In the unknown futuristic year where a dystopian society is separated by two classes; the wealthy upperclass known as "The Mind" who spend most of their days maintaining the utopia as well as enjoying themselves with games and parties, while the working subterranean lower class known as "The Hand" who must toil night and day through 10-hour shifts to keep the machines that run Metropolis running. The son of the man in charge is Freder (Gustav Froehlich) who leaves the security of his Pleasure Gardens to follow a girl named Maria (Brigittie Helm) to the lower depths. He is shocked to discover the cruel treatment of the workers and his protests fall on deaf ears to his father (Alfred Abel) so he switches places with a worker going under the number 11811 (Erwin Biswanger) to discover firsthand not only the pain of 10-hour agonizing work but also the leadership of the kind and loving Maria who promises a mediator to come and bring the two classes together. But this secret meeting is eavesdropped on by Joh Fredersen and the mad scientist Rotwang (Rudolf Klien-Rogge) and Joh orders Rotwang to use his robotic woman to take on the form of Maria and infiltrate them. But things don't go as planned as the robotic Maria causes the workers to revolt and destroy the machinery. Can Freder stop this madness before it's too late or will the perfect utopia be forever destroyed?


Originally released in 1927 under the direction of Fritz Lang, "Metropolis"reveled in the science-fiction genre and has since that time, has been remade in anime form in 2001 and has become one of the most influential science-fiction films since Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey."However, it pains me to say that the film is not complete. Not that it wasn't finished, but because there are parts of the narrative that are lost. The reason being that when "Metropolis" was taken over to American to be seen by it's American audience, many parts were edited and cut down for time. Then, in a tragic accident, the original complete copy Fritz had was lost in a fire, thus, leaving the world with the cut down American version and any other existing copies at the time were left to the enemy of time and they aged down. Over the years, negatives and still surviving copies were found in an attempt to bring back the original narrative of what Fritz Lang original had in mind. Over the years, the missing sections of the film from before were relocated and edited into the film but for years, certain scenes such as a fight between Joh Fredersen and Rotwang are still missing and could be somewhere in the world, waiting to be reunited with ti's master and fulfill the creativity of Fritz Lang's vision and his themes of class structure and morality. 

But, regretfully, that is not this film and yet, it IS this film.

In 1984, Academy Award-Winning composer of "The Midnight Express","Scarface", and "Flashdance" Giorgio Moroder attempted to bring this beloved science-fiction film to the mainstream with a restoration and re-edit of what he assumed was the original script. Now his version used a soundtrack of artists by popular artists of the time, like Pat Benatar, Billy Squier, Freddie Mercury, Jon Anderson, Adam Ant, Bonnie Tyler and Loverboy (because when I think of a silent movie, I think of Loverboy) as well as music created by Giorgio himself. Admirable as his attempts to bring this film to a new audience.

Well, hate to say it, but, I think he should have left it alone...

It's saddening to think that this incredible film would be edited or released this badly, especially by someone who clearly had all the right intentions in mind but, by a fault, didn't create a restored classic to the mainstream; he just created a giant music video. When you have all these songs that play along with the film for certain scenes. Namely the songs by Pat Benatar and Bonnie Tyler; the songs are just too love ballad-sounding and they don't fit the scene's subtlety that the original soundtrack gave it. It changes what can be assumed as a theme of Class system having to find a middle ground to becoming a contrived love story where the characters barely seem to have any time to develop themselves. However, seeing that this was released in 1984 and certain footage that would have helped the narrative was still unknown at the time, I guess I can sorta let it slide…but to a certain extent...

Hey again,

after re-watching some of Todd's videos again (yeah, call me fanboy somehow) I stumbled across the song "Who'd have known" (again) by Lily Allen. I remembered that it's quiet beginning caught my attention but somehow I didn't dwell on the song... strange, she sings nicely, I can relate to the theme, the producing isn't bad either... and of course, it got a piano! (which is my favourite instrument, mainly because I play it myself)

So, why didn't I fall for this song, had it replayed until I couldn't stand it anymore, just to discover it some months later again? These among under questions crossed my mind - until the chorus began.

"Are you mine?
Are you mine?
Cause I stay here all the time
Watching telly, drinking wine
Who'da known, who'da known
When you flash up on my phone
I'd no longer feel alone
No longer feel alone"

Wow. WAY to ruin some intense atmosphere. I mean, don't get me wrong: I like positive music, I like clear and direct words, and I have nothing against some kind of psychotic attitude (though Casper's "Can I keep you?" still is a bit too creepy).

Good news: I finally found a version of "F--k You!" I can enjoy.


It's the one by the clucking chickens in The Muppets.

Seriously though, I can just tell that song is going to be one of  those songs that stays in the back of everybody's minds, though strictly based on what I consider its memetic potential.

I really can't understand how Cee Lo Green has a career; then again, as this post's title may suggest, I'm a Smashing Pumpkins fan. Admittedly, his voice has gotten slightly less annoying to me lately; it's gone from "unbearable" to "ignorable," mostly thanks to the rise of the far more annoying Adele (who sings every note like she's drowning, and I don't care who knows that's what I think about her).

His voice aside, the fact that it is a neo-funk song that charted as high as it did (#2 on the Hot 100) is impressive in its own right; I for one haven't heard about any other songs in that style in the year-plus since its debut. Once I was able to listen to it beyond Cee Lo's voice, I was able to appreciate how unique it was/is for its time.

That being said, the lyrics are absolutely nothing special, and if it had just been titled and written as "Forget You" or "Screw You" (or anything else non-profane, for that matter), I highly doubt it would've been considered for a single release. It's a break-up song, pure and simple (and poorly-written).

I see you driving ’round town
With the girl I love and I’m like,
F--k you!
I guess the change in my pocket
Wasn’t enough, I’m like,
F--k you!

The singer's ex is apparently a gold digger, leaving him because didn't have enough moolah to fulfill her whims. That, or they've been living together for a while, he's been out of work for some time, too lazy or otherwise unable to find a job, and she couldn't take it anymore. There's no context given for the situation, so it could be shallow or it could be completely justified; so far, I don't have a reason to care.

I said, if I was richer, I’d still be with ya
Ha, now ain’t that some s--t? (ain’t that some s--t?)
And although there’s pain in my chest
I still wish you the best with a…
F--k you!

Again, on the surface, it looks like the woman's just being shallow, but without context, who's to say?
One point that people often cite when I ask about the appeal of this song is the sarcasm; the line "I still wish you the best with a f--k you!" is the only part I can find that uses legitimate sarcasm, through the verbal irony of claiming to "wish [her] the best" with an obscene tell-off.

Yeah I’m sorry I can’t afford a Ferrari,
But that don’t mean I can’t get you there.
I guess he’s an Xbox and I’m more Atari,
But the way you play your game ain’t fair.

 This is definitely the cleverest stanza, the Xbox/Atari comparison specifically. The plea of the first couplet is honest and touching -- assuming, of course, that the speaker has a good personality that he feels should overrule his empty pockets.

I pity the fool that falls in love with you
(Oh s--t she’s a gold digger)
Well
(Just thought you should know n-gga)

The first line implies that the singer feels that the woman had taken advantage of him during their time together, emphasized by the background line "she's a gold digger". The second background line seems to be addressing the woman's new lover, flippantly warning him about her ways.