Metropolis at DVinfo.net

Frank Granovski · March 4th, 2003, 09:04 PM

Has anyone seen the new restored 35mm print Metropolis? The running time is 124 minutes. Any comments? I'm thinking of seeing this new version. It's playing at Cinematheque here in Downtown Vancouver.

Keith Loh · March 4th, 2003, 09:40 PM

Ah, thanks for the reminder.

Speaking of robots, Robert Wise's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was just released on DVD.

Ken Tanaka · March 4th, 2003, 10:01 PM

Two of my favorites! I've both on laserdisc but didn't realize that they were being released on DVD. Gotta go to amazon now.

Dylan Couper · March 4th, 2003, 10:57 PM

Keith, want to take a sick day and catch a matinee of Metropolis later this week? :)

Robert Knecht Schmidt · March 4th, 2003, 11:15 PM

I saw the new Metrolopolis print at the 28th CWRU Science Fiction Marathon in January.

The mediator between the hands and the brain must be the heart!

Out of all the interesting visuals in that film, the one that stands out most in my mind are the quirky head and eye tics Brigitte Helm affects as the robot clone.

Film purist objections notwithstanding, I think the movie would be much improved--sped up if nothing else--if the title cards were just turned into subtitles. Sufficiently talented voiceover performers could even redub the original German dialogue spoken by the actors. It's just such a chore to watch lines being mouthed and then have to read title cards; I'd much rather just read subtitles to German, or even subtitles to silence, than have to repeat every line of dialogue in the movie twice.

Keith Loh · March 4th, 2003, 11:31 PM

Dylan, I'm taking next week off to finish Umbrella Killa.

Dylan Couper · March 5th, 2003, 10:46 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Keith Loh : Dylan, I'm taking next week off to finish Umbrella Killa. -->>>

:0
Surely this is one of the signs of the Apocalypse!

Today is the last day for Metropolis anyway. I'll just get it on DVD.
Want to take a morning next week and go do some practice shooting in Stanley park or around downtown for a couple hours?

Glenn Moore III · March 7th, 2003, 10:06 AM

R.K.S.: I don't know about the title cards idea, but maybe if it was a double sided disc...besides, we should appreciate the title cards; if they had decent subtitles in the pre-sound ere, The Jass Singer (and every other talkie) would have been delayed by probably 15 more years.

Frank Granovski · March 7th, 2003, 01:33 PM

Darn! I didn't get to go see it due to a screwed-up upper back from spending too much time on the computer; plus my other, cat commitments interfered with the March 5th showing. (I look after 3 cats. I inject them with solution, and shove pills down their throats. Sweet little creatures---one's 22 years old!)

The Day the Earth Stood Still? That's one of the best ones ever made. But then there's always Barbarella. :D

Dylan Couper · March 7th, 2003, 03:40 PM

<<<-- The Day the Earth Stood Still? That's one of the best ones ever made. But then there's always Barbarella. :D -->>>

Don't forget Flesh Gordon!

Frank Granovski · March 7th, 2003, 11:33 PM

I only caught bits and pieces of flesh. One of these days I'll have to watch the whole thing through...when I'm feeling a bit strange.

Tim Joseph · March 8th, 2003, 05:20 PM

I saw metropolis over thanksgiving weekend in Detroit. Lucky for me it was showing when i was back visiting family. It didn't come to Central Florida at all! It was an amazing experience. I would HIGHLY recommend getting it on DVD. I have the old dirty DVD and the difference is amazing.

Ken Tanaka · March 29th, 2003, 11:34 PM

Boy do I agree. I just saw the restored Metropolis (DVD) and it is absolutely the finest restoration I've ever seen. Comparing my old copy (on laserdisc) with this version is jaw-dropping. It's such a shame that 25% of the film was irretrievably lost. Still, anyone interested in film history should really find an opportunity to see this.

Robert Knecht Schmidt · March 30th, 2003, 12:31 AM

Another film that gets a restoration treatment every score or so when new 'lost' footage is discovered in some distant vault is Frank Capra's Shangri-La adaptation Lost Horizon (1937). Interesting film--no less hamhandedly moralizing than Metropolis (1927), but still a shame to see such big chunks of it probably gone forever.

Ditto for the epic Nazi-produced version of Münchhausen (1943).

Simon Plissi · March 30th, 2003, 06:18 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Robert Knecht Schmidt : Another film that gets a restoration treatment every score or so when new 'lost' footage is discovered in some distant vault is Frank Capra's Shangri-La adaptation Lost Horizon (1937). Interesting film--no less hamhandedly moralizing than Metropolis (1927), but still a shame to see such big chunks of it probably gone forever.

Ditto for the epic Nazi-produced version of Münchhausen (1943). -->>>

The last time I say Lost Horizon the missing footage was replaced by stills with the audio over the top. I quite liked the effect, though it did make the film hard to watch, since it breaks up the flow.

I found the 1943 Münchhausen version quite impressive. I only ever saw it once, just after the release of Gilliam's Munchausen film, which I'm not keen on, it's like a bad panto. The 1943 version is definitely lavish and stylish, with a far better take on the Munchausen story, shame it's pedigree is so disagreeable, otherwise it would be better known.

The scene I've always remembered is the shooting dual in the darkened room. Damn, I really would like to see the film again.

