Reviews (1)

Fast-pacing, sinister Great-One by Fritz Lang
Great about this video is that it actually uses the original music score which adds a lot to the pictures. See harakiri-, motorbiking- and traincrash-action! Also a nice love-story and a lot of seducing. Enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Long dismissed as the last gasp of a great directing career, Fritz Lang's two-part saga of India needs to be rescued from cinema's dustbin. While it has clear limitations, notably the listless actors and shoddy special effects (hard to overlook the fake tiger), this opus is marked by an awesome sense of formal design, immaculate camera composition, and the creeping sense of fate messing up the characters' lives. In the first part, The Tiger of Eschnapur, we delve into the political and personal intrigue that results from a maharaja's infatuation with a temple dancer (sawed-off, sexy Debra Paget). Lang's pacing is deliberate; sometimes the movie resembles an Indiana Jones yarn slowed to a stroll. But as Lang brings the many threads together, the scheme emerges, and the crisp location shooting in India presents a storybook exoticism that, admittedly, has little to do with reality.

In the second part, The Indian Tomb, a lovesick maharaja exacts his vengeance. Auteurists will recognize Lang's impeccable eye for screen space and his obsessive concern with the price of tempting fate. Even non-auteurists will appreciate the revolt of the underground leper colony and the cobra dance performed by Paget, who wears something less than a bikini. This is melodrama served up without apology by a director more interested in patterns than psychology. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A 'must' for everybody who loves Fritz Lang
While perhaps not quite in the same league as M and Metropolis, Spies (Spione) is really great in its own right, and a testament to the diverse film making skills of its director, Fritz Lang.
Spies is like the 'Bond' of silent films. Indeed, watching the film its hard to believe Albert Broccoli did not use Spies as his prototype for all the James Bond films he produced.
The story opens with the assassination of a diplomat for some documents. Chaos reigns... but then we are introduced to the hero, No. 326. 326 is the master spy who must retrieve the documents, and save the world from the evil banker Haghi (wheelchair bound). In between there's a woman sent to spy on 326, who in fact falls in love with him.... sure, you've seen this before but this film is the original, the real thing, filmed almost 35 years before Bond et al ever made it to the screen.
Spies is simply great fun!
This disk also includes a very scratchy Fritz the Cat cartoon, which I quite enjoyed despite its age and condition, and Lang's classic 'M.' The transfer of M is not bad, but cannot compare with Criterion's version. If you buy this disk, well, you get M but the real treat is Spies.
Regarding the print of Spies, quality is not bad but hardly a great restoration either. Still, the film is quite watchable: impressive for a 75+-year-old print. Like Metropolis, there's a little controversy as to the run time of Spies. This version is 90 minutes, but I've seen listings showing a German version of 178 minutes at a very slow frame rate of 16fps. I don't know if this version has been cut, or if the 178 figure is even correct but its worth mentioning.
Also, for true Lang fans, Kino is supposed to release a fully restored version of Spies (to match Metropolis???) sometime in Fall, so perhaps the mystery will be solved then.
In any case, for now this is the best you will see of this film, and its worth buying and watching even in its present condition. A gem of filmmaking is still a gem despite some scratches on the print!

Buy this one for the great transfer of "Spies"
As I am sure you know there are a lot of budget, poor quality, DVDs out there of Fritz Lang's Films. This great release from Whirlwind is not one of them! The transfer on "Spies" is excellent. The image is very detailed and crisp, there are nicks and scratches throughout the film, but this is to be expected. Only a major restoration could make this film look better. This disc is dual-layered and it seems to show as the video compression looks very good. The audio track on "Spies" contains a very nice organ score that suits the film well. This disc also includes a fair/poor quality of "M". It actually looks far worse than "Spies", but to be fair, I think the source print for "M" must not have given them much to work with. The audio track on "M" is fairly dirty, which takes away from its overall presentation as well. If you are looking for the best version of "M" you will have to get the Criterion version, but if you are looking for a solid edition of "Spies" look no further.

