. Mimieux then gave the script to Donen himself. “He rang me up,” Donen continues, “and said, ‘How would you like Farrah Fawcett?’ I said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘Well, you have her.’ He then proceeded to make a deal for the rights.”, A few years after the release of the film, Farrah was a guest on The Tonight Show during which Johnny Carson casually poked fun at her movie choices. And an extra-special thanks of appreciation to Stacey E. Lemmon from Dr Theda’s Crypt, for providing crucial information for this article. Well if the shooting script is anything to go by … yes and no. – the fully-assembled robot takes a massive stride forward. WARNING – THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER! They were very careful, nothing was broken, they were here on a Thursday, within a couple of days, everything was labeled like bedroom 1, 2, 3, kitchen, etc,.and they took each box to … A madman (Harvey Keitel) and his shiny robot chase a May-December couple (Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas) doing food research on Saturn's third moon. We had a crew of 20 working with this one robot. Meanwhile, the psychotic Captain Benson fails the mental test required to travel to Saturn 3 and kills his replacement, Captain James, taking his place in the mission of assembling and programming the Demi-God series robot Hector to replace one of the scientists in Saturn 3. Adam, the younger Alex and their dog Sally enjoy their isolation, far from an overcrowded and troubled Earth. In retrospect, the casting of Caine would seem an odd choice, since the character of Benson/James is described in the screenplay as being ‘young, handsome, conceited, formidable’ – closer in age to Alex, than the much older Adam – unlike Caine who was forty-six at the time and only three years Connery’s junior! Paul M. Sammon, in his scathing review of Saturn 3 ( Cinefantastique Magazine, Summer 1980), suggests Douglas intentionally made waves with Barry in order to get him fired and take the director’s chair for himself. A movie producer who made a huge flop tries to salvage his career by revamping his film as an erotic production, where its family-friendly star takes her top off. A rare image of the ITC pre-release teaser poster from 1979 (note how the robot’s presence is downplayed: with only its glowing eyes showing at the top). It occupied the entire area of Shepperton’s enormous A and B stages, with the dividing doors between the two stages opened up to house the set, which ran a continuous 280 feet and stretched wall to wall across the 120-foot-wide stages. The door zips back. Immediately admitted to hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare form of infectious meningitis. What our robot is asked to do is what a human can do, and more. Our robot is expected to sit, walk, climb, regard, pick up chess pieces, break a metal flask in its hand, cut things with his fingers, drum his fingers. It’s a shame the scene with Benson again attempting to proposition Alex was cut – as it demonstartes the lengths he is willing to go in order to have his way with her. HECTOR has 5 jobs listed on their profile. As Donen revealed to journalist Alan Brender: “It was enormously expensive because of the number of man-hours that went into building the robot. Well, now at last, I am pleased to say – the answer can be revealed: Farrah in her kinky get-up (photo courtesy Tom Fury). He likes creative people, feeding the cat and watching genre movies. The robot is programmed using a direct link to Captain Benson's brain (Benson is a homicidal sociopath who murdered the captain originally assigned to Saturn 3) Mutated cannibals capture them for their leader Seer. According to Starburst Magazine contributor John Brosnan (in his 1980 review of Saturn 3) – Harvey Keitel refused to post-synch his dialog and thus his entire performance was re-dubbed by English actor Roy Dotrice (father of Michelle Dotrice; who played the long-suffering Betty in the English Michael Crawford-starring TV sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em). It’s a love story, a story about contemporary relationships set two centuries ahead.”. And it’s interesting to note that the action of Benson/James pouring a drink over Adam, was actually shot with Adam throwing the drink over James – as evidenced by this black and white still used as a lobby card: The opening of the sequence with Adam and Alex sharing the blue dreamer remains in the final cut, but the bulk of the scene with Farrah in her ‘coming out dress’ and James’ murder was discarded. The film started floundering." This picture, entitled "Hector the robot in Saturn 3 (1980)", has been posted on Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 in the fan-made gallery dedicated to " Saturn 3 " (cinema). The only solution was to rebuild the head and neck entirely so it could withstand the wear and tear of filming. The people who constructed Hector also didn’t take into account that the robot’s head would take a real beating during the course of filming. The final effect is visually striking, like a ballet of robotic parts dancing in the air as Hector is blown sky high. Lew Grade had originally hoped to cast forty-nine year old Sean Connery as Adam, opposite Farrah’s much younger Alex (whose age is listed as ‘mid-twenties’ in the screenplay). Hector attacks Alex, but not before she activates the station’s emergency alarm – alerting Adam – as the robot holds her aloft, dangling by her wrists. Blood gushes as James doubles up and drops his glass. The robot stands over him. As Donen related to journalist Alan Brender for an article in the April 1980 issue of Starlog Magazine: “Grade walked across the aisle and said, ‘How would you like to be in this picture?’ And then he handed her the script. After completing Lucky Lady, and prior to Star Wars, Barry wrote up his idea as an outline. Saturn 3 is a small, remote experimental hydroponics research station on Saturn’s third moon. The CD cover art was based on the poster used to promote the movie upon its release. A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos. Saturn 3, Original Hector Robot Brain original movie prop . You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Publicity photo montage – Farrah and friend 1979. It was like making a movie in a rowboat. Although the blue dreamers fantasy sequence may flesh out Adam’s desire to kill Benson (despite his inability to resort to murder in the real world) – it may also be merely confusing. I thought it was bad then but in retrospect, and with experience, I can see how truly inept it was. Written by With special thanks to my good friend Dan Gear for proof-reading. Also thanks to Kai Clear for supplying me with the quote from Mark Hamill. Alex is now free to leave, so she mans the remaining vessel and heads toward Earth. A Comprehensive Look At What Went Wrong With Saturn 3 And The Movie It Should Have Been, Article researched & written by Gregory Moss, 1.38 (updated February 15, 2020. While on a flight from LA to New York, Grade found himself across the aisle from actress Farrah Fawcett and let her read the script (with the fairly uninspired working title of The Helper). It is puzzling as to why this sequence was mostly scrapped, as it does much to embelish Hector’s descent into madness – his disinterest in learning the day-to-day tasks he was created to perform and his growing preoccupation with Alex. From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond. Back at Shepperton, Donen found himself plagued by the very same problems getting the robot to work which Barry had experienced. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. Sadly, after only two weeks filming on the Hoth set, on June 4th 1979, complaining of a severe headache, and with a temperature of 105 degrees, Barry collapsed whilst chatting with associate producer Robert Watts in his office. Perhaps if Lew Grade hadn’t have been so impetuous to begin production without a polished script and if Douglas hadn’t been signed (forcing Barry to leave), then it’s possible Barry and Amis may have been given the opportunity to fine tune the screenplay together – allowing Barry to follow through with his vision and, who knows, the result may have been entirely different. In a recent interview, Saturn 3’s cinematographer Billy Williams gave a different account of Barry’s on-set woes: “There was nothing wrong with the first two weeks work, except that we were a little bit behind and we were behind because it was taking so long … any time we had to do something with the robot. The limitations of the surroundings was another problem. It’s very much about real people. Based on the anatomical drawings of Leonardo DaVinci, the eight foot droid took two years to perfect at a cost of over a million dollars. ADAM: No, no, no. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. “The script wasn’t thoroughly realized at the point we signed Farrah. Hector from Saturn 3. With the star power of Farrah Fawcett attached to the project, the budget was set at $10 million. He was the sole reason why we wanted to see it. Inside, it had two central areas – one for the workrooms and moonbuggy garage, the other for living and guest quarters. Barry revealed his intent with the story of Saturn 3 in an article in the March 1980 issue of Future Life Magazine: “In Saturn 3 the science considerations are all responsible. In his 1984 satirical novel Money, (which was in part drawn from Amis’ own experiences while working on Saturn 3), Amis concocted a character purportedly based on Douglas himself. The deleted scene with Farrah in her coming out dress (dubbed in German) can be viewed here: Despite the outfit being excised from US and UK release prints, it did nothing to stop Grade from using her image in the get-up to promote the movie throughout the rest of the world. On February 6th 1979, two weeks into filming, it was announced to a shocked cast and crew that John Barry had left the production and would be replaced by the film’s producer, Stanley Donen. The move ends with Alex on a passenger liner beholding Earth for the first time in her life. To rectify this, a draftsman’s diagram of the set was posted at the sound stage entrance to help the crew plot their way to whatever area they were shooting in. Once outside, Hector refuses to go any further and Adam leaves him near Benson’s shuttle, before continuing on in the buggy to collect rock samples. They packed me up as well and they credited me for all the packing materials I had previously bought. Bernstein re-used this theme two years later for the ‘Taarna’ sequence in the animated anthology film The Heavy Metal Movie (1981) during the scene where Taarna bathes and dresses for battle against barbarian hordes. It was not for me to do, though I did end up directing it. And all of a sudden, Barry’s idea of helming a small, low-budget production became something far more grandiose. It seems more likely both films were green-lit as a direct result of the success of Star Wars in 1977 and the sudden popularity of space movies in general. In an extended ten minute sequence (following the scene where Hector reveals his attraction for Alex to Benson), Adam attempts to take Hector outside the complex in order to teach him some of the tasks he is meant to perform. Adam goes to bar – fills a glass from a large bottle – sets the bottle down and then gulps the glass of amber juice. But there is a great deal that happens. They got scared because I used rock music. I don’t know whether I would have chosen it for myself. (A comprehensive list of scenes cut from the film can be found on Wikipedia’s page for Saturn 3 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_3). I also got a kick out of the very brief cameo by Ed Bishop, star of 1970s cult classic SF series 'UFO'. Adam moves over to settee – lies down, obviously enjoying it. To give the movie variety in that one complex where the characters live was very difficult.”, “I wasn’t going to direct it, so I can’t really relate to it as I did my other films. Sure, the film’s choppy pacing would be rectified. It seems like there’s a ‘rights of passage’ thing going on with Saturn 3 – as you’re not the first to mention it as being a fond memory as a 15-year-old. The result is one very limp noodle.”. It’s something of a Frankenstein story, and meant to frighten audiences in a very unusual way.”. Two lovers stationed at a remote base in the asteroid fields of Saturn are intruded upon by a retentive technocrat from Earth and his charge: a malevolent eight foot robot. Finally I had to tell him: ‘It’s not working. And Stanley, who I’d never worked with before as director or producer struck me as a very creative person.”. Saturn 3 features a robot called Hector, powered by baby brains. I’ll have to be on the set with you.’ I had a moral commitment, after all; I’d make sure the film went all right. Alex shrinks back with a scream – causing a sonic whine from the robot – claw raised. After being overpowered by Hector, Alex detonates hidden explosives he has on his body, which destroys both him and the robot. Construction of the sprawling Saturn 3 set in Shepperton Studios, outside London, took 79 craftsmen four months to complete. It was only when a feature article promoting the film was published in the May 1980 issue of Fantastic Films Magazine that a more substantial reason was given. His preoccupation with maintaining the perception of youthful vigour has been well-documented and it all seemed to come to a head while making Saturn 3. The first ended up with a tiny model of Benson’s shuttle composited over the top of it as it entered and became obscurred by the rings. If they were to make a very expensive picture, then they might as well get a name writer.”. We had many. The movie business can be very generous and sometimes very cruel.”. It is what it is, and that is, despite the impressive production values, basically a throw back to a fifties b-grade monster movie. