# NT/OT Holy Grail found!, UNCUT "METROPOLIS" DISCOVERED



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Sci FI fans rejoice, the HOLY GRAIL has been discovered! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif 

HOLY MOLY, Indiana Jones step aside! for Sci Fi film buffs this is likely the biggest story of the year! 

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/07/metropolis-rest.html?xid=rss-popwatch-20080703-'Metropolis'+found! 

http://daily.greencine.com/archives/006330.html 

One of the greatest find in films has been made in Argentina, an original 16mm negative of Fritz Langs silent 1927 masterpiece METROPOLIS, has been discovered sitting in a museum library. 










This is one of the most important films of the 20th century! 

This version contains the long lost and long thought gone forever MISSING 20 minutes of the original premier version and unseen for 80 YEARS! 

This movie has a long and sad history. The film when first released was ahead of its time, and the versions released in America were re-edited (butchered is the most common term) and almost cut in half, and for most of its history these shortened bastardized version was the only version available to film buffs. Even as it was, this movie was a giant influence on just about every sci fi movie made afterwords (think Blade Runner, Star Wars, Matrix) 

The original German negatives and were lost in WW2 when the UFA studios were struck by stray bombs. The first attempt to "restore" the film came in 1984 when Giorgio Moroder attempted to reconstruct the film using what was known to exist to that date, including a few minutes new footage found in Europe, still images that survived, and story boards that fill in the missing footage, he then used the original screenplay to reconstruct the film, added color tinting and an outstanding rock-based soundtrack, the movie as premiered was for film buffs as important a revelation as the Directors cut of Blade Runner, or the original 1954 Gojirra, we finally got a glimps of Langs original vision, and many liked what they saw! this is still a favorite version for me. 

More recently what many considered the definitive version of the film was released by Kino FIlms, which included newly discovered footage found in former Soviet Easern Europe, and also included for the first time the MAGNIFICENT 1927 full orchestral musical score used at the films premier. This brought the film time up to 110 minutes, up 20 minutes from Moroders 90 minute version, but still short of the 2+ hour version Lang premiered in 1927, this lost footage will finally bring a long thought lost masterpiece back to its original form. 

Can you tell I'm stoked by this news? /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif


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## Joe Johnson (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW !!!! 

I hope it doesn't take long for someone to get the rights to distribute !!!


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: NT/OT Holy Grail found!, UNCUT "METROPOLIS" DISCOVERED*

Very cool... I look forward to seeing it. I'm certain that someone will digitize the master and distribute.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Sweet! Never saw the cut version! Now, I get to bore my wife with yet another film that makes her want to pull hair out! Just watched "Hellboy" and "Juno" this weekend. Started "Across the Universe" last night. So far, I think Juno is the best of the three! 

Mark


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: NT/OT Holy Grail found!, UNCUT "METROPOLIS" DISCOVERED*

Maybe it's just because I'm such a huge Beatles fan, and grew up in the '60's and caught all the references (some are pretty thin) but I really enjoyed Across The Universe. Hellboy is a fave as well, will be seeing Hellboy II this week. 

Have yet to se Juno.. 'Spose i should.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: NT/OT Holy Grail found!, UNCUT "METROPOLIS" DISCOVERED*

I understand from a radio interview with the film historian who found the lost Metropolis negative that talks are already in the works, I hope Kino Films gets the rights to do it so they can keep the original score soundtrack. 

Seen Hellboy 2, its good, Juno, eh...wife liked it, I prefered Napoleon Dynamite, Across the Universe was just OK, thought the end was waaaay anti-climatic. 

Best movie so far this summer, toss up betweem "Iron Man" and "Dark Knight" both are awesome.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave, 

Don't get me wrong, I am getting the references, like the Jimi Hendrix like character and the Janis Joplin (and even an old Jerry Garcia in 1968?). In some ways, its a little more "Moulin Rouge" than I thought it would be. Still, its a good flick.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic, 

Good tips!! With Luke, we get to see few movies (renting and watching in 40 minute spurts seems to be the rule, rather than the exception these days). 

Sounds like I need to keep an eye out for Metropolis!! THink they'll release it in theatres?


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: NT/OT Holy Grail found!, UNCUT "METROPOLIS" DISCOVERED*

We catch as many shows in our little local theater that we can. Family run operation, some nights we are the only people there, but with the high gas prices maybe more will stay home instead of driving 35 miles. Going to see Wall E tonight. Jerry


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: NT/OT Holy Grail found!, UNCUT "METROPOLIS" DISCOVERED*

Yes, heard this on NPR with the interview of the historian who found it (thanks to a tip from her ex husband) and going through and looking at 16mm negative reels to find out that they had the addt'l footage. 

Apparently, this was not the only film found in the collection. 

WAY cool......... 

And I thought the film excitement for this month was the Criterion release of Jacques Tati's "Trafic" on DVD.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

UPDATE, "The Complete Metropolis" in theaters NOW.Website and trailer:http://www.kino.com/metropolis/ Its here, its out and I've finally seen it, It has 25 minutes of new scenes that really help flesh out the storyline, the movie flows so much better with the extra footage, the more they find of this film to restore its original vision the better it is.The following will be of interest for those who know the film well:Many short additional cuts now replaced, the major scenes:The scene of the monument to Hel, Freders motherNew scenes, the ENTIRE sequence from when worker Georgie leaves Freder in the Machine Hall but is drawn into the nightclub Yoshiwara's, which includes an incredible photomontage sequence that I cannot imaging anyone being so stupid as to cut out.More scenes of the debute of the robot Maria at Yoshiwara's and Freders hallucinations which really help flesh out the sequence, including the Preacher becoming the Thin ManMany more scenes with the Thin Man, including the Thin Mans confrontation with JosephatAddtional footage of the fight between Joh Frederson and Rotwang, and of Maria escaping, but the innitial sequence is still missingAdditional scenes of the destruction of the machinesMany additional scenes of the destruction of the workers city and the saving of the children, including one very good scene of being trapped behind locked gates as the city floods, and the taking of the children to the city above.The ENTIRE chase scene with Maria being discovered chased by the mob is now restored, this sequence works so smoothly now where before it was very disjointed.There are still two key scenes missing, maybe forever, the preacher in the cathedral early on warning of impending doom, this scene can be glipsed at in a later restored scene where Freders hallucination morphes into the thin man becoming the preacher during robot Marias debute dance. The other missing key scene is the beginning of the fight between Joh Frederson and Rotwang the scientist, these may be no longer than 5 minutes of missing fottage total.In Addition the entire movie has been re-editted as a result of the Argentinian versions sequencing that make the story move along at a brisk pace and reveal a entirely new appreciation of how great a movie this once was and is now again.Now the new scenes are rather poor quality from a 16mm print but anything is better than nothing, they just edited the new scenes right into the master, hopefully one day someone will pay to have these digitally restored, hopefully one day maybe the final missing sequences can be digitally recreated to FINALLY have a total complete restoration of this magnificent film.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I will have to look into this. I've only ever seen brief clips from it.


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