Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign Influence - Saturn 3 1980 Movie

 

Introduction  

Saturn Three should have been a big hit. The movie had the biggest name in boy's walls back in the 70's, awesome special effects, and a solid cast. According to Wiki:

'John Barry conceived the project as a much more lavish vision of the future. The film's producers, Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment, intended the production to cash in on the sudden vogue for science fiction and horror following the success of Alien.

Farrah Fawcett was also hoped to be a major draw for a teenage male audience and much of the film's promotion was based around the revealing space suits she was due to wear in the film. Donen played down the exploitation elements resulting in a film that the producers struggled to market'
 The film is mostly forgotten and dismissed. 

It was also one of the first films that I saw on Beta Max 

The plot According To Wki : 

In the distant future, an overcrowded Earth relies on research conducted by scientists in remote stations across the solar system. One of these, a small experimentalhydroponics research station on Saturn's third moon, is run solely by Adam (Douglas) and his colleague and lover Alex (Fawcett). Adam, the younger Alex and their dog Sally enjoy their isolation, far from an overcrowded and troubled Earth. The couple have been on Saturn 3 for three years, but Alex has spent all her life in space.

Alex and Adam's idyll is broken by the arrival of Captain Benson (Keitel), who has been sent to Saturn 3 as part of a project to replace at least one of the moon's scientists with a robot. Benson assembles the robot and names him Hector. One of the first of its kind, a "Demigod Series", Hector relies on "pure brain tissue" extracted from human fetuses and programmed using a direct link to Benson's brain. 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.

Unknown to both Alex and Adam, Benson is a homicidal sociopath who murdered the Captain originally assigned to Saturn 3 and took his place on the mission. Benson had actually failed a crucial test of psychological stability.

As Benson uses the link to his brain to program the robot, Hector acquires Benson's homicidal nature and his lust for Alex. Hector initially kills Sally the dog and then assaults Benson, since it has learned about him being a murderer during the reprogramming process. Adam and Alex manage to disable the robot while it is recharging.

Believing the danger over, Adam accuses Benson of gross incompetence and orders him to dismantle the robot and return to Earth when an eclipse ends. Benson obliges, but Hector is soon reassembled by the base's older robots. Resuscitated, Hector murders Benson while he is dragging Alex to his ship. Hector then blows up Benson's spacecraft before Adam and Alex can escape in it, trapping them all on Saturn 3 together.

Overpowering the humans, Hector installs a brain link at the base of Adam's spine which will give the robot direct access to Adam's brain. Before Hector can make the connection, Adam destroys it, sacrificing himself by detonating explosives hidden on his person.

In the final scene Alex, now alone, is shown aboard an Earth-bound spacecraft.

'The Demi God Series Were Always a Bit Twitchy' 

Hector Demi God Series 

The Demi God series are used in a wide variety of roles from internal security to full colony applications. Each of these powerful robotic humanoids stands eight foot tall and has a full range of human movement and skills. They have full range of sensors and skills. They are uniquely programmed through a neural skill interface or 'apprentice program' with a human host.

These beings use a complete range of emotions and skills through a beta bio drive system. They are accurate enough to be employed in fields ranging from medicine to full combat and security duties. 

Standing at eight foot tall they are incredible machines able to take years of punishment while working in the depths of space and on planetary surfaces.

Number Appearing: 1d4

Armor class:4 

Hit Dice: 2(10HP)

 Attack Bonus :+1 

Damage: 1d8 pincers 

Saving Throw 15+

Movement :30' 

Morale :12 

Skill bonus: +2 due to the unique spinal cybernetic uplink 

Using Saturn 3 As OSR Game Fodder 

Saturn Three offers a rather unique view of another corporation controlled future that is relatively unknown these days. The look and feel of the film is very reminisce of Outland and Aliens as well as the grand old Roller Ball original. 

The look and feel of the movie fits with the ideas that I laid down with the first of the series of articles for this campaign right HERE

The 'look' of the film's production fits with the timeline that I'm working on and the rather unique 'dungeon in space' of Saturn Three is interesting and engaging. 

I'll be keeping that look and 'Hector' and losing some of the other elements such as Alex and the rest.