| Saturn 3 | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Stanley Donen |
| Produced by | Stanley Donen |
| Written by | Martin Amis |
| Starring | Kirk Douglas Farrah Fawcett Harvey Keitel Roy Dotrice (uncredited) |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Editing by | Richard Marden |
| Distributed by | Associated Film Distribution |
| Release date(s) | February 15, 1980 |
| Running time | 88 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $9 million (US)[1] |
Saturn 3 is a 1980 science fiction film starring Kirk Douglas, Farrah Fawcett and Harvey Keitel. Direction is credited to Stanley Donen. The project was conceived by John Barry. Barry was due to direct until a dispute with Douglas led to his replacement. The screenplay was written by award-winning British novelist Martin Amis.
The film was widely panned by reviewers as derivative, mediocre and lacking in suspense. Some of the space effects shots were perceived as lackluster compared to the new standard set by Star Wars. The film was given an MPAA rating of R, for scenes of brief nudity.
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A huge spacecraft is in orbit about the planet Saturn and is set to launch a craft to one of the moons, carrying an experiment on board. There is a small experimental food research station on the moon containing a hydroponics system, which is maintained by a two-person scientific crew consisting of Adam (Douglas) and his colleague and lover Alex (Fawcett). The crew is also assisted by three robots. Adam, the younger Alex and their dog Sally enjoy an Edenesque life isolated and growing their own food, while Earth is overpopulated. The couple has been on Saturn 3 for three years, and Alex has spent all her life in space.
Prior to launch the captain of the craft is murdered by the psychologically unstable pilot Benson (Keitel). Benson takes his place and boards the craft for its trip to the base, taking with him a canister that contains brain tissue samples.
On board the moon base, while contact with Earth is blocked for 22 days by an eclipse, the experiment is unloaded by an assistant "Demi-God series" robot named Hector. Benson states that it will render one of the crew "obsolete", most likely Major Adam who tells his partner that he is close to "abort time" according to the government on Earth.
The cyborg is given a canister-sized living brain (originally taken from multiple human fetus) that Benson then is able to reprogram by connecting it with a socket in the back of his head. In the process the machine acquires Benson's homicidal nature and his lust for the beautiful Alex. Hector initially kills Sally the dog and then assaults Benson, since it has learned about him being a murderer during the reprogramming process. However, Adam and Alex manage to disable the robot while it is recharging. Adam accuses Benson of gross incompetence and orders him to dismantle the robot and return to Earth when the eclipse ends. Benson obliges, but Hector is soon reassembled by the moonbase's older robots while Benson tries to persuade Alex to come with him to Earth. He then beats Adam unconscious, but Hector intervenes and kills him just as he is about to drag Alex with him to the waiting spacecraft. Hector also blows up the spacecraft, stranding everyone on moonbase.
The remainder of the movie includes a battle scene as the two scientists try to avoid the deadly machine and make repeated attempts to destroy it before it is too late. In the final scene, the doomed Adam kills the cyborg and himself. Alex travels back to Earth, alone.
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