Colossus: The Forbin Project Movie Trailer

Cast

James Hong
as Dr. Chin
Marion Ross
as Angela Fields
Paul Frees
as Colossus
Georg Stanford Brown
as Dr. John F. Fisher

Get more information about Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) on IMDb

Genres & Description

Action Sci-Fi Thriller

7.2 / 10

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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Comments on this trailer
Comments may include spoiler!

Sam Houston

"And this is before George W. Bush finished college!">>>>>And before Barack Hussein Obama finished grade school. - @Saturday, September 22, 2018 4:34 PM

Andrej Panjkov

Like other commenters, I am dismayed by Landis' remark about the dated technology. Much of the equipment in the film was contemporary - the CCTV cameras, the printers, tape drives, terminals, the overhead text scroll. It is questionable that a self-maintaining machine would have so many mechanical moving parts like tape heads and disk platters, but I would guess the filmmakers primary concern was to establish that Colossus was a computer using symbols (tapes, disks, electronics) that would be familiar to the audience. When I see the capacitors on circuit boards, I figure they have only a couple of decades before they start failing. There are some items of tech that could have been done better. The remote control Forbin uses to commission and seal Colossus has the look of something crafted for the film, with expository labels as often seen in Thunderbirds. The tuck-away handrail on the drawbridge looked a bit too flimsy to be a handrail.The video telephones were probably an invention for the film, but the tech for those existed at the time. The long corridor shot of Colossus' innards is a visual effect, probably similar to the one of the Krell machine in Forbidden Planet. The "situation room" overhead display is a serviceable device, not as striking as Kubrick's War Room or even later designs, with its simple displays of missiles in flight and communication links, but it conveys the information needed to advance the story. The maths displayed during the computer handshake is high-school calculus, and it repeats quickly, they could have made it look more abstruse to emphasize how advanced the machines were. It's certainly not "5 years at Cal Tech"! But Colossus' voice was extremely effective! Inhuman, merciless. That was definitely ahead of its time, real speech synthesis would not approach that portrayed in the film until the 80s. I think they did a pretty terrific job on a smallish budget. Maybe if they hadn't filmed as many scenes in Rome... - @Sunday, September 9, 2018 5:53 AM

hartranft66

your wrong landis... - @Monday, August 6, 2018 3:39 PM

zzGRENDELzz

This was on repeatedly in the mid-70s when I was ten years old, probably the 4:30 movie on ABC. That and Planet of the Apes. There's nothing funny about either movie. These were really horrific and depressing, depicting fascist states on familiar ground. And colossus in particular offered an especially bleak vision of the future. I know a lot of science fiction fans required films like the Terminator to mold their view of technology but for me it has always been Colossus and THX 1138, another 4:30 movie favorite. PS - a great impression was made on me by Eric Braeden in this film and he was my favorite actor besides charlton heston until I discovered Patrick McGoohan. - @Tuesday, June 5, 2018 4:11 AM

Andrea Fankell

I was totally disappointed when Universal finally released this film on dvd several years ago and it was not widescreen. - @Saturday, May 5, 2018 4:46 AM

abcbatman1966

Great movie. But why sarcastically bring up Pres G.W. Bush? I'm sure Pres Bush wouldn't bring up Vic Morrow & those two kids if he met John Landis... - @Wednesday, April 25, 2018 8:50 PM

Autostade67

One more thing - does anyone know why this film was shelved for two years...a pity all around. And the music for the title sequence is fantastic. - @Sunday, January 21, 2018 2:51 AM