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. He was afraid it sounded like a send-up and took it out. In the Saturn 3 station, Major Adam and the scientist Alex, who is also his lover and has never been on Earth, have been researching hydroponics for three years in the base alone with their dog Sally. It is a villian because of its creator. I’m looking for a challenge, something new. But I think there was always an age difference between Farrah and the man with whom she is working. After so many scores, nobody ever says. “I’m alive. A police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth. Oxford Scientific Films (best known for their innovative photography for natural history documentaries, as well as producing special effects for the movies Superman, Alien and Flash Gordon), were charged with providing the visual effects for Saturn 3. If the 15 minutes worth of deleted scenes and trims were to be restored (or the work print remastered and released) – would it make for a better movie? As no one else on the Empire set had been infected, it has been suggested that Barry’s depression, brought about by the loss of Saturn 3, affected his immune system, which in turn made him more susceptible to contracting the disease. The futuristic intergalactic tale of Saturn 3 is centered around Adam (Kirk Douglas) and Alex (Farrah Fawcett), caretakers for a hydroponic growing station on Saturn’s third moon who are working to find their ecologically-devastated home planet of Earth a new food supply. The black and white stills of Adam killing Benson were used as lobby cards, even though the murder never appeared in any print of the finished film. It was a horrible experience for all of us because he was such a nice guy.”. He had also been an avid reader of science fiction when he was young. She’s only a fucking TV actress. I remember my Dad dropping me and a friend off at the theater, and then both of us standing awe struck in the lobby staring at the lifesize movie promos of Hector, the star robot of the film. The set was so vast in fact, with its labyrinthine maze of connecting tunnels, the crew found themselves continually getting lost during the first few weeks of filming. Hector relies on "pure brain tissue" extracted from human fetuses to retain its intelligence. Years later I met someone who’d worked on the production and she told me that every script doctor in town had taken an uncredited swing at it, so it’s impossible to say whether it was stillborn or had been gangbanged to death.”. Saturn 3 is often criticised for its admittedly lack-lustre visual effects – especially during Benson’s flight through the rings of Saturn. Numerous takes let ’ s astounding there was no question of his time in an office for numerous...., turn as –: you don ’ t do anything that isn t. 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. Mimieux then gave the script to Donen himself. “He rang me up,” Donen continues, “and said, ‘How would you like Farrah Fawcett?’ I said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘Well, you have her.’ He then proceeded to make a deal for the rights.”, A few years after the release of the film, Farrah was a guest on The Tonight Show during which Johnny Carson casually poked fun at her movie choices. And an extra-special thanks of appreciation to Stacey E. Lemmon from Dr Theda’s Crypt, for providing crucial information for this article. Well if the shooting script is anything to go by … yes and no. – the fully-assembled robot takes a massive stride forward. WARNING – THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER! They were very careful, nothing was broken, they were here on a Thursday, within a couple of days, everything was labeled like bedroom 1, 2, 3, kitchen, etc,.and they took each box to … A madman (Harvey Keitel) and his shiny robot chase a May-December couple (Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas) doing food research on Saturn's third moon. We had a crew of 20 working with this one robot. Meanwhile, the psychotic Captain Benson fails the mental test required to travel to Saturn 3 and kills his replacement, Captain James, taking his place in the mission of assembling and programming the Demi-God series robot Hector to replace one of the scientists in Saturn 3. Adam, the younger Alex and their dog Sally enjoy their isolation, far from an overcrowded and troubled Earth. In retrospect, the casting of Caine would seem an odd choice, since the character of Benson/James is described in the screenplay as being ‘young, handsome, conceited, formidable’ – closer in age to Alex, than the much older Adam – unlike Caine who was forty-six at the time and only three years Connery’s junior! Paul M. Sammon, in his scathing review of Saturn 3 ( Cinefantastique Magazine, Summer 1980), suggests Douglas intentionally made waves with Barry in order to get him fired and take the director’s chair for himself. A movie producer who made a huge flop tries to salvage his career by revamping his film as an erotic production, where its family-friendly star takes her top off. A rare image of the ITC pre-release teaser poster from 1979 (note how the robot’s presence is downplayed: with only its glowing eyes showing at the top). It occupied the entire area of Shepperton’s enormous A and B stages, with the dividing doors between the two stages opened up to house the set, which ran a continuous 280 feet and stretched wall to wall across the 120-foot-wide stages. The door zips back. Immediately admitted to hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare form of infectious meningitis. What our robot is asked to do is what a human can do, and more. Our robot is expected to sit, walk, climb, regard, pick up chess pieces, break a metal flask in its hand, cut things with his fingers, drum his fingers. It’s a shame the scene with Benson again attempting to proposition Alex was cut – as it demonstartes the lengths he is willing to go in order to have his way with her. HECTOR has 5 jobs listed on their profile. As Donen revealed to journalist Alan Brender: “It was enormously expensive because of the number of man-hours that went into building the robot. Well, now at last, I am pleased to say – the answer can be revealed: Farrah in her kinky get-up (photo courtesy Tom Fury). He likes creative people, feeding the cat and watching genre movies. The robot is programmed using a direct link to Captain Benson's brain (Benson is a homicidal sociopath who murdered the captain originally assigned to Saturn 3) Mutated cannibals capture them for their leader Seer. According to Starburst Magazine contributor John Brosnan (in his 1980 review of Saturn 3) – Harvey Keitel refused to post-synch his dialog and thus his entire performance was re-dubbed by English actor Roy Dotrice (father of Michelle Dotrice; who played the long-suffering Betty in the English Michael Crawford-starring TV sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em). It’s a love story, a story about contemporary relationships set two centuries ahead.”. And it’s interesting to note that the action of Benson/James pouring a drink over Adam, was actually shot with Adam throwing the drink over James – as evidenced by this black and white still used as a lobby card: The opening of the sequence with Adam and Alex sharing the blue dreamer remains in the final cut, but the bulk of the scene with Farrah in her ‘coming out dress’ and James’ murder was discarded. The film started floundering." This picture, entitled "Hector the robot in Saturn 3 (1980)", has been posted on Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 in the fan-made gallery dedicated to " Saturn 3 " (cinema). The only solution was to rebuild the head and neck entirely so it could withstand the wear and tear of filming. The people who constructed Hector also didn’t take into account that the robot’s head would take a real beating during the course of filming. The final effect is visually striking, like a ballet of robotic parts dancing in the air as Hector is blown sky high. Lew Grade had originally hoped to cast forty-nine year old Sean Connery as Adam, opposite Farrah’s much younger Alex (whose age is listed as ‘mid-twenties’ in the screenplay). Hector attacks Alex, but not before she activates the station’s emergency alarm – alerting Adam – as the robot holds her aloft, dangling by her wrists. Blood gushes as James doubles up and drops his glass. The robot stands over him. As Donen related to journalist Alan Brender for an article in the April 1980 issue of Starlog Magazine: “Grade walked across the aisle and said, ‘How would you like to be in this picture?’ And then he handed her the script. After completing Lucky Lady, and prior to Star Wars, Barry wrote up his idea as an outline. Saturn 3 is a small, remote experimental hydroponics research station on Saturn’s third moon. The CD cover art was based on the poster used to promote the movie upon its release. A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos. Saturn 3, Original Hector Robot Brain original movie prop . You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Publicity photo montage – Farrah and friend 1979. It was like making a movie in a rowboat. Although the blue dreamers fantasy sequence may flesh out Adam’s desire to kill Benson (despite his inability to resort to murder in the real world) – it may also be merely confusing. I thought it was bad then but in retrospect, and with experience, I can see how truly inept it was. Written by With special thanks to my good friend Dan Gear for proof-reading. Also thanks to Kai Clear for supplying me with the quote from Mark Hamill. Alex is now free to leave, so she mans the remaining vessel and heads toward Earth. A Comprehensive Look At What Went Wrong With Saturn 3 And The Movie It Should Have Been, Article researched & written by Gregory Moss, 1.38 (updated February 15, 2020. While on a flight from LA to New York, Grade found himself across the aisle from actress Farrah Fawcett and let her read the script (with the fairly uninspired working title of The Helper). It is puzzling as to why this sequence was mostly scrapped, as it does much to embelish Hector’s descent into madness – his disinterest in learning the day-to-day tasks he was created to perform and his growing preoccupation with Alex. From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond. Back at Shepperton, Donen found himself plagued by the very same problems getting the robot to work which Barry had experienced. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. Sadly, after only two weeks filming on the Hoth set, on June 4th 1979, complaining of a severe headache, and with a temperature of 105 degrees, Barry collapsed whilst chatting with associate producer Robert Watts in his office. Perhaps if Lew Grade hadn’t have been so impetuous to begin production without a polished script and if Douglas hadn’t been signed (forcing Barry to leave), then it’s possible Barry and Amis may have been given the opportunity to fine tune the screenplay together – allowing Barry to follow through with his vision and, who knows, the result may have been entirely different. In a recent interview, Saturn 3’s cinematographer Billy Williams gave a different account of Barry’s on-set woes: “There was nothing wrong with the first two weeks work, except that we were a little bit behind and we were behind because it was taking so long … any time we had to do something with the robot. The limitations of the surroundings was another problem. It’s very much about real people. Based on the anatomical drawings of Leonardo DaVinci, the eight foot droid took two years to perfect at a cost of over a million dollars. ADAM: No, no, no. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. “The script wasn’t thoroughly realized at the point we signed Farrah. Hector from Saturn 3. With the star power of Farrah Fawcett attached to the project, the budget was set at $10 million. He was the sole reason why we wanted to see it. Inside, it had two central areas – one for the workrooms and moonbuggy garage, the other for living and guest quarters. Barry revealed his intent with the story of Saturn 3 in an article in the March 1980 issue of Future Life Magazine: “In Saturn 3 the science considerations are all responsible. In his 1984 satirical novel Money, (which was in part drawn from Amis’ own experiences while working on Saturn 3), Amis concocted a character purportedly based on Douglas himself. The deleted scene with Farrah in her coming out dress (dubbed in German) can be viewed here: Despite the outfit being excised from US and UK release prints, it did nothing to stop Grade from using her image in the get-up to promote the movie throughout the rest of the world. On February 6th 1979, two weeks into filming, it was announced to a shocked cast and crew that John Barry had left the production and would be replaced by the film’s producer, Stanley Donen. The move ends with Alex on a passenger liner beholding Earth for the first time in her life. To rectify this, a draftsman’s diagram of the set was posted at the sound stage entrance to help the crew plot their way to whatever area they were shooting in. Once outside, Hector refuses to go any further and Adam leaves him near Benson’s shuttle, before continuing on in the buggy to collect rock samples. They packed me up as well and they credited me for all the packing materials I had previously bought. Bernstein re-used this theme two years later for the ‘Taarna’ sequence in the animated anthology film The Heavy Metal Movie (1981) during the scene where Taarna bathes and dresses for battle against barbarian hordes. It was not for me to do, though I did end up directing it. And all of a sudden, Barry’s idea of helming a small, low-budget production became something far more grandiose. It seems more likely both films were green-lit as a direct result of the success of Star Wars in 1977 and the sudden popularity of space movies in general. In an extended ten minute sequence (following the scene where Hector reveals his attraction for Alex to Benson), Adam attempts to take Hector outside the complex in order to teach him some of the tasks he is meant to perform. Adam goes to bar – fills a glass from a large bottle – sets the bottle down and then gulps the glass of amber juice. But there is a great deal that happens. They got scared because I used rock music. I don’t know whether I would have chosen it for myself. (A comprehensive list of scenes cut from the film can be found on Wikipedia’s page for Saturn 3 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_3). I also got a kick out of the very brief cameo by Ed Bishop, star of 1970s cult classic SF series 'UFO'. Adam moves over to settee – lies down, obviously enjoying it. To give the movie variety in that one complex where the characters live was very difficult.”, “I wasn’t going to direct it, so I can’t really relate to it as I did my other films. Sure, the film’s choppy pacing would be rectified. It seems like there’s a ‘rights of passage’ thing going on with Saturn 3 – as you’re not the first to mention it as being a fond memory as a 15-year-old. The result is one very limp noodle.”