I’m listening to an 80’s feed. It’s called club 977 on iTunes (and the rest of you non-mac folk can get to it at their site.
So, I find myself slamming my head against a wall.. (Well as much as one can wall slam to Toto’s Africa.) See, they just played, “Silent Running (On dangerous Ground) by Mike and the Mechanics. The video and lyrics suggest that the song is off the soundtrack to a sci-fi movie. And a really good looking one from the appearance/sound.
So.. my quandry… I can’t find ANY information if said movie ever existed. It’s like finding DVD’s of “WOSAT” or Sountracks to “The Coca Cola Kid.”
I put it to my journal. Does ANYONE know anything about this famed theoretical movie?!?!?!?
We return you to your previously scheduled LJ
Silent Running (Rutherford/Robertson)
Take the children and yourself
And hide out in the cellar
By now the fighting will be close at hand
Don’t believe the church and state
And everything they tell you
Believe in me, I’m with the high command
Chorus:
Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
Can you hear me, can you hear me running?
Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
There’s a gun and ammunition
Just inside the doorway
Use it only in emergency
Better you should pray to God
The Father and the Spirit
Will guide you and protect from up here
(Chorus)
Swear allegiance to the flag
Whatever flag they offer
Never hint at what you really feel
Teach the children quietly
For some day sons and daughters
Will rise up and fight while we stood still
(Chorus x 2)
« signs of acclimation!!!! It’s time for the Friday Five!!! »
When I first heard the song (back in 1988 or so) I was told that it belonged to a movie, so you’re not the only one who has heard that. As for what movie? No clue.
OK… According to http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/mike_and_the_mechanics/bio.jhtml
“The band’s first UK Top 30 hit came with “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)” in 1986, which was used as the theme to the movie On Dangerous Ground.”
IMDB has 5 movies called “On Dangerous Ground” but none seem to fit the bill.
That’s all I have for now. Have to go to work.
-L
One other thing, according to http://www.mvdbase.com/director/Y/jyuki.htm Jim Yukich directed the video, so that might be a start. IMDB does not list On Dangerous Ground as a movie but they’re not perfect.
-L
P.S. Damn you. I WAS having a productive morning.
*lol* Yeah, I know.
Note my post time and you’ll realize that I’ve been up….awhile. I dug up the same stuff on Yukich and the like. Still digging. But thanks for looking, too!
Well, this page at VH-1 says the same thing, that it’s from the movie On Dangerous Ground. No movie by that name exists from the 1980s, says IMDB, except for one starring Stephen Collins and Lance Henriksen (!) also titled Choke Canyon.
The trailer for the latter doesn’t contain “Silent Running” in the background, nor does it generally seem to be related to the movie’s plot (a physicist fighting a nuclear waste disposal corporation), but sometimes movies and their themes have little relation.
The plot of the classic 70s sci-fi film Silent Running, while cool, also seems to have little to do with the song. But now I really need to pull out my vinyl copy and listen to it. 🙂
Now you’ve got me searching, too. Checked AFI’s website, eonline.com, and a few of the video store’s websites, but no information on anything other than Choke Canyon.
But, it might actually be from Choke Canyon. The review that I read here on Blockbuster kinda describes it as Steven Collins running for his life from assasins & trying to save the town from being destroyed by nuclear waste. Can’t seem to find the soundtrack listed anywhere. Nor is it available for rental at any of our local Blockbusters.
This is actually correct.
On Dangerous Ground was renamed Choke Canyon before release. The original music video has scenes from the movie, including some shots of Stephen Collins, but is NOT a sci-fi movie. If memory serves, it involves a scientist and a government coverup involving some sort of environmental thing. The video looks very sci-fi, the song sounds sci-fi…but neither is true. Just a shitty movie with a tie-in to a good song.
(I actually saw this movie -based- on the video, thinking ‘UFO movie’. It was on cable and I was bored to tears.)
I have vauge memories about this film being either a European film or an Australian film. I know it was never released in the US.
The lyrics don’t have shit to do with the movie “Silent Running”. Silent Running is a A grade 5 star 70’s sci-fi film that was the first movie to feature cute short bots with personality, 3 named “Huey, Dewey, and Louie” after the Disney characters. They inspired the later creation of R2-D2. I saw this movie as a small brat many times, and it was inspiring and made me cry. What it is, is a guy in space attempts to preserve a few live plants after the ecology of the Earth is destroyed via pollution, and the other people on the space ship try to sabotage his efforts. Great movie (particularly talking before the Star Wars revolution).
Interesting its not out on video someplace.
– Tiamat
link about the movie (review)
http://www.technofile.com/dvds/silent_running.html