Fantastic news for fans of Fritz Lang’s well known film ‘Metropolis’. Scads of extra scenes cut after initial release have been found, leading many to hope that this influential black and white silent worker robot love story will finally be watchable.

Lost scenes shown from sci-fi classic ‘Metropolis’

What’s that you say?  Isn’t ‘Metropolis’ a masterpiece?

Nope.

In fact I think it’s dire.

Yes, it has astonishing production design and visual effects, but so what?  I’ve seen the film a half a dozen times, each one a different version, (and the less said about this ‘revitalization’, ((see embedded vid below)), the better), and it gets worse after every viewing.

And here’s the thing - I’m a HUGE Fritz Lang fan.

Of his other films.

Of M, and Scarlet Street and The Big Heat.  Crime Films.  Tight crime films of desperate men in desperate places. Not overblown allegorical fantasies that come across as the minor scribblings of a child with artistic pretension after he’s drunk dad’s liquor for the first time.

Ok, enough bitching.  Maybe the ‘new’ Metropolis will be great.  I tell you thought, instead of holding my breath for the DVD release of this latest Metropolis I’m off to watch ‘Hangmen Also Die!‘.

(P.S. Thanks to ‘TFT’ listener ‘KM’ for the head’s up on this story - please don’t let my venting my spleen prevent you from more tips in the future).