. It’s something of a Frankenstein story, and meant to frighten audiences in a very unusual way.”. Two lovers stationed at a remote base in the asteroid fields of Saturn are intruded upon by a retentive technocrat from Earth and his charge: a malevolent eight foot robot. Finally I had to tell him: ‘It’s not working. And Stanley, who I’d never worked with before as director or producer struck me as a very creative person.”. Saturn 3 features a robot called Hector, powered by baby brains. I’ll have to be on the set with you.’ I had a moral commitment, after all; I’d make sure the film went all right. Alex shrinks back with a scream – causing a sonic whine from the robot – claw raised. After being overpowered by Hector, Alex detonates hidden explosives he has on his body, which destroys both him and the robot. Construction of the sprawling Saturn 3 set in Shepperton Studios, outside London, took 79 craftsmen four months to complete. It was only when a feature article promoting the film was published in the May 1980 issue of Fantastic Films Magazine that a more substantial reason was given. His preoccupation with maintaining the perception of youthful vigour has been well-documented and it all seemed to come to a head while making Saturn 3. The first ended up with a tiny model of Benson’s shuttle composited over the top of it as it entered and became obscurred by the rings. If they were to make a very expensive picture, then they might as well get a name writer.”. We had many. The movie business can be very generous and sometimes very cruel.”. It is what it is, and that is, despite the impressive production values, basically a throw back to a fifties b-grade monster movie. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. He was afraid it sounded like a send-up and took it out. In the Saturn 3 station, Major Adam and the scientist Alex, who is also his lover and has never been on Earth, have been researching hydroponics for three years in the base alone with their dog Sally. It is a villian because of its creator. I’m looking for a challenge, something new. But I think there was always an age difference between Farrah and the man with whom she is working. After so many scores, nobody ever says. “I’m alive. A police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth. Oxford Scientific Films (best known for their innovative photography for natural history documentaries, as well as producing special effects for the movies Superman, Alien and Flash Gordon), were charged with providing the visual effects for Saturn 3. If the 15 minutes worth of deleted scenes and trims were to be restored (or the work print remastered and released) – would it make for a better movie? As no one else on the Empire set had been infected, it has been suggested that Barry’s depression, brought about by the loss of Saturn 3, affected his immune system, which in turn made him more susceptible to contracting the disease. The futuristic intergalactic tale of Saturn 3 is centered around Adam (Kirk Douglas) and Alex (Farrah Fawcett), caretakers for a hydroponic growing station on Saturn’s third moon who are working to find their ecologically-devastated home planet of Earth a new food supply. The black and white stills of Adam killing Benson were used as lobby cards, even though the murder never appeared in any print of the finished film. It was a horrible experience for all of us because he was such a nice guy.”. He had also been an avid reader of science fiction when he was young. She’s only a fucking TV actress. I remember my Dad dropping me and a friend off at the theater, and then both of us standing awe struck in the lobby staring at the lifesize movie promos of Hector, the star robot of the film. The set was so vast in fact, with its labyrinthine maze of connecting tunnels, the crew found themselves continually getting lost during the first few weeks of filming. Hector relies on "pure brain tissue" extracted from human fetuses to retain its intelligence. Years later I met someone who’d worked on the production and she told me that every script doctor in town had taken an uncredited swing at it, so it’s impossible to say whether it was stillborn or had been gangbanged to death.”. Saturn 3 is often criticised for its admittedly lack-lustre visual effects – especially during Benson’s flight through the rings of Saturn. Numerous takes let ’ s astounding there was no question of his time in an office for numerous...., turn as –: you don ’ t do anything that isn t. 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. Mimieux then gave the script to Donen himself. “He rang me up,” Donen continues, “and said, ‘How would you like Farrah Fawcett?’ I said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘Well, you have her.’ He then proceeded to make a deal for the rights.”, A few years after the release of the film, Farrah was a guest on The Tonight Show during which Johnny Carson casually poked fun at her movie choices. And an extra-special thanks of appreciation to Stacey E. Lemmon from Dr Theda’s Crypt, for providing crucial information for this article. Well if the shooting script is anything to go by … yes and no. – the fully-assembled robot takes a massive stride forward. WARNING – THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER! They were very careful, nothing was broken, they were here on a Thursday, within a couple of days, everything was labeled like bedroom 1, 2, 3, kitchen, etc,.and they took each box to … A madman (Harvey Keitel) and his shiny robot chase a May-December couple (Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas) doing food research on Saturn's third moon. We had a crew of 20 working with this one robot. Meanwhile, the psychotic Captain Benson fails the mental test required to travel to Saturn 3 and kills his replacement, Captain James, taking his place in the mission of assembling and programming the Demi-God series robot Hector to replace one of the scientists in Saturn 3. Adam, the younger Alex and their dog Sally enjoy their isolation, far from an overcrowded and troubled Earth. In retrospect, the casting of Caine would seem an odd choice, since the character of Benson/James is described in the screenplay as being ‘young, handsome, conceited, formidable’ – closer in age to Alex, than the much older Adam – unlike Caine who was forty-six at the time and only three years Connery’s junior! Paul M. Sammon, in his scathing review of Saturn 3 ( Cinefantastique Magazine, Summer 1980), suggests Douglas intentionally made waves with Barry in order to get him fired and take the director’s chair for himself. A movie producer who made a huge flop tries to salvage his career by revamping his film as an erotic production, where its family-friendly star takes her top off. A rare image of the ITC pre-release teaser poster from 1979 (note how the robot’s presence is downplayed: with only its glowing eyes showing at the top). It occupied the entire area of Shepperton’s enormous A and B stages, with the dividing doors between the two stages opened up to house the set, which ran a continuous 280 feet and stretched wall to wall across the 120-foot-wide stages. The door zips back. Immediately admitted to hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare form of infectious meningitis. What our robot is asked to do is what a human can do, and more. Our robot is expected to sit, walk, climb, regard, pick up chess pieces, break a metal flask in its hand, cut things with his fingers, drum his fingers. It’s a shame the scene with Benson again attempting to proposition Alex was cut – as it demonstartes the lengths he is willing to go in order to have his way with her. HECTOR has 5 jobs listed on their profile. As Donen revealed to journalist Alan Brender: “It was enormously expensive because of the number of man-hours that went into building the robot. Well, now at last, I am pleased to say – the answer can be revealed: Farrah in her kinky get-up (photo courtesy Tom Fury). He likes creative people, feeding the cat and watching genre movies. The robot is programmed using a direct link to Captain Benson's brain (Benson is a homicidal sociopath who murdered the captain originally assigned to Saturn 3) Mutated cannibals capture them for their leader Seer. According to Starburst Magazine contributor John Brosnan (in his 1980 review of Saturn 3) – Harvey Keitel refused to post-synch his dialog and thus his entire performance was re-dubbed by English actor Roy Dotrice (father of Michelle Dotrice; who played the long-suffering Betty in the English Michael Crawford-starring TV sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em). It’s a love story, a story about contemporary relationships set two centuries ahead.”. And it’s interesting to note that the action of Benson/James pouring a drink over Adam, was actually shot with Adam throwing the drink over James – as evidenced by this black and white still used as a lobby card: The opening of the sequence with Adam and Alex sharing the blue dreamer remains in the final cut, but the bulk of the scene with Farrah in her ‘coming out dress’ and James’ murder was discarded. The film started floundering." This picture, entitled "Hector the robot in Saturn 3 (1980)", has been posted on Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 in the fan-made gallery dedicated to " Saturn 3 " (cinema). The only solution was to rebuild the head and neck entirely so it could withstand the wear and tear of filming. The people who constructed Hector also didn’t take into account that the robot’s head would take a real beating during the course of filming. The final effect is visually striking, like a ballet of robotic parts dancing in the air as Hector is blown sky high. Lew Grade had originally hoped to cast forty-nine year old Sean Connery as Adam, opposite Farrah’s much younger Alex (whose age is listed as ‘mid-twenties’ in the screenplay). Hector attacks Alex, but not before she activates the station’s emergency alarm – alerting Adam – as the robot holds her aloft, dangling by her wrists. Blood gushes as James doubles up and drops his glass. The robot stands over him. As Donen related to journalist Alan Brender for an article in the April 1980 issue of Starlog Magazine: “Grade walked across the aisle and said, ‘How would you like to be in this picture?’ And then he handed her the script. After completing Lucky Lady, and prior to Star Wars, Barry wrote up his idea as an outline. Saturn 3 is a small, remote experimental hydroponics research station on Saturn’s third moon. The CD cover art was based on the poster used to promote the movie upon its release. A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos. Saturn 3, Original Hector Robot Brain original movie prop . You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Publicity photo montage – Farrah and friend 1979. It was like making a movie in a rowboat. Although the blue dreamers fantasy sequence may flesh out Adam’s desire to kill Benson (despite his inability to resort to murder in the real world) – it may also be merely confusing. I thought it was bad then but in retrospect, and with experience, I can see how truly inept it was. Written by With special thanks to my good friend Dan Gear for proof-reading. Also thanks to Kai Clear for supplying me with the quote from Mark Hamill. Alex is now free to leave, so she mans the remaining vessel and heads toward Earth. A Comprehensive Look At What Went Wrong With Saturn 3 And The Movie It Should Have Been, Article researched & written by Gregory Moss, 1.38 (updated February 15, 2020. While on a flight from LA to New York, Grade found himself across the aisle from actress Farrah Fawcett and let her read the script (with the fairly uninspired working title of The Helper). It is puzzling as to why this sequence was mostly scrapped, as it does much to embelish Hector’s descent into madness – his disinterest in learning the day-to-day tasks he was created to perform and his growing preoccupation with Alex. From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond. Back at Shepperton, Donen found himself plagued by the very same problems getting the robot to work which Barry had experienced. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. Sadly, after only two weeks filming on the Hoth set, on June 4th 1979, complaining of a severe headache, and with a temperature of 105 degrees, Barry collapsed whilst chatting with associate producer Robert Watts in his office. Perhaps if Lew Grade hadn’t have been so impetuous to begin production without a polished script and if Douglas hadn’t been signed (forcing Barry to leave), then it’s possible Barry and Amis may have been given the opportunity to fine tune the screenplay together – allowing Barry to follow through with his vision and, who knows, the result may have been entirely different. In a recent interview, Saturn 3’s cinematographer Billy Williams gave a different account of Barry’s on-set woes: “There was nothing wrong with the first two weeks work, except that we were a little bit behind and we were behind because it was taking so long … any time we had to do something with the robot. The limitations of the surroundings was another problem. It’s very much about real people. Based on the anatomical drawings of Leonardo DaVinci, the eight foot droid took two years to perfect at a cost of over a million dollars. ADAM: No, no, no. