Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition)

Amazon.com essential video

Fritz Lang's Metropolis belongs to legend as much as to cinema. It's a milestone of sci-fi and German expressionism. Yet the story makes minimal sense, and the "theme" belongs in a fortune cookie; to experience the film's pagan power, you have to see the movie. But for decades we couldn't, not really--not with so many versions, all incomplete, often in public-domain prints like smudged photocopies. This Murnau Foundation restoration changes all that. Some shots, scenes, and subplots may be lost forever, but intertitles indicate how they fit into the original continuity and the characters' individual trajectories. Most crucially, the images are crisp, vibrant, and three-dimensional instead of murky and flattened. The composite sequences (the Tower of Babel, a sea of lusting eyes) have been restored to their hallucinatory ferocity. And there's one moment when you can see a bead of sweat roll down a man's cheek--in medium long-shot. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

Bat Out of Hell / Meatloaf CD.......2007-08-23

It was stated as very good or good as new, but the plastic holder of the CD was cracked in several places. The CD was not clear nor of high resolution and in poor condition. Complete false advertising.

Fabulous DVD of a wonderful movie.......2007-08-21

If you've seen this movie in prior versions and liked it, you owe it to yourself to see the version restored on this DVD. The added footage really brings the social commentary out into three dimensions, even if it is a little melodramatic. Kino as usual does a wonderful job with the DVD extras- lovingly prepared by movie lovers for movie lovers.

Metropolis.......2007-06-18

One of the most influential films ever made, Lang's "Metropolis" was inspired by the director's awestruck glimpse of the 1920s Manhattan skyline. Visually astonishing and darkly surreal, "Metropolis" is a flawless example of German Expressionism on film, with its heavily stylized, futuristic production design, odd camera angles, and bleak, shadowy evocation of the not-so-harmonious techno-industrial future. Rudolf Klein-Rogge is especially captivating playing sadistic capitalist Rotwang, who engineers a slave revolt against the reformers. A hypnotic, enthralling silent masterwork by the legendary director of "M" and "The Big Heat."

Let your head mediate between your heart and hands.......2007-06-06

I'm not going to be buying this film. "What?", you say, "But you rated it 5 stars!!!"

'Tis true. This is a case where my mind and heart are at war much as the Metropolis "planners" are using their power to keep down the "workers".

Intellectually I'm drawn to this film by the innovative use of special effects (I still wonder how the "face stealing machine" lightning and light discs were done), its plot (Heavy with double entendre and symbolism with its classic "David vs. Goliath" allusion as well as Biblical allusions with its saviour and Virgin Mary figures). My mind even secretly feels a bit smug because it's a "foreign film". (Not that it matters that much since all the subtitles are in English and there's no dialogue)

Emotionally I never get swept away though. My heart never REALLY cares all that much about the workers' plight or feels shock at the callous disregard of them by the planners. You don't really find out WHY Frederson falls in love with Maria...he just DOES. They also don't seem to go into the motivations of Freder to be the king figure he strikes in the film.

In the end, my hands decide it's not worth shelling out the spoils of my time "fighting the clock" to have this in my collection.

BOTTOM LINE:
Just because *I* don't plan to buy it doesn't mean I don't understand why there are those who would. Enough filmmakers were influenced by this that merely seeing it will help you understand how visuals from other films came about and it really is a visual feast even if this jaded age of CGI animation and billion-dollar explosion fests. I'd advise this edition if you DO choose to buy because of the explanatory commentary that left me a lot less befuddled than I'd have been without it, as well as an interesting albeit too short talk about the restoration process with the German archivists involved (it's subtitled in English). There are also some production stills that give you the flavor of some of the many scenes that have been lost to time after the film was edited after release.

Even if you don't buy it, do borrow from your local library or an artsy friend...

For those few who care. . . ........2007-05-27

We all have many reasons for being interested in movies. Or in film. Or in cinema. Or today in video. Most of us seek laughter, pathos, or sheer entertainment. Yet since the establishment of American Movie Classics & more particularly Turner Movie Classics, there has been some growth in what might be called aficianados of film -- those who are truly interested in how modern film developed. (There are also groups who have strong interest in one or more actors -- such as Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy -- or certain directors John Ford, Howard Hawks, Orson Welles, or Alfred Hitchcock.

To the true film student, a video copy of the original METROPOLIS is viewed more for its groundbreaking cinematic techniques than for its story alone. There are many unique techniques & effects in METROPOLIS that have since been give further advancement. Clearly, we would never have had the STAR WARS series had it not been for the earlier METROPOLIS. Yet METROPOLIS somewhat pales in comparison to any of the STAR WARS series (particularly the first). Somehow the first of any series is normally the best. And many find pioneering initial films too simplistic for true appecition. It is much like watching Johnny Weismuller or Elmo Lincoln as TARZAN & trying to compare this shaky, fuzzy film with a more modern, slck color GREYSTOKE.

It may now be difficult to appreciate METROPOLIS or the CABINET of DR, CALIGARI or D. W. Griffith's BIRTH OF A NATION in the same way these films were appreciated when issued. Bear in mind, usually we see these classics only on a tiny TV screen. Consider how much more effective they might have been with sharp prints, on a huge theatre screen, & with majestic musical accompanyment of an organ or perhaps a full symphony orchestra.

Also there is no power like the power of an idea encountered the first time. So while I cannot recommand METROPOLIS or any classic silent film to the average film viewer of today complete with mounds of popcorn & gallons of soft drinks, it is a brilliant film. It is still brilliant, & still offers us a world of tomorrow that may yet prove closer to reality than we might wish.

