IMDb > The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
The Thirteenth Floor
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The Thirteenth Floor (1999) More at IMDbPro »

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The Thirteenth Floor (1999) -- Open-ended Trailer from Columbia
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Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   17,892 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 15% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Josef Rusnak
Writers:
Daniel F. Galouye (book)
Josef Rusnak (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Thirteenth Floor on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 May 1999 (USA) more
Tagline:
Question reality. You can go there even though it doesn't exist.
Plot:
Computer scientist Hannon Fuller has discovered something extremely important. He's about to tell the discovery to his colleague... more | full synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(17 articles)
Three “2012″ TV Spots
 (From Filmofilia. 27 October 2009, 3:19 AM, PDT)

More Hi-Res “2012″ Photos
 (From Filmofilia. 21 September 2009, 1:59 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
intriguing, thoughtful sci-fi thriller more (259 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Abwärts in die Zukunft (Germany) (TV title)
The 13th Floor (USA) (alternative spelling)
13. kerros (Finland) [fi]
13:e våningen (Sweden) [sv]
13F (Japan) [ja]
El piso 13 (Argentina) [es]
Etajul 13 (Romania) [ro]
Il tredicesimo piano (Italy) [it]
Le Treizième étage (Canada: French title) [fr]
Nivel 13 (Spain) [es]
Nivell 13 (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
O 13º Andar (Portugal) (video title) [pt]
Passé virtuel (France) [fr]
Trinaesti sprat (Serbia) [sr]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for violence and language.
Runtime:
100 min
Country:
Germany | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The science fiction novel Simulacron-3 was also published under the title Counterfeit World, it was first published in 1964 by Daniel F. Galouye in the United States, and is one of the first literary descriptions of virtual reality. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The message left on Douglas Hall's answering machine clearly doesn't match the earlier scene where Fuller records it. more
Quotes:
Hannon Fuller: [First lines] Ignorance is bliss. For the first time in my life, I agree. more
Movie Connections:
Features You Can't Take It with You (1938) more
Soundtrack:
Bugle Call Rag more

FAQ

***SPOILER*** Is the world at the end a simulation?
more
50 out of 53 people found the following comment useful.
intriguing, thoughtful sci-fi thriller, 21 February 2000
Author: Roland E. Zwick (magneteach@aol.com) from United States

As the last millennium comes to a close and a new one opens, the science fiction genre seems to have latched onto a brand new narrative format - the cyber/techno thriller, wherein characters are free to wander in and out of virtual reality worlds and are even forced to call into question the validity of the world we have hitherto smugly referred to as "reality."

In 1999 alone, this theme has been explored in "The Matrix", "eXistenZ" and "The Thirteenth Floor." Actually, of the three, this is probably the most intriguing, intelligent and involving, successfully combining the elements of a whodunit with a clever sci-fi tale of a group of characters who drift in and out of a simulated version of Los Angeles in 1937. The plot, though complex, is spun out with coherence and ever-increasing clarity as the layers of information are slowly peeled back to reveal the larger picture. The filmmakers manage to create a sense of unbalance in the audience as we and the characters become more and more unclear as to what is reality and what is a simulation. Because the writers never lose their way, the result is a work of considerable mystery and intrigue.

In terms of art direction and cinematography, the film is a total triumph. The Los Angeles of 1937 the moviemakers have visualized on screen actually has a slight studio backlot, artificial feel to it - perfectly befitting just the kind of world a simulator would create. The photography in these sections also utilizes a slightly off color cast, nicely reflecting the tone found in color pictures of that era.

"The Thirteenth Floor" may not be a very "deep" movie, but it is an honorable addition to a newly formed genre that has not yet had time to ossify in its own conventions. Time alone will tell if filmmakers will be able to expand on this theme or whether, as with most genres, it will fall victim to its own inevitable cliches.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Paris? (SPOILERS) Look-sthlm
Who was Bridget? stadler-3
Dark City, Thirteenth Floor, or Matrix? B-J-C
Why? bdunlap-2
Hall's Apt. Fight_Clubber
Why no other personnel in the VR building? DanDV
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