Autostade67

Yes - I'm not sure why some people think this is 'done in' by the technology presented: poor Colossus gets trashed while HAL still gets all the love? Come on! In a sense, Colossus is more representative of our nihilistic experience with nuclear and code-based technology than even HAL (2001 is equivocal about technology as a procedure of evolution and sees tech as transformational; The Forbin Project sees evolution through tech as obliterative - what is 'human' [libidinous, chaotic] is erased, not elevated). As a cold Athena born directly from Forbin's head (and to protect the 'way of life' it ultimately denies), Colossus is an ambient computer of incapable of irrationality (or its rationality is an extreme projection of OUR irrationality); it seems to recognize that the will to human annihilation (nuclear brinksmanship) and the will to A.I. are different vectors of the same aspect (the film is something of a descendent of 'Forbidden Planet'). The drive to A.I. today is rarely met with question, "But why?" and if it is, the answer is of ambiguous content: "Why not?" What really is the will behind A.I.? To get us to Jupiter, play chess and wish Frank Bowman Happy Birthday or...? I can't help but feel that Siri and Alexa are the goddaughters of Colossus, not HAL, though I can't yet explain why. Any suggestions? - @Sunday, January 21, 2018 2:49 AM

ObsoleteGamer.com

Unburied death sounds appealing :o - @Sunday, December 10, 2017 6:47 AM

johcafra

2001: A Space Odyssey did not rip off this film's premise. I'd say D. F. Jones' first in his trilogy of Colossus novels was contemporaneous, and Arthur C. Clarke was a far more accomplished author. Not to mention the Colossus trilogy still doesn't manage to answer all the reader's questions. But no argument this film lingers beneath the scalp. I very much look forward to its upcoming Blu-ray release, I'd hope with Joseph Sargent's audio commentary. - @Tuesday, November 21, 2017 8:59 PM

Michael

This movie is ripe for a remake given the threat of AI is just over the horizon. - @Wednesday, November 1, 2017 10:44 AM

DFDalton1962

What's with the idiotic and totally out of left field reference to George W. Bush? Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big supporter of Bush. (Nor am I supporter of directors who get away with murdering child actors on a film set - as long as were going with impertinent references, Mr. Landis.) If anything, this film should serve as a warning against what the leftist/socialist side of the aisle is attempting to accomplish with so-called benevolent ever larger Big Government, UN mandates usurping national sovereignty, control over energy resources and wealth redistribution under the guise of preventing "global warming", benevolent fascism on college campuses, etc. It's the *left* that is actively engaging in social engineering, attempting to silence "hate speech" and trying to criminalizing politically incorrect thought. It's the left that treats science as the new religion and treats scientists and (Democrat) politicians with blind faith as our infallible, incorruptible betters. Frankly, I'm surprised Hollywood wants to go anywhere near remaking such a damning critique of their dearly held belief systems. - @Sunday, September 17, 2017 6:03 PM

Mark Basnight

The missile map at 2:36 misspells "Ketchikan." No wonder they got dominated by a computer. - @Saturday, July 22, 2017 9:14 PM

Gregoria Osias

I was about 12 years old when i saw this movie on TV as a feature presentation on the station. I always thought it was a good movie even though I'm not well versed in English then. I would like to watch the whole thing again to see all the nuances that I've missed. - @Tuesday, July 18, 2017 6:13 PM

Michael Proctor

Landis is lucky he didn't go to jail for causing the death of Vic Morrow and a child actor. - @Monday, May 22, 2017 12:14 AM

Michael Proctor

Heard they were going to do a re-make with Will Smith. - @Monday, May 22, 2017 12:11 AM

robertsez

It's a shame I couldn't enjoy the trailer because he just wouldn't stop talking. - @Thursday, May 4, 2017 1:00 AM

MisterNewOutlook

This was one of the first movies I saw as a kid that frightened me in a far different way than any movie before. I was particularly shocked by the clinical summary executions. It's a sci-fi about power and how it could be wrested so methodically by a computer. It's interesting that Colossus was a centralized network and not a decentralized web creation like the our internet is today. Compuserve of the 1980s for example was a Colossus style network. So this movie envisioned the networking future only as far as that, and much less beyond. - @Sunday, April 30, 2017 11:12 PM