March 4th, 2003, 09:04 PM	#1
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Metropolis Has anyone seen the new restored 35mm print Metropolis? The running time is 124 minutes. Any comments? I'm thinking of seeing this new version. It's playing at Cinematheque here in Downtown Vancouver.

March 4th, 2003, 09:40 PM	#2
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	Ah, thanks for the reminder. Speaking of robots, Robert Wise's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was just released on DVD. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

March 4th, 2003, 10:01 PM	#3
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Two of my favorites! I've both on laserdisc but didn't realize that they were being released on DVD. Gotta go to amazon now. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

March 4th, 2003, 10:57 PM	#4
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Keith, want to take a sick day and catch a matinee of Metropolis later this week? :) __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

March 4th, 2003, 11:15 PM	#5
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	I saw the new Metrolopolis print at the 28th CWRU Science Fiction Marathon in January. The mediator between the hands and the brain must be the heart! Out of all the interesting visuals in that film, the one that stands out most in my mind are the quirky head and eye tics Brigitte Helm affects as the robot clone. Film purist objections notwithstanding, I think the movie would be much improved--sped up if nothing else--if the title cards were just turned into subtitles. Sufficiently talented voiceover performers could even redub the original German dialogue spoken by the actors. It's just such a chore to watch lines being mouthed and then have to read title cards; I'd much rather just read subtitles to German, or even subtitles to silence, than have to repeat every line of dialogue in the movie twice. __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

March 4th, 2003, 11:31 PM	#6
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	Dylan, I'm taking next week off to finish Umbrella Killa. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

March 5th, 2003, 10:46 AM	#7
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	<<<-- Originally posted by Keith Loh : Dylan, I'm taking next week off to finish Umbrella Killa. -->>> :0 Surely this is one of the signs of the Apocalypse! Today is the last day for Metropolis anyway. I'll just get it on DVD. Want to take a morning next week and go do some practice shooting in Stanley park or around downtown for a couple hours? __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

March 7th, 2003, 10:06 AM	#8
Glenn Moore III New Boot Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 18	re: film purists R.K.S.: I don't know about the title cards idea, but maybe if it was a double sided disc...besides, we should appreciate the title cards; if they had decent subtitles in the pre-sound ere, The Jass Singer (and every other talkie) would have been delayed by probably 15 more years. __________________ -Glenn III

March 7th, 2003, 01:33 PM	#9
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Darn! I didn't get to go see it due to a screwed-up upper back from spending too much time on the computer; plus my other, cat commitments interfered with the March 5th showing. (I look after 3 cats. I inject them with solution, and shove pills down their throats. Sweet little creatures---one's 22 years old!) The Day the Earth Stood Still? That's one of the best ones ever made. But then there's always Barbarella. :D

March 7th, 2003, 03:40 PM	#10
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	<<<-- The Day the Earth Stood Still? That's one of the best ones ever made. But then there's always Barbarella. :D -->>> Don't forget Flesh Gordon! __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

March 7th, 2003, 11:33 PM	#11
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	I only caught bits and pieces of flesh. One of these days I'll have to watch the whole thing through...when I'm feeling a bit strange.

March 8th, 2003, 05:20 PM	#12
Tim Joseph Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 35	I saw metropolis over thanksgiving weekend in Detroit. Lucky for me it was showing when i was back visiting family. It didn't come to Central Florida at all! It was an amazing experience. I would HIGHLY recommend getting it on DVD. I have the old dirty DVD and the difference is amazing. __________________ =================== Scheezo Have Camera, Will Travel-

March 29th, 2003, 11:34 PM	#13
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Boy do I agree. I just saw the restored Metropolis (DVD) and it is absolutely the finest restoration I've ever seen. Comparing my old copy (on laserdisc) with this version is jaw-dropping. It's such a shame that 25% of the film was irretrievably lost. Still, anyone interested in film history should really find an opportunity to see this. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

March 30th, 2003, 12:31 AM	#14
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	Another film that gets a restoration treatment every score or so when new 'lost' footage is discovered in some distant vault is Frank Capra's Shangri-La adaptation Lost Horizon (1937). Interesting film--no less hamhandedly moralizing than Metropolis (1927), but still a shame to see such big chunks of it probably gone forever. Ditto for the epic Nazi-produced version of Münchhausen (1943). __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

March 30th, 2003, 06:18 PM	#15
Simon Plissi Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 105	<<<-- Originally posted by Robert Knecht Schmidt : Another film that gets a restoration treatment every score or so when new 'lost' footage is discovered in some distant vault is Frank Capra's Shangri-La adaptation Lost Horizon (1937). Interesting film--no less hamhandedly moralizing than Metropolis (1927), but still a shame to see such big chunks of it probably gone forever. Ditto for the epic Nazi-produced version of Münchhausen (1943). -->>> The last time I say Lost Horizon the missing footage was replaced by stills with the audio over the top. I quite liked the effect, though it did make the film hard to watch, since it breaks up the flow. I found the 1943 Münchhausen version quite impressive. I only ever saw it once, just after the release of Gilliam's Munchausen film, which I'm not keen on, it's like a bad panto. The 1943 version is definitely lavish and stylish, with a far better take on the Munchausen story, shame it's pedigree is so disagreeable, otherwise it would be better known. The scene I've always remembered is the shooting dual in the darkened room. Damn, I really would like to see the film again.

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