Soylent Green is Made of ... What?

[FoE]

My boss and I were having a discussion the other day about the rash of film remakes we see these days (the conversation was mainly focused on "I Am Legend," which of course is a remake of "The Omega Man," and he suggested that "Soylent Green" as a movie he would remake if he could.

If you're not aware, Soylent Green was a 1973 sci-fi film starring Charlton Heston as a detective investigating a murder in New York. In Soylent Green, the future has gone to hell — the natural environment has been virtually eradicated and the world is grossly over-populated, leading to a massive food shortage. The only thing keeping everyone alive is a food substance supposedly derived from plankton.

Of course, the murder that Heston's character investigates is tied to a huge mystery about what Soylent Green is really made from. Anyone who's a student of pop culture will no doubt already know the dark secret behind Soylent Green.

On that basis, I argued that a Soylent Green remake would be pointless, since most people would already know what the "big surprise" was. But he argued that the vast majority wouldn't have a ****ing clue, and even if a few people did, the film is really more about the dangers of allowing the environment to go to ruin.

So, I thought I would ask: do you know what Soylent Green is made of?

If so, please spoiler your answer so that others can give an honest opinion.

A secondary topic of discussion would be if Soylent Green should be remade, but what I'm really after is whether you know the answer to my previous question.

[kpenguin]

Anything less than people wouldn't have as much impact.

Oh, and by the way, "I am Legend" is actually a adaptation of a novel by the same name, as was "The Omega Man"

[Serpentine]

Soylent Green? Of course.
The real question is: What is Soylent Grey?! 0.0

[Closet_Skeleton]

Oh, and by the way, "I am Legend" is actually a adaptation of a novel by the same name, as was "The Omega Man"

Oh, but that's like saying that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory isn't a remake of Willy Wonker and the Chocolate Factory because it took the name of the original book. Or saying that Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings isn't a remake of the animated one they didn't finish. Or saying that the Bella Lugosi Dracula film isn't a remake of Nosferatu. Or any other Dracula films aren't...

I do know what Soylent Green is made of, but only because I looked at Wikipedia several months after people on a Full Metal Alchemist (what is the philosopher's stone made of?) thread where making references to it.

[FoE]

Yeah, I know, I read the book in college. (I was very disappointed not to see any vampires when I finally saw The Omega Man.) But let's not get bogged down in semantics here, since I Am Legend is not the point of the thread.

Again, for anyone joining us: do you know what Soylent Green is made of? If you do, spoiler your answer.

[jamroar]

So, I thought I would ask: do you know what Soylent Green is made of?


Yes, from watching Chris Carter's Millenium. The spoileriffic revelation was the protagonist's login passphrase.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I really, really doubt you're going to find anyone who doesn't know this. Anyone who doesn't will have never heard of Soylent Green in the first place, and probably won't respond to this topic. For the sake of statistical completeness, I must add:

People

[Burgo McSock]

Surely everyone knows this one:
Soylent Green is made of PEOPLE!!!
:smallbiggrin:

[Sneak]

SOYLENT GREEN IS PEEPUL! :O

Meh. They probably were people I don't like anyway, so it doesn't really matter to me.

As a side note: I haven't even seen the movie and I know the Big Dark Secret™.

And on that note, I shall take leave of this thread.

[Glawackus]

I'd like to point out that sampling an RPG site forum on this will probably skew your results somewhat. Also

SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE

[HP Hurak]

Never saw the movie, but I've been told the plot (and also guessed the answer before the taleteller even got so far, so I think your friend is wrong- people of this day and age of television know far too many plotlines not to crack one so obvious in a minute.) (mysterious substance that people in a tragical future live on+people mysteriously missing= mysterious substance is made from people mysteriously missing.) Soylent Green is made of manflesh.

[Charity]

It's on the iron chef episode of futurama... that means everyone knows.

[Drider]

the commercials advertising it practically gave it away...
It had a bunch of bodybags going into a machine, HUMAN body bags...
anyone alive in the 70's probably saw it, or know...it WAS pretty popular.
When I was younger (8) mom was going shopping and I added soylent green:smallbiggrin:

[Catch]

My boss and I were having a discussion the other day about the rash of film remakes we see these days (the conversation was mainly focused on "I Am Legend," which of course is a remake of "The Omega Man," and he suggested that "Soylent Green" as a movie he would remake if he could.

It's the other way around, actually. The book I Am Legend (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_am_legend) was published in 1954. The Omega Man (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omega_Man), starring Charlton Heston, was released in 1971. As a matter of fact, The Omega Man was actually based on I Am Legend, which had already been adapted into film by The Last Man on Earth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Man_on_Earth_%281964_film%29), starring Vincent Price.

Also, Soylent Green is...
SPARTA! :smallbiggrin:

[Mr. Friendly]

A remake of Soylent Green is an excellent idea.

It just needs to be called something else.

It also needs to give no clues about what it really is. Just a look at a bleak future with a detective story.

Also:
In Soviet Russia, people is Soylent Green!

