We got our first look at the UK Masters of Cinema Metropolis Blu-ray boxed set back in May and holy crap did it appear to be the best thing ever. I was really, really hoping that the North American version from Kino International would be an exact copy, complete with commentary track and comparable packaging (take a look at the gorgeous MoC version here.) Sadly, it seems the Kino edition might be a bit more of a stripped down affair.
From the looks of things, the Kino Blu-ray will only have a single feature to hold over its UK counterpart – an interview with the museum curator where the new footage from Fritz Lang’s classic of the silent cinema was discovered. As nice as that sounds, I have to lament that we won’t be getting the David Kalat and Jonathan Rosenbaum commentary track or the incredible-looking 56-page book of the MoC boxed set on this side of the Atlantic. Those seem like fairly significant extras to miss out on – a couple hours of analytical discussion as well as pages upon pages of essays, photos and art.
But I really shouldn’t complain. I mean, at the end of the day, the film is the thing, right? And it shouldn’t really matter who gets what extras. We’re all getting a Blu-ray disc with a transfer of the film based off of this brand new, best-ever print, so it’s Christmas-time for all of us! I think we’re all very fortunate to have as much. And perhaps the Kino edition will actually live up to the MoC at the end of the day. Either way, I can’t wait to get my hands on Metropolis on Blu-ray. November can’t come soon enough!!
THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS
(November 16, 2010 – MSRP $39.95)
Video: 1.33:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (original Gottfried Huppertz score, performed by the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, conducted by Frank Strobel)
Special Features:
- Voyage to Metropolis, a 50-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film (in HD)
- Interview with Paula Felix-Didier, curator of the Museo del Cine, Buenos Aires, where the missing footage was discovered
- 2010 re-release trailer
- Limited Edition Collectible 3-D Lenticuar Box Packaging
Via: The Digital Bits.com
[...] is absolutely killing it for me right now. I just got their Complete Metropolis and Sherlock Jr. Blu-ray discs in the mail yesterday and they are amazing! And now this news, that [...]