M is full 98 min. version, despite packaging
Despite the incorrect running time listed for "M" on the packaging ("71 minutes"), this cut of "M" is over 98 minutes long, and contains much footage I've never seen before. It remains a riveting thriller, and I highly recommend it. Although I'm a fan of Lang's work, I had not seen "Spies" before. It was also impressive, and quite entertaining.

I thought the DVD transfers were good, and at this price it's a great bargain.

Worth the bucks
Hi. Mike Cruz. You may have seen such reviews from me as Metropolis: A classic, but not on dvd.

This double feature including Spies and M is well worth the bones. Spies is a great transfer copy! Good sound (for a silent); great picture. M is the cut version, meaning it's the 71 min. version. However for the price, I think it is well worth it. It even has a Felix the Cat cartoon!

If you want to see M in all its glory, you should get the regular dvd of M. But the subtitles and picture and sound for M is very good, it's just the edited version. I have searched all over for Spies, the film released after Metropolis. In my opinion it is on the same level or even better than the Mabuse films. It is fantastic!

If you like Lang, you must get this. Unlike the dvd for Metropolis, you won't be sorry!

Great version of "Spies" okay version of "M"
I was pleased to finally find Fritz Lang's "Spies"especially since it was out of print on video. The picture quality isexcellant. You will not be dissappointed. The dvd also has on it a short Felix the cat clip (I' dont know why) and it also has Lang's movie "M" with Peter Lorre. The picture quality on this is okay. I remember thinking that my vhs version was better. It's not that the picture isn't crisp, it is, its just like the film looks scratchy. you can tell it's an old movie. If you are looking for Spies, look no further. If you are more a fan of "M" you may want to check out other DVD version: The Criterion collection's version of M (which has a cooler cover). But either way this DVD is a bargain... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Long dismissed as the last gasp of a great directing career, Fritz Lang'stwo-part saga of India needs to be rescued from the movie dustbin. While it has clearlimitations, notably the listless actors and shoddy special effects (hard to overlook thefake tiger), this opus is marked by an awesome sense of formal design, immaculatecamera composition, and the creeping sense of fate messing up the characters' lives. Inpart one, The Tiger of Eschnapur, we delve into the political and personalintrigue that results from a Maharaja's infatuation with a temple dancer (sawed-off, sexyDebra Paget). Lang's pacing is deliberate; sometimes the movie resembles an IndianaJones yarn slowed to a stroll. But as Lang brings the many threads together, the schemeemerges, and the crisp location shooting in India presents a storybook exoticism that,admittedly, has little to do with reality. It ends with a cliffhanger, solved by part two,The Indian Tomb.--Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (139)

A new perspective on the release debate..
Metropolis is a brilliant piece of work. I'll say this up front to get it out of the way: I haven't seen the DVD, but I understand the arguments; I have a slightly different opinion. Most people absolutely adore the Moroder release of Metropolis, with the tinted scenes and the modern (for the 80's) soundtrack... but I personally found it atrocious. The quality was great, don't get me wrong.. but when I think of the imagery in this film, I don't think of Bonnie Tyler and Queen. I do, however, admire the effort. I definitely agree with putting modern scores with silent films, this one just didn't work for me.

That said, I've noticed a lot of people dissatisfied with the music on several releases.. I'm a bit of a fan of the silent films.. I have yet to see one with a decent soundtrack. If I see one more 'Nosferatu' with a blaring organ score I swear I'll vomit; and don't even get me started on the 1990 version of Phantom of the Opera with score by Rick Wakeman. But I am a big fan of the films, so this is how I've managed to get past the horrible music without watching them silently. Find a CD that reflects the ideas and atmosphere you feel to be present in Metropolis, and let it play while you watch the film.

