Silent Running

"If they gave awards at the Oscars for digital film restorations, Silent Running would certainly have its name called out on the big night. The film looks marvelous, much better than it did in theaters and on VHS, and the image is so crisp and precise and the mono Dolby 2.0 sound so clear that its difficult to believe the movie is from the early '70s. The outer space exterior shots are particularly impressive, with the space stations gliding across a black expanse of space that's actually cardboard dotted with speckles of white paint. That tidbit of info comes from director Douglas Trumbull's 30-minute interview ""Silent Running,"" exclusive for this edition. Trumbull goes into minute detail about the production, casting, and set design. He nearly steals his own thunder as he repeats himself many times during the ""feature commentary"" that accompanies the movie, but he's got Bruce Dern sitting with him, who enlivens the conversation by bringing his own memories to the program. There's also a separate interview with Dern that's of interest, as is a separate bit about Trumbull's other accomplishments, such as developing a large-format projection system and his development of cinematic techniques for 3-D theme park rides. A dated documentary called ""The Making of Silent Running"" is only worthwhile for die-hard cultist, but they've probably seen it elsewhere by now. The main attraction here is the superb restoration; first-time viewers will think they're watching a new movie."