Certainly no student of film as a medium should fail to see and to study METROPOLIS. It offers far more film vistas and futuristic life dilemmas than perhaps any other film of its time & type

David L. Woods, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Film, Communication, & Mass Media, Marshall University, WV

Average customer rating:

jesse cooke One Night at the Metropolis
Most Excellent!
This is it

One Night at the Metropolis
Starring: Jesse Cook
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

ASIN: B000PC6YWG
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Customer Reviews:

jesse cooke One Night at the Metropolis.......2007-08-28

Well worth the money. Sound quality is top notch. I especially like the close ups of the Jesse's guitar work. His band is great...vocalists, violinists and percussionists.

Overall, you can't go wrong with this DVD, it's a Keeper.

Most Excellent!.......2007-08-06

This is a great DVD! The picture quality is incredible and the sound is great.

The violin intro to "Closer to Madness" gives me goosebumps. The duet on "Tempest" is second to none. This disc is excellent. There's no low points!

This is it.......2007-06-23

if you like MUSIC this is a must have, waooo!!! Mr. Cook (6) stars for you and your band, best DVD your money can buy, you had all my family dancing in the living room.

Dream Theater - Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York

Average customer rating:

Pure progressive rock performance.
Great band, great concert, TERRIBLE DVD
Classic live performance in support of classic album 2000...
The greatest album of all time....LIVE!
The album was amazing the dvd runs out of adjectives

Dream Theater - Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York
Starring: Dream Theater
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000059ZLH
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Amazon.com

Like many progressive-rock groups from King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Yes to Genesis, Rush, and Queensryche, Dream Theater has followed its own musical and artistic agenda, trends and hipness be damned. That single-mindedness is borne out on Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York, a full-length concert video shot at Roseland Ballroom in New York City in August 2000; it was the final show on the group's tour supporting its release Scenes from a Memory. With its intricate rhythms and complex song structures, Dream Theater's music is serious and somber to a fault; when gospel singer Theresa Thomason and a backing chorus are brought on for a few numbers, the effect is strangely soothing, as if a layer of humanity smothers the impeccable craftsmanship. The video is decked out in visuals of a mostly silly sort, often literally spelling out the album's narrative (or what passes for it), including reenactments and a portentous narrator. It's all cleverly put together (drummer Mike Portnoy gets director credit), and Kevin Shirley's audio mixing presents the music with clarity and undeniable power. Fans of Dream Theater won't need to be told to snap this up; those unconvinced, however, are not likely to become converts. --Kevin Filipski

Description

"Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York" continues Dream Theater's history of transporting fans to worlds only progressive rock's premier standard bearers could create. Directed by drummer Mike Portnoy, "Metropolis 2000" features Dream Theater's performance of 1999's acclaimed "Scenes from a Memory" plus over one hour of bonus live material, at New York's Roseland Ballroom in August 2000, capturing the band's theatricality and raw, unbridled live prowess. Songs: Opening Scene, Regression, Overture 1928, Strange Deja Vu, Through My Words, Fatal Tragedy, Beyond This Life, John and Theresa Solo Spot, Through Her Eyes, Home, The Dance of Eternity, One Last Time, The Spirit Carries On, Finally Free, Closing Scene, A Mind Beside Itself Parts 1, 2, 3, Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons.

Customer Reviews:

Pure progressive rock performance........2007-01-03

Really liked this dvd a lot, specially watching my favorite Dream Theater album being played live. Sound quality is good, image quality is good, I already knew the plot of the album so it bothered me having to watch those alternating scenes from the movie instead of the band, but I recognize that it really complements the show for those who don't know what the album's about.
The end of Finally Free, where Mike Portnoy almost pops his heart out... I hated not having a decent camera focusing on that.
Anyway, completely satisfied with it.

Great band, great concert, TERRIBLE DVD.......2006-12-05

First, I have to sayI love Dream Theater, but this DVD is a wreck. Want some explanations? Here they are:
- The visual effects are so cheesy and annoying that I don't wanna watch the DVD at all. Who ever the video editor is, he needs to be slapped for doing such a bad job for a big band. All the flashing images, scrolling lyrics, b&w low res background video, color whirling, screen-splitting make me feel like I'm watching some videos made by some idiotic noob on youtube. Once again, whoever the video editor is, he needs to be fired.
- Where is 5.1 sound? Where is DTS? o_O Come on people, this is Dream Theater, not the Beatles in the '70, give the audience some good sound. Whoever the sound editor is, this idiot should be slapped and fired with the video editor.
- Fullscreen video. What? Full screen video?? You gotta be kidding me, it's fullscreen! Grrrr...

All right, that's quite enough for the bad's, now here's the good's
- Hair! They all had long hair in this DVD, I love it!!
- The new guy Jordan Rudess is incredible!
- Great music, great skills from every member of the band.

That's it. I'm out.

Classic live performance in support of classic album 2000..........2006-09-18

I remember buying this DVD in early 2002. It seemed to take forever to be releaed and when it was there was something wrong with the audio (I think) which meant it had to be returned and wait for the remastered version to come out. I remember thinking at the time Mike Portnoy handled all this very well, very up front about what had happened, plenty of information on the web site etc. The wait was well worth it though. Over 2 and a half hours of great material plus the audio commentary, documentary and some great photos. Also we get to see the amazing Jordan Rudess on keyboards - with hair!

For me "Live Scenes from New York" is Dream Theater's equivalent of Rush's "Exit Stage Left" (1981). It is a the band at their most confident with an album ("Scenes") which like Rush ("Moving Pictures") they were just so proud of. The confidence shown on both these bands DVD's is just so high - at the top of their game.

The sound is in PCM Stereo (there no 5.1 or DTS option) and for me it sounds fantastic.