Lonnie Cavenee

Some day mankind will be able to create such a machine. Will we make the mistake of building something we think we can control then find out it learns how to outsmart us? What if it decides mankind is a cancer on the planet that must be eliminated? What if it becomes complex enough in it's thought process to develop emotions and empathy? Or anger and hatred? Philosophy and political theory? A religion of it's own? Will it be able to prove or disprove the existence of God? It might have the potential to become the Ultimate Being. Scary stuff. - @Saturday, April 1, 2017 7:46 PM

jleslie48

I always thought that this movie is kina the prequel to "the terminator' skynet - @Friday, March 31, 2017 1:41 AM

David Wise

Wonderful movie, but since 2001 came for Colossus, the latter ripped off the former instead. - @Sunday, March 26, 2017 9:01 AM

Rich Elliott

2001 a space Odyssey predates this movie by a cpl yrs - @Friday, March 10, 2017 5:58 AM

Guy Incognito

Colossus was part of the great trilogy of science fiction films that capped the sixties and heralded the seventies: Colossus (computing), The Andromeda Strain (science and the military), and Charley (neurosciences, genetics). The each looked at the implications of the science, rather than the "clunky" machinery, and that's why they hold up. All three films were great examples of the strengths of the science fiction genre and certainly bode well for the future... ...and then along came Star Wars. - @Wednesday, February 1, 2017 2:50 PM

Gene Gilbert

Didn't this also provide John Carpenter(?) Or James Cameron(?) The Seminal Impetus for The Terminator I -3(??) ..about SKYNET ..but Deciding Man Himself WAS the REAL THREAT, not Mankind's Self Destructive Urge to War, Dominate, and More War, for Fun as Well as Profit, if I may be Permitted a bit of Very Dark Humor??? - @Monday, January 9, 2017 6:13 AM

Guernicaman

Didn't they attempt to remake this at some point during the 2000's but went knowhere? - @Monday, January 9, 2017 12:40 AM

Paul Hauk

Mr. Landis, I apologize. You are into current press releases, I am NOT!. What once was, is still is, just multiplied by decades of progression of technology thrusted upon humans. Check it out. - @Saturday, November 5, 2016 3:10 PM

Paul Hauk

Mr. Landis. Your disgacious critique of this movie distresses me. Your critique tells me that you are way out of the loop, as to how modern technology has come to rule humans. One can barely get someone to look up from their 'smart phones' today. Essentially, they have to have a beanie on their head, with their portrait on it, so one can have a clue as to who you are dealing with Do not try to deny it, because I can advance case after case. How this movie was way ahead of it's time! You judge by modern day standards. And you judge wrongly. 1970 was like a half century ago. At the time, the technology was just emerging first time. Video calling was just a dream, not even fully instituted as of yet! The firm that donated 100 million dollars of hardware toward the completion of this movie, would be totally pissed off at you. The undying theme of "Colossus: The Forbin Project', is what we humans acquiesce to our devices. - @Saturday, November 5, 2016 6:16 AM

art ist

I have hoped for some time now that this would be remade in todays time. - @Wednesday, September 28, 2016 6:26 AM

knight44441

I've been following sci fi since 1967 and this movie is in my top 10. its brilliant!! yes of course its got a few flaws but its over all great!! - @Tuesday, September 13, 2016 2:02 AM

kealsta

WTF Landis? 2001 was made and released 2 years before this. G-zis, man. - @Wednesday, August 3, 2016 5:19 PM

1958Shemp

Colossus (the machine) was a more "benevolent" version of The Terminator's Skynet. - @Thursday, July 28, 2016 7:23 AM

Brian J Anderson

This movie was way ahead of its time but a powerful one nonetheless. I saw it in the 70s also a teenager and viewed Dr. Forbin, even then, as an idealist. - @Wednesday, July 6, 2016 11:16 PM

Maurice Viel

How would you characterize Forbin: He's not a "mad scientist" type (like Dr. Strangelove), neither an ordinary hacker. Is there anything specific about his being a computer expert, compared with other scientist characters? - @Thursday, April 28, 2016 9:10 AM

Maurice Viel

I suppose the makers of this movie had not a shadow of a clue that a "Colossus" machine had been built in Britain during WW2 to break German cyphers. It would take another decade before British authorities unveiled the Blechtley Park operations. Thanks anyway for posting this very interesting video. - @Thursday, April 28, 2016 9:08 AM

