This weekend at Loew's Jersey: Alien / Metropolis / War of the Worlds (1 Viewer)

From: Loew's Jersey

Alien (1979) - Saturday, May 31, 8PM

Alien, with crisp acting, tight direction, and great special effects,was the biggest hit of 1979. It spawned not just several sequels but a new sub-genre of film – the fusion of science fiction and horror.

Very notably, the film departed from the typical formula for both sci-fi and horror in which women a typically helpless victims who must look to the male lead to be saved by presented Sigourney Weaver's character as a bold, brave heroine who takes on the alien herself. It is notable
that in both its expert use of setting to create an unforgettable mood and its socially conscious sub-plot, Alien is not that far removed
from its progenitor, Metropolis.

Metropolis (1927)– Friday, May 30, 8PM

A late silent-era film, made in Germany, Metropolis is set in the then far-off year 2000, when a super rich techno-autocracy lives lavishly in skyscrapers while the masses are effectively enslaved far below. That future was envisioned through a prism of concerns that were very current in the first decades of the 20th century – most
notably the fear that technology was de-humanizing and a concern that free society was being eroded by a caustic combination of science and growing economic divide. Today's headlines suggest these concerns are not terribly dated. Metropolis is also visually stunning, even by the
standards of today's special effects – realistic iniatures were used to create a very-real looking fantasy world, and the screen is filled with an array of stylized shadows, neon light, oblique camera angles,geometric images, and nightmarish labyrinths. The film created a lexicon of dark but dazzling imagery that continues to be a defining part of both science fiction and film noire. The original director's cut of Metropolis was badly edited by the film's distributors; this fact together with scratching, fading and other deterioration from age meant that for years, audiences could not enjoy Metropolis as it was
meant to be seen. But a recent restoration has returned many of the edited scenes and digitally reversed the effects of age.

Metropolis will be seen at the Loew's Jersey in this restored print, played with a newly recorded version of the original accompanying score.

The War of the Worlds (1953)– Saturday, May 31, 4PM

With brilliant pacing and then state of the art special effects, The War of the Worlds helped revolutionize the Sci-fi genre at mid century. It was also one of several films that marked the acceptance of science fiction as a serious, big-budget subject by the American movie studios, which up to then had for the most part relegated the genre to campy productions of Saturday afternoon serials. The movie was an efficient and effective re-telling of H.G. Welles' famous story of an overwhelming attack on Earth by Mars.


Ticket Prices: $6 for adults, $4 for seniors & children 12 and under.

Special Note: This weekend will conclude the Landmark Loew's Jersey's
second season of classic film weekends. Our third season will begin in
September

I'm not quite sure why they think Alien is a good choice at this time, since it is being re-issued in the fall with new footage and new prints.

As to it spawning a new sub-genre of film, I though Frankenstein and Island Of Lost Souls back in the early 1930's spawned the fusion of science fiction and horror, which has existed ever since.

As to casting a woman as the hero, the film makers really did not take that anywhere. She did nothing in the film because she was a woman. In fact, they could have plopped a man into the role and change nothing. Kind of a waste. I actually like the 1971 film The Demon Seed better, also a sci-fi/horror film with a woman in the lead role. In that film, being a woman was intergal to the plot, and showed an ordinary women who had to rise to meet head on the terrifying circumstances she was thrown in to.

Ok Pete, you got me on that one. I revoke my prior post.

Mitchell

I'll be there for ALIEN. Mitchell, I want to see this because I know the longer cut is coming later this year. I want to remember the movie as it was, and not what it's turning into.

This will be my 3rd theatrical viewing of ALIEN in less than a year. I can't wait!

Neil

Did anybody go to any of these shows? How were the prints and projection? I usually try to get down there, but this weekend was already filled up.

I went Saturday night for ALIEN. The print was pretty rough and faded. It didn't hinder my enjoyment of the film though. I swear though at first it was playing monophonically. I know there is a line by Dallas that is supposed to come from the right and it came from the center speaker, during the landing sequence. But by the end of the film it was obvious that the soundfield had opened up. Very odd.

There was a very prominent sound problem with one of the projectors though. When Brett was looking for Jones and when Ripley is running to get to the Narcissus, the sound cut out totally several times, and sometimes for long stretches. So much so that audience members started yelling out, "Here Jonesy". But I can't complain too much. I had a great time. I'm looking forward to next season now.

Neil

Thanks for the report, Neil. I'll bet that the reason some of the film sounded mono was because the print they got was a composite that consisted of some mono reels and some stereo reels. Fox (and their distributor of classic features, Criterion Pictures) hasn't made new prints of ALIEN in over 20 years.

You should try to make it up to some of my shows, we run every Saturday. Info here:Big Screen Classics website

I agree with Neil on ALIEN. The print was pretty beat up but it was still thrilling to see the film on the big screen again after 24 years. For me THE WAR OF THE WORLDS was even more impressive because I'd never seen that in a theater. Scenes like the first use of the Martian heat ray were so overpowering at that size and volume (I was in the 4th row), they were literally pushing me against the back of my seat! Pete, as you know so well, TV and home video are good substitutes but there is nothing else quite like the theatrical experience.

--Bill

The usual projection team was not working the Loew's for this weekend, and the technical problems were due to an un-familiar operator in the booth.

I am very sorry that the show had so many technical and/or print problems. I heard that both sound AND picture were cutting out throughout the shows.

As of May 1, I was no longer affiliated with the Loew's Jersey, and I had nothing to do with this science-fiction weekend. I can't say whether or not the standards set by my projection team (Bernie Anderson, Mitchell Dvoskin) and myself, with respect to rare prints and presentation, will be maintained.

Bob Furmanek

I only had some sound issues and a framing issue at one point during ALIEN, but I think that was a result of a bad splice in the print and not because of the reel change.

Neil

I understand, but if I were still calling the shots, I would never have shown a worn, faded print of a 24 year old movie that is scheduled for re-issue at the end of the year!

I'm told there were several segments of WAR OF THE WORLDS where the picture and/or audio cut off. We worked very hard to set a high standard for print and presentation quality, and it saddens me to hear that our level of showmanship is not being maintained.

Bob