Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room We are the Robots...

There's a lot of sci-fi/fantasy fans on the forum, so I guess that a lot of us must like one of the classic staples of sci-fi, the Robot, and Its perhaps not surprising if a lot of us do as John’s electro often conjures up many aspects of that sense of being non-human, or being elevated to a unique perspective of living in detachment from humanity. And yet there’s still that unbreakable need to be a part of the human condition, even if its by proxy, and the idea of android’s and replicant humans in fiction occasionally touches on this.

Putting all the seriousness aside though, robots are sometimes just pure fun, and very often good to look at, and my recent rant on another thread about Transformers made me think about my favourite robots in fiction, in movies, TV, comics, or anywhere really. The Hasbro Transformers robot toys never appealed to me, probably because I was way too old for that 80’s craze, and I’m also not particularly interested in cars, which those particular bots often disguised themselves as.

One of my all time favourite machines with personality are Silent Running’s unique and magically convincing droids: Huey Dewey, and Louie, I saw the film in the cinema as a child, and they made me believe in the human need for robots.


So what are your favourite robots?

Is it Kraftwerk’s mannequins, or Twiki from Buck Rogers, K9, Gort, Fritz Lang’s art deco man machine, Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger, Astro Boy, or heaven forbid Robin Williams as Bicentennial Man or even Metal Mickey in the show produced by Michael Dolenz or is it Chris Cunningham’s graceful and profound Bjork bot (as mentioned recently by Mr Ilektrik and Brian).

What a great topic!

factoid of the day: Jean Michel Jarre collects toy robots.

For the purely "Robot" aspect, then I would say without a doubt my choice would be Yul Brynner's Gunslinger from Westworld, one of my all-time favourite SF movies, and Maximillian from The Black Hole.

I also really like the robot design from I, Robot, and have a soft spot for Gort (The Day the Earth Stood Still, original version).

However, although not actually a robot, but only part robot, for me it has to be The Daleks – often referred to (somewhat wrongly) as robots.

Exactly what it was about the Daleks which first grabbed my imagination in the early 80s remains to be determined, but I have remained as fascinated with the Daleks as much as Doctor Who itself, if not more. I still collect them today.

The fact that they are alien: part robotic and utterly relentless was surely enough to captivate any young boy. However it was more than that – it was the design itself. That iconic shape of cult 60s design, made the Dalek perhaps the most recognisable and memorable creature ever associated with Science-Fiction. And what a design – robust and robotic, mechanical and malevolent. The Daleks had no human features, yet they still had distinguishable ‘face’ comprising two lights and a singular eye mounted on a dome.

Clearly, the Daleks were designed to fascinate, and there’s nothing more alarming that the distinctive shadow of a Dalek looming around a corner. The variations in design over the years, from the colour schemes to the actual design changes and updates – many intentional, some due to prop restoration – keep the Daleks fresh and progressive. Everybody has a favourite colour scheme, whether it be the gun-metal grey Daleks of Genesis, the cream and gold livery of the Imperial Daleks or the heavy, machined finish of the first wave of new series Daleks in 2005. Even the name – DALEK – instantly brings to mind that shape, and of course, that voice.

I'd love to see that collection!

I actually saw the sequel Futureworld in the cinema. I have to agree that the Gunslinger is a smart classic, such a neat idea to cast Brynner in the part, I get the feeling that Schwarzenegger's relentless Terminator was just a touch inspired by the unstoppable Gunslinger. Strangely though I sometimes get blank stares when I mention Westworld to people, and as for Futureworld, well nobody seems to have heard of it, years ago I once tried to big-up (EuroDisney) now Disneyland Paris by saying that it was like walking around Futureworld but minus the robots!

It was the 60's for me Alex, I still remember being three to four years old and seeing an illustration on the back of a magazine that we had in the house, it had brightly coloured Daleks flying about on platforms around a metal structure.

The fascination with the Daleks will never go away for me either, stamped on my psyche for sure. I think the Daleks must secretly be quite vain creatures, they sure dont attempt to blend in, and all those colour and decorative changes hint at the dandy side of the squid behind the suit