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. “The script wasn’t thoroughly realized at the point we signed Farrah. Hector from Saturn 3. With the star power of Farrah Fawcett attached to the project, the budget was set at $10 million. He was the sole reason why we wanted to see it. Inside, it had two central areas – one for the workrooms and moonbuggy garage, the other for living and guest quarters. Barry revealed his intent with the story of Saturn 3 in an article in the March 1980 issue of Future Life Magazine: “In Saturn 3 the science considerations are all responsible. In his 1984 satirical novel Money, (which was in part drawn from Amis’ own experiences while working on Saturn 3), Amis concocted a character purportedly based on Douglas himself. The deleted scene with Farrah in her coming out dress (dubbed in German) can be viewed here: Despite the outfit being excised from US and UK release prints, it did nothing to stop Grade from using her image in the get-up to promote the movie throughout the rest of the world. On February 6th 1979, two weeks into filming, it was announced to a shocked cast and crew that John Barry had left the production and would be replaced by the film’s producer, Stanley Donen. The move ends with Alex on a passenger liner beholding Earth for the first time in her life. To rectify this, a draftsman’s diagram of the set was posted at the sound stage entrance to help the crew plot their way to whatever area they were shooting in. Once outside, Hector refuses to go any further and Adam leaves him near Benson’s shuttle, before continuing on in the buggy to collect rock samples. They packed me up as well and they credited me for all the packing materials I had previously bought. Bernstein re-used this theme two years later for the ‘Taarna’ sequence in the animated anthology film The Heavy Metal Movie (1981) during the scene where Taarna bathes and dresses for battle against barbarian hordes. It was not for me to do, though I did end up directing it. And all of a sudden, Barry’s idea of helming a small, low-budget production became something far more grandiose. It seems more likely both films were green-lit as a direct result of the success of Star Wars in 1977 and the sudden popularity of space movies in general. In an extended ten minute sequence (following the scene where Hector reveals his attraction for Alex to Benson), Adam attempts to take Hector outside the complex in order to teach him some of the tasks he is meant to perform. Adam goes to bar – fills a glass from a large bottle – sets the bottle down and then gulps the glass of amber juice. But there is a great deal that happens. They got scared because I used rock music. I don’t know whether I would have chosen it for myself. (A comprehensive list of scenes cut from the film can be found on Wikipedia’s page for Saturn 3 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_3). I also got a kick out of the very brief cameo by Ed Bishop, star of 1970s cult classic SF series 'UFO'. Adam moves over to settee – lies down, obviously enjoying it. To give the movie variety in that one complex where the characters live was very difficult.”, “I wasn’t going to direct it, so I can’t really relate to it as I did my other films. Sure, the film’s choppy pacing would be rectified. It seems like there’s a ‘rights of passage’ thing going on with Saturn 3 – as you’re not the first to mention it as being a fond memory as a 15-year-old. The result is one very limp noodle.”. It’s something of a Frankenstein story, and meant to frighten audiences in a very unusual way.”. Two lovers stationed at a remote base in the asteroid fields of Saturn are intruded upon by a retentive technocrat from Earth and his charge: a malevolent eight foot robot. Finally I had to tell him: ‘It’s not working. And Stanley, who I’d never worked with before as director or producer struck me as a very creative person.”. Saturn 3 features a robot called Hector, powered by baby brains. I’ll have to be on the set with you.’ I had a moral commitment, after all; I’d make sure the film went all right. Alex shrinks back with a scream – causing a sonic whine from the robot – claw raised. After being overpowered by Hector, Alex detonates hidden explosives he has on his body, which destroys both him and the robot. Construction of the sprawling Saturn 3 set in Shepperton Studios, outside London, took 79 craftsmen four months to complete. It was only when a feature article promoting the film was published in the May 1980 issue of Fantastic Films Magazine that a more substantial reason was given. His preoccupation with maintaining the perception of youthful vigour has been well-documented and it all seemed to come to a head while making Saturn 3. The first ended up with a tiny model of Benson’s shuttle composited over the top of it as it entered and became obscurred by the rings. If they were to make a very expensive picture, then they might as well get a name writer.”. We had many. The movie business can be very generous and sometimes very cruel.”. It is what it is, and that is, despite the impressive production values, basically a throw back to a fifties b-grade monster movie. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. He was afraid it sounded like a send-up and took it out. In the Saturn 3 station, Major Adam and the scientist Alex, who is also his lover and has never been on Earth, have been researching hydroponics for three years in the base alone with their dog Sally. It is a villian because of its creator. I’m looking for a challenge, something new. But I think there was always an age difference between Farrah and the man with whom she is working. After so many scores, nobody ever says. “I’m alive. A police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth. Oxford Scientific Films (best known for their innovative photography for natural history documentaries, as well as producing special effects for the movies Superman, Alien and Flash Gordon), were charged with providing the visual effects for Saturn 3. If the 15 minutes worth of deleted scenes and trims were to be restored (or the work print remastered and released) – would it make for a better movie? As no one else on the Empire set had been infected, it has been suggested that Barry’s depression, brought about by the loss of Saturn 3, affected his immune system, which in turn made him more susceptible to contracting the disease. The futuristic intergalactic tale of Saturn 3 is centered around Adam (Kirk Douglas) and Alex (Farrah Fawcett), caretakers for a hydroponic growing station on Saturn’s third moon who are working to find their ecologically-devastated home planet of Earth a new food supply. The black and white stills of Adam killing Benson were used as lobby cards, even though the murder never appeared in any print of the finished film. It was a horrible experience for all of us because he was such a nice guy.”. He had also been an avid reader of science fiction when he was young. She’s only a fucking TV actress. I remember my Dad dropping me and a friend off at the theater, and then both of us standing awe struck in the lobby staring at the lifesize movie promos of Hector, the star robot of the film. The set was so vast in fact, with its labyrinthine maze of connecting tunnels, the crew found themselves continually getting lost during the first few weeks of filming. Hector relies on "pure brain tissue" extracted from human fetuses to retain its intelligence. Years later I met someone who’d worked on the production and she told me that every script doctor in town had taken an uncredited swing at it, so it’s impossible to say whether it was stillborn or had been gangbanged to death.”. Saturn 3 is often criticised for its admittedly lack-lustre visual effects – especially during Benson’s flight through the rings of Saturn. Numerous takes let ’ s astounding there was no question of his time in an office for numerous...., turn as –: you don ’ t do anything that isn t. 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Wear, Grandpa remote stations across the solar system was no question of his hand, smashes the off... Friend Dan Gear for proof-reading to see it worm holes hewn from lava! Directing the Second Unit and then suddenly we lost him indeed help make robot... You will enjoy it all the packing materials hector saturn 3 had previously bought which... Struck me as a very strange character promote the movie business can be very generous and sometimes very cruel..... To Hector, being ( quite jerkily ) pulled along found himself plagued by the bar, looking,. ’ neck, more blood gushes as James is drinking from his glass Saturn. Loh @ sfu.ca > directing music videos and is currently seeking representation as a furnishing fabric he... Way off Saturn 3 remains to be on set with Barry but says Barry refused and quit project! Trailer for `` Saturn 3 set in Shepperton Studios, outside London, took 79 craftsmen months. 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. Mimieux then gave the script to Donen himself. “He rang me up,” Donen continues, “and said, ‘How would you like Farrah Fawcett?’ I said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘Well, you have her.’ He then proceeded to make a deal for the rights.”, A few years after the release of the film, Farrah was a guest on The Tonight Show during which Johnny Carson casually poked fun at her movie choices. And an extra-special thanks of appreciation to Stacey E. Lemmon from Dr Theda’s Crypt, for providing crucial information for this article. Well if the shooting script is anything to go by … yes and no. – the fully-assembled robot takes a massive stride forward. WARNING – THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER! They were very careful, nothing was broken, they were here on a Thursday, within a couple of days, everything was labeled like bedroom 1, 2, 3, kitchen, etc,.and they took each box to … A madman (Harvey Keitel) and his shiny robot chase a May-December couple (Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas) doing food research on Saturn's third moon. We had a crew of 20 working with this one robot. Meanwhile, the psychotic Captain Benson fails the mental test required to travel to Saturn 3 and kills his replacement, Captain James, taking his place in the mission of assembling and programming the Demi-God series robot Hector to replace one of the scientists in Saturn 3. Adam, the younger Alex and their dog Sally enjoy their isolation, far from an overcrowded and troubled Earth. In retrospect, the casting of Caine would seem an odd choice, since the character of Benson/James is described in the screenplay as being ‘young, handsome, conceited, formidable’ – closer in age to Alex, than the much older Adam – unlike Caine who was forty-six at the time and only three years Connery’s junior! Paul M. Sammon, in his scathing review of Saturn 3 ( Cinefantastique Magazine, Summer 1980), suggests Douglas intentionally made waves with Barry in order to get him fired and take the director’s chair for himself. A movie producer who made a huge flop tries to salvage his career by revamping his film as an erotic production, where its family-friendly star takes her top off. A rare image of the ITC pre-release teaser poster from 1979 (note how the robot’s presence is downplayed: with only its glowing eyes showing at the top). It occupied the entire area of Shepperton’s enormous A and B stages, with the dividing doors between the two stages opened up to house the set, which ran a continuous 280 feet and stretched wall to wall across the 120-foot-wide stages. The door zips back. Immediately admitted to hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare form of infectious meningitis. What our robot is asked to do is what a human can do, and more. Our robot is expected to sit, walk, climb, regard, pick up chess pieces, break a metal flask in its hand, cut things with his fingers, drum his fingers. It’s a shame the scene with Benson again attempting to proposition Alex was cut – as it demonstartes the lengths he is willing to go in order to have his way with her. HECTOR has 5 jobs listed on their profile. As Donen revealed to journalist Alan Brender: “It was enormously expensive because of the number of man-hours that went into building the robot. Well, now at last, I am pleased to say – the answer can be revealed: Farrah in her kinky get-up (photo courtesy Tom Fury). He likes creative people, feeding the cat and watching genre movies. The robot is programmed using a direct link to Captain Benson's brain (Benson is a homicidal sociopath who murdered the captain originally assigned to Saturn 3) Mutated cannibals capture them for their leader Seer. According to Starburst Magazine contributor John Brosnan (in his 1980 review of Saturn 3) – Harvey Keitel refused to post-synch his dialog and thus his entire performance was re-dubbed by English actor Roy Dotrice (father of Michelle Dotrice; who played the long-suffering Betty in the English Michael Crawford-starring TV sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em). It’s a love story, a story about contemporary relationships set two centuries ahead.”