Don't forget to check out what Wandering Through the Shelves picked, the blog that started Thursday Movie Picks.
Metropolis
The master of all android/cyborg/robot films has to be Fritz
Lang’s science fiction epic. I was lucky to study this in college for my A
levels (16-18) as part of the Silent Film and German Expressionism module. I
loved it, others hated it, those who wanted an easy A hated it. But, if they
had opened their minds, these films were a breeze to write about. There is so
much to this film, not to mention the beyond amazing sets, the lower world and
upper world, the storm that robot Maria causes with the workers revolt and the
decline of the machines. It has everything you could want. A mad scientist, a
star-crossed love story, epic scenes, riots, ah what a brilliant film.
FutureWorld
I know I should have seen WestWorld first, but that wasn’t
only £3 in the Fopp bargain bin. I was intrigued by the upcoming TV series
based on WestWorld too so I thought, why not? Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner are
journalists who are invited to re-opening of the pleasure parks after the disaster
at WestWorld. The robots are still the same and the parks are the same, except
WestWorld is closed and FutureWorld takes its place. There is a bigger
conspiracy though, the creators of the parks have made robot replicas of
powerful and influential people and invited them to the park. Sinister. More
like predictable. It wasn’t great and I admit, I fell asleep for some of it, I
woke up at the end but knew what was happening.
Wall-E
This adorable little robot with a love of Hello Dolly,
finding beauty in rubbish and has a bug as a best friend, stole the hearts of
everyone. After humans have abandoned Earth, in the year 2807, a lone trash
compactor android goes about his work. One day an advanced probe unit, EVE is
deployed by a human ship to search for vegetation. From there the film becomes a
beautifully animated and some-what dramatic love story as well as survival
story. As well as being very cute, the film is also a massive comment on the
environment and how we treat it as well as a stab at consumerism.
I've yet to see Wall-E but Metropolis is such an amazing film. You're right there is a ton that can, and has been, written about it especially when you consider when it was released. It was Lang's only real delving into science fiction although that was hardly surprising since it was such a niche category at the time but in a way that adds a specialness to it.
ReplyDeleteWe come close to matching since I picked Westworld. Neither are what could be described as classics but both are enjoyable films in the genre.
Here's what I came up with for the week.
Eve of Destruction (1991)-Eve is a military android, an exact replicate of her creator (both played by Renee Soutendijk) who through a malfunction has become a killing machine as well as a nuclear bomb. Now that she is running amok and creating havoc in the big city a rescue team headed by Colonel Gregory Hines is tasked to disarm her before she explodes. She however will destroy anything in her path to prevent that.
The Stepford Wives (1975)-Something’s not quite right in the charming, old-fashioned town of Stepford. All the women are incredibly docile and yielding and new arrival Joanna (Katharine Ross) wants to know why. The answer is one that is both scary and disturbing. Eerie suspenser that is heads and tales about the crappy 2004 remake.
Westworld (1973)-Michael Crichton directed sci-fi story of an amusement park tricked out to resemble the Wild West and stocked with androids that the guests can have mock shoot-outs with as pretend gunslingers. Blaine and Martin (James Brolin & Richard Benjamin) arrive for a bit of adventure just as there is a system failure and their supposed to be relaxing vacation becomes a race for survival.
I love Metropolis. Wonderful film. Have a love/hate relationship with WALL-E, though. I love the first half, hate the second. Oh well. Haven't seen Futureworld.
ReplyDeleteI so love Metropolis and feel the basis of the story still resonates today. My favourite scene is when the hero hallucinates and sees a go this death coming out from the sculpture. I saw Westworld but so long ago I would be remiss in talking bOut it. Suffice to say I know I loved it. I still have to see Wall-E which is bad of me but the parts I did see looks really good.
ReplyDeleteI love that you picked WALLE! Such a great film.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen your first two picks, but I loved Wall-E!
ReplyDeleteHow can anyone resist Wall-E :)
ReplyDeleteI wanted to pick a fun film to go along with the series and silly ones.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely see Wall-E, on a big screen if possible. I know my sister and her husband went to see it screen at the Observatory under the stars.
ReplyDeleteDon't bother with Futureworld. Wait for the HBO TV series, Westworld. Love/hate? What was it about the second half? Humans do tend to spoil things.
ReplyDeleteAha! Westworld - Futureworld! Are you looking forward to the TV show?
ReplyDeleteExcellent call on Stepford Wives. Thats such a messed up concept! I haven't seen the original but I have seen the remake which I didn't much of, I just enjoyed seeing Bette Midler.Eve of Destruction sounds good, I've never heard of it.
Love that you went with Wall-E! It's such a great film.
ReplyDeleteHaven't watched WestWorld or FutureWorld but I know about the new tv series coming out (or has it come out?) so I'm looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteIts coming soon - I've seen the trailer but no release date, just says 2016.
ReplyDelete