Great question, core memory! I hope I do not do it an injustice by straying away from the more typically accepted "metal & wires" definition of a robot. My favorite "synthetic humans" are
#4 - Bishop from the movie Aliens (played by Lance Henriksen)
Not a very developed character but I liked him anyway, probably because I tend to like Henriksen's portrayals no matter what he is in.
#3 - David from the movie Artificial Intelligence: AI (played by Haley Joel Osment)
I had not anticipated liking this movie (I expected a Pinocchio rehash) but some interesting plot events changed my mind.
#2 - The original terminator from the movie Terminator (played by Arnold S.)
Arnold finds the role he was born to play (no, not California Governor). Classic non-stop tension. Loved the machine code running down the side of his field of vision. (Although unless it was for debugging purposes it really served no use.
#1 - The 5 Replicants from the movie Blade Runner
One of my favorite movies of all time (although I confess I prefer the version without Harrison Ford's voiceovers.) In my opinion all the replicants were fantastic characters in their own way. I refer to "5" replicants because despite director Sir Ridley Scott's many statements on the subject I do not accept that Deckard was a replicant as well. Also, those of you with the "Ultimate Collector's Edition" saw that Scott had a deleted scene in which you learn that Dr. Tyrell was actually deceased and that he had long ago replaced himself with a replicant duplicate. But since the scene wasn't in the released version I don't count it.

My two favourites are as diverse as they can be. Number one is Darryl Hannah's replicant, Priss, in Blade Runner and the other is Marvin The Paranoid Android from the original BBC TV series of Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy (not seen the movie so not sure if their Marvin was as good as the BBC's).

Where I now live, in South Africa, traffic lights are called robots - don't ask me why. Maybe it's something to do with them being automated and remotely controlled. It was weird to me at first but now when I give people directions it's "left at the first robot" without even thinking about it. I guess that means I've settled down here.

Favourite Marvin line is when he asks Arthur Dent if Earth had oceans and Arthur says something like "yes, great majestic rolling oceans" and Marvin trundles off muttering "I hate oceans".

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My 2 are Mr Data from Star Trek Tng and also all variants of Cylons from the rebooted Battlestar Galactica also have softspots for Robbie the Robot from Forbidden Planet and the Robot from Lost in Space tv series

Bender from Futurama!

Ah, how could I have forgotten Bender? I'm such a meatbag! :p

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Has to be the one off Lost in Space..

[img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:lBdXOeap8CbUoM:http://www.dograt.com/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/Lost_In_Space_robot_body_1_2_2004.jpg&t=1[/img]

Then what was that pre-Metal Mickey tea-time telly series about robots? Had a distinctive 'electro' theme tune ..

Not forgetting that wonderful double act of C3PO & R2D2 ..

Damn I'd forgotten Bender.What about Kryten from Red Dwarf?

Oh!! And the robot Maria from Metropolis - how could I have forgotten the original she robot?!

Lovely design.

Yeah, Kryten was cool - like Max Headroom with a body and legs!

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My recently re-displayed Dalek collection looks like this:

Flippin eck Alex,thats a lot of Daleks.Very impressive

Is the collective word for a bunch of Daleks an Invasion of Daleks?

Please also note my own Dalek artwork adorning the wall!

July's purchase was a long overdue Ikea cabinet complete with light in the top. The Daleks needed a good dusting first though, but I'm very pleased with it... the oldest Dalek in there dates back to the 60s.

I think the collective term would have to be invasion - although now it's more of a confinement!

And, now they're all behind glass, there's no further risk of the cat inadvertantly setting off the talking ones at ungodly hours, and making me think the Daleks really had invaded!!

Looks like they might break out of there and start flying all over the place any minute!
EX_TER_MI_NATE !!

..and Robert's Robots was the one i was thinking of .. http://www.clivebanks.co.uk/Roberts%20Robots%20Intro.htm

blimey .. 1973!

and here's the theme tune! played on a stylophone??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22SW6M0XPhk

A few years ago, I tracked down (after weeks of scouring the net, sans success) a great book from my childhood – "Robots" – which was a lovely pocket book for kids, brilliantly illustrated, showing the history of robots both in fact and fiction. Of course, there was a Dalek in there!

That was the single most difficult thing I've ever looked for online, but found one eventually. I can't even find a good jpg in Google images!

Just remebered the Iron Giant,that book cover remninded me

Love that film

I remember a wonderfully illustrated book of Ted Hughes' THe Iron Man/Giant from when I was little, which no doubt inspired several drawings!

I am ashamed to have forgotten Bender! I must also now add Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot from Mystery Science Theater 3000.

And Alex, that is quite a nice collection and artwork!

I love Bender. In fact, I've got a bendy Bender somewhere!

I know they're not actually robots, but I always loved the 'recognisers' from Tron, they were such great machines!

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THE BORG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZEJ4OJTgg8

Now we're talking

Seven of Nine from Voyager

Got it in one, Brian.

Dear Seven,

Would like to hook up with you in your regeneration chamber sometime.