Movie Vigilante

I disagree completely with Landis when he says the movie is done in by the silly technology. - @Thursday, January 28, 2016 10:03 PM

Thomas Kolter

At least it was reasonably true to the original novel. - @Friday, January 15, 2016 9:17 PM

David A

I am not surprised it hasn't already started since human beings can't control themselves. - @Thursday, December 24, 2015 11:53 PM

David Cook

Managed to track in down on dvd recently, very good sci-fi with some nice humour thrown into the mix. - @Monday, October 19, 2015 12:27 PM

Film & TV

I agree ref the "clunky" technology, if it's a good story people will make an allowance for it and accept it as retro, if anything often the retro tech is what makes it distinctive. Great movie which has certain subtleties. - @Thursday, September 24, 2015 6:50 AM

David Wise

Great film. Granted, it's plot has been ripped off numerous times. "2001" preceded this movie, so they didn't steal from it. - @Sunday, September 20, 2015 8:46 AM

Samuel Oldham

SKYNET! - @Sunday, September 6, 2015 7:24 AM

wkanost

...and can we knock it off with all the arrogant liberal references to conservatives? You guys have not figured everything out either. In fact things have gotten worse. Benevolent dictatorship my ass! - @Monday, June 22, 2015 10:47 AM

Lee Johnson

An utterly brilliant movie at the Dawn of the Golden Age for Sci-Fi; The 1970's. I feel John Landis judges the tech in the movie in a little too contemporary way, and as a previous poster says, in 1970 this tech was the tits. I loved the scene at the start when Forbin activates Colossus and turns on the defence grid, it shows the enormity of the device and it is a precursor to the invunerability of Colossus, which leads to the hopelessness of the human condition after Colossus takes control. Way, way, way ahead of its time, and the pre-runner to many films of the same theme: Man creates machine that takes over; Terminator, 2001: A Space Odessey, and indeed right up to modern day with Ex Machina. 10/10 for all the right reasons. - @Monday, May 18, 2015 10:08 AM

steamcrunk

One of my late father's favorite movies, I grew up seeing this every single time it played on the afternoon ABC movie of the week, or the CBS film at 4, or in the 1980s on cable. Colossus the Forbin Project is amazing and I still love it. It's a well made and highly underrated movie for its time. Watch it. - @Friday, April 24, 2015 4:26 AM

clydesight

I love this movie. The tech is NOT clunky, it is vintage. When this came out, it was state of the art stuff. I wish people would not judge older movies by today's technology, that's just annoying and disrespectful of the art. "Colossus" was not set in the far future, it was set in the current time, so the tech is completely appropriate. The "voice" was a whole new thing for audiences of the time, and MOST people didn't know what a computer even was! Eric Braeden did a wonderful job as the suave, careful and almost emotionless Dr. Forbin - a perfect modern day Frankenstein with Colossus being his monster. - @Sunday, March 29, 2015 6:37 AM

HailAnts

Paul Frees was the uncredited voice of Colossus, but no, he was not the voice of the 70s (or the 2000's) Cylons. And I think Landis' criticism of the film's technology is completely unwarranted. With only a few small examples its tech holds up just fine even today. More so than most all films of its time. The idea of Guardian being a 'distributed network' is a near perfect prediction of the Internet today. - @Sunday, January 18, 2015 7:43 AM

Jack Grattan

Another one that ran constantly on the CBS late movie throughout the '70's. - @Saturday, January 17, 2015 1:07 AM

Tiffany Brissette

Nice though a little too flippant review, John, but one thing; HAL was well on its way in film production and the novel before Colossus opened. - @Tuesday, January 13, 2015 1:41 PM

reticulan5

The same voice that later became the Cylon Robots from the original Battlestar Galactica. - @Thursday, January 1, 2015 3:45 PM

Agent Fungus

Mispronounces Eric Braeden's name and nuclear, refers to Colosses as "he." Geez. - @Sunday, December 21, 2014 6:38 PM