfed generation ever. We are consuming everything like anything. Living in a time of surplus (at least for a fraction of us) where we are willing to spend time and money to get rid of that 'surplus' out of our bodies.
Ironically enough, We can only hope that not all of us become as "developed" as Americans (or any other "developed" nation for that matter)

my voting history
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=45098238

reply

Yeah, pretty cool what a great sci-fi flick they made with no fx, and a pretty low budget. Awesome stuff.

reply

I agree with OP completely. I thought it was kind of cheesey and I knew how it ended before I saw it since I've heard all the jokes. Me and a buddy saw it as a midnight movie and there were lots of yuks in the audience. However I was surprised at how the message of the movie made it through.

Funny but everyone gasped when Charleton Heston says his line at the end. Odd I thought everyone knew?! Or maybe just hearing it in the context of the seriousness of the movie made them gasp.

reply

I had the complete opposite opinion; I don't feel it held up well at all.

"Vulgarity is no substitute for wit".

reply

What did people think was cheesy about it? I love that films of the 70's treat their subject matter in a more grounded way, and i thought the acting was pretty fine. The only thing i consider cheesy is that weird "punch-acting" that they did in the 70s to show someone getting roughed up. Hook left, and then another punch on the way back - such a clumsy way of doing it.

reply