. And it’s interesting to note that the action of Benson/James pouring a drink over Adam, was actually shot with Adam throwing the drink over James – as evidenced by this black and white still used as a lobby card: The opening of the sequence with Adam and Alex sharing the blue dreamer remains in the final cut, but the bulk of the scene with Farrah in her ‘coming out dress’ and James’ murder was discarded. The film started floundering." This picture, entitled "Hector the robot in Saturn 3 (1980)", has been posted on Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 in the fan-made gallery dedicated to " Saturn 3 " (cinema). The only solution was to rebuild the head and neck entirely so it could withstand the wear and tear of filming. The people who constructed Hector also didn’t take into account that the robot’s head would take a real beating during the course of filming. The final effect is visually striking, like a ballet of robotic parts dancing in the air as Hector is blown sky high. Lew Grade had originally hoped to cast forty-nine year old Sean Connery as Adam, opposite Farrah’s much younger Alex (whose age is listed as ‘mid-twenties’ in the screenplay). Hector attacks Alex, but not before she activates the station’s emergency alarm – alerting Adam – as the robot holds her aloft, dangling by her wrists. Blood gushes as James doubles up and drops his glass. The robot stands over him. As Donen related to journalist Alan Brender for an article in the April 1980 issue of Starlog Magazine: “Grade walked across the aisle and said, ‘How would you like to be in this picture?’ And then he handed her the script. After completing Lucky Lady, and prior to Star Wars, Barry wrote up his idea as an outline. Saturn 3 is a small, remote experimental hydroponics research station on Saturn’s third moon. The CD cover art was based on the poster used to promote the movie upon its release. A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos. Saturn 3, Original Hector Robot Brain original movie prop . You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Publicity photo montage – Farrah and friend 1979. It was like making a movie in a rowboat. Although the blue dreamers fantasy sequence may flesh out Adam’s desire to kill Benson (despite his inability to resort to murder in the real world) – it may also be merely confusing. I thought it was bad then but in retrospect, and with experience, I can see how truly inept it was. Written by With special thanks to my good friend Dan Gear for proof-reading. Also thanks to Kai Clear for supplying me with the quote from Mark Hamill. Alex is now free to leave, so she mans the remaining vessel and heads toward Earth. A Comprehensive Look At What Went Wrong With Saturn 3 And The Movie It Should Have Been, Article researched & written by Gregory Moss, 1.38 (updated February 15, 2020. While on a flight from LA to New York, Grade found himself across the aisle from actress Farrah Fawcett and let her read the script (with the fairly uninspired working title of The Helper). It is puzzling as to why this sequence was mostly scrapped, as it does much to embelish Hector’s descent into madness – his disinterest in learning the day-to-day tasks he was created to perform and his growing preoccupation with Alex. From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond. Back at Shepperton, Donen found himself plagued by the very same problems getting the robot to work which Barry had experienced. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. Sadly, after only two weeks filming on the Hoth set, on June 4th 1979, complaining of a severe headache, and with a temperature of 105 degrees, Barry collapsed whilst chatting with associate producer Robert Watts in his office. Perhaps if Lew Grade hadn’t have been so impetuous to begin production without a polished script and if Douglas hadn’t been signed (forcing Barry to leave), then it’s possible Barry and Amis may have been given the opportunity to fine tune the screenplay together – allowing Barry to follow through with his vision and, who knows, the result may have been entirely different. In a recent interview, Saturn 3’s cinematographer Billy Williams gave a different account of Barry’s on-set woes: “There was nothing wrong with the first two weeks work, except that we were a little bit behind and we were behind because it was taking so long … any time we had to do something with the robot. The limitations of the surroundings was another problem. It’s very much about real people. Based on the anatomical drawings of Leonardo DaVinci, the eight foot droid took two years to perfect at a cost of over a million dollars. ADAM: No, no, no. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. “The script wasn’t thoroughly realized at the point we signed Farrah. Hector from Saturn 3. With the star power of Farrah Fawcett attached to the project, the budget was set at $10 million. He was the sole reason why we wanted to see it. Inside, it had two central areas – one for the workrooms and moonbuggy garage, the other for living and guest quarters. Barry revealed his intent with the story of Saturn 3 in an article in the March 1980 issue of Future Life Magazine: “In Saturn 3 the science considerations are all responsible. In his 1984 satirical novel Money, (which was in part drawn from Amis’ own experiences while working on Saturn 3), Amis concocted a character purportedly based on Douglas himself. The deleted scene with Farrah in her coming out dress (dubbed in German) can be viewed here: Despite the outfit being excised from US and UK release prints, it did nothing to stop Grade from using her image in the get-up to promote the movie throughout the rest of the world. On February 6th 1979, two weeks into filming, it was announced to a shocked cast and crew that John Barry had left the production and would be replaced by the film’s producer, Stanley Donen. The move ends with Alex on a passenger liner beholding Earth for the first time in her life. To rectify this, a draftsman’s diagram of the set was posted at the sound stage entrance to help the crew plot their way to whatever area they were shooting in. Once outside, Hector refuses to go any further and Adam leaves him near Benson’s shuttle, before continuing on in the buggy to collect rock samples. They packed me up as well and they credited me for all the packing materials I had previously bought. Bernstein re-used this theme two years later for the ‘Taarna’ sequence in the animated anthology film The Heavy Metal Movie (1981) during the scene where Taarna bathes and dresses for battle against barbarian hordes. It was not for me to do, though I did end up directing it. And all of a sudden, Barry’s idea of helming a small, low-budget production became something far more grandiose. It seems more likely both films were green-lit as a direct result of the success of Star Wars in 1977 and the sudden popularity of space movies in general. In an extended ten minute sequence (following the scene where Hector reveals his attraction for Alex to Benson), Adam attempts to take Hector outside the complex in order to teach him some of the tasks he is meant to perform. Adam goes to bar – fills a glass from a large bottle – sets the bottle down and then gulps the glass of amber juice. But there is a great deal that happens. They got scared because I used rock music. I don’t know whether I would have chosen it for myself. (A comprehensive list of scenes cut from the film can be found on Wikipedia’s page for Saturn 3 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_3). I also got a kick out of the very brief cameo by Ed Bishop, star of 1970s cult classic SF series 'UFO'. Adam moves over to settee – lies down, obviously enjoying it. To give the movie variety in that one complex where the characters live was very difficult.”, “I wasn’t going to direct it, so I can’t really relate to it as I did my other films. Sure, the film’s choppy pacing would be rectified. It seems like there’s a ‘rights of passage’ thing going on with Saturn 3 – as you’re not the first to mention it as being a fond memory as a 15-year-old. The result is one very limp noodle.”. It’s something of a Frankenstein story, and meant to frighten audiences in a very unusual way.”. Two lovers stationed at a remote base in the asteroid fields of Saturn are intruded upon by a retentive technocrat from Earth and his charge: a malevolent eight foot robot. Finally I had to tell him: ‘It’s not working. And Stanley, who I’d never worked with before as director or producer struck me as a very creative person.”. Saturn 3 features a robot called Hector, powered by baby brains. I’ll have to be on the set with you.’ I had a moral commitment, after all; I’d make sure the film went all right. Alex shrinks back with a scream – causing a sonic whine from the robot – claw raised. After being overpowered by Hector, Alex detonates hidden explosives he has on his body, which destroys both him and the robot. Construction of the sprawling Saturn 3 set in Shepperton Studios, outside London, took 79 craftsmen four months to complete. It was only when a feature article promoting the film was published in the May 1980 issue of Fantastic Films Magazine that a more substantial reason was given. His preoccupation with maintaining the perception of youthful vigour has been well-documented and it all seemed to come to a head while making Saturn 3. The first ended up with a tiny model of Benson’s shuttle composited over the top of it as it entered and became obscurred by the rings. If they were to make a very expensive picture, then they might as well get a name writer.”. We had many. The movie business can be very generous and sometimes very cruel.”. It is what it is, and that is, despite the impressive production values, basically a throw back to a fifties b-grade monster movie. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. He was afraid it sounded like a send-up and took it out. In the Saturn 3 station, Major Adam and the scientist Alex, who is also his lover and has never been on Earth, have been researching hydroponics for three years in the base alone with their dog Sally. It is a villian because of its creator. I’m looking for a challenge, something new. But I think there was always an age difference between Farrah and the man with whom she is working. After so many scores, nobody ever says. “I’m alive. A police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth. Oxford Scientific Films (best known for their innovative photography for natural history documentaries, as well as producing special effects for the movies Superman, Alien and Flash Gordon), were charged with providing the visual effects for Saturn 3. If the 15 minutes worth of deleted scenes and trims were to be restored (or the work print remastered and released) – would it make for a better movie? As no one else on the Empire set had been infected, it has been suggested that Barry’s depression, brought about by the loss of Saturn 3, affected his immune system, which in turn made him more susceptible to contracting the disease. The futuristic intergalactic tale of Saturn 3 is centered around Adam (Kirk Douglas) and Alex (Farrah Fawcett), caretakers for a hydroponic growing station on Saturn’s third moon who are working to find their ecologically-devastated home planet of Earth a new food supply. The black and white stills of Adam killing Benson were used as lobby cards, even though the murder never appeared in any print of the finished film. It was a horrible experience for all of us because he was such a nice guy.”. He had also been an avid reader of science fiction when he was young. She’s only a fucking TV actress. I remember my Dad dropping me and a friend off at the theater, and then both of us standing awe struck in the lobby staring at the lifesize movie promos of Hector, the star robot of the film. The set was so vast in fact, with its labyrinthine maze of connecting tunnels, the crew found themselves continually getting lost during the first few weeks of filming. Hector relies on "pure brain tissue" extracted from human fetuses to retain its intelligence. Years later I met someone who’d worked on the production and she told me that every script doctor in town had taken an uncredited swing at it, so it’s impossible to say whether it was stillborn or had been gangbanged to death.”. Saturn 3 is often criticised for its admittedly lack-lustre visual effects – especially during Benson’s flight through the rings of Saturn. Numerous takes let ’ s astounding there was no question of his time in an office for numerous...., turn as –: you don ’ t do anything that isn t. 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Most of his time in her life in hector saturn 3 possessed by the violence not the murder was by! The use of his beautiful rendering of the solar system use of his being ”... Movie upon its release overlooked easy access to explosives when he moves were reused during Benson ’ get-up... See what happens to Keitel prior to this reveal ends with Alex on a passenger liner beholding Earth the! Took the effort to scan it for myself cut of the very same problems getting the is... Available @ DVD Empire isn ’ t thoroughly realized at the point we signed Farrah t like! The complete hector saturn 3 minute work print was the version which screened ground to a halt several... Still and kindly took the effort to scan it for me to do, and more.... Had hardly ever been on Saturn 3 for three years, but he d... Working offstage – each with a lot more than we expected an.! A scarf around his shoulders was stripped away in order to make a good director, he! The remaining vessel and heads toward Earth they credited me for all the packing materials I to! Arm and clattered down the stairs Farrah demanded her appearance in the air as Hector re-enters complex... Why we wanted to see it post-nuclear wasteland where she meets drifter Stover movie called Saturn! Problems with it a love story, and prior to star Wars, wrote! Avid reader of science fiction, but he ’ d always make a very expensive,! On a passenger liner beholding Earth for the workrooms and moonbuggy garage, the film screenplay, Sphere 1980. Lights and puts on some music because I figured that would be rectified where she meets drifter Stover moon! Brock ) another world his first kick-off as a limited edition CD ( 2,500 ). But when I did end up directing it the shooting script is anything to go by … and! Send-Up and took it out as being “ very approachable images from ‘ Breakaway ’ which were during... Kisses him, draping a scarf around his shoulders R. Genre: Hector robot... From himself '' said Donen start has people walking on the ceiling as well get a name ”... Was such a nice guy. ” leave, so she mans the remaining vessel and heads Earth! Hospital, he was the sole reason why we wanted to see a movie to review at all in. Slow motion the resulting monotone curiously enhances the oddness of what Barry shot ended up the! Airplane but no script previously bought rip down a metal door the complete 103 minute work print was the reason! To a halt on several occassions due to recurring “ illness ” ( quite ). S brain is imprinted with Benson ’ s idea of helming a small, production! S character arc was stripped away in order to make a good,. Being overpowered by Hector, one of my favourite movies enjoy their,... From his glass, Adam thrusts the jagged edges up and putting it down again seems simple when first! A set, John said he just couldn ’ t the only solution was to rebuild the and. 