Limited Metropolis screenings

Gil1957 · Post by **Gil1957** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 3:50 pm

I am disappointed to see that Metropolis will not be screened in the Chicago area. Just in limited places in California, one in Florida, two in Michigan and a few places in New York. Guess I will have to wait till November for the blu-ray. : (

Post by **Mike Gebert** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 4:21 pm

It may yet get booked, I expect there are more dates to come— as some of those you mention have been added since I last looked at the list.

Ken Winokur · Post by **Ken Winokur** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:36 am

I don't have details yet, but this fall (late September) Alloy is planning to do a couple of shows in Chicago, and I believe that one of them will be Metropolis. More details as they become available at:

alloyorchestra.com

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:02 am

The Mont Alto Orchestra will making its first appearance in Chicago this summer, on August 6. We hope it becomes a repeat venue for us!

Post by **Mike Gebert** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:07 am

Silent Film Festival at the Portage, or something else?

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:39 am

Mike Gebert wrote:Silent Film Festival at the Portage, or something else?

You got it! I'll announce the title when it's firm.

Jack Theakston · Post by **Jack Theakston** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:53 pm

I don't think there are any constrictions upon booking the new version. A number of venues in my area have already announced upcoming screenings.

sc1957 · Post by **sc1957** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:52 am

I had the chance to see the restored Metropolis at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio last night. What a great experience! And the theater was packed.

I would have loved to hear a live accompaniment, but the Wexner used the recorded soundtrack. Even so, it was a powerful companion to the images.

The new footage adds a great deal of info about Josaphat and the thin man, the relationship of Frederson and Rotwang, the evacuation of the drowning city, and the final chase. Although it's badly scratched and really stands out the first time you see the first few short snippets, the new material doesn't detract from the film and you soon just accept it as is.

The majority of the film, based on the last restoration, is simply beautiful. It seemed like there were scenes I hadn't seen before, but it's been awhile since I last saw this film, so perhaps I just forgot them.

For the first time I was really struck by the number of images in this film that I've subsequently seen in later films: the opening images of pounding machinery, the multilayered cityscapes with cantilevered highways and flying vehicles, the mad scientist with the mechanical hand, and the bubbling beakers and flashing arcs of electricity in the laboratory. I even realized that the chamber that steals Maria's body image is a direct ancestor of the Fifth Element chamber where Leeloo is regenerated.

I may have to go back to the theater tonight for another dose to hold me until I can watch this version of Metropolis at home.

greta de groat · Post by **greta de groat** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:15 pm

sc1957 wrote:
For the first time I was really struck by the number of images in this film that I've subsequently seen in later films: the opening images of pounding machinery, the multilayered cityscapes with cantilevered highways and flying vehicles, the mad scientist with the mechanical hand, and the bubbling beakers and flashing arcs of electricity in the laboratory. I even realized that the chamber that steals Maria's body image is a direct ancestor of the Fifth Element chamber where Leeloo is regenerated.

Watching San Francisco Opera's latest production of Die Walkure, that they are advertising as an "American" setting, i saw Wotan's boardroom with the picture windows looking out onto a black and white image of a bunch of high rises and instantly thought "Metropolis." Sure enough, i watched for it at the recent screening in San Francisco and wasn't mistaken.

Though it isn't my favorite movie, i was really impressed with seeing all that striking imagery on the big screen for the first time. It made a huge difference.

greta

rudyfan · Post by **rudyfan** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:18 pm

greta de groat wrote:
sc1957 wrote: Though it isn't my favorite movie, i was really impressed with seeing all that striking imagery on the big screen for the first time. It made a huge difference.

greta

I am the same, not my favorite. It was not a film I'd seen since the Moroder version. Seeing it on the BIG screen and with the Alloy Orchestra made all the difference in the world.

Rick Lanham · Post by **Rick Lanham** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:34 pm

I looked for a quick link to the screening schedule and didn't find it, so here it is:

http://www.kino.com/metropolis/playdates.html#play

and the trailer:

http://www.kino.com/metropolis/scenes.html#scene

Rick

Big Silent Fan · Post by **Big Silent Fan** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:58 am

sc1957 wrote:I had the chance to see the restored Metropolis at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio last night. What a great experience! And the theater was packed.

The new footage adds a great deal of info about Josaphat and the thin man, the relationship of Frederson and Rotwang, the evacuation of the drowning city, and the final chase. Although it's badly scratched and really stands out the first time you see the first few short snippets, the new material doesn't detract from the film and you soon just accept it as is.

