Metropolis UK VHS
Michael Brunnbauer
I have today bought the new UK-VHS release of
METROPOLIS.
The version on this tape is indeed 138min
long. The cover says that it is a "newly restored
director's version".
Copyright of that version says: 1986 JEF Films
As soon as I saw that it is from the EUREKA VIDEO
label, with the Aikman Archive Logo on it, I got
very suspicious!
And I was right, it is as bad as their HUNCHBACK OF
NOTRE DAME tape.
The extended running time was achieved by playing the
movie at a far too slow speed (same with HUNCHBACK).
They simply LIE.
It is whether a director's version (Fritz Lang had nothing
to do with it, it's the same old ca. 90min "worker of the
future" version we already know) nor is it newly restored.
Absolutely nothing was restored at this transfer. As we are
used to, EUREKA/AIKMAN achieved to locate the worst print in
existance [all the scratches are bad, but worst is, contrast
is to high (black and white, but no shades of gray)].
The soundtrack is synth-pop-nonsense (of that kind, which a
electric keyboard plays in demo-mode), that kills the
experience totally.
So be warned,
Michael.