Yours

Ilektrocutus of Borg

Completely agree about Bishop, he’s one of the many good things about my favourite James Cameron movie.
I’m happy to include ‘synthetic humans’ in my mindset, as by and large most of them have engineered or proxy brains. I forget exactly what Bishop says in the particular scene I’m trying to remember, when he volunteers to crawl through a shaft to get to the outside, he momentarily displays a kind of emotion as he admits to one of the cast that he is concerned about being terminated by the aliens.


Never seen A.I. mainly because I don’t have very high expectations about it, so I’ve never bothered, I think it was Lucas and Spielbergs preposterous suggestion about remaking 2001 A Space Oddysey in homage to Kubrick that really put me off, thankfully they opted for A.I. instead.

Does anyone remember the Artificial Intelligence system Proteus, in the film Demon Seed? where using a Heath Robinson-like robot construction it impregnates Julie Christie by artificial means in an attempt to give birth to a human and A.I offspring, haven’t seen the film since I was a teenager, wonder if it would just all be laughable now!


The Blade Runner replicants are stages beyond the robot or android, with their faux blood and their preset memories, and their belief in their own humanity is so beautifully portrayed through the character of Roy Batty. I’m now completely with the idea that practically all of the main characters in Blade Runner can be read as replicants, it’s an all ‘robot’ movie, with Deckard, and even Captain Bryant not being of real flesh and blood. Even Tyrell himself would work as a replicant (although he is meant to be a clone) in all of his glory and atop his golden pyramid like an Egyptian god who is continually being reborn. For me only Gaff and Hanibal Chew are the real human’s left behind on earth, both non-caucasians, and amongst the many others that make up the visual tapestry of life around Deckard that inhabits that over-crowded city. And J.F. Sebastian and his genetic disease, well, perhaps that’s a red herring and he’s really a replicant with a particular flaw!


movie robot does look good, but lacks in something in comparison to the original, maybe its too slick? Bring back the BBC prop dept!


I’ve always liked Star Treks Mr Data as a character in a series. He’s the perfect counter-part to Mr Spock, one is non-human but wants to be human, and the other is a humanoid alien who wants to be as emotionless as a machine. But Data is such an integrated cast member that I rarely think of him as a robot, sometimes too much normalisation takes away from the suspension of disbelief that makes fantasy appealing for us. As for Seven Of Nine well Harry kim had no chance with her, she’s way out of his league, (and that comment shows you that I’ve watched too much trek).


Alex, my teenage self wants to live in your bedroom.
I think you should remove the bright light from your detolf, might it possibly fade your collection, or am I just being anal.


I really liked the robotic assistant GERTY in Duncan Jones film ‘Moon’ from last year, admittedly it was quite limited, but it was a lovely nod towards HAL and the Silent Running Droids.

I’ve been thinking about the Decorative robot called ‘Box’, with its freezing gun that appears briefly in Logans Run, one of the more visual special effects in the film, where it attempts to preserve Logan and Jessica as food.
And as regards decorative looking robots, I’m very keen on the Art Deco inspired ones serving on the Sandminer in Tom Bakers Robots Of Death storyline, actually, I’m sure that Box in Logans Run is also a bit Art Deco, and maybe even the original Cylons in Battlestar Gallactica, add the present day Cybermen to that list and there’s definitely a style theme running here for me.

cheers, thanks for posting that, I had completely forgotten about this programme, strange, as I totally loved it as a child, and its a funny feeling to see those opening titles after 37 years? like a trip in the attic
How easily pleased we were, well, it seemed state of the art at the time

and cheers to you for remembering it too! thought I was the only person in the known universe...

as a slight sideline I discovered this site which sells DVDs of classic telly mostly '70s, including "cult kids" stuff like Metal Mickey, Robert's Robots (yes, i am tempted) and many many more.
http://www.networkdvd.net/index.php?cPath=29&osCsid=00bc5c90486491b25b3fe7881aadb7a0


Anyone else remeber "Sky" ? - the time-travelling alien boy who fell to earth .. in 1975?
http://www.networkdvd.net/product_info.php?cPath=29&products_id=887 (ignore the glossy 80s style cover . .this is 1970s kids' sci-fi at it's best)

I've got some Voc Robots! Very cool design.

And as for the light in my collection, fear not, it's rarely on. Just for those dark nights.

