L'umanoide

This was actor Richard Kiel's first high-salary film role.

INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

UK video versions were cut by 25 seconds to obtain a 'PG' rating. To secure an 'A' (PG) certificate in the UK, both the cinema and video versions were shortened by twenty-five seconds in order to remove shots of topless nudity in a scene where a woman's blood is drained by a machine.

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This film represents one of three films starring actress Barbara Bach and actor Richard Kiel, all made in the mid-1970s. The films are The Humanoid (1979), Force 10 from Navarone (1978) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

DEEPER MEANING · SOURCED

Its story elements resemble those of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): the film's director is the director under the pseudonym George Lewis; stormtroopers dressed in black Darth Vader costumes; the robodog Kip, a cute, dog-like mini R2D2-style robot; an opening title sequence flattened like letters, similar to Star Wars; the villain wears a spacesuit resembling Darth Vader's costume; scenes set on a desert planet; a gigantic spaceship flying overhead; a large triangular spaceship; a weapons bay behind a Millennium Falconesque spaceship; and various other similar sets, props, costumes, vehicles and background design elements.

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The role of Dr. Kraspin was initially considered for Donald Pleasence, but he ultimately appeared alongside Arthur Kennedy.

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The opening attack by enemy soldiers on the peaceful science laboratory was directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

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Essentially a rip-off of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Director Aldo Lado's name was changed to "George Lewis" in the credits, which undoubtedly led people to think the film was directed by the "Star Wars" director George Lucas.

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Three actors in this film appeared in two films from the James Bond series. Corinne Cléry appeared in Moonraker (1979) and Barbara Bach in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), while Richard Kiel appeared in both of those Bond films.

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The planet was named Metropolis. This name was the title of the famous black-and-white silent science fiction film directed by Fritz Lang [see: Metropolis (1927)]. About five years after The Humanoid (1979), that film would receive a major re-release with new music composed by Giorgio Moroder. The planet Metropolis in The Humanoid (1979) replaced the planet's former name, Earth. Ironically, the film's closing epilogue refers to the planet as Earth, not Metropolis.

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Two actresses who played Bond Girls appeared in the film: Corinne Cléry from Moonraker (1979) and Barbara Bach from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

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According to Film Review 1980-81, the definition of a "humanoid" was "a human made indestructible by a scientific process invented by certain villains who plan to use the creature as a tool to seize power by force, not only on Earth but in the Universe."

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Three actors who had appeared in James Bond films appeared in the film: Barbara Bach, Richard Kiel and Corinne Cléry. Director Aldo Lado directed former James Bond actor George Lazenby, from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), in the film Who Saw Her Die? (1972) (aka "Who Saw Her Die?").

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The film inspired the Ganymede group's synthesized pop dance track "Love Games." It appears on their second album, "Euromantique," first released in 2001.

DEEPER MEANING · SOURCED

One of two science fiction films featuring French actress Corinne Cléry that were first released in 1979. The films are Moonraker (1979) and The Humanoid (1979) ["The Humanoid"].

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The film inspired Ganymede's song "Love Games," which appears on their album "Euromantique." They said: "A song on Euromantique, 'Love Games'… is based on 'The Humanoid,' a 1979 copy of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Many people haven't seen or heard of this film, but we were so inspired by it that we wrote a song. People will read the song completely differently."

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In close-ups of Barbara Gibson (Corinne Clery) and the other women on Metropolis, it is clearly visible that they are not wearing bras.

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The opening prologue of the film's English version says: "Years ago, Metropolis, known as the planet Earth, now faces its gravest hour. Lord Graal has just escaped from the prison satellite to which his brother, the ruler of a peaceful galactic democracy, exiled him. The malevolent and power-hungry Graal has plans for revenge that could change the fate of humanity forever."

DEEPER MEANING · SOURCED

Actors Arthur Kennedy and Ivan Rassimov had both previously appeared in Umberto Lenzi's The Tough Ones (1976) (aka "Tough Guys").

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Humanoids from the Deep (1980) was released within a year of this similarly titled "The Humanoid" [The Humanoid (1979)].

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At around the 36th minute, we learn that the human-to-humanoid transformation causes the subject to lose his beard.

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The closing epilogue of the film's English version reads: "Planet Earth has once again narrowly escaped disaster. Once again it found the intelligence, the insight and the strength to repel a deadly enemy within itself. Mankind would once again live in peace in the galaxy."

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The element needed to turn humans into humanoids was called "Kapitron".

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At roughly 30 minutes in, Golob's spacecraft crashes into a body of water on an unknown world. The ship sinks immediately but soon resurfaces. This water landing imitates the astronauts' landing early in the original Planet of the Apes film.

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At about 56 minutes, Golob regains his original smiling personality, though not his original beard.

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In the Star Wars universe, Imperial Stormtroopers wear white. In The Humanoid the traditional colors return: the villains wear black and the heroes wear white. This color code began in America with white-hat and black-hat Western films so that audiences could easily tell the good guys from the bad guys.

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The futuristic torpedo machine that transforms Golob (Richard Kiel) into The Humanoid was called "Kappatron".

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The cute mini R2-D2 robot dog inspired by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) was named Kip.

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Actress Corinne Cléry and actors Arthur Kennedy and Ivan Rassimov had all appeared the previous year in Covert Action (1978) (also known as "Covert Action").

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In this film, Moonraker (1979) Bond girl Corinne Cléry played the character Barbara Gibson, who shares her first name with The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Bond girl Barbara Bach, who also appeared in The Humanoid (1979).

EASTER EGGS & REFERENCES · SOURCED

Some costumes (and possibly sets) were reused in Yor: The Hunter from the Future (1983), in which Corinne Cléry also appeared.

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This Italian science fiction film, titled "L'umanoide", was known as "The Humanoid" in English-speaking territories such as the UK, the US and Australia.

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At the 49th minute, we learn that Metropolis possesses an explosive defensive weapon made of Krypton metal. That Krypton is the planet where Superman was born is no coincidence.

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