World on a Wire

Legendary German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder made this stylish Sci-Fi film for the German TV. A computer programmer finds himself entangled with a sinister corporation that has created a virtual world that resembles the real one where people disappear without trace. Based on the novel by Daniel F. Galouye, Fassbinder has created a smart Sci-Fi film that was ahead of its time and makes more sense now after the invention of the internet and virtual reality than it did when it was released. The stylish retro look of the film is another asset for this visionary time capsule that stars Klaus Löwitsch leading an ensemble cast of Fassbinder regulars. While it may not be known as Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," Godard's "Alphaville," or Tarkovsky's "Solaris," it definitely belongs in that category of films by visionary directors. 1001 Films' coverage of films on DVD.