I totally do, completely loved it at the time, in fact I think I had a non-gender specific prepubescent crush on Sky I still remember very clearly being in primary class and listening to other kids raving about it. It just fitted in with the Mark Bolan and Glam rock period that was in the air, and years after when I was a student I discovered that other people also had fond memories of it, in fact back then (and not having seen the show since childhood) I was convinced that David Sylvian had been a tad inspired by the look of the ethereal Sky, seeing as how it’s a kind of pre new age show, and the esoteric nature of Sylvian’s solo work, maybe there is a visual connection.

When I was posting here about a particular Doctor who episode earlier this year I came across a link that also specialised in 70’s childrens TV, and my heart leaped when I saw the Sky DVD, I really agonised about buying it, and I’m now tempted again, is it just nostalgia, or is the thought of it like long lost comfort food that you occasionally grave as an adult. We can’t go back in a time-machine, but at least our past memories can connect with our present day desires thanks to the DVD’s, but would I be severely gutted if on watching it now it was all just quite childish, or does it matter…


A few years ago I was ‘compelled’ to purchase 3 designs of the new 12” Cybermen that were available at the time. I don’t really collect things, but these robotic Deco exteriors are just irresistible and held such a fascination for me. They are still in their boxes, stored away, but I’d quite like to have them out one day! As toys go they are superbly made and detailed, but I can’t say the same for the 12” Dalek that I also got at the time, and returned, the 2005 gold one, this really did feel more like a toy than a model, but I think for fans they are really all worth collecting though.

I notice that you don’t have many 12” versions in your collection, you’d need a small mortgage to get them all, and then there’s the even bigger one(s) As regards the Voc Robots, if they’d brought these out in a 12” design then I’d have been compelled again, and would have found myself steered by some unseen force to a store to purchase the Black and the Silver.

A few years ago, the 12" RC Daleks from Product Enterprise were probably the best on the market, as per the rest of their range.

Then Character Options got the license for making classic Who and I do think they've made the best, most accurate and detailed toys (though I prefer to call them models(!)) ever since.

And I have to confess to having recently crumbled into temptation and pre-ordered this.

They don't come cheap either! But in as far as being the most accurate Dalek models made ever, I think they're worth. Although there is a limit to what I'll buy, and I'm not going near any version of those multi-coloured Teletubbiesque pathetic excuses of Daleks which insulted our TV screens earlier this year!

I get the feeling they probably offended more adult fans than not. I'd need to see them again on TV, but I did think their radical departure was quite funky, a pop-art Dalek, or perhaps I'm being too kind!
Its just another stage, and I'm sure there will be a new design again (if the show survives long enough )

I think the verdict is out until I see the released 'toy' in the shops, which I thought they might have done so for this xmas.

Oh they already exist! They look just like the ones on telly - which considering they just looked like big toys, comes as no surprise!

It's really weird but I honestly think I'd forgotten about Sky til this very day, although he/it has obviously remained in some dark and dusty corner of my sub-conscious! There were some vids on youtube but they've been taken down, supposedly since the DVD came out. There's a funny artcile about the whole series here if you're interested core.....(yes I think those writers must have been 'on' something weird!).

My favourite was always The Tomorrow People although I don't think there were any regular robots .. unless you count TIM which was a kind of ueber-computer thing:

Wow - I can recall Tomorrow People vividly, and even Time Slip, but Sky? Rings no bells at all. What did I miss? Wonder what was on BBC at the same time??

Maybe 'The Changes' ? ..nahh couldn't have been . .I watched both!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/changes/

Tomorrow People yes.

Dont remember Sky though.

The Changes,yes,is that the one that had Autobahn as the theme tune?

eh? really?

The first episode was called "The Noise" tho' ..

Imdb says it was Paddy Kingsland,may have sounded very Kraftwerky or may have been the end titles.There was a thread somewhere on here about earliest electronic music memories where it was discussed.

excuse the diversion from Robot's, but I must answer the Sky call!

Ta much for the link to the article.

Looking at that photo of the golden Sky on the Lost Gems link he really looks contemporary in a Manga style, mask-like face, appealing eyes, flowing leonine hair, asexual look. There’s something blatantly renaissance period about him also, (it's a look similar to Tadzio in Visconti’s ’71 film Death In Venice).
I wonder how much Sky’s visage unwittingly influenced the pubescent Diana Francis Spencer, Green Gartsides big hair period, and Siegfried and Roy the Las Vegas Lion Tamers… or maybe not!

He probably haunted my childhood subconcious deep down in the brain basement, as the show certainly had something of a surreal air about it, with its mix of post armageddon fantasy, alien encounter and mythological elements, and all arriving in the post flower-child years that it was transmitted during, and speaking of hippies:

”Sky is perhaps the most obvious example of a kids' show written by people on drugs”

"Whether it was magic mushrooms, LSD or even peyote, TV writers were knocking back quite extravagant amounts of not quite illegal substances, giving them a new view on reality, writing and the creative process”

True or not? The same has been said of Disney’s Fantasia, and its completely untrue, its just “pure imagination”, as Willy Wonka sings.

