Colossus - The Forbin Project (Full Screen)

Much to the surprise of its creators, Colossus (as the machine is called) has a counterpart in the Soviet Union and when the two combine forces the result is a super-supercomputer which then seeks to take over the world (which, of course, is not difficult as much of the infrastructure of such world domination had been handed to them on a plate).

We who work with computers on a daily basis realize that this is as silly a premise as the average household toaster taking over the planet, but to those in 1970, when the film was made, this illustrated a definite possibility (unless you actually worked with computers at that time, in which case the premise was as silly then as it is now).

However, technical nitpicking aside, Colossus: The Forbin Project should earn a place in techno-cultural history, not for its prediction of the future (or a potential one), but as a masterpiece of the mentality of the time. Films of a similar calibre in relation to "computers-gone-mad" include 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Invisible Boy (for a really stupid 1950s perspective) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (also from the 50s).

A four star movie, not for technical wizardry, but as an example of how misunderstood computer technology was at the time. Oh, and it's fairly well acted, produced and directed. The opening sequence of the "closing" of Colossus shows some excellent cinema art work while imparting the drama that will ensue (if you can avoid laughing).

An excellent film, but let's face it, it's really for geeks only.