November 16, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 27 Silent film classic features ‘80s pop score by Dennis Seuling “Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis” (Kino Classics) is the 1984 makeover of the silent classic by Academy Award-winning composer Giorgio Moroder (“Midnight Express,” “Flashdance”). Working with film archives around the world, Moroder supervised a reconstruction of the 1927 Fritz Lang science fiction movie with color tinting, fewer inter-titles, and newly restored footage, and backed his new edition with a brand new score highlighted by pop songs from some of the biggest stars of the early MTV era: Freddie Mercury, Pat Benatar, Adam Ant, Bonnie Tyler, Loverboy, and others. The result is certainly an impressive effort, though the throbbing rock score often contrasts awkwardly with Lang’s impressive visuals. While the attempt to make this silent classic accessible to modern audiences is admirable, the original movie appears merely a minor ingredient in a grand plan to milk new profits from a decades-old product. The restored version had a theatrical run in the early 1980s followed by a release on VHS, but it has never been released on DVD or Blu-ray until now. Unfortunately, it still uses the 1984 print although a far superior restoration -- remarkably sharp - was released in 2002. The look, even in Blu-ray, is muddy and far from the quality viewers expect. The color tinting was done during the peak of the colorization craze, when too many black-and-white films of yesteryear were computer “painted” with watery hues that passed for full color. Special features include “The Fading Image,” a documentary about film preservation that goes behind the scenes of the restoration and includes an interview with Moroder. Also included are a photo gallery, original trailer, and a personal message from the composer. “Larry Crowne” (Universal Home Entertainment) draws upon today’s lagging unemployment statistics as a basis for romantic comedy. Larry (Tom Hanks) is a middle-aged man who has just lost his job. Attempting to arm himself with the education to improve his prospects, he enrolls in a sparsely attended public-speaking class at a local community college. The teacher, Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts), is about to exit a stale marriage. Mercedes is disillusioned and bitter. The stage is thus set for romantic sparks to ignite, and it’s no chore watching such pleasant screen personalities become attracted to each other. What does get in the way is a lot of forced sitcom business, such as the requisite wacky neighbors and Larry’s unlikely connection with a motorcycle gang. Hanks, who performs double duty as director and star, fails to infuse wit into what should be a light-as-a-feather romp and instead becomes a mirthless journey. Roberts usually shines in romantic comedies, but saddled with a not-so-funny script, it’s hard for her to save the movie. Even at a modest 99 minutes, the movie seems interminable. Extras on the Blu-ray and DVD editions include a making-of featurette and deleted scenes. “Farscape: The Complete Series” (A&E Home Entertainment) is a science-fiction look into a unique world from The Jim Henson Company. A fusion of live action, puppetry, prosthetics, and CGI, “Farscape” features striking alien life forms, razzledazzle special effects, offbeat humor, and memorable characters. The series chronicles the adventures of astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) who, after a freak accident, finds himself surrounded by hostile aliens and soaring through the cosmos aboard Moya, an extraordinary living space ship. Hunted by the relentless Peacekeepers, he allies himself with Moya’s crew -- Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black), Luxan warrior Ka D’Argo (Anthony Simcoe), priestess Zhaan (Virginia Hey), Nebari thief Chiana (Gigi Edgley), and A scene from Fritz Lang’s classic, ‘Metropolis,’ now available on Blu-ray with a score by Giorgio Moroder and songs by pop artists. Dominar Rygel, the deposed royal ruler of the Hynerian Empire and Pilot -- to search for a way home. The massive 20-disc Blu-ray box set contains 88 episodes and over 15 hours of bonus programming. Extras include 29 episode commentaries, the documentary “Memories of Moya: An Epic Journey Explored,” several featurettes, video profiles with archival clips and cast and crew discussing their roles, deleted scenes, pro- duction design galleries, and behind-thescenes interviews. “My Fair Lady” (Paramount Home Entertainment), the 1964 Best Picture Academy Award winner, is making its bow on Blu-ray. This film is the musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” adapted for the screen from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s Broadway hit. Arrogant linguistics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) bets his colleague that he can turn a Cockney flower peddler, Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), into the toast of English society simply by changing the way she speaks. After several lessons, he finds that not only has his pupil become a sophisticated lady embraced by the highest echelons of society, she also has a few lessons for him. Directed by George Cukor, the film is a faithful adaptation of the stage musical, with the entire score intact. Cecil Beaton’s production design and costumes give the period film a lush, sumptuous look. When the film was originally cast, Julie Andrews -- who had originated the role of Eliza on Broadway -- was passed over in favor of Hepburn because of the latter’s star power, and there was a huge outcry from critics and moviegoers. Hepburn, however, does a fine job, particularly in the latter part of the (continued on Crossword page)