I have one of the many 115-minute versions, and the image quality is a bit rough, but that doesn't really bother me.. I've always seen Metropolis as an Industrial film anyway. The rough quality just adds to it for me (granted, I have seen versions of this too rough to watch). For that reason, I chose Nine Inch Nails' "The Fragile" as the score for Metropolis.. it works very well with my release.. some memorable moments (if you try this, you may not get these exact moments with the different releases) are the "Moloch" scene when Freder sees the machine explode .. the workers gather their injured and dead as Trent Reznor screams the lyrics "Now you know - this is what it feels like" - and the first scene between Freder and Maria .. Freder kneeling at her feet, in a sort of rapture.. while Trent sings "I will take my place in the great below" .. that song (and the first disc of "The Fragile") ends as Freder kisses Maria's hand and walks away.. But I won't give away all the quirks. Anyway, that's the score that works for me.. both discs of the Fragile and the first two tracks of "Further Down The Spiral" at the end, since The Fragile isn't quite 115 minutes long.

But anyway, having said all that, if you saw Metropolis and didn't like it because of the quality or soundtrack or just because it was boring, try again, and make your own score. Most people who think they don't like silent films simply don't like the music, or the silence. This is understandable.. in silent films the score is 75% of the atmosphere. Use music that you know, that you like.. music that will set the mood for horror if you're watching "Phantom" or "Nosferatu," or for Industrial SciFi if you're watching "Metropolis." I think you'll get a lot more out of the genre that way.

Film History. A masterpiece of cinema.
Metropolis is a landmark of all the films produced in history. Not only is the silent film entertaining, it provides an insight on prejudice and the division of different societies. Just think, this bias was still going on in the movie, set way after Martin Luther King passed away. Parts of the film may be disturbing, since it is very realistic, and could occur in the earth's later years.
However, there are many different versions released on this film. I have also heard that the Madacy DVD is terrible. True, the movie is over 75 years old, but Madacy spends so little time in putting a convenient quality transfer to their products. The tinted version by Morodor is supposed to be superior to the Madacy AND Allied Artists Releases. I own two VHS versions, and will not risk hunting for a good quality DVD. One version is a clean, sensational print, and this is Kino Video. BUY THIS VERSION AT ALL COSTS! Title cards were even inserted into the missing scenes to tell what is happening. The other VHS version is-- well, it could use some shaping up. This version is by Timeless Video Classics, and is much shorter than the Kino release. The quality is mediocre, and the print is very dirty and washed out in many areas. There are also several master tape dropouts. The title of the film reads "METROPOLI". All the other copies released besides the Kino version probably contain this shabby print.
To appreciate Metropolis and it's action in full glory, buy the Kino video or, better yet, the DVD. Since this is an excellent movie to be watched by critics and moviegoers alike, get the very BEST movie version on the market, and enjoy!

A Great film,BEWARE OF PUBLIC DOMAIN VERSIONS!
"Metropolis",Fritz Lang's 1927 silent masterpiece,is one of the most important films ever made and also a great one! But over the years,this film has been reedited,recut,and shortened which ruins the exact vision of an extrordinary filmmaker.Since its stay on the Public Domain shelf,the prints and image quality have over the years been poor.I DO NOT recommend the following versions:1.the Goodtimes Video release has poor image quality and even worse,NO MUSICAL SCORE! 2.The now-notorious Madacy DVD, which is about 5 times as worse as the Goodtimes video release,contains horrible,blurry image quality,freeze-frame opening titles,and an annoying musical score! Just recently,TCM (Turner Classic Movies) has broadcast the brand-new,beautifully restored 2002 restoration of "Metropolis" which I taped off of and trust me,it's well worth it! Buy the Kino restored version on either VHS or DVD,but DO NOT buy the horrible Public Domain versions which can definitely rip you off! A Terrific film and thanks to Kino for making this restored version a definite must-see! I also recommend the 1984 rerelease by Giorgio Moroder (which is now unfortunately out-of-print)and buy the soundtrack to go with it!

Historical Masterpiece, Terrible DVD
I never saw Metropolis except for small sections referenced by other films. It always appealed to me and I finally took a risk buying this used for cheap. Even at an inexpensive price I'd strongly advise to skip this version.

As others have noted the trasfer is terrible, the music is good but sound quality is terrible too. Having watched this version of Metropolis I was able to get some kind of plot out of it and even with the poor film transfer the imagry is at times stunning.

Here's my advice; if you just have to see Metropolis and do not want to pay the substantially high price of the Kino version buy this copy, but understand...and please take my word on this as I'm one of the people that made a similar decision, know that you are getting poor quality all around.

