Metropolis Archives - Movies Past and Present

Sorry I’m a little slow in posting this, but I’ve been having a blast with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the current rundown on the films I watched in January (courtesy of my Instagram feed).

A Trip to the Moon (1902)

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Happy 2020! This year’s movie watching project is to see the 50 movies listed in the book from @turnerclassicmovies MUST-SEE SCI-FI: 50 MOVIES THAT ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD by Sloan De Forest (📖: Running Press, 2018). First up is the “first true sci-fi film,” A TRIP TO THE MOON (or LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE). Made in 1902 by innovative French illusionist and filmmaker Georges Mèliès, the film “abounds with imagination and energy, with flights of fancy that only a magician could create.” Mèliès himself played the man in the moon (pictured). #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie 🚀🌛🇫🇷 (📷: Star-Film)

A post shared by Movies Past and Present (@moviespap) on Jan 1, 2020 at 8:29am PST

Metropolis (1927)

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📺 This week’s #tcmmustseescifi pic is the influential German silent film METROPOLIS (1927). Author Sloan De Forest calls it “cinema’s first science fiction epic.” Make sure to watch the “2010 restoration” edition, which includes an additional 25 minutes of discovered footage that, supposedly, helps with the plot (it’s the only version of the film that I’ve seen). Directed by Fritz Lang. 🇩🇪 @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: UFA/Parufamet)

A post shared by Movies Past and Present (@moviespap) on Jan 7, 2020 at 9:05pm PST

Frankenstein (1931)

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📺 This week’s #tcmmustseescifi pic is the classic monster movie FRANKENSTEIN (1931) with Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein and Boris Karloff as The Monster. Author Sloan De Forest wrote that this adaption “remains the definitive cinematic version, enduring as a groundbreaking crossover of both sci-fi and horror. As stylish and disturbing today as it was in 1931…” Directed by James Whale. #itsalive @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: @universalentertainment)

A post shared by Movies Past and Present (@moviespap) on Jan 12, 2020 at 10:00pm PST

Island of Lost Souls (1932)

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Two “Must-See Sci-Fi” movies this week—both based on novels by British writer H.G. Wells. First up is ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932). This film adaptation of H.G. Wells’ 1896 novel THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU is a serious blend of sci-fi and horror. MVP goes to actor Charles Laughton who plays the twisted Dr. Moreau with terrifying panache. Also stars (pictured above) Leila Hyams, Richard Arlen, and Kathleen Burke (aka “The Panther Woman”!). Directed by Erle C. Kenton. @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: @universalentertainment, @paramountmovies) 🛳🏝🐵

A post shared by Movies Past and Present (@moviespap) on Jan 26, 2020 at 8:29pm PST

The Invisible Man (1933)

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Second “Must-See Sci-Fi” film this week is THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) starring Claude Rains (or should I say Claude Rains’ voice as he is under bandages for most of the picture) and Gloria Stuart (yes, that Gloria Stuart from TITANIC fame). Based on H.G. Wells’ 1897 novel. I think I’m going to prefer this version over this year’s remake coming soon to theaters from @universalpictures and Blumhouse Productions (@theinvisiblemanmovie). Directed by James Whale. Added to the @librarycongress U.S. National Film Registry in 2008. @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: @universalentertainment)

A post shared by Movies Past and Present (@moviespap) on Jan 26, 2020 at 10:36pm PST

The first film in my 2019 TCM Essentials movie watching project is the 1927 silent science fiction epic Metropolis. And what a film it is.

Made in Germany and directed by Fritz Lang, this remarkable and influential film is set in a segregated, dystopian future–one where wealthy citizens live a life of luxury above ground in an ultra-modern city and where a large group of hidden enslaved workers live underground to keep everything running. When one of the city’s rich kids learns about the plight of the underground workers, he and a woman from the underground plot a rebellion. However, the rich kid’s father and his employed evil scientist have something else in mind…

The film is revered for its themes, art direction, and special effects–all of which are stunning. There have been multiple cuts of the film. I watched the 2010 version that I rented on Apple iTunes which includes 25 extra minutes of footage that was found in 2008 and considered by film scholars to be one of “the most important film discoveries in history” according to The Essentials author Jeremy Arnold.

Here’s a trailer for the 2010 restored version.

And here’s a cool poster for the film, too.

Metropolis is definitely worthy of its reputation—a monumental and astounding film that stands the test of time.

My score: 5 out of 5 stars

Metropolis is available on Blu-ray and on Apple iTunes.

TCM The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter by Jeremy Arnold is available at Amazon and other fine booksellers.

#TCMEssentials

Tag: Metropolis

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for January 2020

A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Metropolis (1927)

Frankenstein (1931)

Island of Lost Souls (1932)

The Invisible Man (1933)

“Metropolis”