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I've just watched this and wasn't impressed at all. I know it's a classic but that fact that it is means that the ending plot twist isn't a suprise to anybody. Also, The movie is too slow and outdated for modern standards. Charlton heston wasn't appropriate for the characted he portrayed, because he looked to old. I did like the riot scene very much, though. The people-scooping vehicles were genius. What I didn't understand most was why the old man died in that orange-lit "cinema". Did the doctors there kill him, and if not, how the heck did he or they know he was gonna die?

The "cinema" is a place people could go for a peaceful "assisted suicide" (sort of like a high-tech version of Dr. Kavorkian).

I'm not sure this is really a "classic" (although, it may be somewhat of a "cult classic").  It did get some bad reviews when it was released in theaters.  Whatever anyone thinks of it, I consider it a guilty pleasure.  I guess the overall movie is, as you say, slow.  (Although, I try not to judge movies by today's standards . . . I'm NOT a fan of today's constantly spinning, diving, zooming, panning, cameras and strobe-light style editing).  But even if it is slow-paced, there are many individual scenes I really like (one of my favorites is when Heston comes home with some beef and apples and other "real" food and he and Edward G. Robinson have a feast).  I own a copy of this on DVD and I dig it out once a year or so.  I think it makes a good double feature with the original ROLLERBALL (another not especially good movie that I like for some odd reason).

I remember liking this one, though I haven't seen it in a long time.  I vaguely remember something about a jar of jelly (or jam) that costs something like $125.  I also associate this movie with "people cookies", at least that's what I called 'em.  :teddyr:

Yeah, that was very bizarre. Since it's a cult classic, I knew from the start that some food was being made out of people. But, I thought that the government was hiring guys to assassinate poeple that will be sold as food. i thought the piece of beef Heston found was human meat. I was very shocked, and laughed, when it turned out already dead people were made into cookies.

While there's a lot about the film that's dated and it isn't as futuristic as it ought to be, there's an awful lot in Soylent Green that rings awfully true and seems more and more plausible as a tomorrrow to me now than ever before. The fantastic opening montage is nothing but the truth about humanity...us moving away from nature, industrializing and in effect destroying the very planet on which we live. The truth is also there with regards to the wide divergence between the rich and the poor which seems to be coming to pass more and more everyday with unemployment and homelessness on the continued rise. I love the sweaty oppressing, sweltering heat and dirt that seems to permeate throughout the movie except in the domain of the ultra rich where everything is squeaky clean. It's like one can feel the overwhelming weight of the world on the priest's shoulders as he got a worldful of needy to care for and no way to possibly fit hands with it all as the world slowly dies all around us all. Charlton Heston's adds a nice passion to his role and his savors everything he can in his life as much as possible while Edward G. Robinson's character realizes the awful truth...the world is already dying and likely cannot be saved. The stopped watch, lack of time for Thorn to finish his case before they close it down on him...time running out all around.

Det. Thorn: "I know, Sol, you've told me a hundred times before. People were better, the world was better..."
Sol: "Ah, people were always lousy... But there was a world, once."

Det. Thorn: "I know, I know. When you were young, people were better."
Sol: "Aw, nuts. People were always rotten. But the world 'was' beautiful`."

Det. Thorn: "Turn the air conditioning way up!"
Shirl: "Way up! We'll make it as cold as winter used to be!"

It certainly hasn't dated well, but I think it gets its reputation largely from that one famous line that seems to have burned itself into many people's consciousness.

I love this movie.  I think it is sad that the "punchline" has taken over for why it is important.

The first time I watched it, I already knew the punchline and I don't think it diminished my enjoyment of the movie.  Rather, I was mesmerized by how completely the dysfunction of that society was captured - some in very overt ways, some very subtle.  "Furniture" comes to my mind as one really creative way the breakdown of reasonable social interaction was depicted.

SOYLENT GREEN would be on my own short list of "Must See Movies" for anyone who claims to be a movie buff - and not JUST for the ending.

Yeah, but if the world is poorer and more populated and polluted, why are women degraded to such a level to be referred to as furniture?

......and as we all know, Soylent Greenis....





SPOILER BELOW





Trevor's underpants.  :buggedout: :buggedout: :wink:

Why not in a world where society is completely broken?  There is virtually no civilization left, and hence no regard for others.

I think this "extreme" is just one example used to show just how badly the social order has decayed.  There are many others, and some are very subtle.

I liked it well enough. It was based on a pretty decent Harry Harrison story, and I generally like those 70s dystopian futures. I did find it a bit slow in places.

In a world with so many, is it any wonder women might be willing to be "furniture"...if it's a choice between living in luxury or homeless on the street?

Everytime I see this movie I think of McDonald's.

This was on TV last week when I was in the hospital.  Even though I've seen it dozens of times and own the DVD, I couldn't resist stopping to watch a few minutes of it while I was channel surfing.

We used to have chocolate covered graham crackers around the house and one of my older cousins told me they were chocolate soylent green. It weirded me out for a few days until I realized I liked them too much to care and started eating them again.  :buggedout:

Does anyone remember the "Space Food Sticks" (just like the astronauts eat!) you could buy in supermarkets back in the early 1970s.  Sort of reminded me of Soylent Green.

(http://davidszondy.com/future/Living/space_food.gif)

I love Soylent Green for what it is... The future that hasnt seen the 1980's.

Im not really sure if Soylent Green is a "good movie" but it has ton of eye candy... like the First Video Game!

(http://museodelvideojuego.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/computer-space-en-pelicula.jpg)

(http://www.cedmagic.com/history/computer-space-ad.jpg)