Whether this will ruin the film's experience for you has more to do with your aesthetics. Metropolis has major historical importance and watching it I could see where other favorite dystopian films liberally borrowed ideas. In the end it was acceptable for the price I paid. I would not buy this new and would cough up the extra money and get the Kino version if buying it new. I will be purchasing the latest DVD eventually just to be able to enjoy the superior quality.

5 stars for the film being wonderful 0 stars for the quality. The average would be 2.5 and although it's a great film Metropolis is gutted by this poor DVD. When reading reviews it is easy to take it personal, that a poor review of the DVD (a product) in some way says something negative towards the film on it. In this review the quality of the film is the only reason more than one star was given.

My last parting shot...
The reason I even bothered with the Mandacy product was because so many negative reviews on Amazon have been baseless or inane one line insults I have become numb to them. Take it from a usually easy to please reviewer. Stay away from this DVD.

GREAT Movie - Poor DVD!
METROPOLIS is in simple words a classic long in the making, and probably a major inspiration for George Lucas' STAR WARS films, and many other major science-fiction films to be decades later from its' initial release in 1926. Film also works as a major triumph of human relations with the idea of slavery workers, and rebelling against greater authority. Plus what can go wrong when power falls into the wrong hands. Rudolf Klein-Rogge's Rotwang is an unforgettable character, and the creation of the robot scene is still an eye-filler even long before CG effects technology some 60 years later.

The DVD quality is poor however, as the color contrast is lacking from the color contrast from the original negatives seen on VHS releases. The trivia sections are nice, but what is missing is an audio commentary, or any existence history of the making of the film which should prove very interesting. I'm sure it won't be long before such a version comes to be.

TRIVIA: Brigitte Helm was one of James Whale's choices to play the Monster's Mate in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN before Elsa Lanchester got the part. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the late 1950s, director Fritz Lang returned to the German cinema, home ofhis great silent creations Die Nibelungen and Metropolis. His new projectwas, appropriately, a throwback to the early German days, a two-part cliffhangeroriginally conceived for the silents. The Indian Tomb is part two, picking upwhere The Tiger of Eschnapur leftoff, as a lovesick Maharaja exacts his vengeance. Once you adjust to Lang's measuredpacing (and if you accept the variable acting), the movie's bright colors and complicatedpolitical machinations take over. Auteurists will recognize Lang's impeccable eye forscreen space and his obsessive concern with the price of tempting fate. Evennonauteurists will appreciate the revolt of the underground leper colony and the cobradance performed by Debra Paget, who wears something less than a bikini. This ismelodrama served up without apology by a director more interested in patterns thanpsychology. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Description

A UNIQUE ASSORTMENT OF SILENT SCREEN GEMS THAT REVOLUTIONIZED CINEMA AS WE KNOW IT. TRULY AMAZING COLLECTIONS FOR CINEMA FANS!**Each DVD Includes a reproduction of the ORIGINAL movie poster!!! (11 of the 12 titles have a poster inside)

Includes the following screen gems:

The Phantom of the Opera - Lon Chaney
Nosferatu - Max Schrek
The General - Buster Keaton
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - John Barrymore
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Lon Chaney
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - Conrad Veidt

Intolerance - D.W. Griffith
Battleship Potemkin - Sergei M. Eisenstein
Orphans of the Storm - D.W. Griffith
The Beloved Rogue - John Barrymore
The Birth of a Nation - D.W. Griffith
Metropolis Fritz Lang ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Quality?
For anyone who bought the DVD, I was wondering about the picture quality. Also, are there any extras? Thanks.

A Must-Have!!!
This is one of the best compilations of early cinema to date, and on DVD at that! I don't know how much you would care about the free posters, as they are repros, I'm not that big of a fan, but it is a nice bonus.

These are the films that defined cinema as it stands today. These are the films that began a long and wonderful history of entertainment. Everything from Eisenstein's montage theory ("Battleship Potempkin") to the shocking stark realities from D.W. Griffith ("Birth of a Nation") even to Weimar Cinema and culture (Fritz Lang's "Metropolis") and film noir ("Nosferatu"). These are the classics, the forefathers, the basis from which current techniques, themes, styles, and shots are drawn. What you have in this 12 DVD set is a slice of history, of the birth of cinema.

