two classic SciFi movies on TCM Friday Sept 6th

German director Fritz Lang's 1927 silent classic Metropolis plays at 5:00 pm pacific time on Turner Classic Movies. it is the first ever feature length science-fiction film still famous for it's early special effects. well worth watching or recording just for the Matte set designs scenes of the city and esp the transformation of the "Maschinenmensch" (robot) into the live Maria. transformation scene >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcReykfvqi4&list=TLsVrVAoofARg (unfortunately without the original Gottfried Huppertz music score). hopefully TCM will show the Argentine "long version" restoration.

right after Metropolis @ 7:45 pm pacific, TCM shows the classic H G Wells scripted 1936 British science fiction film Things to Come with Raymond Massey, Ralph Richardson and Cedric Hardwicke. I find it an interesting movie mostly because the usually talented Wells go so many things WRONG about the future BUT he also DID foresee the rise of air power as a deciding factor in wars or conflicts.

think BOTH are worth watching IF you have never seen them

Things to Come. what Wells got RIGHT and what he got WRONG....

RIGHT: the bombing of cities in a world war. tank warfare. helicopters. the use of paratroops. television (although they still called it "the radio"). the automation of industry

WRONG: use of poison gas bombs on cities (although countries DID have them available in WWII). world war lasting 30+ years with society deteriorating into feudal tribes. the rise of a "one world order" government (based in Basra?). large aircraft still using propellers powered by reciprocating engines in the late 1960's/early 70's. was NO mention of jet power although England was experimenting with jet engines in 1936. BIGGEST goof has to be the "space gun" to go to the moon. there were numerous rocket clubs experimenting in many countries including England prior to 1936.

btw, the architecture of "modern" 2036 "Everytown" is classic 1930's art deco and the clothing is classical Roman style capes, "kilts" and robes. the "mining machines" look like the space ships from the old Flash Gordon serials of the mid 1930's