[13_CBS]

Soylent Green? Of course.
The real question is: What is Soylent Grey?! 0.0


Troll Witch Doctor: Soylent Gray is made from TROLLS!!!!

[Rawhide]

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/funny-pictures-soylent-milk.jpg

[SnowballMan]

Well, I've known for some time that Soylent Green is:
people.
And I heard that in the sequel Soylent Grey is:
still people, just with a tastier recipe.

I only within the past two months have actually seen the movie. Knowing the secret not only turned me off from watching it, but made me think it was a completely different kind of movie. I only bothered renting it when someone mentioned that it was based on a Harry Harrison novel ("Make Room, Make Room").

I was left with a few questions, if anyone who's seen the movie would like to comment on:
Did I miss something? Because it seems to me that the main character, after watching his friend die, decides to hitch a ride on the "garbage" truck for no apparent reason. Up to that point, his actions were all fairly logical. But I can't recall anything that was said that would make him want to follow the bodies.

And did he even accomplish anything? I mean, sure, Solyent Green is people. But its not like he announced it to the most proactive people on the planet. Most of those in the final scene couldn't get worked up over two people trying to kill each other a few feet away. No one reacted at all to his statement. And really why should they, it's like killing two birds with one stone.


So, in the end, I think that remaking Soylent Green would be a bad idea. Which only means that someone in Hollywood is bound to do it.

[Maroon]

It's unbelievable I'm the first to get this right...
Soylent green is KERMIT!

[philippos]

Soylent Green is "a modest proposal for cleaning up our cities" "my kind of people" "PEOPLE"


also I think remakes are always a good idea, because if it's good you can watch it and if it's bad you have the original (which you also hated).


so I am Ledgend is a double remake from a book, three sets of fans already upset.

[captain_decadence]

Actually, in the movie, almost everybody was living off of Soylent Red and Yellow, (I think Yellow, might be wrong about that) and Soylent Green was a new, experimental product though it was becoming popular and widespread during the movie. Dissidents and dead people are used to make it.

It's an interesting idea, but it's overrused at this point and most people will totally know what Soylent green is. They actually say that Soylent Green is people in the Simpsons (at least once, knowing that show, more than once) so a lot of people will know it.

[Tengu]

Soylent Green is
http://www.angelfire.com/rings/ttt-subtitles/060-080/two-towers-14.jpg

With a small addition of people.

Even people who has never seen the movie (like me) know that - it's one of the things everyone knows, like Darth Vader being Luke's father or that Aeris dies.

[Indon]

Soylent green? Clearly, it...


was Earth all along!

What? Why are you looking at me like that?

[Manticorkscrew]

Soylent Green is:

Luke's father!

Yeah, I'd agree that too many people know the big twist behind this one. If you want to make a film about environmentalism you'd probably do better to pick another central theme.

[Amiria]

I know it, also from the Millenium series. But I also watched the movie 2 years ago or so. But I don't think that a remake would make much sense.

people !!!


Even people who has never seen the movie (like me) know that - it's one of the things everyone knows, like Darth Vader being Luke's father or that Aeris dies.

Who is Aeris ?

[Arioch]

I haven't seen the film, but the answer is sort of a cult classic.

Soylent green is people!

That makes the Futurama episode involving soylent green far more funny...

[Mr. Friendly]

Incidentally, if you have never seen this T-Shirt, I think it is hilarious.

http://www.threadless.com/product/844/Spoilt#zoom Warning - Spoilers!

[Thes Hunter]

I don't think a remake at this time would be good. Spoilered as to why.

A remake of Sweeny Todd is coming out in theaters this month, and I think that and the combination that so many people (SNL included) have made fun of it, that few people don't know that soilent green is PEOPLE!

[Cristo Meyers]

"And all we have to eat are these Soylent Cowpies."

*enter Phil HartmanHeston*

"Soylent Cowpies are PEOPLE! THEY'RE PEOPLE!!"

"UGH! I thought we were just eating cow plop!"

"NO! THEY'RE PEOPLE! PEOPLE!!

The last day good episodes of SNL aired on Comedy Central I died a little inside :smallfrown:

[Brickwall]

Soylent Green is made out of people!

Mmm...soylent green.

I like that t-shirt. All of them that I cared about, though, I already knew.

[comicshorse]

The film 'Soylent Green' is based on the Harry Harrison novel 'Make Room, Make Room' in which Soylent Green is.................PLANKTON.

[Nerd-o-rama]

That makes the Futurama episode involving soylent green far more funny...
And even better, a different episode...

Fry: What if the secret ingredient of Slurm...is people?!
Leela: Nah, they already have a soda like that. Soylent Cola.
Fry: Oh. (beat) How's it taste?
Leela: It varies from person to person.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Okay, acording to Wikipedia, Soylent is a portmanteau of Soya and Lentil.

Oh what fun.

[SurlySeraph]

Who is Aeris ?

Aeris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeris_Gainsborough) is the main love interest for the protagonist in Final Fantasy VII. Her death was rather shocking, as a) the romantic subplot had just begun, b) she was killed while praying, and c) the main villain jumped down on her from about 100 feet up and impaled her through the back with a 12-foot-long katana.

