Welt am Draht 

Somewhere in the future there is a computer project called Simulacron one of which is able to simulate a full featured reality, when suddenly project leader Henry Vollmer dies. His ... See full summary »

Stars:

Klaus Löwitsch, Barbara Valentin, Mascha Rabben

1 win.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Klaus Löwitsch	...	Fred Stiller unknown episodes

Storyline

Somewhere in the future there is a computer project called Simulacron one of which is able to simulate a full featured reality, when suddenly project leader Henry Vollmer dies. His successor Dr. Fred Stiller experiences odd phenomena. A good friend, Guenther Lause, disappears in the middle of a conversation and a week later nobody has ever heard of him. And those fits of dizzyness - Stiller cannot believe himself to be fool. There has to be an explanation for all this. Could Simulacron have something to do with it?

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Plot Keywords:

future | computer | mysterious death | cybernetics | research institute | 

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

14 October 1973 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

World on a Wire

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 950,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

205 min (2 parts)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot on 16 millimeter film in about six weeks.

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Goofs

One shot is fired at a car, yet three bullet holes are then seen in the windscreen (2hr 50m).

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Quotes

Fred Stiller: Here's a riddle I came across: imagine a drawing of a Greek warrior holding a spear looking to his right and taking a step. With a turtle going the same way. First, does that ring a bell? Ever seen such a drawing?
Franz Hahn: Me? What's this all about?
Fred Stiller: Vollmer left me this drawing. Does it mean anything to you?
Franz Hahn: Bizarre, if you ask me.
Fred Stiller: Bizarre, sure. Does it remind you of anything?
Franz Hahn: Maybe.
Fred Stiller: What?
Franz Hahn: Zeno.
Fred Stiller: Zeno?
Franz Hahn: Yes. Zeno's paradox. Achilles and the tortoise. Achilles tries to overtake the tortoise, but cannot. ...
[...]

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Connections

References Dishonored (1931)

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Soundtracks

Café Mozart Waltz
Music: Anton Karas
Courtesy Chappell & Co.

User Reviews

Best movie I ever saw - why not on VHS, DVD?

One of the best movies I ever saw - a classic "Matrix" movie. For many years, I have been trying to get it on VHS or DVD - to no avail. The German movie/TV industry still prefers to let valuable cultural contributions (and this is Fassbinder, after all!) rot away and collect dust in some archive rather than distribute it commercially (and make a lot of money with it if that is what stimulates them instead of the promotion of creative thinking). Though, the WDR once told me if I paid DM 200.00 to check the copyright (non-reimbursable), and then DM 8 per minute of copying, plus the cost for the materials, then they will consider preparing a (single!) copy for me. Some way to sell something! The same problem we have with many other TV movies or series like "So weit die Füße tragen", "Sonntagseltern", "Kellerkinder", and others. Excellent TV series - never to be heard of again. Germany, wake up!

UPDATE from March 2007: Last year, I finally could get a DVD copy from the "Mittschnittservice" of the WDR for about 50+ Euro. Great!