Saturn 3

Very pleased with my purchase.

It's hard to imagine a more peculiar choice of director for this sci-fi thriller than Stanley Donen. Donen made some great films in the 50s and 60s (Singin' In The Rain, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Charade), but here he's in disappointing form. Partly that may be due to the fact that the project was originally to be directed by John Barry, but Donen "inherited" the responsibility when Barry quit due to ill health. However, Donen should not be made to shoulder all the blame. The script by Martin Amis leaves the actors to contend with some bad lines and situations. Elmer Bernstein contributes a forgettable music score which is well below his usual standard. And even the actors - all of them talented - seem indifferent to the project. Kirk Douglas, for example, seems to have accepted the role simply to enjoy some saucy nude scenes with sexy co-star Farrah Fawcett.Essentially, the story is a three-handed thriller (or, four-handed, if you count Hector the droid). Saturn 3 is Titan, the third moon of Saturn (hence the name), and it is here that scientists Adam and Alex (Douglas and Fawcett) live in blissful isolation, developing food supplies for people on Earth. Adam and Alex not only work together - they sleep and shower together too, which is a pretty enviable arrangement for Adam (who is about 30 years older than his sexy assistant). Into this perfect space oasis comes psychopathic Benson (Harvey Keitel), another scientist who has recently murdered a shuttle captain. Benson has brought with him a droid named Hector, supposedly to speed up the workload. However, Hector turns out to be a particularly unstable droid, particularly when the randy robot develops a liking toward Alex. Eventually it becomes clear that neither Adam nor Benson can control the droid, and with Hector determined to kill anyone who stands in the way of himself and Alex, that becomes something of a problem.......If Saturn 3 is a story of jealousy and desire, then it needs more than a sex-starved droid to generate credibility. If it is a sci-fi actioner, then it needs more action. If it was conceived as a sci-fi thriller then it most assuredly needs more thrills. The film emerges as a rather muddled and unappealing mess, with flashes of eroticism and very sporadic flashes of action. It marks a low point in Donen's directorial career, and is too forgettable to be remembered as a significant sci-fi work. Most of the folks associated with this one probably don't give it pride of place on their CVs.

After making do with a region 2 dvd (cropped image; no extras), I was surprised and relieved to see Saturn 3 finally getting a release 33 years after its theatrical run. Shout! Factory has come out with what is certainly the best release of Saturn 3 ever. This set includes two discs- one blu ray, one dvd. The blu ray image is excellent and sharp (Farrah and Hector look great; beautiful, eerie quasi-futuristic corridors of the moonbase), in widescreen with excellent sound, nicely balancing Hector's creepy sounds and Elmer Bernstein's odd, electronic/symphonic score. The blu ray extras are generous, including an interview with the English actor who dubbed Harvey Kietel's part in the film, an extended `blue dreamers' scene, and added scenes/bits from the network televised version of the film (though they're not of high quality). The commentary, though from fans of the film (Greg Moss of the Saturn 4 Fan Page; film critic David Bradley) as opposed to cast/crew directly involved with the film production, is informative (they certainly did their homework) and answers some questions I had about this troubled production (which Kirk Douglas made no mention of in his autobiography). There's also an interview with Colin Chilvers (who should have been on the commentary) concerning special effects and other matters(great robotic FX, admittedly so-so spaceship sequences; cast tensions).Granted, some of the effects and dialogue may make more contemporary/CGI-savvy audiences cringe and scoff, but this may be a cult film for certain generations who watched it (or wanted to) back in 1980. Nothing seems to be missing here (compared to my old region 2 disc). All those hokey moments- three characters arguing over 'shared sex' ideas from terrible old Earth, spaceships flying through meteor-showered rings of Saturn (picture 'bread balls underwater'), all kinds of creepy and nasty things occur with the big, clumsy, tube-tied android Hector at its center, are on display, looking better than ever. Kirk Douglas is great as usual, Farrah is lovely but seemingly ditzy, and Harvey Keitel is creepy but not quite himself due to a robotic performance and dubbing. But...DO get hold of this sadly, nearly-forgotten semi-sexy sci-fi/horror flick and appreciate something you may have been too young to see at the time (as I had been). Loosen up and enjoy it- don't take it seriously!