Like many, I have a copy from the "Arte" channel when the German premiere was broadcasted (with German Titles and French sub-titles). You can see that there were also English titles shown at the bottom of that film.
Is that the way the film is being shown (large German text & small english)?
Since the original available film had been restored so beautifully, it's a shame that the additional footage could not have had a similar treatment even if it was a different sized frame. After all, they spend more than four times as much money on a single episode of "Mad Men" as they did on piecing this back together.
The last version may have had some missing film, but many of these are simply small cuts that belonged on the cutting room floor. They did little more than irritate me as I watched again and again where the film suddenly included a brief snip lasting less than a second.
Finally. The important missing scenes were each explained in that early beautiful restoration. If you read the text then, there isn't any new information in this reconstructed version.
I saw that versiom last time at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor (which was aso showing Hitchcock's "Blackmail").
That's a beautiful old movie palace and the same location where the film will be shown in Michigan.

Scoundrel · Post by **Scoundrel** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:35 am

" The last version may have had some missing film, but many of these are simply small cuts that belonged on the cutting room floor. They did little more than irritate me as I watched again and again where the film suddenly included a brief snip lasting less than a second.
Finally. The important missing scenes were each explained in that early beautiful restoration. If you read the text then, there isn't any new information in this reconstructed version.

I will strongly disagree with you here.

I also saw the screening of the previous restoration at the Michigan as well as the "complete" version
at the Detroit Institute of Arts in June.

These "small cuts" that you are referring to made a BIG difference in the continuity of the story and it FINALLY made sense in it's new version.

There is a big difference between reading an subtitle explaining what is missing and seeing the actual footage restored to its place in the film

If you haven't seen this restoration you really should.

The film will be in Ann Arbor on Sept. 12 and 16

http://www.michtheater.org/schedule.php.

Jim Reid · Post by **Jim Reid** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:35 am

I'd love to see it on the big screen, but I appear to live in a Metropolis-free zone.

rogerskarsten · Post by **rogerskarsten** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:35 am

Big Silent Fan wrote: Like many, I have a copy from the "Arte" channel when the German premiere was broadcasted (with German Titles and French sub-titles). You can see that there were also English titles shown at the bottom of that film.
Is that the way the film is being shown (large German text & small english)?

The version that is being shown here in the U.S. has replaced the German intertitles with English translations, so you will not see a word of German in the titles.

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 11:54 am

Scoundrel wrote:" The last version may have had some missing film, but many of these are simply small cuts that belonged on the cutting room floor. They did little more than irritate me as I watched again and again where the film suddenly included a brief snip lasting less than a second.
Finally. The important missing scenes were each explained in that early beautiful restoration. If you read the text then, there isn't any new information in this reconstructed version.

I saw this in S.F., and I also completely disagree with the above. It's kind of like saying we don't need a silent film if we've got the photoplay edition, because the photoplay edition will give you all the information about the movie, and pictures of the actors. It ignores the fact that we watch movies because watching a movie is different from reading.

As an example, the scenes in the taxi where the worker decides to go to the pleasure district instead of to Freder's apartment were very nicely shot, and completely visual: the thin man being thrown off because the worker is in Freder's clothes, the glamorous woman in another taxi giving him the eye, all of those advertising flyers falling into the car, the worker handing a flyer to the driver -- all done with no titles. And those scenes set up nicely the action in that district later in the film. Also, finally seeing Joh Fredersen and Rotwang having their complete confrontation over Hel and the robot, that whole weird dynamic made more sense.

Now, some other found footage -- another twenty seconds of Freder looking for Maria in the cathedral -- were admittedly not really needed. But they may mean more to someone else. I would have preferred the (still lost) footage of the monk reading from the Book of Revelations that is referred to later in Freder's dream, but there I'll make do with an explanatory title, not having a choice.

Scoundrel · Post by **Scoundrel** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 1:23 pm

Rodney

That quote is not mine.

that is Big Silent Fan and I replied to him.

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 1:48 pm

Sorry -- I didn't mean to imply that it was you, Scoundrel. I was just clumsy with the old quote button.

sc1957 · Post by **sc1957** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 5:02 pm

At first I wondered about the new material too... the first half dozen (?) times you see it are very short pieces, just a second or two. I thought "Half an hour of these?" But as described above, there are numerous new, longer scenes that fill out the story tremendously and add details that I never knew about.

The main intertitles are in a large font, meant to look old and "German" (or perhaps Expressionistic). Then there are two or three instances of intertitles in a modern typeface, used to explain still-missing parts of the story (i.e., the monk reading in the cathedral). All are in English.

Definitely, if it plays near you, go see it on the big screen.

sc1957 · Post by **sc1957** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 5:07 pm

Jim Reid wrote:I'd love to see it on the big screen, but I appear to live in a Metropolis-free zone.

