8 / BD 16 Metropolis

[Tommaso]

Received my set yesterday, and agree on the packaging. Very great indeed. I only briefly looked at the film itself, so I won't comment on the image quality of the dvd, though it would be interesting to know whether it's different for better or for worse compared to the older version which I don't have anymore (yes, the blu is obviously better than anything we've ever seen, but I'm still interested in whether the cramming of all this stuff onto one dvd makes a visible difference to the older disc, especially in sharpness; too bad the Beaver and other sites only compare the blu to the older releases, which is pretty pointless if you really want a comparison of the dvds).

What I can already say is that the booklet is gorgeous. All the essays are fascinating and insightful, best of all perhaps the extended account of the troubles Mrs. Felix-Didier had to undergo to be taken serious by the people at FWMS. And there's also fantastic photo material in it, including a photo of what looks like an improvised jazz session with Lang playing drums and Brigitte Helm playing the saxophone.

[TheGodfather]

Watched it a few days ago and this is the best version of the film I`ve seen so far. As said in the commentary, the story makes more sense now. It`s better balanced.
I watched the Journey to Metropolis documentary today: very educational. too bad it was only 55 minutes

[Yojimbo]

I had watched my new DVD last night, but I was dozing off a lot, for tiredness reasons, so I decided to watch it again tonight, but with commentary this time, and I loved it.
I hated the Moroder version, which was my first exposure to it, more than a quarter of a century ago; I liked it much more when I got to see a version issued with a UK newspaper a couple of years back, but this is a whole new ball game.

I might watch the newspaper version again, and follow it up with this version shortly afterwards, to see just how much it improves the narrative and structure, but, even if it doesn't make a huge difference, taken in isolation of the individual parts, overall the film was so much more fun to watch, even rivetting, for all its length.

Halfway through I started jotting down all the references, back and forward, cinematic and otherwise, and quickly gave up.
There's just so much there.
But what I found amusing was that even though its been acclaimed as this great sci-fi epic, probably the benchmark, there's so much of it is Freudian, whether cod-Freudian, and replete with political, and religious allegory.
It may not make a helluva lot of sense in the context of either, and the final scene might still be laughable, but its cinema as great visual spectacle.

And Entertainment!

[Der Spieler]

If Metropolis is now considered a landmark movie, it may be more because of its huge impact on subsequent movies than because of its own narrative qualities. The plot never really reaches the heights of its visual grandeur. And the social moral, repeated FOUR times throughout the movie, borders on the ridiculous. But the beauty of its composition, the abundance of groundbreaking ideas steadies its place in the pantheon of great cinematic achievements.

[Yojimbo]

But the beauty of its composition, the abundance of groundbreaking ideas steadies its place in the pantheon of great cinematic achievements.

Yes, its brilliant cinema, and at least the narrative structure, such as it is, makes it more coherent, albeit coherent gobbledygook

[Big A2]

does anyone know what frame rate the MoC Blu-Ray version of Metropolis runs at? I know the Kino is 24p, but would MoC release a 25p (the original frame-rate) version, since everyone in region B has a TV that runs in PAL?

Also, what's with the "Daul Format" versions? Is it the Blu-Ray and DVD version in one release? Do the discs share the same special features?

[swo17]

I'm pretty sure it would have to be at 24p, since there was a big to-do about possibly releasing The World in its original frame rate of 25p and they went against it in the end due to concerns over compatibility. (Also, NTSC and PAL don't exist in HD.)

The dual format releases include one Blu-ray disc and one DVD. I believe the content is generally the same on each disc for MoC releases, though I know this isn't always the case for, say, BFI releases.

[matrixschmatrix]

I have the dual edition, and as far as I can tell from looking at them, the content is identical.

[Peacock]

Also, i'm not sure where you got the "25fps is the original frame-tate" info. According to some people on this forum, it was originally shown somewhere between 16-20fps.

[Big A2]

(Also, NTSC and PAL don't exist in HD.)

Huh, so does that mean all HDTVs in NTSC regions can run at 50hz?

The dual format releases include one Blu-ray disc and one DVD. I believe the content is generally the same on each disc for MoC releases, though I know this isn't always the case for, say, BFI releases.

So the Blu-Ray in the Daul Format set is identical to the stand-alone Blu-Ray set, and the DVD is identical to the stand-alone DVD set? Right?

Also, i'm not sure where you got the "25fps is the original frame-tate" info. According to some people on this forum, it was originally shown somewhere between 16-20fps.

It's debatable, but one source I read made reference to the length of the original film, and then how its original running time would match it up to that length if it ran at 25fps.

Anyway, no big deal. Thanks for your help guys.

[manicsounds]

By the way, the DVD from Masters Of Cinema is NTSC encoded.

[Paku]

The MoC Blu-ray of Metropolis is 24fps, same as Kino.

[TMDaines]

What's going to happen to Metropolis? Is it going to be re-released in a standard dual-format release (not in a steelbook)?

[peerpee]

METROPOLIS will be repressed exactly as it currently stands. Separate editions. No modifications.

[TMDaines]

Pity, I'd have liked to have swapped to a simple dual. Good to see the other dual releases are popping up on Amazon anyway!

[mfunk9786]

One was out for the last year or so, you know.

[TMDaines]

Sure, but I went for the Blu-ray only option as at the time all the releases had been Blu-ray only and non-Steelbooks. One of the things I liked about MoC (in comparison to Criterion) was their consistency in the packagaing of their releases, so I went for the one that was the same as the others. Over the last 12 months that's been completely blown out of the water so I'm selling all my OOP releases now, in order to upgrade to the new dual ones when they come out.

[Jamesqdot]

METROPOLIS will be repressed exactly as it currently stands. Separate editions. No modifications.

Forgive me if I seem a little dim, but I just wanted to check. Does that mean there will not be a repress of the Steelbook edition? I stupidly slept on this release (and many, many others) before, and would kill to have the steelbook edition, but it seems the "collectors" prices are already kicking in.

[peerpee]

Correct. The remaining METROPOLIS SteelBooks were destroyed in the Sony fire and it will not be repressed.

[Jamesqdot]

Yikes, that was quick! Thanks peerpee. Yes, that Sony warehouse fire was just a nightmare for so many people.

Curses! The hunt begins then.

[Stephen]

Finally sat down this evening to watch Metropolis and have to agree that this MOC release is a triumph. I was overwhelmed by so many of the images in this film, no wonder it’s been plagiarised for over 80 years.

[stevewhamola]

I have a question for Nick or anyone at Eureka/MoC. The newest MoC catalogue features a few photos of Metropolis in what looks like the clear Dual Format cases. Are these cases for sale individually? I'd like to ditch my Steelbook.

[swo17]

What's shown in the catalogue is the dual steelbook. There is no other dual format release.

[stevewhamola]

True, in the catalogue listing it is shown as Steelbook. But the photos I was referring to are the 'glamour shots' like on the back of the catalogue that show a few of the Blu/Dual Format cases stacked on top of each other. The case for Metropolis in that photo is certainly not a Steelbook and it looks too thick to be a regular Blu case.

[swo17]

It looks to me exactly like the steelbook with the removable green sleeve still attached.