Well, now that Kino has released on Blu-Ray the most complete version of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis ever to be seen since its original screenings, can the book finally be closed on Rotwang and Robot Maria? Almost. There’s still the problematic case of the 1984 re-imagining of the film under the hand of Italian electronic music impresario Giorgio Moroder, who tinted, re-edited, and re-scored the film to his own compositions as well as the music of Freddie Mercury, Pat Benatar, Adam Ant, Billy Squier, Loverboy, Bonnie Tyler, and Jon Anderson. Although this alternate, New Wave Metropolis was a fairly ubiquitous VHS staple of video stores in the 80’s, music rights issues – as well as a desire to prioritize, you know, the version Fritz Lang actually intended audiences to see – rendered this cut an obscurity in the age of DVD.
But break out your hairspray, because according to Ain’t It Cool News, Kino has cleared the music rights and will soon be announcing a Blu-Ray release of Moroder’s version of Metropolis. (No date given as of yet, but Harry Knowles states it will be “later this year.”) So you can judge for yourself whether this is a travesty to Lang’s art, or just, like, you know, totally awesome. (I haven’t seen it, so I can’t judge.) In anticipation of the release, theatrical screenings will be held at New York’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema on October 14th and 15th at midnight only.
