On location in Portugal, a film crew runs out of film while making their own version of Roger Corman's Day the World Ended, The (1956). The producer is nowhere to be found and director Munro attempts to find him in hopes of being able to finish the film. viewer's comments: - One of my all time favorite This is one movie I've enjoyed seeing over and over.It's one of my all time favorite. The story is pretty simple; A filmmaker runs out of money while shooting in Portugal. He goes looking for his producer in Los Angeles to find out what is going on. This one of the most beautifully shot movie in black and white I've seen and it helps to set the overall atmosphere of the film. The cast is great and the story flows right along. Apart from a few lenghty scenes (wich is why I gave it a 9), you won't be disappointed.If you're interested at all about movie making don't miss this one. - A masterpiece of early Wenders and 1980s Los Angeles From the first time I saw it, this film resonated strongly on two levels; first, it is an excellent example of Wenders at his best: an almost dreamy progression of exactingly composed images, mysterious characters, a "story" which comes as close as film can to "truth", and for the cineastes in the audience, a complex dialogue with films of the past. But my second reason for loving this film is far more personal. As a teenager growing up in Hollywood during the early 1980s, I knew nothing about Wim Wenders or film history, but friends guided me to this film because of the soundtrack and the images at the end, inside an RV wandering aimlessly in Hollywood. This is, as far as I know, the first film to use either X or Joe Ely in the soundtrack. It also captures a lost city with amazing precision; almost every shot at the end contains some nostalgic element, from Tiny Naylor's drive-in to the Parisian Room, from Schwab's Pharmacy to the white smog in Laurel Canyon. This is a great film, but for Los Angelenos of my generation, it's a treasure-trove. - Classic Wenders! Not only is this film a classic - the short ends became Stranger Than Paradise making this film a true two-fer. A very anti-Hollywood film structured first as a kind of meditation and then turning into a great faux whodunit indictment of Hollywood itself. This won't make a lot of sense until you actually see the film - but see it you must if you are a true film afficianado. Ignore the ridiculous film geek influenced 7.3 rating - the actual rating of 7.7 is much more accurate. One of the films that made Wim Wenders great. - Wender's One Off This film was shot by Wenders while he was waiting for Coppola to get the financing to complete Hammett and his frustrations with that experience are clearly expressed here. It is a very personal film and, as such, I think one of his best. The end sequence in LA is classic. Shot in beautiful black and white, this is really a must see for any fan of the 'art film' in general and of Wenders' work in particular cast: Isabelle Weingarten .... Anna - Unforgettable I saw this film when I was in mid-20s in 1982. I viewed this film with Stanley Brock in Santa Monica, California. Stanley Brock was in the Actors Studio with one of the actors from "State of Things" - Allen Garfield. I have not seen the film again, but if I see it in the video store, I will rent it. The eerie black and white photography of the Portugal coastline creates the loneliness of the actors. I love that image of the coastline even 20 years later. I do remember Allen Garfield and Paul Getty in this film. Please see this film if you have the chance. - waiting for the end of the virtual world Between commercial successes like Paris Texas and Angels over Berlin, Wenders still manages to make the kind of seemingly irrelevant road movies such as Santiago and State of Things, that have made him the cult hero he is. Here a cheesy scifi B-movie is interrupted at a climatic scene to follow people just hanging around talking. Which is more cinematic is a question that comes back over and over again. Actively pursuing a life, no matter how mundane or screwed up, seems to be more rewarding than passively waiting to have someone else fulfill your fantasies, or so this film seems to hint. Good film for those still in love with non virtual reality. cast: Rebecca Pauly .... Joan Jeffrey Kime .... Mark Geoffrey Carey .... Robert Camilla More .... Julia Alexandra Auder .... Jane Patrick Bauchau .... Friedrich Munro Paul Getty Jr. .... Dennis Viva .... Kate Samuel Fuller .... Joe. Runtime: 120 minutes Country: Portugal / USA / West Germany Language: English / German with English subtitles Black and White