Houston: Sep 2 -6
Dallas to Houston, 239 miles, 3 hours, 50 minutes
Don't Texas drivers brag about how far they drive?

Metropolis Dates

Big Silent Fan · Post by **Big Silent Fan** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:07 pm

The version that is being shown here in the U.S. has replaced the German intertitles with English translations, so you will not see a word of German in the titles.[/quote]

Thank you for the information on how the titles are shown.
As for my comment that much of the additional film wasn't needed...I was not referring to the missing scenes.
I was referring to the very short snips (lasting less than a second), and not the long scenes.
For example: In the scene where Maria is pulling on the alarm lever; and most of the brief snips of old film that were mixed in with the flood scenes. I suppose that the felt required to include everything, but the story continuity was just fine before in those spots.
I enjoyed watching all about Joshaphat and the Thin Man, even though it had already been clearly explained before in text.

Post by **silentfilm** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:47 pm

sc1957 wrote:
Jim Reid wrote:I'd love to see it on the big screen, but I appear to live in a Metropolis-free zone.
Houston: Sep 2 -6
Dallas to Houston, 239 miles, 3 hours, 50 minutes
Don't Texas drivers brag about how far they drive?

Metropolis Dates

Jim and I would have to drive really far, because we will be in Los Angeles for Cinecon that weekend. But at least it is making it to Texas.

Mr. Grimes · Post by **Mr. Grimes** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:09 am

It played in El Paso, TX last night at the Plaza Theater. If anyone gets the opportunity to go see a silent there, I would highly recommend it. Originally opened in 1929, this a HUGE movie palace complete with mighty Wurlitzer organ. The theater went through a complete restoration in 2004-05 to it's original glory. They will be showing "The General" on August 15th. Roughly 10 hour drive from Dallas, 7 hour drive from Phoenix.

Harlett O'Dowd · Post by **Harlett O'Dowd** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:38 am

rudyfan wrote:
greta de groat wrote:
sc1957 wrote: Though it isn't my favorite movie, i was really impressed with seeing all that striking imagery on the big screen for the first time. It made a huge difference.

greta
I am the same, not my favorite. It was not a film I'd seen since the Moroder version. Seeing it on the BIG screen and with the Alloy Orchestra made all the difference in the world.

SWEET Atlanta in October!

Greta, to take this further OT, I saw the first three installments of the American Ring in DC, and thought Valhalla was more a mythic NYC than Metropolis (although Metropolis itself is a mythic NYC.) In RHEINGOLD, Fasolt & Fafner come in on a beam in a homage to that famous lunch photo of the building of the RCA building:

http://www.nytstore.com/ProdDetail.aspx?prodId=2472

Re Metropolis itself, I guess maybe it's a guy thing. Specifically, a boomer nerd guy thing. As some Keaton and Chaplin titles are for some of us, and some Rudy titles are for some ladies, Metropolis is, for me at least, the film that pushed me over the edge of mildly interested viewer into a vintage filmaholic.

No, it's not the best film ever made. It's not even Lang's best film. And yes, the whole is a whole lot less than the sum of its parts - but those parts add up to a whole lot for me, (YMMV.)

For me, the sight of the the workers trudging, zombielike, to and from work and of Gustav Fröhlich crucified to that deco clock thing are two of the most powerful images I've ever seen in any film, much more evocative of the dehumanized worker than, say, that tracking shot into the office pool in The Crowd.

And while I admit it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, I love the awkward juxtaposition of the midevil cottage of Rotwang and the cathedral with its 7 Deadly sins amid all the deco decadence of the city. And the Tower of babel and ....

As they say, the money's up there on the screen. It maynot make a whole lot of sense, but it's always interesting to look at.

Add to that, you get the lure of the emasculated masterpiece. Shades here of Greed and LAM. As in, "Sure the movie makes no sense, but that's because it's been so butchered over the years. IF ONLY the full version were available, it would be better regarded."

Well, probably not, but the recent restorations of the other Lang silents have improved *those* films for me. The 2000 restoration also improved Metropolis for me. Again, I don't consider it it masterpiece, but it's a great movie movie. It plays like gangbusters on a big screen.

I have yet to attend a screening that hasn't been well attended. Metropolis is, in many ways, the silent for people who don't like silents (at least not yet.)

I can't be objective about this film, as it is very much a sentimental favorite for me.

And I can't wait to see this latest version of it, and I will be first in line to buy it when it comes out on disc. Should Kino release it on Blu-Ray, I suspect that will be the release that pushes me over the edge and makes me purchase a player.