Any fans of Wim Wenders here? I figure his themes would go over well with hippies and peace lovers, but with an edge of stark realism. He made his biggest splash in the mid 80s with his Americana motif ("Paris, Texas") where he viewed the sprawl of American urbanisation through the almost childlike wonder of European eyes. I recently re-watched his 1999 "Million Dollar Hotel" which has a similar approach. It's set in the seedy district of Los Angeles tucked away under the mirrored skyscrapers & shiny skyline, where a dilapidated old hotel is the setting for a bunch of weirdos & outcasts wrapped up in a murder investigation. It's almost a dark comedy, although I think a lot of audiences missed that part and ended up confused. But the cast is brilliant, the story is charming and the visuals are 1st rate. He went for the Edward Hopper look (that painting "Nighthawks" that we've all seen, showing a bunch of lonely people in a dark cafe). Might be my new fave Wim Wenders flick. Until I watch the next one... Here's the opening scene. The camera was shot from a helicopter that circled the city and lowered in front of the hotel sign framing the city perfectly. I hope they got it on the 1st take, because it would've been hell to do it over