James LaBrie gives a great performance on vocals (have to admit though his best live vocal performance is on "Score" (2006). John Petrucci is stunning on guitar (it's a close call between his performance here and that displayed on the stunning riffamania shown on "Live @ Budokhan" (2004). John Myung is awesome on Bass (as he always is - also check out his work on Score, stunning). Jordan Rudess really shines on this set, he really is in full flite. (His performance on "Budokhan" is also top notch and on "Score", well let's just say I'd say the Orchestra would have appreciated his keyboard work, it's is almost unearthly - the "Rick Wakeman / Keith Emerson" of current times, unbelievably good. And last but not least, Mike Portnoy who gives a fantastically energetic performance on drums. This was actually a 3 hour show (more material can be found on the on the corresponding 3 disc CD set including "Metropolis I" and "Another Day" from "Images and Words" (1992) and "The Mirror" From Awake (1994), and Mike never lets up. Along with Chester Thompson (Genesis) and Neil Peart (Rush) Mike is in my top three drummers and his display here is awesome. (Also check out "The test that stumped them all" on "Budokhan" or "Score" - awesome performance).

Whilst a reduced track listing compared to the CD set, as with Rush's Exit Stage left there is heaps of material to chose from and it's all top notch. We get the whole of "Scenes from a memory" complete with Choir for the "Sprit carries on" section (this section is totally over the top, exceeded all my expectations - fantastic job) plus the whole of "A mind besides itself" ("Erotomania / Voices / Silent Man") from "Awake" (1994), "Learning to live" from Images and Words (1992) and the whole of "Change of Seasons" from 1995.

It's really a great show, one of those that you can just feel and see the confidence oozing out of every note / beat / riff.
I can't speak highly enough of this show. If you do decide to get this one I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 10 out of 10.

The greatest album of all time....LIVE!.......2006-06-18

If your a fan of progressive rock, you probably already know how good this CD is. In my mind it is the single greatest CD of all time (followed closely by Operation Mindcrime, any of the great Pink Floyd and Rush records)

My only complaint on this DVD, is the sound. I was at this show and the sound at the theater was great. Somewhere, it didn't transfer to the recording. It is not the worst thing I have ever heard, but it doesn't show the bands power live.

Every other aspect of this DVD is well worth the price. I would not want to be with out it.

The album was amazing the dvd runs out of adjectives.......2006-05-29

The album was probably one of the best musical pieces ever and everything I do in music today is influenced in some way by that album, the way they wrote it as a musical play is just amazing. However the DVD just blows everything else that's out there! The way they play on this album, their smoothness and the setup of the show are just unbelievable. The image quality is very good, the sound is near perfect. Something I thought was very good was the little film transitions during the songs, they really help you get into the atmosphere of this great storyline. Even though they weren't extrememly well acted, they were an enjoyable bonus.
The 2nd DVD has a very nice picture gallery where you more of Portnoy's butt than actual pictures, just kidding!
The 5 extra live songs are as well recorded as the main DVD and they are truly well played, mostly "A change of seasons" which is to me their best song to this date.
The behind the scenes documentary is nice and gives nice info on the band out of shows.
Overall this a wonderful DVD that will keep you watching for a very long time, and after it's over, you will want more!

Average customer rating:

Is Such Thing as Perfect Relationship Possible? How to Find and to Keep It?
Husbands & Wives
One of Woody Allen's best
One of the Better Allen Films
Last Excellent Drama

Husbands and Wives
Starring: Woody Allen , Blythe Danner , Judy Davis , Mia Farrow , and Juliette Lewis
Director: Woody Allen
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000062XE6
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Amazon.com essential video

In 1992, Woody Allen and Mia Farrow--heretofore the Lunt and Fontanne of Hollywood on the Hudson--went public with a media-saturated battle over Allen's affair with Farrow's adopted daughter. Only a few months later, Allen released this film, starring himself and Farrow acting out a virtually identical plot line: an unhappy marriage begins to crumble when the husband strays with a much younger woman (in this case, one of his students, played by Juliette Lewis). It turned out to be one of Allen's most lacerating comedies, a story about the fragility of relationships and the foolishness of older men seeking to recapture their youth with younger women. It features strong performances by Judy Davis, Liam Neeson, and director Sydney Pollack, as a friend of Allen's who chucks his longtime wife for an aerobics instructor, thus planting seeds of marital dissolution in all of his friends' heads. Husbands and Wives provided an uncanny peek into Allen's image of himself and his personal life, despite all of his protestations to the contrary. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Is Such Thing as Perfect Relationship Possible? How to Find and to Keep It?.......2007-04-09

Woody Allen makes good, very good, and excellent films.

Husbands and Wives is a very good film with excellent performances. It is not a comedy but rather a dramedy that explores marriages and relationships of four main characters. It has several funny moments and dialogs (it is Allen after all) but it has disturbing and sad scenes, too.

When Jack and Sally (Sidney Pollack and Judy Davis) announce that they're separating, this comes as a shock to their best friends Gabe and Judy (Allen and Farrow). They start to reevaluate their own marriage only to find out that it is not as perfect as they thought. Very soon Jack and Sally, and then Gabe and Judy start to meet new people - young, bright, and attractive. They all hope that new is better, and for some of them it is true while the others come to understanding that true love involves loving another's imperfections even when very well aware of them.

This film is for all husbands and wives, lovers, and partners around the world. It is for couples who've been in a relationship for a month, a year, or decades. It is for singles who are ready or who think they want to enter a relationship. It is also for people who don't. All of us have been or may find ourselves in a situation or relationship or having a conversation like the ones in the Allen's film. All of us think and talk about love, trust, understanding, fidelity, sex, and yes - marriage.

The best scenes of the film belong to Allen and Farrow. Some of their conversations in the movie probably reflect the situation in their own relationship that ended soon after the film was made. It is the last film Allen made with Farrow.

