MovieChat Forums > Westworld (1973) Discussion > Terminator ripped off Westworld ?

Terminator ripped off Westworld ?


I'd say so.

James Cameron, you've got the late Michael Crichton to thank for. Without him, you wouldn't have had your Terminator.

Yul Brynner's gunslinger was the original one :)

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This and Colussus: The Forbin Project. Also, The Outer Limits episodes "Soldier" and "Demon With A Glass Hand" (plus the Harlan Ellison short stories they were based upon as well as his "I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream") and "The Man Who Was Never Born". Philip K. Dick's "Second Variety" (later filmed as Screamers) and "Jon's World". Sci-Fi novels Cyborg (adapted into the tv series The Six Million Dollar Man) and La Jetee (late filmed as 12 Monkeys).

Cyborg 2087 inspired T2.

We have to reserve the right to bomb the n iggers. David Lloyd George on disarmament.

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kronos_kronos

The Outer Limits episodes "Soldier" and "Demon With A Glass Hand" (plus the Harlan Ellison short stories they were based upon as well as his "I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream") and "The Man Who Was Never Born".


At least Harlan Ellison was able to force Cameron to admit the similarites. It was never done with Crichton and WESTWORLD to my knowledge. The whole final sequence of TERMINATIOR is very "reminiscent" of WESTWORLD's.

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I remember being a little boy watchind OuterLimits (1st run) and particularly "Soldier". They thought he was from another planet because he kept repeating: "Quarlo, Kopregne, CMDM DMDO". Head interogator (Lloyd Nolan) finally figures out it's his Name, Rank & Serial #, then figures out Quarlo (M. Ansara?) is from Earth's Future! Lloyd takes him home (genious move, I thought, somewhere near age 10) and Quarlo tries getting his new orders from the family kitty. Things only go down from there.

Here's what freaks me out the most: I have not looked up this epi on purpose, because, for some reason, I think I've remembered this correctly. It's gotta be the right show/title, but is Quarlo, Koprene, cmdm dmdo correct? Why do I remember this junk, and not my haircutter's name? (Alzheimers!! lol)

I'll look it up soon.



Now listen here, you mugs, nobody gets to say 'Meh' anymore unless you're Edward G. Robinson, see?

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Thank god for that! I love The Terminator.

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No it didn't rip off west world, if you wanna really see a rip off watch Blade Runner (Terminator was merely inspired by it). In Blade Runner the robots are exactly the same but have with a more advanced personality, their eyes even have the same glow. Alien also has a very similar robot too, known as an android.

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I agree Jordan. That person really ought to get their facts straight. If there ever was a rip off it's today's reboots.

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Crichton ripped himself off too. Without Westworld there would not have been Jurassic Park, another expensive "amusement' park where the attractions run amok and stalk and kill the guests.

"I say,open this door at once! We're British !"

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Crichton ripped himself off too. Without Westworld there would not have been Jurassic Park


But, folks here do realize that there is a big difference between a writer "ripping himself off" and someone else stealing his work, I hope?!!

For centuries artists have done variations of their paintings, musical pieces etc etc. Stealing is a whole other thing.

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Yes.I do. Composers do it constantly with film scores which is how they build a fan base because you come to recognize their scores without even having to read the credits. Mr. Crichton was well within his rights to "copy" or "borrow" story ideas from himself. I was just having a bit of a go at him.

"I say,open this door at once! We're British !"

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If anything Westworld was a rip off of Blade Runner.

Blade Runner is the film version of Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" published 5 years before Westworld.

I think the odds are mighty good that Michael Crichton read Dick's novel and found his inspiration to Westworld therein.

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By that spurious logic Back to the Future ripped off H.G. Wells Time Machine.

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Yes; the writers, director, and producers of BTTF ripped off the idea from H.G. Wells.

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You are either being facetious or you are just an idiot. Not sure which.

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If you have nothing of value to contribute, then please stay quiet.

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Oh I have contributed something of value all right.

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Crichton got his idea for westworld after he rode "the pirates of the Caribbean" ride at disneyland

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IMO, given that us humans (and all creatures) naturally fear - out of self-preservation - being pursued by something trying to kill us, which is made all the worse by it being very scary looking, relentless, & methodical, it's inevitable that this plot would eventually be utilized for entertainment....

You're gonna need a bigger boat.

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Yep, my first thought after watching the final chase was: "Terminator!". A machine coming back over and over again after it's severely damaged? C'mon!

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Robert Patrick in Terminator 2 was clearly inspired by Yul Brynner's performance in Westworld. Look at how they both move, the determined, stone-cold facial expression and the slow head movements.

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