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Date Posted: 23:24:08 08/24/10 Tue
Author: Rick
Subject: Metropolis due on DVD & BD- 11/16

Digital Bits editor Bill Hunt


Now then... let's get right down to business: We're very pleased today to break the news that our friends over at Kino have just officially announced the DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of The Complete Metropolis on 11/16! Here's the full text of their press release...

"KINO LORBER IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF METROPOLIS

THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS

PREBOOK: OCTOBER 19, 2010
STREET DATE: NOVEMBER 16, 2010

YEAR: 1927 / 2010
GENRE: SCIENCE FICTION / CLASSIC

Metropolis takes place in 2026, when the populace is divided between workers who must live in the dark underground and the rich who enjoy a futuristic city of splendor. The tense balance of these two societies is realized through images that are among the most famous of the 20th century, many of which presage such sci-fi landmarks as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner. Lavish and spectacular, with elaborate sets and modern science fiction style, Metropolis stands today as the crowning achievement of the German silent cinema.

Kino International is proud to announce the DVD and long awaited first time ever Blu-ray release of the new restoration of Fritz Lang's 1927 science fiction masterpiece METROPOLIS, now with 25 minutes of lost footage and the original Gottfried Huppertz score. This new 147-minute version (being released as THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS), opened theatrically in April 2010 earning over $350,000 at the box office, and since it’s original restoration, has gone on to earn $1,000,000 in theatrical ticket sales!

When it was first screened in Berlin on January 10, 1927, the sci-fi epic ran an estimated 153 minutes. After its premiere engagement, in an effort to maximize the film's commercial potential, the film's distributors (UFA in Germany, Paramount in the U.S.) drastically shortened METROPOLIS, which had been a major disappointment at the German box office. By the time it debuted in the United States later that year, the film ran approximately 90 minutes (exact running times are difficult to determine because silent films were not always projected at a standardized speed).

METROPOLIS went on to become one of the cornerstones of science fiction cinema foreshadowing BLADE RUNNER and THE MATRIX to name just a few recent examples. Testament to its enduring popularity, the film has undergone restorations in 1984 and again in 1987. The 2001 restoration combined footage from four archives and ran at a triumphant 124 minutes. And at the time was widely believed that this would be the most complete version of Lang's film that contemporary audiences could ever hope to see. But, in the summer of 2008, the curator of the Buenos Aires Museo del Cine discovered a 16mm dupe negative that was considerably longer than any existing print. It included not merely a few additional snippets, but 25 minutes of "lost" footage (about a fifth of the film) that had not been seen since its 1927 debut in Berlin. The discovery of such a significant amount of material called for yet another restoration, carefully executed by Anke Wilkening of the Murnau Stiftung (Foundation) (the German institution that is the caretaker of virtually all pre 1945 German films), Martin Koerber, Film Department Curator of the Deutche Kinemateque and on the music side, by Frank Stoebel. Regarding the quality of the added footage Ms. Wilkening has said: "The work on the restoration teaches us once more that no restoration is ever definitive... Even if we are allowed for the first time to come as close to the first release as ever before, the new version will still remain an approach. The rediscovered sections which change the film's composition, and at the same time always be recognizable through their damages as those parts that had been lost for 80 years."

DVD ITEM#K690
UPC# 7 38329 06902 5
SRP: $29.95

DVD Features:

- Original 1927 score by Gottfried Huppertz, performed by the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, conducted by Frank Strobel presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround
- Limited Edition Collectible "O-Card" Packaging
- Voyage to Metropolis, a 50-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film
- Interview with Paula Felix-Didier, curator of the Museo del Cine, Buenos Aires, where the missing footage was discovered
- 2010 re-release trailer

BLU-RAY ITEM#K713
UPC# 7 38329 07132 5
SRP: $39.95

Blu-ray Features:

- Original 1927 score by Gottfried Huppertz, performed by the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, conducted by Frank Strobel presented in DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
- Limited Edition Collectible 3-D Lenticuar Box Packaging
- HD Video: 1920 x 1080p
- Voyage to Metropolis, a 50-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film (presented in HD)
- Interview with Paula Felix-Didier, curator of the Museo del Cine, Buenos Aires, where the missing footage was discovered
- 2010 re-release trailer

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Replies:

[> Re: Metropolis due on DVD & BD- 11/16 -- Tim, 02:18:08 08/25/10 Wed [1]

That is excellent news for film buffs who have been anticipating the DVD release of the definitive restored version of Fritz Lang's legendary cinematic masterpiece!

The Complete Metropolis, at 147 minutes, is probably as close as we will ever come to the 153 minute original from 1927, which was only seen during its premiere run in Germany before significant cuts were made. The bonus features look promising, and the price seems quite reasonable for both the standard DVD and Blue Ray formats.

The restoration was made possible by the discovery of lost footage in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2008. I first learned of that find at this forum, in the "Lost footage of Metropolis found" thread dated July 5, 2008.

Sergeant Tim


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[> Re: Metropolis due on DVD & BD- 11/16 -- Officer Torch, 07:54:31 08/25/10 Wed [1]

Obtained older version awhile back on VHS, then later, a not so great quality DVD. Thoroughly enjoyed this silent futuristic film, despite below par pix, scores, seemingly missing parts, etc.

I heard about re do awhile back with additional minutes, as Sgt.Tim pointed out, being discovered in Argentina. (One sometimes wonders about other movies with seemingly lost parts perhaps waiting to be discovered or remastered.)

Torch Jr. recently presented me with a Blu-Ray player as a gift. Not yet hooked up and a couple of discs await screening. Am noticing price/title availability in BD no prize yet. Hopefully, things will improve, soon.

Commander Rick mentioned some movies influenced by Metropolis. There were many.. including our Flash Gordon. I haven't seen Metro in awhile, but off top of the head, a few films or segments from them come to mind (and I stand corrected): 1984, Fahrenheit 451, She, The Phantom Empire, Logan's Run, etc, etc, etc.

The best I have of Metro is a 118 minute version which is so-so overall. (NOT a Kino product.) I have a couple Kino products, and I can say their A/V characteristics and completeness are hard to match. You won't be let down if Kino was involved in enhancement of old films. Sometimes, it might carry a different music score if a silent, but all else will be near perfect.

Thanks for the info Commander Rick, and also for informing our Sergeant Tim. Best Regards as always.


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