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Spielbank-Affäre (1957)
Color
This movie was filmed in color, but the color version was released only outside East-Germany. For political reasons, the copies for East-Germany were in black and white, to prevent, that West-Germany (as shown in this movie) could look too good. In West-Germany, the film title was "Parkplatz zur großen Sehnsucht". The format was 35 mm, color (in East German cinemas black & white) and 1:2,35 (anamorphotic)/ or 1:1,66 As I know, the East-German version has an additional final scene, where a narrator spoke a commentary to explain, that this is an example, how bad the western capitalism is. So this movie had two functions, to get foreign currencies by exporting to West Germany and to prevent, that West Germany may attract the East German population.
Madagascar (2005)
Great movie - good entertainment
The first time I heard about this movie was, as I found a trailer on the Shrek DVD. Unless that these Shrek DVD was for Europe, the trailer showed the time of first release (in USA!). So I waited, and waited, and waited - and then they announced Madagascar for Europe. I could see this movie, some weeks later I could buy the DVD, because you can enjoy the movie more than one time. It's funny. The style is a bit unusual, when I compare with Shrek, Jimmy Neutron, Monsters inc. etc. but it works and gives to the movie a special charm. I guess, the makers of "Madagascar" are a little inspired by the french cartoon series "Wild instinct", because some similarities. It's a movie I can recommend at all, it can impress in cinema and on DVD (and this is not always granted, some movies disappoint outside cinemas).
Das Schulgespenst (1987)
Not really entertainment
My experience with the movie "Schulgespenst" is, it did work middling in the country and in the circumstances where it made (East-Germany before 1990). This movie is made for children, but it shows so many things, hard to explain to today's children. There are many East-German movies, underlining so extremely where they made, that I initially thought, "Schulgespenst" would be pretty neutral. This was also related to the fact, that the East-German population usually ignored the banners with the statements how great socialism is (was important to remember the population always, because they "forgot" it so easily). So I didn't notice the banners in the movie too and was later in a free, united Germany surprised, how "East German" this movie was (in 1990 was no reason to ignore this kind of banners, because no one was interested in glorifying autocracies anymore). Indepedently from these circumstances, I can confess, that this movie never made me really laugh. But I can understand, why this movie is pretty limited. Autocracies made it not easy to make good movies. Artists, directors etc. were excellent educated, but there were so many other factors as budget (it's in Europe still low, but much more in countries like "East-Germany") or that the script author is not allowed to write, what he wants (has to care for the censor's request and if he don't care enough, "someone" gave "suggestions" for modifications). East-Germany was able to make good footage, but they used this footage for getting US- dollars. Maybe you noticed in East-German shows and movies jokes, that aren't funny. Most of these jokes weren't able to make East-Germans laugh, the comedians did it on special "request". In East-German entertainment it was so, that government's needs has priority (and not the audience's one), so the East-German artists were requested to do things, they never did of own free will or if they take the audience seriously, they got trouble. About "Schulgespenst" I have mixed emotions. In knowing, that the makers of this movie couldn't do what they really want, I can't really judge this movie. But on the other hand, I can everyone understand, feeling disappointed by this movie and I agree with others, that it wouldn't be a good idea to recommend this movie as entertainment. I would wish, that someone takes this story and tries to make a better movie.