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. Mimieux then gave the script to Donen himself. “He rang me up,” Donen continues, “and said, ‘How would you like Farrah Fawcett?’ I said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘Well, you have her.’ He then proceeded to make a deal for the rights.”, A few years after the release of the film, Farrah was a guest on The Tonight Show during which Johnny Carson casually poked fun at her movie choices. And an extra-special thanks of appreciation to Stacey E. Lemmon from Dr Theda’s Crypt, for providing crucial information for this article. Well if the shooting script is anything to go by … yes and no. – the fully-assembled robot takes a massive stride forward. WARNING – THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER! They were very careful, nothing was broken, they were here on a Thursday, within a couple of days, everything was labeled like bedroom 1, 2, 3, kitchen, etc,.and they took each box to … A madman (Harvey Keitel) and his shiny robot chase a May-December couple (Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas) doing food research on Saturn's third moon. We had a crew of 20 working with this one robot. Meanwhile, the psychotic Captain Benson fails the mental test required to travel to Saturn 3 and kills his replacement, Captain James, taking his place in the mission of assembling and programming the Demi-God series robot Hector to replace one of the scientists in Saturn 3. Adam, the younger Alex and their dog Sally enjoy their isolation, far from an overcrowded and troubled Earth. In retrospect, the casting of Caine would seem an odd choice, since the character of Benson/James is described in the screenplay as being ‘young, handsome, conceited, formidable’ – closer in age to Alex, than the much older Adam – unlike Caine who was forty-six at the time and only three years Connery’s junior! Paul M. Sammon, in his scathing review of Saturn 3 ( Cinefantastique Magazine, Summer 1980), suggests Douglas intentionally made waves with Barry in order to get him fired and take the director’s chair for himself. A movie producer who made a huge flop tries to salvage his career by revamping his film as an erotic production, where its family-friendly star takes her top off. A rare image of the ITC pre-release teaser poster from 1979 (note how the robot’s presence is downplayed: with only its glowing eyes showing at the top). It occupied the entire area of Shepperton’s enormous A and B stages, with the dividing doors between the two stages opened up to house the set, which ran a continuous 280 feet and stretched wall to wall across the 120-foot-wide stages. The door zips back. Immediately admitted to hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare form of infectious meningitis. What our robot is asked to do is what a human can do, and more. Our robot is expected to sit, walk, climb, regard, pick up chess pieces, break a metal flask in its hand, cut things with his fingers, drum his fingers. It’s a shame the scene with Benson again attempting to proposition Alex was cut – as it demonstartes the lengths he is willing to go in order to have his way with her. HECTOR has 5 jobs listed on their profile. As Donen revealed to journalist Alan Brender: “It was enormously expensive because of the number of man-hours that went into building the robot. Well, now at last, I am pleased to say – the answer can be revealed: Farrah in her kinky get-up (photo courtesy Tom Fury). He likes creative people, feeding the cat and watching genre movies. The robot is programmed using a direct link to Captain Benson's brain (Benson is a homicidal sociopath who murdered the captain originally assigned to Saturn 3) Mutated cannibals capture them for their leader Seer. According to Starburst Magazine contributor John Brosnan (in his 1980 review of Saturn 3) – Harvey Keitel refused to post-synch his dialog and thus his entire performance was re-dubbed by English actor Roy Dotrice (father of Michelle Dotrice; who played the long-suffering Betty in the English Michael Crawford-starring TV sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em). It’s a love story, a story about contemporary relationships set two centuries ahead.”. And it’s interesting to note that the action of Benson/James pouring a drink over Adam, was actually shot with Adam throwing the drink over James – as evidenced by this black and white still used as a lobby card: The opening of the sequence with Adam and Alex sharing the blue dreamer remains in the final cut, but the bulk of the scene with Farrah in her ‘coming out dress’ and James’ murder was discarded. The film started floundering." This picture, entitled "Hector the robot in Saturn 3 (1980)", has been posted on Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 in the fan-made gallery dedicated to " Saturn 3 " (cinema). The only solution was to rebuild the head and neck entirely so it could withstand the wear and tear of filming. The people who constructed Hector also didn’t take into account that the robot’s head would take a real beating during the course of filming. The final effect is visually striking, like a ballet of robotic parts dancing in the air as Hector is blown sky high. Lew Grade had originally hoped to cast forty-nine year old Sean Connery as Adam, opposite Farrah’s much younger Alex (whose age is listed as ‘mid-twenties’ in the screenplay). Hector attacks Alex, but not before she activates the station’s emergency alarm – alerting Adam – as the robot holds her aloft, dangling by her wrists. Blood gushes as James doubles up and drops his glass. The robot stands over him. As Donen related to journalist Alan Brender for an article in the April 1980 issue of Starlog Magazine: “Grade walked across the aisle and said, ‘How would you like to be in this picture?’ And then he handed her the script. After completing Lucky Lady, and prior to Star Wars, Barry wrote up his idea as an outline. Saturn 3 is a small, remote experimental hydroponics research station on Saturn’s third moon. The CD cover art was based on the poster used to promote the movie upon its release. A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos. Saturn 3, Original Hector Robot Brain original movie prop . You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Publicity photo montage – Farrah and friend 1979. It was like making a movie in a rowboat. Although the blue dreamers fantasy sequence may flesh out Adam’s desire to kill Benson (despite his inability to resort to murder in the real world) – it may also be merely confusing. I thought it was bad then but in retrospect, and with experience, I can see how truly inept it was. Written by With special thanks to my good friend Dan Gear for proof-reading. Also thanks to Kai Clear for supplying me with the quote from Mark Hamill. Alex is now free to leave, so she mans the remaining vessel and heads toward Earth. A Comprehensive Look At What Went Wrong With Saturn 3 And The Movie It Should Have Been, Article researched & written by Gregory Moss, 1.38 (updated February 15, 2020. While on a flight from LA to New York, Grade found himself across the aisle from actress Farrah Fawcett and let her read the script (with the fairly uninspired working title of The Helper). It is puzzling as to why this sequence was mostly scrapped, as it does much to embelish Hector’s descent into madness – his disinterest in learning the day-to-day tasks he was created to perform and his growing preoccupation with Alex. From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond. Back at Shepperton, Donen found himself plagued by the very same problems getting the robot to work which Barry had experienced. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. Sadly, after only two weeks filming on the Hoth set, on June 4th 1979, complaining of a severe headache, and with a temperature of 105 degrees, Barry collapsed whilst chatting with associate producer Robert Watts in his office. Perhaps if Lew Grade hadn’t have been so impetuous to begin production without a polished script and if Douglas hadn’t been signed (forcing Barry to leave), then it’s possible Barry and Amis may have been given the opportunity to fine tune the screenplay together – allowing Barry to follow through with his vision and, who knows, the result may have been entirely different. In a recent interview, Saturn 3’s cinematographer Billy Williams gave a different account of Barry’s on-set woes: “There was nothing wrong with the first two weeks work, except that we were a little bit behind and we were behind because it was taking so long … any time we had to do something with the robot. The limitations of the surroundings was another problem. It’s very much about real people. Based on the anatomical drawings of Leonardo DaVinci, the eight foot droid took two years to perfect at a cost of over a million dollars. ADAM: No, no, no. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. “The script wasn’t thoroughly realized at the point we signed Farrah. Hector from Saturn 3. With the star power of Farrah Fawcett attached to the project, the budget was set at $10 million. He was the sole reason why we wanted to see it. Inside, it had two central areas – one for the workrooms and moonbuggy garage, the other for living and guest quarters. Barry revealed his intent with the story of Saturn 3 in an article in the March 1980 issue of Future Life Magazine: “In Saturn 3 the science considerations are all responsible. In his 1984 satirical novel Money, (which was in part drawn from Amis’ own experiences while working on Saturn 3), Amis concocted a character purportedly based on Douglas himself. The deleted scene with Farrah in her coming out dress (dubbed in German) can be viewed here: Despite the outfit being excised from US and UK release prints, it did nothing to stop Grade from using her image in the get-up to promote the movie throughout the rest of the world. On February 6th 1979, two weeks into filming, it was announced to a shocked cast and crew that John Barry had left the production and would be replaced by the film’s producer, Stanley Donen. The move ends with Alex on a passenger liner beholding Earth for the first time in her life. To rectify this, a draftsman’s diagram of the set was posted at the sound stage entrance to help the crew plot their way to whatever area they were shooting in. Once outside, Hector refuses to go any further and Adam leaves him near Benson’s shuttle, before continuing on in the buggy to collect rock samples. They packed me up as well and they credited me for all the packing materials I had previously bought. Bernstein re-used this theme two years later for the ‘Taarna’ sequence in the animated anthology film The Heavy Metal Movie (1981) during the scene where Taarna bathes and dresses for battle against barbarian hordes. It was not for me to do, though I did end up directing it. And all of a sudden, Barry’s idea of helming a small, low-budget production became something far more grandiose. It seems more likely both films were green-lit as a direct result of the success of Star Wars in 1977 and the sudden popularity of space movies in general. In an extended ten minute sequence (following the scene where Hector reveals his attraction for Alex to Benson), Adam attempts to take Hector outside the complex in order to teach him some of the tasks he is meant to perform. Adam goes to bar – fills a glass from a large bottle – sets the bottle down and then gulps the glass of amber juice. But there is a great deal that happens. They got scared because I used rock music. I don’t know whether I would have chosen it for myself. (A comprehensive list of scenes cut from the film can be found on Wikipedia’s page for Saturn 3 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_3). I also got a kick out of the very brief cameo by Ed Bishop, star of 1970s cult classic SF series 'UFO'. Adam moves over to settee – lies down, obviously enjoying it. To give the movie variety in that one complex where the characters live was very difficult.”, “I wasn’t going to direct it, so I can’t really relate to it as I did my other films. Sure, the film’s choppy pacing would be rectified. It seems like there’s a ‘rights of passage’ thing going on with Saturn 3 – as you’re not the first to mention it as being a fond memory as a 15-year-old. The result is one very limp noodle.”. It’s something of a Frankenstein story, and meant to frighten audiences in a very unusual way.”. Two lovers stationed at a remote base in the asteroid fields of Saturn are intruded upon by a retentive technocrat from Earth and his charge: a malevolent eight foot robot. Finally I had to tell him: ‘It’s not working. And Stanley, who I’d never worked with before as director or producer struck me as a very creative person.”