Metropolis

[Dixon Carter Lee]

"Before The Matrix. Before Blade Runner. Before Star Wars. Before 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Film that started it all..."

Nice trailer for the restored version, with scenes I've never seen before: Metropolis

Cool.

 

[phrodeau]

Glad to read they're using the original score, and not some crap that Queen came up with.

 

[WaxNWane]

Excellent film.

And a pretty cool song by The Church.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

This version is the longest seen since 1927. Restored footage gathered over the last four years. Digitally cleaned up. It looks glorious.

I think I'm the only person I know who's ever read the book (good, but long-winded).

 

[Guest]

"Before The Matrix. Before Blade Runner. Before Star Wars. Before 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Film that started it all..."

Nice trailer for the restored version, with scenes I've never seen before: Metropolis

Cool.

I know which film you are talking about. No, I haven't seen it.

Before that, there was silent films. Before that, there was radio. Before that, there was books. Before that, there was fucking Origami. Ain't technological advance wonderful?

 

[RosevilleCAguy]

This version is the longest seen since 1927. Restored footage gathered over the last four years. Digitally cleaned up. It looks glorious.

I think I'm the only person I know who's ever read the book (good, but long-winded).

Given the whole anarchist/communist thing going on at that time gave the whole movie particular power I feel.

I also love "Nosferatu" That sucker is just plain creepy, and I don't creep out easily.

 

[sunstruck]

Ok, I'm intrigued. Plot summary anyone?

 

[QuickDuck]

Excellent film.

And a pretty cool song by The Church.

hehe damn good song actually

Just recently (as in the last 6 months or so), there was also an anime version by Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astroboy)
http://images.pricegrabber.com/muze_images/Video/DVD/14/191514_118x160.jpg

Its actually rather good

/wave
QuickDuck

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Ok, I'm intrigued. Plot summary anyone?

Really? You've never seen it?

Fritz Lang, a German director, came to New York City and was amazed by the tall buildings and canyons of streets in the Wall St. and midtown districts. His wife wrote a novel and he created a movie about a fantastic futuristic city called Metropolis where above ground people played in privelged paradise, while underground the workers kept everything running. The son of the City's leader finds out the truth of the underground worker's plight when a woman, Maria, brings some of the impoverished children to the surface. He promises to help. But the city's leader orders Rotwang, the inventor, to stop this woman from inciting the workers. Rotwang creates film's first robot, Futura, and gives her Maria's face, and sends her off to do his bidding. Everything goes horribly wrong and the city is thrown into Chaos.

Think 1984 as written by Karl Marx and directed by Peter Jackson with art direction by the Nazis (no insult, by the way -- Hitler wanted Lang to direct films for the Nazis -- Lang fled the country).

The movie is HEAVY on amazing German Impressionsism, towering buildings, visions of a nightmarish future, and incredible effects for the time.

 

[sunstruck]

Really? You've never seen it?

Believe it or not there are movies I haven't seen. lol Not many, but they're out there. I admit, with the exception of Plan 9 from Outer Space (which I love) I haven't seen much pre 60's scifi.

So should I read the book first or just go grab the DVD? The promo looked amazing. Silent? Or subtitled? I'm trying to think, but I'm pretty sure there were talkies in 27. Could be wrong. I haven't seen a great silent movie in years. This even seems like one I could get my husband to watch.

The plot sounds familiar, but I'm thinking it's because so many ideas were taken from the film. I am honestly interested in this one.

 

[HeavyStick]

The unreleased musical score will be the feature I am looking forward to the most.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Metropolis is regarded as the first real Science Ficiton film (as opposed to some of those "Fly To the Moon" shorts that were really fantasies). In that respect it's a must see. It was extremely influential.

It's a silent film, with title cards (not subtitles). There is a score, which has been restored for this new version. After its release in 1927 about 40% of the film was cut because it was deemed too long, and that 40% was thought lost forever. Many versions and new cuts have come and gone, some with new scores (like the Rock scors of a few years back, which was pretty good). But after years of finding old prints in bits and pieces, and cleaning the whole thing up digitally, the movie as it's now about to be released is the most complete version seen since 1927.

Here's Roger Ebert's take on the film: http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1999/01/trop1118.html

 

[SlowHand89]

Just a little while ago I had soem friends over and we watched Dark City. In the specials on the dvd they made mention of Metropolis and that was the first I had heard of it. When this comes out on dvd I'll be sure to buy it. The trailer was fantastic.

 

[sunstruck]

It's now on my rental list. Question: Is that where the word Metropolis came from? Or am I an idiot?

 

[scrymettet]

Question: Is that where the word Metropolis came from?

two greek words : meter = mother, Polis = town.
in the ancient Greece it was the central city in regards to its colonies : the mother city.

 

[kotori]

I first saw it as an undergrad back in the mid-70s, film elective. Double billed with "M" (it was German expressionist week) Blew my sox off. I really liked the anime version too, but an entirely different film, although the references were clear.

I'd love to see this version. Is it only available as "take out" or is it being released theatrically as well?

 

[Cibo]

At first I thought you were talking about Metropolis, the anime. And I was gonna say it was one great anime...but since you're not, I won't say it.

 

[sunstruck]

to greek words : meter = mother, Polis = town.
in the ancient Greece it was the central city in regards to its colonies : the mother city.

I have no idea who you are, but I'm kind of attracted to you right now.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

It's being released theatrically by Kino (theatres, dates and towns listed at: http://www.kino.com/metropolis). I expect it will then come out on DVD, although I would take that as an absolute. The rights to the movie have been hotly disputed for years. Many people feel it's in the public domain.

 

[badasschick]

I used to work in a place which reminded me of that film...not the anime one, but the 1927 silent one.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I used to work in a place which reminded me of that film...

Lemme guess...Disneyland? IBM? Martha Stewart's private assistant?