fishkin@ucbvax.UUCP (Ken Fishkin) (08/28/84)
[] The new version of "Metropolis" is a must-see, even if you've seen the original. When you go, remember that this movies was made in the middle 1920's, and watch sets, special effects, cinematography, and camera angles decades ahead of their time. (There is a little of the 1920's hysterical over-reaction to events, though). If you've seen some version of the original, this is still worth seeing; the U.S. version was heavily chopped, and this remake is quite complete. The additions of Giorgio Moroder are mediocre: 1) The limited coloring seems an awkward waste 2) the background music is fine, 3) the songs-with-lyrics are forgettable and inadequate. One last note: if you are thinking of seeing the movie, *DO NOT* see the video for the Bonnie Tyler song, "here she comes". The video is a *massive* spoiler, giving away virtually the entire plot of the movie. Simply a magnificent film. Still ****, despite a generally inadequate job of modernization. -- Ken Fishkin Berkeley Computer Graphics Lab ucbvax!fishkin fishkin@berkeley
gtaylor@lasspvax.UUCP (Greg Taylor) (08/31/84)
It's true that Moroder has done the film-going public a pretty great favour by working so hard to restore a semi-full version of the original (it will be interesting to see what I *haven't* seen in the film), but the attempt to make an "upbeat" score (you call Bonnie Tyler upbeat? Jon Anderson? Pat Benatarrh?) is a pretty ridiculous move. The original score-the first electronic score for a film, incidentally-since the director's notion was to make as revolutionary (literally, I guess....) *sounding* film as the one you see-is interesting in its own right. I would have gone so far as to say that the original soundtrack was a "part" of the film. I can only hope that the hopped-up MTV version brings a few people into the theatre to see it than might otherwise come. It is (given the filmic conventions of the modern day) a bit heavy-handed to the modern eye, but a pretty brilliant bit of work. See it. ________________________________________________________________________________ Traditionele communicatie is een controlemiddel omdat het gestructureerde, omlijnde visies opdringt. Door die communicatie te versplinteren halen we ook de controle eruit, en krijgt persoonlijke intuitie weer en plaats. ________________________________________________________________________________
garret@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP (Trisha O Tuama) (09/03/84)
***** I really liked the use of color in the new version as well as the music although I agree that the lyrics were terrible. Something else I really liked was Moroder's use of still photography in a couple of places; I assume this is part of the new "footage" he has restored. Thanks for the tip about Bonnie Tyler -- I like her singing, but she does make terrible videos. Trisha O Tuama
strock@fortune.UUCP (Gregory Strockbine) (09/10/84)
I saw Metropolis several years ago without the sound track. Last night on "Sneak Previews" they showed a clip from the version with the sound track, yuck, it looks like MTV. Why does everything have to turn in to a rock video? Even Disney has their own MTV which they call DTV.