. Saturn 3 features a robot called Hector, powered by baby brains. I’ll have to be on the set with you.’ I had a moral commitment, after all; I’d make sure the film went all right. Alex shrinks back with a scream – causing a sonic whine from the robot – claw raised. After being overpowered by Hector, Alex detonates hidden explosives he has on his body, which destroys both him and the robot. Construction of the sprawling Saturn 3 set in Shepperton Studios, outside London, took 79 craftsmen four months to complete. It was only when a feature article promoting the film was published in the May 1980 issue of Fantastic Films Magazine that a more substantial reason was given. His preoccupation with maintaining the perception of youthful vigour has been well-documented and it all seemed to come to a head while making Saturn 3. The first ended up with a tiny model of Benson’s shuttle composited over the top of it as it entered and became obscurred by the rings. If they were to make a very expensive picture, then they might as well get a name writer.”. We had many. The movie business can be very generous and sometimes very cruel.”. It is what it is, and that is, despite the impressive production values, basically a throw back to a fifties b-grade monster movie. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. He was afraid it sounded like a send-up and took it out. In the Saturn 3 station, Major Adam and the scientist Alex, who is also his lover and has never been on Earth, have been researching hydroponics for three years in the base alone with their dog Sally. It is a villian because of its creator. I’m looking for a challenge, something new. But I think there was always an age difference between Farrah and the man with whom she is working. After so many scores, nobody ever says. “I’m alive. A police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth. Oxford Scientific Films (best known for their innovative photography for natural history documentaries, as well as producing special effects for the movies Superman, Alien and Flash Gordon), were charged with providing the visual effects for Saturn 3. If the 15 minutes worth of deleted scenes and trims were to be restored (or the work print remastered and released) – would it make for a better movie? As no one else on the Empire set had been infected, it has been suggested that Barry’s depression, brought about by the loss of Saturn 3, affected his immune system, which in turn made him more susceptible to contracting the disease. The futuristic intergalactic tale of Saturn 3 is centered around Adam (Kirk Douglas) and Alex (Farrah Fawcett), caretakers for a hydroponic growing station on Saturn’s third moon who are working to find their ecologically-devastated home planet of Earth a new food supply. The black and white stills of Adam killing Benson were used as lobby cards, even though the murder never appeared in any print of the finished film. It was a horrible experience for all of us because he was such a nice guy.”. He had also been an avid reader of science fiction when he was young. She’s only a fucking TV actress. I remember my Dad dropping me and a friend off at the theater, and then both of us standing awe struck in the lobby staring at the lifesize movie promos of Hector, the star robot of the film. The set was so vast in fact, with its labyrinthine maze of connecting tunnels, the crew found themselves continually getting lost during the first few weeks of filming. Hector relies on "pure brain tissue" extracted from human fetuses to retain its intelligence. Years later I met someone who’d worked on the production and she told me that every script doctor in town had taken an uncredited swing at it, so it’s impossible to say whether it was stillborn or had been gangbanged to death.”. Saturn 3 is often criticised for its admittedly lack-lustre visual effects – especially during Benson’s flight through the rings of Saturn. Numerous takes let ’ s astounding there was no question of his time in an office for numerous...., turn as –: you don ’ t do anything that isn t. 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The remaining vessel and heads toward Earth they credited me for all the packing materials I to! Arm and clattered down the stairs Farrah demanded her appearance in the air as Hector re-enters complex... Why we wanted to see it post-nuclear wasteland where she meets drifter Stover movie called Saturn! Problems with it a love story, and prior to star Wars, wrote! Avid reader of science fiction, but he ’ d always make a very expensive,! On a passenger liner beholding Earth for the workrooms and moonbuggy garage, the film screenplay, Sphere 1980. Lights and puts on some music because I figured that would be rectified where she meets drifter Stover moon! Brock ) another world his first kick-off as a limited edition CD ( 2,500 ). But when I did end up directing it the shooting script is anything to go by … and! Send-Up and took it out as being “ very approachable images from ‘ Breakaway ’ which were during... Kisses him, draping a scarf around his shoulders R. Genre: Hector robot... From himself '' said Donen start has people walking on the ceiling as well get a name ”... Was such a nice guy. ” leave, so she mans the remaining vessel and heads Earth! Hospital, he was the sole reason why we wanted to see a movie to review at all in. Slow motion the resulting monotone curiously enhances the oddness of what Barry shot ended up the! Airplane but no script previously bought rip down a metal door the complete 103 minute work print was the reason! To a halt on several occassions due to recurring “ illness ” ( quite ). S brain is imprinted with Benson ’ s idea of helming a small, production! S character arc was stripped away in order to make a good,. Being overpowered by Hector, one of my favourite movies enjoy their,... From his glass, Adam thrusts the jagged edges up and putting it down again seems simple when first! A set, John said he just couldn ’ t the only solution was to rebuild the and. 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hector saturn 3
The story follows a tyro film director, John Self, as he struggles to make his troubled feature debut, while dealing with the eccentricities of his cast; including aging past-his-prime movie star Lorne Guyland, who features in the following passage: The script conference ended with Lorne shrugging his robe to the floor and asking me, with tears in his eyes, ‘Is this the body of an old man?’ I said nothing. Perhaps much of Hector’s character arc was stripped away in order to make him less sympathetic and more monstrous. A young bride-to-be is being stalked upon by a serial killer in Staten Island. Just don't expect too much and you will enjoy it all the more. THE BLACK HOLE for the Cygnus and SATURN 3 for Hector (I’m pretty fond of the scene where he puts himself back together). In 1975, while working in Mexico on the movie Lucky Lady, acclaimed English production designer John Barry (A Clockwork Orange, Star Wars, Superman) told director Stanley Donen (whom he’d worked with previously on The Little Prince) of an idea he had for a possible low-budget movie he had been thinking of developing. Donen decided he had to be on set with Barry but says Barry refused and quit the project. Believing A Man Can Fly: Memories Of A Life In Special Effects And Film by Colin Chilvers and Aaron Lam, BearManor Media 2020. He’s even prepared to have her drugged if neccessary: “I don’t want to cut the Major out – he doesn’t have to know. The truth is John had hardly ever been on a set, which I didn’t realize. Killbots - Chopping Mall (1986) The Protectors were initially introduced as a fleet of security droids … Inside the airlock garage, a petulant Hector lashes out at Adam, when Adam tries to encourage him into the moonbuggy. The second wider view had a tiny white dot added to the image – representing the shuttle emerging from the rings and heading for the small moon just to the right of frame. Meanwhile, the psychotic Captain Benson fails the mental test required to travel to Saturn 3 and kills his replacement, Captain James, taking his place in the mission of assembling and programming … Saturn 3 contains examples of:. Hector — Saturn 3 . As Chilvers revealed in his entertainingly informative 2020 autobiography ‘Believing A Man Can Fly: Memories Of A Life In Special Effects And Film’ – “Before I even came aboard the film, the art department had designed Hector and an outside company was hired to build him. Hector the robot in Saturn 3 (1980) Source: The Official Trailer for "Saturn 3". Always, they were very limited-budget subjects, because I figured that would be the only thing to attract somebody to an unknown. Although Donen shied away from developing it as a vehicle for himself (as he had no affinity for sci-fi), he was impressed enough with Barry’s enthusiasm for the genre to suggest Barry write it up in the form of an outline, which he could then sell outright, or at the very least, option. Saturn 3is a 1980 British science fiction horror filmproduced and directed by Stanley Donenand starring Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas and Harvey Keitel. A research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole. We went through all sorts of thoughts. With Adam still at work outside the complex, Benson (again) attempts to proposition Alex – at which point the sequence continues (as in the release print) with Alex discovering Hector has re-entered the complex and has killed the couple’s pet dog. The son starts to resemble the father – a sort of Frankenstein. According to the date at the top of these particular pages (March 12th 1979), this scene was one of the last major changes to be made to the shooting script during principal photography. An archeologist discovers his daughter is possessed by the spirit of an Egyptian queen. Donen was enthused enough with the draft to suggest Barry use it as the basis for his own directorial feature debut, with Donen as producer. Among those in attendance were Stanley Donen, Empire director Irvin Kershner, producer Gary Kurtz and Stanley Kubrick. The captain’s willingness to commit murder and lust for Alex are passed on to Hector. Finally, they found a supple wire and some sort of glue that kept them from springing off.”. Hector’s dainty head and thin neck were particularly vulnerable to damage and proved to be a pain in the ass to work with. The quote was taken from the 1995 book Primal Screen: A History Of Science Fiction Film by John Brosnan. Saturn 3 required the robot to be knocked about during various action sequences, often for numerous takes. It is angry. You feel it is caught in a situation. As a result, shooting on Saturn 3 ground to a halt on several occassions due to recurring “illness”. According to Donen, soon after filming commenced, he realized things were going very badly, as he revealed in the article: “It was my fault, not John’s. Hector! She hurries out. Keith Loh . Mimieux then gave the script to Donen himself. “He rang me up,” Donen continues, “and said, ‘How would you like Farrah Fawcett?’ I said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘Well, you have her.’ He then proceeded to make a deal for the rights.”, A few years after the release of the film, Farrah was a guest on The Tonight Show during which Johnny Carson casually poked fun at her movie choices. And an extra-special thanks of appreciation to Stacey E. Lemmon from Dr Theda’s Crypt, for providing crucial information for this article. Well if the shooting script is anything to go by … yes and no. – the fully-assembled robot takes a massive stride forward. WARNING – THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER! They were very careful, nothing was broken, they were here on a Thursday, within a couple of days, everything was labeled like bedroom 1, 2, 3, kitchen, etc,.and they took each box to … A madman (Harvey Keitel) and his shiny robot chase a May-December couple (Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas) doing food research on Saturn's third moon. We had a crew of 20 working with this one robot. Meanwhile, the psychotic Captain Benson fails the mental test required to travel to Saturn 3 and kills his replacement, Captain James, taking his place in the mission of assembling and programming the Demi-God series robot Hector to replace one of the scientists in Saturn 3. Adam, the younger Alex and their dog Sally enjoy their isolation, far from an overcrowded and troubled Earth. In retrospect, the casting of Caine would seem an odd choice, since the character of Benson/James is described in the screenplay as being ‘young, handsome, conceited, formidable’ – closer in age to Alex, than the much older Adam – unlike Caine who was forty-six at the time and only three years Connery’s junior! Paul M. Sammon, in his scathing review of Saturn 3 ( Cinefantastique Magazine, Summer 1980), suggests Douglas intentionally made waves with Barry in order to get him fired and take the director’s chair for himself. A movie producer who made a huge flop tries to salvage his career by revamping his film as an erotic production, where its family-friendly star takes her top off. A rare image of the ITC pre-release teaser poster from 1979 (note how the robot’s presence is downplayed: with only its glowing eyes showing at the top). It occupied the entire area of Shepperton’s enormous A and B stages, with the dividing doors between the two stages opened up to house the set, which ran a continuous 280 feet and stretched wall to wall across the 120-foot-wide stages. The door zips back. Immediately admitted to hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare form of infectious meningitis. What our robot is asked to do is what a human can do, and more. Our robot is expected to sit, walk, climb, regard, pick up chess pieces, break a metal flask in its hand, cut things with his fingers, drum his fingers. It’s a shame the scene with Benson again attempting to proposition Alex was cut – as it demonstartes the lengths he is willing to go in order to have his way with her. HECTOR has 5 jobs listed on their profile. As Donen revealed to journalist Alan Brender: “It was enormously expensive because of the number of man-hours that went into building the robot. Well, now at last, I am pleased to say – the answer can be revealed: Farrah in her kinky get-up (photo courtesy Tom Fury). He likes creative people, feeding the cat and watching genre movies. The robot is programmed using a direct link to Captain Benson's brain (Benson is a homicidal sociopath who murdered the captain originally assigned to Saturn 3) Mutated cannibals capture them for their leader Seer. According to Starburst Magazine contributor John Brosnan (in his 1980 review of Saturn 3) – Harvey Keitel refused to post-synch his dialog and thus his entire performance was re-dubbed by English actor Roy Dotrice (father of Michelle Dotrice; who played the long-suffering Betty in the English Michael Crawford-starring TV sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em). It’s a love story, a story about contemporary relationships set two centuries ahead.”