The Complete METROPOLIS is finally here!

[ckulik]

I'm sure many of you are aware, but Fritz Lang's complete version of his sci-fi masterpiece METROPOLIS will be doing the rounds this summer before premiering on DVD and Blu-ray in NOVEMBER by Kino. This is the closest thing we will ever experience of Lang's 1927 premiere in Germany before the 153-minute print got horribly butchered in America. In 2008, they found a badly deteriorated copy in Buenos Aires, Argentina; after a 2-year restoration costing $850,000, it's now complete for audiences to see (only a couple of minor shots/scenes weren't salvagable). In February of this year, it was finally unveiled in Berlin to a tremendous reception. In America it will be shown in these select cities...

HUNTINGTON, NY --- May 7-13
LOS ANGELES, CA --- May 14
CLEVELAND, OH --- May 21-23 (I'm driving from Virginia to this one simply because its the closest!)
DETROIT, MI --- June 11-20
ROCHESTER, NY --- June 26-27
ITHACA, NY --- June 26
SAN FRANCISCO, CA ---July 16
MONTREAL, QUEBEC --- July 28
TAMPA, FL --- Aug 29
ANN ARBOR, MI --- Sept 12-14

The trailer is available at Apple, Youtube and Kino's website (http://www.kino.com/metropolis). For true cinephiles, this is something you don't want to miss! Plan ahead!

[Andrew Forbes]

MONTREAL, QUEBEC --- July 28

Gabe, you lucky bastard.

[Gabriel Girard]

MONTREAL, QUEBEC --- July 28

Gabe, you lucky bastard.

Nice... Their's no info on the site about where it'll be playing though.

[ckulik]

MONTREAL, QUEBEC --- July 28

Gabe, you lucky bastard.

Nice... Their's no info on the site about where it'll be playing though.

It's going to be at the Fantasia International Film Festival!

[Gabriel Girard]

MONTREAL, QUEBEC --- July 28

Gabe, you lucky bastard.

Nice... Their's no info on the site about where it'll be playing though.

It's going to be at the Fantasia International Film Festival!

Yeah i saw that. I meant venue and time. The Festival ends on the 27th this will probably be the closing event - so maybe an outside projection?

[Selk]

I fell in love with Metropolis in 1994. It opened my eyes to the whole world of early German cinema. I own three copies of the film, the strangest being a 1984 reissue from Vestron Video with a soundtrack that included songs by Freddy Mercury, Bonnie Tyler and Loverboy. It was as strange as it sounds.

[HGervais]

I fell in love with Metropolis in 1994. It opened my eyes to the whole world of early German cinema. I own three copies of the film, the strangest being a 1984 reissue from Vestron Video with a soundtrack that included songs by Freddy Mercury, Bonnie Tyler and Loverboy. It was as strange as it sounds.

Was that the Giorgio Moroder version? I remember seeing that.
Vestron Video <sigh>

[Selk]

Was that the Giorgio Moroder version? I remember seeing that.

Oddly enough, the movie hasn't dated but that score and all those songs have. I remember I liked it at the time.

Vestron Video <sigh>

I remember Vestron as being on of the first home video distribution companies. That was an early-80s thing. I think Warner Brothers eventually soaked it up.

[HGervais]

Yeah Vestron was early VHS days. I worked in a Mom & Pop video store in the early 1980s and Vestron was one of the big "little" video companies.

[Selk]

Yeah Vestron was early VHS days. I worked in a Mom & Pop video store in the early 1980s and Vestron was one of the big "little" video companies.

I remember during that time tehre was one company, I think it was Warners, that had these huge video cassette boxes. It opened the front and the tape was nested in this little plastic holder.

[HGervais]

Yeah Vestron was early VHS days. I worked in a Mom & Pop video store in the early 1980s and Vestron was one of the big "little" video companies.

I remember during that time tehre was one company, I think it was Warners, that had these huge video cassette boxes. It opened the front and the tape was nested in this little plastic holder.

It's funny you mention that because when I think of that time the Warner packaging is exactly the thing I most associate with it.

[Selk]

It's funny you mention that because when I think of that time the Warner packaging is exactly the thing I most associate with it.

