Bavarian Film Studios in Munich

September 17, 2009 10:33 PM

Hitchcock's first in 1925. Kubrick in 1957. Sturges in 1963. Bergman, Huston, Ophüls, and Wilder. Sound of Music in 1965. Willy Wonka in 1971. Also, Monty Python made their Fliegender Zirkus specials there in 1971 and 1972. Film history and all that. Sure. But to my mind, the best part of the Bavarian Film Studios is being able to go inside the actual submarine from Das Boot. Or you can ride on that flying dog thing from Neverending Story... if that's how you roll.
posted by Brosef K (9 comments total)

Also made in film-friendly Bavaria: verschiedene Lederhosenfilme (NSFW) _{Wikipedia: Deutsch, Englisch.}
posted by dunkadunc at 12:59 AM on September 18, 2009

I just got back from studying for a semester in Munich, and I learned from my Thermodynamics professor that he had been one of the the puppeters working the head of Rock Biter in Neverending Story when he was in college. In true Bavarian fashion, I learned this over weissbier and brezn after our final exam, of course.

Never made it to the Filmstadt while I was there though, unfortunately. Next time, perhaps.
posted by JauntyFedora at 2:16 AM on September 18, 2009

I'm sorry mods, please delete my threadshitting and retract my flag (I didn't know that you couldn't unflag a post!). Upon further exploration I'd like to say thanks to Brosef K for bringing these two movies (I already knew the others) to my attention. Although I think it could have been done better, I'm aware now and it's thanks to your post.
Clips from the Pleasure Garden - The lecherous discomfort of men - check out the haunted single eye of the chorus girl at the end of the clip • Using a cigarette to avoid lecherous advances • Restorations 1 (more lecherous audience men) • 2 (compare this with the previous cigarette defence - nice one). Paths of Glory Ending [spoiler natch] - hard men of war reduced to tears.
posted by tellurian at 4:14 AM on September 18, 2009

Das Boot is my favorite war movie ever. German film has been the only "foreign" (sorry -- I hate that euphemism -- I know it's not foreign to Germans) language stuff I've consistently tried to watch, though I'm far from knowledgeable about the entire German oeuvre, I've loved what I've seen since the first time I saw M back in the early 70's. My dad had an 8" B&W tv, and I remember him hollering (I think I was 12?) "Hey, you should come watch this -- I hear it's supposed to be pretty good," from his living room, whereupon we both stared, riveted to that little thing for the duration. Christiane F. hit pretty hard in the 80's too.

I'd like to read more about why German film in particular developed as strongly as it did, as I really have no grounding in the history. I know Fassbinder is considered one of the greats, but haven't seen any of his movies. I had Berliner Alexanderplatz in my hand at the video store a while ago, but put it back down for some reason.
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:55 AM on September 18, 2009

Having been there, I have to say that I expected the studio to be larger and the submarine not to be as rusty (to be fair, it's exposed to the elements).
posted by oaf at 6:04 AM on September 18, 2009

"Or you can ride on that flying dog thing from Neverending Story... if that's how you roll."

Atreyu. *shudder!*
posted by markkraft at 6:36 AM on September 18, 2009

Naw, man. That's the stupid boy. FALCOR!
posted by graventy at 7:40 AM on September 18, 2009

When I first arrived in Munich, an older woman initiated a conversation with me (in English) on the u-bahn. She looked to be in her early 80's, but she was carrying a fold-up bike with her. She asked me if I was a mountain climber (based on the backpack I was wearing). I told her I'd climbed a few, but nothing technical or serious. She told me, apropos of nothing, that she had spent her entire career as a set designer for German films. Before I could pursue this, my stop had arrived. I regret to this day not staying on the train. You have to strike when the iron is hot, as they say. Those moments never come again.
posted by Brosef K at 9:24 AM on September 18, 2009

I got to go to these studios in the summer of 1990, just after my junior year of high school. About all I remember is thanks to the few photos I took of Neverending Story and Enemy Mine stuff, while we probably saw it, I don't remember the Das Boot sub. Probably hadn't seen that film yet, so wasn't as impressed as with the sci-fi/fantasy bits on display.
posted by djwudi at 3:26 PM on September 18, 2009