Judy Davis played the role of her carrier practically stealing the film. I was shocked to find out that she received all possible Critics Awards that year and lost Best Supporting Oscar to Marisa Tomei. I love Tomei's performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992) but nomination itself would've been enough. Davis was the Best Supporting actress (I saw all films with nominated performances). Sidney Pollack (The Oscar winning director of Out of Africa and two times nominee for Tootsie and They Shoot Horses, Don't They?) and Liam Nisson were wonderful. I did not like Juliet Lewis at all. What she did adorably in Cape Fear with De Niro for ten minutes scene, she tried to stretch for over an hour here - did not work, IMO.

I like "Husbands and Wives" - it was interesting to watch, and it left me thinking if such thing as perfect relationship is ever possible, and what it would take to not only find it but to keep it.

4.5/5

Husbands & Wives.......2007-01-28

Woody Allen's 1992 film "Husbands and Wives" was released around the time we first heard the words Soon-Yi, which is ironic considering the subject matter of the film. "Husbands and Wives" is billed as a comedy, but is more of a drama. There are a few jokes, but there's nothing incredibly funny in the film. The movie is told like a documentary, featuring interviews with the characters and handheld cinematography. Allen and Mia Farrow play Gabe and Judy Roth, a couple who have been married for ten years and think everything is well. Then their two friends Jack and Sally (Sydney Pollack & Judy Davis) announce they are getting divorced, which causes Gabe and Judy to question the validity of their own marriage. As Jack and Sally move on (with Jack getting a much hotter younger woman and Sally lusting after Michael, played by Liam Neeson), Gabe and Judy begin to move farther apart. Gabe, a college professor, finds himself falling for a 20-year-old student named Rain (Juliette Lewis) and Judy finds herself, also, lusting after Michael. The movie is 106 minutes, but a lot of stuff happens in the film. This is not one of Woody Allen's best; it's not in the top 5 anyway. It's overwrought and is not his most entertaining. The performances are very good, especially Farrow, Pollack, and Davis. Juliette Lewis, meanwhile, has echoes of Mariel Hemingway in "Manhattan" in her performance. The cinematography and mock-documentary style of the film gets old after a while, with the former getting headache-inducing after a while. "Husbands and Wives" is a good study of marriage and infidelity. One critic (I don't recall which one it was) said that "Husbands and Wives" seemed like Allen trying to come to grips with the Soon-Yi debacle, but the ending here is quite different. "Husbands and Wives" has its merits, it's demerits...But it's a worthy Woody Allen film that's definitely worth watching.

GRADE: B-

One of Woody Allen's best.......2006-11-14

Husbands and Wives ranks up there in my mind with Broadway Danny Rose and Deconstructing Harry as one of Woody Allen's best movies. Put aside any concerns regarding the state of his personal life at the time this movie came out; the insights are intriguing and entertaining, and you'll find something new in it each time you watch it.

One of the Better Allen Films.......2006-10-26

When first watching this film, it was akin to a voyeur, a fly on the wall, a third party witnessing the painful yet swift destruction of a marriage.

The timing of this film was uncanny and seemed planned; Allen knew exactly what he was doing, the protagonist falling for a younger woman, something that middle-aged men do at times.

Allen casted his wife, Ms. Farrow, in all his important films to date, and with Husbands and Wives, her last really major film, thus she never starred or took part in another Allen film again.

The reason for this fall out, in "real life", Allen had fallen in love with his step daughter and began an affair. He eventually married her and to present time, they are still married, and appear to be doing well.

Ms. Farrow's career, however, simply disappeared and she has not made a film of worth since her divorce from Allen and the subsequent scandal.

This is an original film, a look into human nature, particularly man's nature, proving their rise in virility at a time of doubt and middle age, when the hair recedes, the belly grows and younger women appear attractive because they need to prove their worth as a "male". Similar to an old lion, the King of the Pride is exiled because he is too weak to run the show.

The cast is remarkable. Judy Davis as Sally as usual, portrayed a gritty, aggressive self absorbed woman, leaving her husband, Jack, Sidney Pollack, for a "new aged" man; Michael Gates, played with true honesty by Liam Neeson, does a wonderful job as the rebound. Pollack's performance is perfect, as the "mid-life-crises" male looking for love in all the wrong places. The "party scene" where he drags his young "girlfriend" out of his friend's party because of his embarrassment, her stupid, unrelated exposition on astrology, to his "intellectual" friends, brought him to the edge:(the scene outside the house was Oscar material) a truly wonderful performance by Pollack, a great director but also a damn good actor.

In the end, though truly original, Husbands and Wives is an honest look at modern relationships, our weaknesses, our desires, and the consequences of those desires.

Husbands and Wives is one of the better Allen films of his career.

Last Excellent Drama.......2006-07-08

After Husbands and Wives, Allen made 3 pretty good comedies then seemed to lose interest in his own work. His movies in the last ten years have ranged from pretty good but nothing special to downright painful. Husbands & Wives is the last and 13th Allen/Farrow movie. Unlucky number 13, it would seem. The public Woody/Mia/Soon-Yi firestorm was unprecedented at the time, even by Hollywood standards. The movie, itself, is great. Extremely dramatic as it examines the push/pull of various adults in various couplings as they break up, come together & mix and match between each other. Pollack and Judy Davis are great as a seemingly perfect couple who are, in fact, a dreadful couple behind closed doors. Allen and Farrow are equally superb as a fairly healthy couple whose marriage unravels little by little. Liam Neeson and Juliette Lewis are surprisingly effective and interesting in the usually thankless "lover" roles. The filming is unique in it is one of the few times Allen has embraced fancy film-schoolish camera techniques like handheld cams and deliberately obstructed shots.

