MovieChat Forums > The Time Tunnel (1966) Discussion > Spielberg reworking idea from TIME TUNNE...

Spielberg reworking idea from TIME TUNNEL episode into movie

posted 14 years ago by ddc300
3 replies | jump to latest

The new movie due out before the end of this year, "Cowboys and Aliens" is based on a graphic novel of the same name. Unfortunately, the authors of that novel may have gotten their idea from the "Time Tunnel" episode "Visitors from Beyond the Stars". The idea of getting the cowboys and Apache Indians together to battle a common enemy is interesting and takes the concept to another level, but still the basic idea of placing futuristic aliens in an 'old earth' setting was first done on "Time Tunnel".

[–] laurmartin 14 years ago

He should have given James Darren and Robert Colbert parts.

[–] darrylb500 13 years ago

I just think more of the line of "resistance is impossible" from the episode, where it seemed Star Trek: The Next Generation just totally swiped that for their Borg decades later, making the line into "resistance is futile".

Anyway, back to this thread though; true, T. Tunnel did this idea first, but it could've come from anywhere, as the creators of Cowboys and Aliens could have just done one of those "you got your chocolate in my peanut butter!" deals where they figured on putting two things together that didn't have anything in common and just came up with an idea from there.

It'd be interesting to hear if the comic creators did actually get their idea from here, but T. Tunnel was pretty obscure, so it might not be the case.

[–] Bobby9976 12 years ago

More likely the line was swiped from the Daleks (Dalek Invasion of Earth 1964):

DALEK: Stop! I can hear you. I have heard many similar words...from leaders of your different races. All of them were destroyed. I warn you: resistance is useless.

DOCTOR: Resistance is useless? Surely you don’t expect all the people to welcome you with open arms.