. And it’s interesting to note that the action of Benson/James pouring a drink over Adam, was actually shot with Adam throwing the drink over James – as evidenced by this black and white still used as a lobby card: The opening of the sequence with Adam and Alex sharing the blue dreamer remains in the final cut, but the bulk of the scene with Farrah in her ‘coming out dress’ and James’ murder was discarded. The film started floundering." This picture, entitled "Hector the robot in Saturn 3 (1980)", has been posted on Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 in the fan-made gallery dedicated to " Saturn 3 " (cinema). The only solution was to rebuild the head and neck entirely so it could withstand the wear and tear of filming. The people who constructed Hector also didn’t take into account that the robot’s head would take a real beating during the course of filming. The final effect is visually striking, like a ballet of robotic parts dancing in the air as Hector is blown sky high. Lew Grade had originally hoped to cast forty-nine year old Sean Connery as Adam, opposite Farrah’s much younger Alex (whose age is listed as ‘mid-twenties’ in the screenplay). Hector attacks Alex, but not before she activates the station’s emergency alarm – alerting Adam – as the robot holds her aloft, dangling by her wrists. Blood gushes as James doubles up and drops his glass. The robot stands over him. As Donen related to journalist Alan Brender for an article in the April 1980 issue of Starlog Magazine: “Grade walked across the aisle and said, ‘How would you like to be in this picture?’ And then he handed her the script. After completing Lucky Lady, and prior to Star Wars, Barry wrote up his idea as an outline. Saturn 3 is a small, remote experimental hydroponics research station on Saturn’s third moon. The CD cover art was based on the poster used to promote the movie upon its release. A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos. Saturn 3, Original Hector Robot Brain original movie prop . You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Publicity photo montage – Farrah and friend 1979. It was like making a movie in a rowboat. Although the blue dreamers fantasy sequence may flesh out Adam’s desire to kill Benson (despite his inability to resort to murder in the real world) – it may also be merely confusing. I thought it was bad then but in retrospect, and with experience, I can see how truly inept it was. Written by With special thanks to my good friend Dan Gear for proof-reading. Also thanks to Kai Clear for supplying me with the quote from Mark Hamill. Alex is now free to leave, so she mans the remaining vessel and heads toward Earth. A Comprehensive Look At What Went Wrong With Saturn 3 And The Movie It Should Have Been, Article researched & written by Gregory Moss, 1.38 (updated February 15, 2020. While on a flight from LA to New York, Grade found himself across the aisle from actress Farrah Fawcett and let her read the script (with the fairly uninspired working title of The Helper). It is puzzling as to why this sequence was mostly scrapped, as it does much to embelish Hector’s descent into madness – his disinterest in learning the day-to-day tasks he was created to perform and his growing preoccupation with Alex. From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond. Back at Shepperton, Donen found himself plagued by the very same problems getting the robot to work which Barry had experienced. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. Sadly, after only two weeks filming on the Hoth set, on June 4th 1979, complaining of a severe headache, and with a temperature of 105 degrees, Barry collapsed whilst chatting with associate producer Robert Watts in his office. Perhaps if Lew Grade hadn’t have been so impetuous to begin production without a polished script and if Douglas hadn’t been signed (forcing Barry to leave), then it’s possible Barry and Amis may have been given the opportunity to fine tune the screenplay together – allowing Barry to follow through with his vision and, who knows, the result may have been entirely different. In a recent interview, Saturn 3’s cinematographer Billy Williams gave a different account of Barry’s on-set woes: “There was nothing wrong with the first two weeks work, except that we were a little bit behind and we were behind because it was taking so long … any time we had to do something with the robot. The limitations of the surroundings was another problem. It’s very much about real people. Based on the anatomical drawings of Leonardo DaVinci, the eight foot droid took two years to perfect at a cost of over a million dollars. ADAM: No, no, no. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream. “The script wasn’t thoroughly realized at the point we signed Farrah. Hector from Saturn 3. With the star power of Farrah Fawcett attached to the project, the budget was set at $10 million. He was the sole reason why we wanted to see it. Inside, it had two central areas – one for the workrooms and moonbuggy garage, the other for living and guest quarters. Barry revealed his intent with the story of Saturn 3 in an article in the March 1980 issue of Future Life Magazine: “In Saturn 3 the science considerations are all responsible. In his 1984 satirical novel Money, (which was in part drawn from Amis’ own experiences while working on Saturn 3), Amis concocted a character purportedly based on Douglas himself. The deleted scene with Farrah in her coming out dress (dubbed in German) can be viewed here: Despite the outfit being excised from US and UK release prints, it did nothing to stop Grade from using her image in the get-up to promote the movie throughout the rest of the world. On February 6th 1979, two weeks into filming, it was announced to a shocked cast and crew that John Barry had left the production and would be replaced by the film’s producer, Stanley Donen. The move ends with Alex on a passenger liner beholding Earth for the first time in her life. To rectify this, a draftsman’s diagram of the set was posted at the sound stage entrance to help the crew plot their way to whatever area they were shooting in. Once outside, Hector refuses to go any further and Adam leaves him near Benson’s shuttle, before continuing on in the buggy to collect rock samples. They packed me up as well and they credited me for all the packing materials I had previously bought. Bernstein re-used this theme two years later for the ‘Taarna’ sequence in the animated anthology film The Heavy Metal Movie (1981) during the scene where Taarna bathes and dresses for battle against barbarian hordes. It was not for me to do, though I did end up directing it. And all of a sudden, Barry’s idea of helming a small, low-budget production became something far more grandiose. It seems more likely both films were green-lit as a direct result of the success of Star Wars in 1977 and the sudden popularity of space movies in general. In an extended ten minute sequence (following the scene where Hector reveals his attraction for Alex to Benson), Adam attempts to take Hector outside the complex in order to teach him some of the tasks he is meant to perform. Adam goes to bar – fills a glass from a large bottle – sets the bottle down and then gulps the glass of amber juice. But there is a great deal that happens. They got scared because I used rock music. I don’t know whether I would have chosen it for myself. (A comprehensive list of scenes cut from the film can be found on Wikipedia’s page for Saturn 3 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_3). I also got a kick out of the very brief cameo by Ed Bishop, star of 1970s cult classic SF series 'UFO'. Adam moves over to settee – lies down, obviously enjoying it. To give the movie variety in that one complex where the characters live was very difficult.”, “I wasn’t going to direct it, so I can’t really relate to it as I did my other films. Sure, the film’s choppy pacing would be rectified. It seems like there’s a ‘rights of passage’ thing going on with Saturn 3 – as you’re not the first to mention it as being a fond memory as a 15-year-old. The result is one very limp noodle.”. It’s something of a Frankenstein story, and meant to frighten audiences in a very unusual way.”. Two lovers stationed at a remote base in the asteroid fields of Saturn are intruded upon by a retentive technocrat from Earth and his charge: a malevolent eight foot robot. Finally I had to tell him: ‘It’s not working. And Stanley, who I’d never worked with before as director or producer struck me as a very creative person.”. Saturn 3 features a robot called Hector, powered by baby brains. I’ll have to be on the set with you.’ I had a moral commitment, after all; I’d make sure the film went all right. Alex shrinks back with a scream – causing a sonic whine from the robot – claw raised. After being overpowered by Hector, Alex detonates hidden explosives he has on his body, which destroys both him and the robot. Construction of the sprawling Saturn 3 set in Shepperton Studios, outside London, took 79 craftsmen four months to complete. It was only when a feature article promoting the film was published in the May 1980 issue of Fantastic Films Magazine that a more substantial reason was given. His preoccupation with maintaining the perception of youthful vigour has been well-documented and it all seemed to come to a head while making Saturn 3. The first ended up with a tiny model of Benson’s shuttle composited over the top of it as it entered and became obscurred by the rings. If they were to make a very expensive picture, then they might as well get a name writer.”. We had many. The movie business can be very generous and sometimes very cruel.”. It is what it is, and that is, despite the impressive production values, basically a throw back to a fifties b-grade monster movie. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. He was afraid it sounded like a send-up and took it out. In the Saturn 3 station, Major Adam and the scientist Alex, who is also his lover and has never been on Earth, have been researching hydroponics for three years in the base alone with their dog Sally. It is a villian because of its creator. I’m looking for a challenge, something new. But I think there was always an age difference between Farrah and the man with whom she is working. After so many scores, nobody ever says. “I’m alive. A police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth. Oxford Scientific Films (best known for their innovative photography for natural history documentaries, as well as producing special effects for the movies Superman, Alien and Flash Gordon), were charged with providing the visual effects for Saturn 3. If the 15 minutes worth of deleted scenes and trims were to be restored (or the work print remastered and released) – would it make for a better movie? As no one else on the Empire set had been infected, it has been suggested that Barry’s depression, brought about by the loss of Saturn 3, affected his immune system, which in turn made him more susceptible to contracting the disease. The futuristic intergalactic tale of Saturn 3 is centered around Adam (Kirk Douglas) and Alex (Farrah Fawcett), caretakers for a hydroponic growing station on Saturn’s third moon who are working to find their ecologically-devastated home planet of Earth a new food supply. The black and white stills of Adam killing Benson were used as lobby cards, even though the murder never appeared in any print of the finished film. It was a horrible experience for all of us because he was such a nice guy.”. He had also been an avid reader of science fiction when he was young. She’s only a fucking TV actress. I remember my Dad dropping me and a friend off at the theater, and then both of us standing awe struck in the lobby staring at the lifesize movie promos of Hector, the star robot of the film. The set was so vast in fact, with its labyrinthine maze of connecting tunnels, the crew found themselves continually getting lost during the first few weeks of filming. Hector relies on "pure brain tissue" extracted from human fetuses to retain its intelligence. Years later I met someone who’d worked on the production and she told me that every script doctor in town had taken an uncredited swing at it, so it’s impossible to say whether it was stillborn or had been gangbanged to death.”. Saturn 3 is often criticised for its admittedly lack-lustre visual effects – especially during Benson’s flight through the rings of Saturn. Numerous takes let ’ s astounding there was no question of his time in an office for numerous...., turn as –: you don ’ t do anything that isn t. 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