Average customer rating:

Don't listen to naysayers
"All robots must hide themselves now; a revolution is at hand!"
AMAZING
A great movie, and like many, its easy to miss the point
If you enjoyed the premise behind Astro Boy, you'll enjoy this.

Metropolis
Starring: Yuka Imoto , Kei Kobayashi , Kouki Okada , Jamieson Price , and Gô Nagai
Director: Rintaro
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005V4XG
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Amazon.com

Adapted from Osamu Tezuka's 1949 manga, Metropolis (in Japanese with English subtitles) is an opulently beautiful film that fails to present a coherent story worthy of its extraordinary visuals. Evil Duke Red (voice by Taro Ishida) plans to rule the world from Ziggurat, his newly completed art deco tower. A new robot is being developed by his henchman Dr. Laughton (Junpei Takeguchi) to control all the machines in the world from Ziggurat. Japanese detective Shunsaku Ban (Kousei Tomita) and his nephew Kenichi (Kei Kobayashi) arrive in Metropolis in pursuit of Laughton and are plunged into Red's plot. When the duke's maniacal adopted son Rock (Kohki Okada) attacks Laughton's hidden lab, Kenichi and the waiflike android Tima (Yuka Imoto) flee into the city's subterranean slums and fall in love. Despite a protracted series of chases and violent shootouts, there's little excitement and less character development. Director Rintaro (Hayashi Shigeyuki) borrows heavily from Fritz Lang's 1926 Metropolis, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, but his staging makes much of the action hard to follow. The film takes an unintentionally hilarious turn when Ziggurat crumbles to Ray Charles's "I Can't Stop Loving You." The computer-generated skyscrapers, machines, and airships offer dazzling vistas of an overscaled and sinister deco-dystopia. But Tezuka's flat little characters, with their big eyes, round noses, and bubble-shaped feet, don't fit into that realistic three-dimensional environment. MPAA rating: PG. Contains considerable violence and grotesque imagery. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

Don't listen to naysayers.......2007-09-14

This is my favorite film of all time, so I was wondering what people who gave it one star would have to say. The two most prominent complaints were an outdated style of animation and overdone storyline. There is a simple and reasonable explanation. This is based of elements from Metropolis by Fritz Lang and Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis manga. The animation style mimics his artwork, giving it a retro feel. Any other type would change the film's purpose and feel so drasticly that it would not be the same film at all. It is shocking to see characters drawn so inocently in the situations they encounter in this movie. The overdone storyline? THIS IS A REMAKE. A loose one, but still. You shouldn't expect anything too original, but this film delivers a storyline that is similar to many others, but better. This is a brilliant film with no flaws.

"All robots must hide themselves now; a revolution is at hand!".......2007-08-14

Metropolis is an astounding artistic achievement that exemplifies the incredible power of animation at its best. High atop the impossibly vast city of Metropolis--with its towering columns, intricately woven golden pipes, and myriad staircases--the beak-nosed tyrant, Duke Red, has constructed an awesome weapon known as the Ziggurat. Within this colossal skyscraper stands an empty throne; a throne the maniacal Duke plans to fill with the android clone of his deceased daughter. He's hired genius robot designer, Dr. Laughton, to create the synthetic human masterpiece, Tima (voiced by Rebecca Forstadt, Minmei from Robotech). Duke Red's unappreciated adoptive son, Rock (head of a gang of robot-hunting vigilantes called the Marduk), vows to destroy the lovely curly-haired machine and prevent his father from giving control of the Ziggurat--and therefore the entire world--to a "mechanical puppet." Amidst the ensuing mayhem of explosions and flames, Tima is lost. She is rescued by Detective Shunsaku Ban's Astro Boy look-alike nephew, Kenichi (voiced by Brianne Siddall, Jim Hawking from Outlaw Star). Through the sprawling, neon-tinged streets of the many-zoned Metropolis, Kenichi and Tima flee the relentless gunfire of the insanely jealous Marduk leader, as countless innocent robots are slaughtered before their large, sparkling eyes. It all culminates in an unforgettable climax of emotion and chaos that ranks among the greatest scenes in cinematic history.
Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis comes to you in a lavishly illustrated folding cardboard case (rather than the more convenient standard plastic keep case). Included along with the movie disc is a miniature DVD with special features, including a gallery of model sheets, animation comparisons, filmographies, interviews with Rintaro and Katsuhiro Otomo, and the `Making of Metropolis' Animax special. No DVD collection should be without this enthralling tour de force of animated brilliance!

AMAZING.......2007-06-25

THE MOST MOVING ANIMATED MOVIE I HAVE SEEN IN MY 30 YEARS.

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

A great movie, and like many, its easy to miss the point.......2007-06-16

The first thing I'd like to do is just clear up a few things that negative reviews have been hooked on and maybe shed a bit of clarity on what is being shown in the movie.

-Origins : It comes from a manga written by Osamu Tezuka, the founder of anime, and is loosely based on that. It borrows themes from the black and white movie "Metropolis" as well but when you watch it, its best just to let the movie unfold itself instead of you forcing it to fit any particular mold.
-The animation : There are a lot of different animation choices moving around here. you have the deco-style buildings which jut across the skyline of metropolis, the astro-boy style human beings with large eyes and exagerated features (eyes, arms, noses), and then the cyberpunk innards of the city, as well as the much more "real" and dirty areas beneath the city. the humans are MEANT to stand out against the deco, everything isn't supposed to fit neatly together in a single style. in the movie this is shown in the plot; the elite humans (duke red, the president, etc), common people, the robots, and the city all are at odds with each other. Its not supposed to be hyper-realistic, the styles chosen are deliberate and invoke specific contrasts.
-Plot : At times things trip and fall, but I think part of the incongruity is on purpose. The chaos and sort of non-sequiter plot lines are actually just intended to encase the story of 1)humanity's fear of the 'other' 2)Tima and Kenichi. Except for Tima, the other characters just kind of putter out (aside from Luke, or Rock in the U.S. version) but her story was fantastically strong when placed within the struggle of humanity (with its own inner turmoil) and the servants they created.