If you consider yourself a film fan, or if you enjoy a wide variety of classic movies, this truly is a must-own set. You simply cannot understand modern cinema without first viewing these classics. Enjoy!

8
Amazon recommends this to me, but there is no information at all about the contents of this package, except that it apparently contains something by D.W. Griffith. Are there films by other directors as well? Weird.

Great collection
I watched the collection and thrilled. It is a must to watch beautiful movies. You will surely love them. ... Read more

Reviews (139)

A new perspective on the release debate..
Metropolis is a brilliant piece of work. I'll say this up front to get it out of the way: I haven't seen the DVD, but I understand the arguments; I have a slightly different opinion. Most people absolutely adore the Moroder release of Metropolis, with the tinted scenes and the modern (for the 80's) soundtrack... but I personally found it atrocious. The quality was great, don't get me wrong.. but when I think of the imagery in this film, I don't think of Bonnie Tyler and Queen. I do, however, admire the effort. I definitely agree with putting modern scores with silent films, this one just didn't work for me.

That said, I've noticed a lot of people dissatisfied with the music on several releases.. I'm a bit of a fan of the silent films.. I have yet to see one with a decent soundtrack. If I see one more 'Nosferatu' with a blaring organ score I swear I'll vomit; and don't even get me started on the 1990 version of Phantom of the Opera with score by Rick Wakeman. But I am a big fan of the films, so this is how I've managed to get past the horrible music without watching them silently. Find a CD that reflects the ideas and atmosphere you feel to be present in Metropolis, and let it play while you watch the film.

I have one of the many 115-minute versions, and the image quality is a bit rough, but that doesn't really bother me.. I've always seen Metropolis as an Industrial film anyway. The rough quality just adds to it for me (granted, I have seen versions of this too rough to watch). For that reason, I chose Nine Inch Nails' "The Fragile" as the score for Metropolis.. it works very well with my release.. some memorable moments (if you try this, you may not get these exact moments with the different releases) are the "Moloch" scene when Freder sees the machine explode .. the workers gather their injured and dead as Trent Reznor screams the lyrics "Now you know - this is what it feels like" - and the first scene between Freder and Maria .. Freder kneeling at her feet, in a sort of rapture.. while Trent sings "I will take my place in the great below" .. that song (and the first disc of "The Fragile") ends as Freder kisses Maria's hand and walks away.. But I won't give away all the quirks. Anyway, that's the score that works for me.. both discs of the Fragile and the first two tracks of "Further Down The Spiral" at the end, since The Fragile isn't quite 115 minutes long.

But anyway, having said all that, if you saw Metropolis and didn't like it because of the quality or soundtrack or just because it was boring, try again, and make your own score. Most people who think they don't like silent films simply don't like the music, or the silence. This is understandable.. in silent films the score is 75% of the atmosphere. Use music that you know, that you like.. music that will set the mood for horror if you're watching "Phantom" or "Nosferatu," or for Industrial SciFi if you're watching "Metropolis." I think you'll get a lot more out of the genre that way.

Film History. A masterpiece of cinema.
Metropolis is a landmark of all the films produced in history. Not only is the silent film entertaining, it provides an insight on prejudice and the division of different societies. Just think, this bias was still going on in the movie, set way after Martin Luther King passed away. Parts of the film may be disturbing, since it is very realistic, and could occur in the earth's later years.
However, there are many different versions released on this film. I have also heard that the Madacy DVD is terrible. True, the movie is over 75 years old, but Madacy spends so little time in putting a convenient quality transfer to their products. The tinted version by Morodor is supposed to be superior to the Madacy AND Allied Artists Releases. I own two VHS versions, and will not risk hunting for a good quality DVD. One version is a clean, sensational print, and this is Kino Video. BUY THIS VERSION AT ALL COSTS! Title cards were even inserted into the missing scenes to tell what is happening. The other VHS version is-- well, it could use some shaping up. This version is by Timeless Video Classics, and is much shorter than the Kino release. The quality is mediocre, and the print is very dirty and washed out in many areas. There are also several master tape dropouts. The title of the film reads "METROPOLI". All the other copies released besides the Kino version probably contain this shabby print.
To appreciate Metropolis and it's action in full glory, buy the Kino video or, better yet, the DVD. Since this is an excellent movie to be watched by critics and moviegoers alike, get the very BEST movie version on the market, and enjoy!

