MovieChat Forums > Saturn 3 (1980) Discussion > Inspirations and Borrowings

Inspirations and Borrowings

posted 13 years ago by dustyhonda2000
3 replies | jump to latest

INPUTS:
This movie obviosuly uses the theme of Logan's Run in reference to "abort time".

The design of the observation deck in the World Spaceways liner (at the end) borrows heavily from the 2001 Space Station where Floyd chats with the Russians.

Was it just me... or did Adam's lunar buggy look like it was adorned with the wall panels from the Dining Room in Alien (1979)???
(seriously.... have a look)

OUTPUTS:
1982's Forbidden World is extremely heavily influenced by this film... interior design as well as the theme of an isolated research station. (Hector has been replaced by Giger's Alien of course).

I felt genuine suspense and menace as Hector stomps around and Adam/Alex scurry away beneath the floor gratings. Looking up through the metal gratings at the looming figure above was a good move. Could this have been the inspiration for certain portions of 1986's Aliens...

Remember the last half-hour of the movie... Newt falls below the deck and waits in the water duct for Ripley/Hicks. Well designed shots show fingers writhe up through the grating in both films---> (Adam's fingers/Newts fingers...)
Also, Newt is scurrying away from the Alien Queen below metal gratings in the Sulaco's cargo bay with a menacing arm reaching into shot and grabbing at her. Scream!

I think this film is a literate and important link in the mainstream sci-fi genre for the 1970-1990 time period (definitely a unique era for sci-fi!!)

Its a little bit immature to dismiss it so easily as "trash". When you're in the sci-fi genre, its "in for a penny, in for a pound". Try to measure a movie in multiple and various ways... use different lenses.

[–] zaphod1957 13 years ago

I don't know how much of this movie later inspired other people, but I alway though the production design - the robot, the isolated space station, was quite good and beleiveable.

[–] A_Roman 13 years ago

If you listen to the weird computer generated noise during the 'on-screen' conversation between Benson and Hector (when he asks Hector why the robot does not talk and Hector says it is not ready), you will notice that it is the same computer buzz generated by Mother aboard the Nostromo in Alien (during the wake up scene and during the scene when Ripley interrogates Mother about their 'secret mission').

So... yes, this movie borrowed quite a lot from other movies. :)

[–] tsode 8 years ago

Great post. Agree about the connection to Aliens for sure, and the general value of this movie in the era of space films that used practical effects.