In conclusion, this movie is just saturated in AMAZING visuals and great jazzy music (I couldn't think of a more appropriate use of "I cant stop loving you" by Ray Charles at the end), and it contains a story of a search for a 'self' within the fantastical world of Metropolis. Characters broaden and shrink the scope of where they place themselves here, yet everyone lands in own unique niche. But for the staleness of character development/bogged plot I drop half a star.

4.5/5 - A must see, for movie fans with open eyes.

If you enjoyed the premise behind Astro Boy, you'll enjoy this........2007-06-08

I was first attracted to buying this DVD while watching the "Previews" section added onto the last disk of the 2004 Astro Boy anime DVD series I bought from Amazon this year. When I saw the animation quality of Metropolis, I wanted to see more.

In a nutshell, here's how this film plays out, in parallel to Astro Boy, under Osamu Tezuka's direction:

The Duke loses his daughter, Tinma; just like Dr. Tenma loses his son Tobio in Astro Boy. Both men have robots built to replace their lost children, except in Metropolis, Duke's adopted son, Rock, detains the Duke and his robot daughter from meeting each other; whereas Astro meets his father from the moment he's born. Rock does this simply because Tinma, the Duke's robot daughter, is to rule on the throne of the earth as a robot, over humans and robots. Sounds allot like Astro Boy to me whose job is to bring peace between humans and robots as a mighty peace ruler. Rock feels only a human should sit on the throne of the earth; with that human being his adopted father, who Rock loves dearly we learn.

Rock first kills the doctor who created Tinma, as well as tries to kill Tinma before she awakens, via his attack on the robot factory, but Tinma survives and is aided by a boy who is working alongside a character that looks just like Daddy Mustache in the Astro Boy series. This Daddy Mustache "look alike" is a detective sent from Tokyo to investigate the whole affair.

In the end, Osamua introduces a different twist from the Astro Boy premise. Where with Astro Boy, he shows the king of robots bridging the gap between humans and robots, in this film he shows what happens when that does not happen, with Tinma assuming the throne and the desire to destroy all humans. Rock, who you might think is bad in the beginning, is really one of the good guys and gives his life to save all of humanity. Lots of pathos in the end and a certain level of violence in this film in terms of some characters being killed along the way.

The story is very good and more or less asks the question; "what if robots or IA did take control of the world and tried to destroy mankind. How would mankind survive." We've seen this plot played out in films like Robo cop, The Terminator and as recent as I-Robot; so the idea isn't new in filmaking. Well, mankind does survive, but I won't tell you how or I'll spoil the explosive ending for you if you purchase this film and watch it.

The animation alone is well worth the price of admission and it still has a good story plot, though not new. It does come with a small DVD disk with lots of feature behind the scene stuff, but its all in Japanese with no english translation. This was a let down, which is why I gave this four stars. The packaging is great. No problems with the disks. Delivery was timely. No complaints.

Average customer rating:

A picture of Hel

Metropolis

Manufacturer: Synergy Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000REQTJU
Release Date: 2007-05-29

amazon.com

This Fritz Lang classic film nearly bankrupted the motion picture studio that produced the feature. Set in 2000, this futuristic tale shows society separated into two distinct segments. The upper class lived in the high towers of the city and reaped the benefits of modern technology. The lower class resided in the underground regions working to make the machinery operate. The main thrust of the film centers on a man from the upper class falling in love with a woman from the lower class and his revelation as to what the world is like outside of his towers.

Customer Reviews:

A picture of Hel.......2007-08-16

In the back ground we see a picture of the Metropolis in 2026 that is watched over by Johhan 'Joh' Fredersen (Alfred Abel). He stole the heart of Hel from C.A. Rotwang, der Erfinder "The Inventor" (Rudolf Klien-Rogge) and married her. It was speculated that Hel fell for Joh's position of power more than love. Hel dies in child birth.

Rotwang being lonely invents a robot replacement for Hel. Rotwang loses a hand in the process. We see the machine person Hel on the poster the same way Joh saw it when he learned of its existence.

Meantime it looks like Jon's son Freder Frederson (Gustov Fröhlich) has been smitten by a kindly girl Maria (Brigitte Helm) with a mission. This mission is stated in the beginning credits as the "Head" and the "Hands" will be brought together by the "Heart."

Joh must squelch the son's infatuation with Maria and put the workers in their place.

Looking at the sight of Rotwang's machine person, an evil plan forms in Joh's mind. Little does he know what plan is in Rotwang's mind.

But we do.

Hel is the name of the queen of Helheim, the Norse underworld.

This is a 1927 movie, made at the UFA studios. Learn more of UFA in the book "The UFA Story: A History of Germany's Greatest Film Company" by Klaus Kreimeier

Average customer rating:

WORTH OWNING, ADD TO HOME COLLECTION
Pretty but just a bit to witty and clever
I liked it more than other reviewers...
Not that good
Could have been so much better!

Leaving Metropolis
Starring: Troy Ruptash , Vince Corazza , Lynda Boyd , Cherilee Taylor , and Thom Allison
Director: Brad Fraser
Manufacturer: Wolfe Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001BMMHW
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Product Description

Leaving Metropolis is the film version of Brad Fraser s hit play Poor Super Man, which Time Magazine called one of the top ten plays of 1994. Fraser also wrote Love and Human Remains. He currently is writer and coproducer for Showtime s Queer as Folk.