It was a grey box with red stripes, I remember those. Reminded me of the box for the E.T. Atari game.

I have a copy of The Wall in one of those boxes. The back of the box doesn't have a description of the film but rather a list of "upcoming releases".

I also remember about 1990, Paramount was trying to get creative with their tapes. The tape for Ghost was light grey, the tape for The Hunt for Red October was red and the tapes for The Godfather Part III were gold. That didn't last long.

The WORST video distribution company was Good Times Video. They seemed to specialize in putting films on video that were such poor quality that you could hardly see them. I remember getting a copy of Metropolis from GT Video with a quality that looked like it had been buried in the ground and then run over by a truck. Yick!

[Kenneth Morgan]

A few years ago, I saw what was then the most complete print (one from the F.W. Murnau Foundation); it was missing some scenes, but the print was good. Best of all, it was shown with a live music score from a vintage Wurlitzer non-electronic organ. It was a great experience.

I'll have to see if I can make it to one of the showings. I wish they were closer to NJ or PA, though.

[Selk]

There is a version that runs over 2 hours. It is the one that came out in 2001 that incorporates all available footage. It was about 40 minutes longer than any version I had ever seen. I was quite surprised at how the extra scenes fleshed out the story. I can't wait to see the complete version.

One thing worries me: Those new scenes shown in the trailer are grainy and hard to see. I hope that the finished version doesn't look like that.

[booklover]

Also playing at the Film Forum in Manhattan from May 7- 20.
http://www.filmforum.org/films/metropolis.html

[ckulik]

More dates were added yesterday!!!

SAN DIEGO, CA --- June 4
BROOKLINE, MA --- June 4
MINNEAPOLIS, MN --- June 4
DENVER, CO --- Jun 11
PHILADELPHIA, PA --- July 23
ST. LOUIS, MI --- July 23
COLUMBUS, OH --- Aug 7-8
KANSAS CITY, MO --- Aug 6
SCHENECTADY, NY --- Sep 26-27

I have a feeling this won't be the last update, so keep checking www.kino.com/metropolis.

[Andrew Forbes]

One thing worries me: Those new scenes shown in the trailer are grainy and hard to see. I hope that the finished version doesn't look like that.

Don't get your hopes up. I'm willing to bet that some of the reinserted footage looks worse. There is only so much you can do to salvage damaged material, and Kino isn't exactly Warner Bros. when it comes to restoration budgets. I would rather see the footage in that condition than not at all.

[Selk]

Don't get your hopes up. I'm willing to bet that some of the reinserted footage looks worse. There is only so much you can do to salvage damaged material, and Kino isn't exactly Warner Bros. when it comes to restoration budgets. I would rather see the footage in that condition than not at all.

The most distressing news about the restoration was that most of the footage was further gone then they had hoped. One scene, I know, was at the end of one of the reels and was so far-gone that they couldn't restore it.

I'm not expecting it to look pristine, but I'd be happy with whatever they have.

[J.M. Vargas]

Also playing at the Film Forum in Manhattan from May 7- 20.
http://www.filmforum.org/films/metropolis.html

That's where I saw the previously-completed version (the one on the Kino DVD). I'm going back for (more complete) seconds this weekend!

[Selk]

I saw the Kino DVD edition not long ago and I was surprised at how long it was. Don't get me wrong, I loved spending the extra time and it made me curious to see what's left in the restored version.

[Gabriel Girard]

MONTREAL, QUEBEC --- July 28

Gabe, you lucky bastard.

Just bought my ticket

[Boba Fett]

It's playing in Portland for another week. I'll probably go check it out Tuesday.

[Andrew Forbes]

MONTREAL, QUEBEC --- July 28

Gabe, you lucky bastard.

Just bought my ticket

Rebel scum.

[ramkumar]

METROPOLIS is sounds to be promising sci-fi project, thanks for sharing these dates.

[the5thghostbuster]

METROPOLIS is sounds to be promising sci-fi project, thanks for sharing these dates.

Actually, these were from last year, but the completed film is now available on DVD Blu Ray, and (at least in Canada) netflix, so plenty of places to watch.