A Great film,BEWARE OF PUBLIC DOMAIN VERSIONS!
"Metropolis",Fritz Lang's 1927 silent masterpiece,is one of the most important films ever made and also a great one! But over the years,this film has been reedited,recut,and shortened which ruins the exact vision of an extrordinary filmmaker.Since its stay on the Public Domain shelf,the prints and image quality have over the years been poor.I DO NOT recommend the following versions:1.the Goodtimes Video release has poor image quality and even worse,NO MUSICAL SCORE! 2.The now-notorious Madacy DVD, which is about 5 times as worse as the Goodtimes video release,contains horrible,blurry image quality,freeze-frame opening titles,and an annoying musical score! Just recently,TCM (Turner Classic Movies) has broadcast the brand-new,beautifully restored 2002 restoration of "Metropolis" which I taped off of and trust me,it's well worth it! Buy the Kino restored version on either VHS or DVD,but DO NOT buy the horrible Public Domain versions which can definitely rip you off! A Terrific film and thanks to Kino for making this restored version a definite must-see! I also recommend the 1984 rerelease by Giorgio Moroder (which is now unfortunately out-of-print)and buy the soundtrack to go with it!

Historical Masterpiece, Terrible DVD
I never saw Metropolis except for small sections referenced by other films. It always appealed to me and I finally took a risk buying this used for cheap. Even at an inexpensive price I'd strongly advise to skip this version.

As others have noted the trasfer is terrible, the music is good but sound quality is terrible too. Having watched this version of Metropolis I was able to get some kind of plot out of it and even with the poor film transfer the imagry is at times stunning.

Here's my advice; if you just have to see Metropolis and do not want to pay the substantially high price of the Kino version buy this copy, but understand...and please take my word on this as I'm one of the people that made a similar decision, know that you are getting poor quality all around.

Whether this will ruin the film's experience for you has more to do with your aesthetics. Metropolis has major historical importance and watching it I could see where other favorite dystopian films liberally borrowed ideas. In the end it was acceptable for the price I paid. I would not buy this new and would cough up the extra money and get the Kino version if buying it new. I will be purchasing the latest DVD eventually just to be able to enjoy the superior quality.

5 stars for the film being wonderful 0 stars for the quality. The average would be 2.5 and although it's a great film Metropolis is gutted by this poor DVD. When reading reviews it is easy to take it personal, that a poor review of the DVD (a product) in some way says something negative towards the film on it. In this review the quality of the film is the only reason more than one star was given.

My last parting shot...
The reason I even bothered with the Mandacy product was because so many negative reviews on Amazon have been baseless or inane one line insults I have become numb to them. Take it from a usually easy to please reviewer. Stay away from this DVD.

GREAT Movie - Poor DVD!
METROPOLIS is in simple words a classic long in the making, and probably a major inspiration for George Lucas' STAR WARS films, and many other major science-fiction films to be decades later from its' initial release in 1926. Film also works as a major triumph of human relations with the idea of slavery workers, and rebelling against greater authority. Plus what can go wrong when power falls into the wrong hands. Rudolf Klein-Rogge's Rotwang is an unforgettable character, and the creation of the robot scene is still an eye-filler even long before CG effects technology some 60 years later.

The DVD quality is poor however, as the color contrast is lacking from the color contrast from the original negatives seen on VHS releases. The trivia sections are nice, but what is missing is an audio commentary, or any existence history of the making of the film which should prove very interesting. I'm sure it won't be long before such a version comes to be.

TRIVIA: Brigitte Helm was one of James Whale's choices to play the Monster's Mate in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN before Elsa Lanchester got the part. ... Read more