David s (Troy Ruptash, M.V.P. II: Most Valuable Primate, The Perfect Son) a successful artist in need of a muse. Looking for inspiration, he applies for a job as a waiter. Owners Matt (Vincent Corazza) and Violet (Cherilee Taylor, Masterpiece Monday) don t know quite what to make of David he seems unconcerned with money, and overqualified for the job but they love his energy and ideas.
When David eventually reveals he s a gay artist, Matt who dreams of being a cartoonist asks to see his paintings. But when he finds he has become David s secret subject, unexpected feelings overwhelm Matt, and he s drawn into a risky relationship that will change all their lives.*

System Requirements:

Language:*English

.Audio Features:*Dolby*Surround*2.0

.Closed Caption: Yes

.Video Features:*Color,**Letterbox Presentation

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Torrid sex and tortured emotions fill the screen in Leaving Metropolis. David (Troy Ruptash), a successful painter, has lost his inspiration. To find stimulation, he gets a job at a small, out-of-the-way diner, run by married couple Violet (Cherilee Taylor) and Matt (Vincent Corazza, Owning Mahoney). When sparks fly with Matt, David gets stimulation and inspiration--but the portraits he paints of Matt may break the couple apart. The machinations of a bitter friend bring the situation to a boil. Though filled with lots and lots of sex (both gay and straight), Leaving Metropolis pays as much attention to the character's minds as to their flesh (well, almost as much--the sex scenes are quite extensive and the bodies are all beautiful). Some of the script's metaphors are a little clumsy, but the psychology is convincing. Adapted by award-winning writer Brad Fraser from his play Poor Super Man. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

WORTH OWNING, ADD TO HOME COLLECTION.......2007-06-13

a little 1980's, but also 1990's. funny. good. buy it without regret.

Pretty but just a bit to witty and clever.......2006-09-12

This DVD is a mixed product with some very good aspects and some aspects that could have been done better.

First, the good parts:

The art direction and cinematography were super with colorful attractive interiors and attractive actors. Vincent Corazza does a good job playing Matt, a married man who ventures into a bisexuality. Cherilee Taylor is also exceptional as Violet, his wife. Thom Allison, playing the role of Shannon, a dying male to female transgender, is a high point of the film. The nudism and sex scenes were hot with Ms. Taylor and Mr. Corazza burning up the screen in the final scene of their love making.

Now for the parts that could be improved:

Brad Fraser's script was a bit too flip, too cute, and too witty. This had the effect of making both the main character, David, and his straight woman friend, Kryka, seem thin, superficial, and two dimensional. The problem here is that David is the main character and is suppose to fall in love with Matt the married man. However, the viewer never really believes this. In fact, the way too clever script forces the viewer not to really trust or believe anything the main character, David, says or does. What a shame. I suspect this major fault in the film must be blamed on Brad Fraser, the writer, rather than on Troy Ruptash the actor. When David tells Matt that he loves him, the words don't sound true. Later when David leaves Shannon to commit suicide alone, I suspected that the viewer really is lead to not sympathize with this main character at all. I found myself admiring and identifying mostly with Violet, the beautiful wife of bisexual Matt. She seemed to be the most sure of her emotions and sure of where she stood once she learned the truth about her husband's affair with David.

In the end, everyone moves on. David packs up and leaves town. Violet sells her diner and moves on. Matt despirately tries to rekindle the relationship with Violet and then when he is rejected tries to rekindle the relationship with David. In some ways he becomes the most complex character - a handsome Mr. Personality with dependency needs. Matt turns out to be one of those type people who can not stand to sleep alone and do the hard work to explore/find out who he really is on the inside.

The script needed far less catty remarks and far more character development. At least we were left with an untidy and realistic ending for sometimes when relationships get broken, they really can't be glued back together.

I liked it more than other reviewers..........2006-07-02

because I found this to be a film with a great narrative. There is a flow from beginning to end, a view of relationships of different kinds. Some folks may be responding to the fact that there is no happy ending in this film, but there is no tragedy either. Instead the viewer is given hints about life moving forward, thus an ability to project out over time. The relationships are true to life, and the way that HIV is treated is the most realistic I have seen on film (it is just there, integrated, not a theme). Personally, I was fine with the technical aspects of the film, feeling like the filming and light reflected the northwestern canadian setting.

I have suggested this film to several friends - just expect a film that is more like a short-story than a romantic comedy.

Not that good.......2006-06-15

i bought this dvd a while ago and rewatched it last night for the first time after a while.....I just found the characters so two dimensional...the story wants to take of..but does not really sucseed...And the actors did not really delft very deep into their emotions... abit dissapointing...

Could have been so much better!.......2006-05-28

The best thing about this movie was Vincent Corazza. Working with crappy dialog and a plot that tackled too many issues, he did a fantastic job expressing his character's confusing emotions without the need for words. This movie would have been really great had it stuck to the primary plot of a relationship between a married heterosexual man and a gay man. The main plot should have dealt soley with the bisexual issue and concepts of love, rather than bring in HIV, transgendered issues, fatal illnesses, dealing with the death of friends, euthanasia, etc.

Like so many 'gay' themed movies out there, it is morbid, sad, and filled with pain and suffering. Plus it deals with so many psychological issues that viewers tend to get lost and can't connect with any of the characters. Could have been much better. It's worth a look though, for Vince Corazza.

Fritz Lang Epic Collection (Metropolis/Die Nibelungen/Woman in the Moon/Spies)

Average customer rating:

A great collection of early Lang films restored with care
First review!

