# I, Robot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-robot/236125 "2004-03-24T14:09:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-robot/236125/41 "2004-04-18T17:58:38Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Harlan Ellison wrote a screenplay for **I, Robot** many years ago. They published an illustrated version of it about a decade ago. > > If they’d filmed that, I would’ve been impressed. Elllison rendered it without being episodic, without narration, and without any of the other crutches often used to explain or shoehorn a complex story into a standard movie time-slot. Ellison admitted it was done as an homage to **Citizen Kane** , where instead of “what is Rosebud?” the question the reporter was trying to answer was \*\*What is the relationship between Susan Calvin and [don’t remember his name–the galactic president or whoever he is]." Ellison also claims his screenplay was never made because he told one of the studio execs that he had the intelligenc of an artichoke. This exec was trying to make the robots cuter and Calvin sexier (Star Wars had just come out) and Ellison was refusing to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-robot/236125/42 "2004-04-18T21:27:06Z")
I saw the trailer again today, and it occurred to me that, even if I wanted to see the movie, the trailer would have pissed me off because it’s the kind that gives away the whole goddamn movie plot. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-robot/236125/43 "2004-04-22T13:08:57Z")
Good point Baldwin. IMO this movie is nothing more than the typical technophobic smut hollywood likes to put out, warning us of the “dangers” of technology, merely adding to the vast collection of luddite pornography already out. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-robot/236125/44 "2004-04-22T22:53:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Ellison admitted it was done as an homage to Citizen Kane, where instead of “what is Rosebud?” the question the reporter was trying to answer was \*\*What is the relationship between Susan Calvin and [don’t remember his name–the galactic president or whoever he is]." Now, _that_ I would definitely pay to see! The dynamic between Dr. Calvin and Stephen Byerley was, I thought, fascinating, and good actors/director could do amazing things with it. Say what you like about Asimov’s ability to make three-dimensional characters, and for the most part, sadly, it’s true, but I think that he did a great job with Susan Calvin. But instead, we’re going to be stuck with this steaming fetid mass of celluloid. Would now be an apppropriate time to forever give up hope of Hollywood ever redeeming itself? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-robot/236125/45 "2004-06-12T18:25:04Z")
How would they do that, by unmaking the vast majority of movies that were secreted in the last several decades? Perhaps if they made one. Single. Freaking. Movie. For geeks, also known as intelligent people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-robot/236125.md?page=2)