AELITA - THE QUEEN OF MARS (1924) :
A mysterious radio message is beamed around the world, and among the engineers who receive it are Los, the hero, and his colleague Spiridonov. Los is an individualist dreamer. Aelita is the daughter of Tuskub, the ruler of a totalitarian state on Mars in which the working class are put into cold storage when they are not needed. With a telescope, Aelita is able to watch Los. As if by telepathy, Los obsesses about being watched by her. After some hugger-mugger involving the murder of his wife and a pursuing detective, Los takes the identity of Spiridonov and builds a spaceship. With the revolutionary Gusev, he travels to Mars, but the Earthlings and Aelita are thrown into prison by the dictator. Gusev and Los begin a proletarian uprising, and Aelita offers to lead the revolution, but she then establishes her own totalitarian regime. Los is shocked by this development and attempts to stop Aelita, and then reality and fantasy become confused, and Los discovers what has really happened.
DVD-R has French intertitles with switchable English and Spanish subtitles. Approx. 80 mins. See film sample for audio and video quality!
A MESSAGE FROM MARS (1913):
Horace Parker is an exceedingly self-centered, wealthy man. Not only is he a miser, but he also expects everyone else to conduct their lives according to his personal convenience. Parker is engaged to Minnie Templer, but Minnie has discovered Parker's selfishness and she is on the brink of calling off the engagement. On Christmas Eve, however, a messenger from Mars comes to Earth to show Parker the error of his ways. The two of them become invisible and eavesdrop on all the terrible – and true – things Parker's friends and family are saying about him.
DVD-R has English intertitles with hard-encoded French subtitles. Approx. 59 mins. See film sample for audio and video quality!