Also, SOYLENT ORANGE IS KOBOLDS!

@V: It was spoiled earlier in the thread, though in less detail. And the statute of limitations has expired on that spoiler.

[Cyrano]

Aeris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeris_Gainsborough) is the main love interest for the protagonist in Final Fantasy VII. Her death was rather shocking, as a) the romantic subplot had just begun, b) she was killed while praying, and c) the main villain jumped down on her from about 100 feet up and impaled her through the back with a 12-foot-long katana.

Thanks.
Thanks for not spoiling it.
Your lucky I've already played the game through...

Oh, and Soylent green is people, based on a book by some dude. The one thing they added to the novel? Cannabalism. Wierd. Is the movie any good?

[The_Chilli_God]

Troll Witch Doctor: Soylent Gray is made from TROLLS!!!!

QFT, that's all I have to say.

[Jimorian]

As others have said, if they based the movie on the original book, that factor wouldn't even be in it (which is a good way to make sure that people who know what soylent green is are STILL surprised :smallwink: )

I always thought that the James Blish novel, "A Torrent of Faces" would make an interesting movie. Blish and a scientist friend of his did the math, and figured that with a very efficient conversion of sun energy to food on land and sea, and the Earth could support a population of 1 Trillion humans fairly easily.

You had the whole domed city thing going on (each with ~100-200 million, and still LOTS of open land between them used for farms -- if you really want a world-wide city like Trantor, you need closer to 100 trillion people), and IIRC also had something of a murder mystery as the plot to bring the world down to the protagonist level.

[Shadowdweller]

People.
And of course, I've never even seen the film.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Of course, there's another, equally correct answer for this.

This soylent green is made of...
LOVE AND PEACE!

[Ominous]

It's made out of people!It's much like Slobadon Milosevich's (spelling?) cole slaw in Family Guy.

[Mewtarthio]

@V: It was spoiled earlier in the thread, though in less detail. And the statute of limitations has expired on that spoiler.

There's a statute of limitations on spoilers? I once got a warning for spoiling the ending to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

It's people, by the way. But if it makes you feel any better, I only know that because of a Top 100 Movie Quotes special I saw once.

[Wizzardman]

Soylent Green is A solution to overpopulation!

It's environmentally-friendly farming!

Soylent Green is made of leftover, useless hunks of meat that were just going to rot anyway!

Did I answer the question?

[Dervag]

Yes, I know what Soylent Green is.

I've never seen it, but the artistic quality of the movie has little to do with the surprise ending. Any movie that remains popular and well regarded for twenty or thirty years has to have more going for it than surprise plot twists. I mean, we all know that Darth Vader is Luke's father, but that doesn't stop us from watching The Empire Strikes Back because the surprise ending has been blown, now does it?

[Dispozition]

http://www.qwantz.com/fanart/dino-soylent.png

I know what it's made of, however, I've never seen the movie. I didn't even know what movie it came from before this thread :P

@SurlySeraph: Dude, spoiler the aeris comment. I haven't played that game, I do intend to, and now I know what actually happens past the basic bit. Thanks, thanks a lot.

[Lord Fullbladder, Master of Goblins]

Also, SOYLENT ORANGE IS KOBOLDS!

Gasp!

Yeah. Sorry, guys. Soylent Green isn't people. The goblins made it all up. It's actually zooplankton, bioengineered by our top scientists to work it's way into the human bloodstream. Their timers are set for January 14, 2012, the date they will burst every your every vein and destroy all humanity.

But obviously our plans will be foiled, if what Surly says is true. Because that means that the kobolds must be trying the same thing. That can't be good for the environment.

I just felt like making a bigger ass out of myself than usual.

[Rogue 7]

You should know this. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ItWasHisSled)

Yeah, I've never seen most of these things, I just obsessively read/edit TV tropes.

[Winterwind]

I know it too, without having ever seen the movie.

However, I think simply renaming the stuff in a hypothetical remake might deceive a fair amount of viewers, simply for the fact that they too are not familiar with the plot of the original itself, merely with the shocking revelation, so they wouldn't recognize what they were watching if the only thing they are familiar with - the name - would be taken away.

[Total_Viking_Power]

It's made of PEOPLE!!!

[Icewalker]

Yes.

SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE

[Bookman]

Well I've questioned 6 people since I figured I KNOW I know it but I wanted to go outside the geek population. 4 out 6 didn't know what Soylent Green was. The 2 that did were my parents who had SEEN the movie when it came out.

Interesting........

[TheEmerged]

Bring out the scoops... I saw it as a kid. Was terrified of garbage trucks for a month. :smallredface:

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Soylent Green is people!

[Nerd-o-rama]

This isn't the Wizards forums.

[horseboy]

Well, at least I've seen the movie. I'm a big Charton Heston fan. Sure it'd be a good move and I wouldn't be surprised if they remade it. Hell, look at all the people that were surprised that King Kong died.