Fritz Lang Epic Collection (Metropolis/Die Nibelungen/Woman in the Moon/Spies)
Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge , Gerda Maurus , Lien Deyers , Louis Ralph , and Craighall Sherry
Director: Fritz Lang
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00064AEWO
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Customer Reviews:

A great collection of early Lang films restored with care.......2007-06-22

Fritz Lang always claimed he was a very visual person, and this collection of four movies from the silent era proves it. I'll go through each film individually:

Metropolis - This film is considered by many to be the first feature science fiction film. Ironically, this film, now considered a masterpiece, contributed to the bankruptcy of the studio that backed it. The film has great visual effects and huge sets that still impress today. The film ran so long that it was progressively cut back, and with each succeeding cut it became less coherent. The version on this DVD is still missing about 25% of the original footage, which is probably lost forever. However, using the novel and other sources, the missing scenes have been described on intertitle cards. These added descriptions make the plot clearer by filling in the holes. The story of Metropolis has society divided into two groups, those that toil beneath the city and those that live off of the fruits of their toil above. The extra features include:
1. A 43 minute documentary entitled "Metropolis Case" which has film historian Enno Patalas discussing the film's place in history. The featurette is filled with production shots and includes some vintage interviews with those who worked on the film.
2.A commentary track also done by Enno Patalas.
3.A nine minute featurette on the restoration of the film, several still galleries, cast and crew biographies and some text pages about the film.

Die Nibelungen - This epic film is based on a thirteenth century Nordic saga and includes a fire breathing dragon, treacherous dwarfs, magic swords, and barbarian attacks. The film is five hours in length and is split into two parts. Like Metropolis, this film has some terrific special effects. It is oversimplifying matters to say that if you liked "Lord of the Rings" you'll like this film, but it is probably true. The special features include:
1. "On the set with Fritz Lang" which is an excerpt from a German short. It shows Lang working at Ufa Studios and filming a scene.
2. A five minute reel of production sketches intercut with scenes of the finished product from the movie.
3. "Slaying the Dragon" contains information about the most memorable scene in the movie and includes the original production design, a photo of Lang filming the sequence, the sequence itself, and a similar scene from Douglas Fairbank's "Thief of Baghdad", released the same year, where that star fights a dragon too.
4. Behind the scenes photos with captions.
5. "About the Master", which is a text piece detailing the origin of the master and the lack of tinting on the print.

Spies - This is a suspense/action film that uses sparsely decorated sets compared to the visual feasts of the previously described two films. This film has been circulating in an 89 minute version, but Kino has restored it to 143 minutes in length. The plot involves the head of a large bank, Haghi, who has an elaborate and thorough network of spies. Haghi has stolen secret documents, had people killed, and generally has the British Secret Service running in circles. The government retaliates by putting Number 326, their best spy, on the case, Haghi is wise to the plan, and responds by assigning his best agent, the Russian Sonja to seduce him. However, things get complicated when she and 326 fall in love. The extra features for this film are an image gallery of production photos, advertising for the film itself, and a trailer for the 2002 reissue of Metropolis.

Woman in the Moon - This was Fritz Lang's last silent film. It is a science fiction adventure in which a scientist, Professor Georg Manfeldt, had theorized that there were large supplies of gold on the moon. He was ridiculed by his peers and disgraced because of this. However, a wealthy industrialist believes Manfeldt's theory and has been building a rocket to travel to the moon. when a group of wealthy men who control the world's gold supply feel threatened by the possibility the theory may be correct, they threaten to destroy the rocket unless one of their agents, Turner, is allowed to go on the expedition too. Apparently Lang's film got so much right about space travel that the Germans seized the models used in the film as state secrets when they started their own rocket-building program. This film runs 169 minutes and is quite slow in places. It has some very interesting and thrilling scenes, but it is probably the weakest of the four films in the set. The only extra feature is a photo gallery of production stills and promotional material.

Kino, as always, has done a great job of restoring these early films, and I highly recommend the set for anyone interested in early German cinema or in the works of Fritz Lang. This set may seem expensive compared to those public domain copies of some of these films that are in circulation, but particularly in the arena of silent film you truly get what you pay for.

First review!.......2005-01-06

If you have doubts, this DVD collection contains the same DVDs as the special restored editions that are sold individually. Metropolis and Die Nibelungen are the two stand-out titles here. Metropolis had the most work spent on it, so much so that it often looks as if it were filmed yesterday in B+W. Honestly, it's amazing how good it looks. The score was completely rerecorded and it sounds amazing. Instead of just random music played in the background, it conveys the emotions occurring in the film. It and Die Nibelungen contain various extras that are actually interesting. The other films have also been restored well. Long story short, you have a better idea of whether you will like these films or not, but if you have any questions as to their quality, extras, etc. have no fear these are the special edition discs and they look great.

The Giant of Metropolis/Hercules and the Princess of Joy

Average customer rating:

Shoddy Copy
Choose Retromedia, Not Alpha

The Giant of Metropolis/Hercules and the Princess of Joy
Starring: Giant of Metropolis , and Hercules & Princess of Troy
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000BT96MS
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Customer Reviews:

Shoddy Copy.......2007-05-13

The DVD is not in the widescreen format, which results in distorted images. The fun of seeing these foreign imports is subsequently lost.

Choose Retromedia, Not Alpha.......2006-03-05

If you're a fan of this cult masterpiece of the bizarre, buy the Retromedia DVD, not the Alpha DVD. While the Retromedia copy is far from the quality this movie deserves, it's widescreen and has marginally better color and a considerably crisper image. It also has a bonus interview with the star, Gordon Mitchell.

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Metropolis (UMD Mini for PSP)
Starring: Metropolis
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

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Accessories:

ASIN: B000E1EHR2
Release Date: 2006-03-07

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