I love the comment that Sky is almost like avant garde theatre of the time, not that I’d pay to see any of that, but now I know where Ghost Box get all their hilarious film ideas from, (that was a cruel one on my part, I deserve a rap on the knuckles, ouch! )

OK....continuing on the Sky under-thread..

yes, the drugs reference made me think a bit but then the author adds at the end:
...
so we'd better put that in too!
He also mentions how the 'naked under the overcoat' look may have influenced Captain Jack in Torchwood/Who, although actually that glossy DVD cover made me think of the more recent 'Twilight' posters/covers with a weird, slightly asexual guy with funny eyes surrounded by 'normal' kids..

Ok..back to robots???

Oh yes - everyone is afraid (or just against) machinery all of a sudden. Or something like that?

Yup! . .it's on youtube so watch it .. if you dare!

That classic moment in the repair workshop when his face is removed revealing his inner mechanical structure was quite a remarkable moment back at the time.

Did you know (you most likely do) that there is going to be a sequel to the Black Hole


Re: the New Daleks -
Saw a red one (two sizes) in the window of Forbidden Planet last night, they were extremely unremarkable. I was expecting something with a lot more pop and zing to it, they sure aint Andy Warhol, more like Andy Capp.


Was watching the Beast With A Billion Backs episodes on Sky at the weekend there, I completely agree that Bender is the best ever 2D mechanical comedian, and might I also nominate Calculon as the best pompous tin head.

My favourite quote from Calculon goes thus:

"I was all of history's great acting robots: Acting Unit 0.8, Thespo-mat, David Duchovny!"

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It is not a widely known fact outside of the inhabited universes, or even in downtown Hollywood, but Calculon suffered from a fluctuation in his synapse concordumator, causing a failure of 0.415 nanoseconds during his recollection of his robot performance credits, and thus he forgot to add Keanu Reeves to the list as his greatest acting achievement

Dee D Jackson & friend .. 1978

A classic electro-disco track. Love it to bits.

I'm watching this at work, minus the sound.

1978 and the stylish impact of George Lucas's Star Wars film is clear to see, not - but doesn't Sarah Brightman look rough with that wobbly thingy on her head - at least though that singing Lady done up like a Starship Trooper has remembered to wear her regulation Barbarella boots and cape.

Just listening to it now, oh my god, I had completely forgotten this! until that fantastic chorus kicked in! - see me feel me hear me love me touch me - classic!

I'm gonna be listening to this in my head all night now

Is this the best post on the forum - ever. I think so??

Gentlemen, hats off to Membs, and pass the fondant fancies.

ABSOLUTELY SUPERB!!!

THE BEST POST IN THE HISTORY OF METAMATIC.COM IS HERE

reminds me of this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pObQ8vQmVbY&feature=fvst

but its not really even close

great stuff. I'm not even in bed yet and now I'm gonna be dreaming of silver jumpsuits, lazer lights, pink batons, and cheesy dancing...

& i love this track too. I was a Chic fan. in fact i love mid 70's to early 8o's disco.

Spacer & Automatic Lover make me go all gooey & goose-bumpy.

awwww c'mon Martin! .. there's been far better, but I see it has brought out the late 70s, cheesy sci-fi, early electro-disco,Hot Gossip/Sarah Brightman fan in all of us!

:p

Just like we all wished we were that Starship Trooper !

She Robot ...

What a great piece of art! Where did you find this?

wouldn't you like to know!

..actually just a tumblr site which has some..interesting stuff
http://jnpr.tumblr.com/

There's some very wrong stuff on there!

Good grief MemberD, you've just had me blithely enter the virtuality equivalent of some death metal obsessed nerdy teenage boys bedroom.

Ooh, I am so outraged!!!

well don't say I didn't warn you! .. oh ..didn't I?
:p

He (smoking) Robot ..

Radio Operated Simulated Actress - Battery Or Standby Operated Mains

or ROSA BOSOM for short.

I love you, Robot

great robots Mr Ilektrik, and MemberD, I'm particularly liking Mr Ilektriks silver guy with the big feet and the bare interior of an old electrical appliance as his chest.

i found them on cyberneticzoo.com

Mine are off tumblr . .you get some rum stuff on there sometimes.

iwantoneofthese...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZzLAsHiGHU