1] Metropolis (1927)
by Fritz Lang & Erich Pommer
runtime 02:30:01
aspect ratio 1.37:1
released 10/01/1927 DE
budget > 5.3 million Reichsmark
box office > 75,000 Reichsmark
Saw this first in college in the then groundbreaking Giorgio Moroder edition with lots of synthesizers and newly discovered never before seen footage and such. Even in this cheesy eighties version on VHS it left quite an impression on me, point in case the latest remastered 150 minute blu-ray steelbook that just arrived today. After several years of looking I finally was able to track down a used copy in mint condition at a reasonable price. Just watched the blu-ray disc and it is flawless, even though its theatrical 1.37:1 aspect ratio is better than previous 1.33:1 editions, I still used a wide zoom function on my Sony tv to at least get a full frame 1.78:1 image.
Yes, I am a sucker for anamorphic/panoramic 2.35:1 pictures and have been duped by severely cropped "widescreen" edition DVDs too many times, reason I started updating my sci-fi collection to blu-ray once I discovered that new format. And then I discovered steelbooks and the rest is history. 5 years and 100 specimens later there's only a few classics left to source while supply is dropping and demand and especially prices are climbing. Which is why this ultra rare/OOS/HTF/OOP/OMG! Metropolis one is such a precious gem, it is the first and arguably most influential film of its kind, depicting a universal class struggle between man & machine, spawning an entire genre and inspiring everything that came after it.
The DVD that came with the steelbook was severely scratched so will get binned and replaced with another blu-ray with a different cut on it. Perhaps the most noble Murnau Stiftung is working on a final cut in 4k with integrated 16mm footage from their latest discovery or a director's cut from a private collection somewhere... anything is possible these days and with the centennial coming up we should be hopeful. If you haven't seen Metropolis yet, make it top of your list. Any version will do, it's the original space opera and actually a lot of fun to compare different cuts/transfers, ánd you can play your favorite music cuz there's no talkies yet! Hence the hilarious mime acting...
Edited to add correct date and some specs, also to say that after watching it again on blu-ray the other day, this time in its original aspect ratio, it truly is a visionary work of art and relevant more than ever.