This was probably considered a B movie back in 1980. It has a small cast, with classic actors. It will touch on your deepest fears. It has a simple plot and the acting is great.

Muy buena imagen y sonido, audio nomás en ingles sin subtitulos

This is a rare one but a great film overall! Doc fi lovers will definitely want this one in their collections

"SATURN 3" est un film typique de son epoque ( le debut des annees 80 ) qui vit l'explosion du "space opera" avec les grands succes au box office que furent "LA GUERRE DES ETOILES " "GALACTICA" et surtout l'excellent "ALIEN" de Ridley Scott tourne en 1979. Le film de Stanley Donnen emprunte d'ailleurs une partie de son intrigue a celui de Scott puisque il s'agit dans les deux cas d'un huis clos dans l'espace ou une petite colonie humaine doit s'organiser pour sa survie en affrontant un danger mortel venu de l'exterieur. La creature extra terrestre predatrice qui elimine un par un les membres d'equipage du vaisseau spatial "Nostromo " est ici remplacee par un robot devenu incontrolable au point de constituer une menace pour le couple de savants residant a bord de la station spatiale "Titan". Bien qu'offrant moins de place au suspense et a la terreur pure SATURN 3 n'en est pas moins une bonne surprise . Le decor ou evoluent les occupants de la station spatiale est particulierement bien soigne avec sa salle de controle, ses quartiers d'habitation , son laboratoire de recherches , ses labyrinthiques couloirs de communication separes par autant de portes coulissantes automatisees .A cela s'ajoute une excellente photographie en tons contrastes et teintes tamisees du meilleur effet. Un montage nerveux et serre met en valeur une intensite dramatique qui va crescendo. Enfin le jeu des comediens reduits a trois personnes reste tres convaincant. Kirk Douglas se tire avec honneur d'un role a la foi digne et difficile a porter au cours duquel il tente de proteger sa compagne au peril de sa vie alors que lui meme se sent deja diminue par l'age et sait ses forces affaiblies. (Kirk Douglas avait soixante quatre ans quand il accepta de tourner ce film!!! ) A noter aussi que contrairement a ce qu'affirment imprudemment quelques spectateurs mal informes SATURN 3 ne fut pas l'unique contribution de Kirk Douglas a une oeuvre de science -fiction. A l'ete 1980 (donc la meme annee) sortit dans les salles un long metrage intitule "NIMITZ RETOUR VERS L'ENFER " qui relatait l'incroyable aventure d'un porte-avions nucleaire transporte malgre lui via une spirale spatio temporelle en l'annee 1941 a quelques heures de l'agression japonaise contre Pearl Harbour. Le commandant du porte-avions n'etait interprete par nul autre que Kirk Douglas !! Enfin et pour en finir avec les critiques negatives tout a fait injustifiees contre "SATURN 3" un spectateur (qui n'a probablement jamais regarde le film! ) soutient que l'usage d'un telephone filaire parait anachronique pour un film cense se derouler au moins un a deux siecles dans l'avenir donc en une ere ou la technologie des communications aurait indubitablement connu une evolution sans precedent!!! Cette remarque serait plausible et recevable si ce n'etait que durant toute la duree du film n'apparait AUCUN PLAN de telephone filaire ou de personnages en utilisant un!!!!

Solo per il fatto che le prese dietro la testa di Matrix sono state, a caso oppure no, anticipate in questo film non posso che fare il massimo del voto. Vidi questo film da bambino e ricordo la paura nel momento in cui il robot taglia la mano a Keitel e diviene onnipotente aguzzino della base. Rividi questo film in televisione nel novantasei ma la scena era tagliata. Gli interpreti sono comunque eccellenti; lei brava e sensuale, Douglas padrino ideale del giovane e cattivo Keitel che vuole un potere che gli sarà fatale. Un buon film di fantascienza superiore a molti pasticci newage contemporanei. Credo che Douglas sia ancora vivo e ultracentenario.

good middle of the road si-fi.