Fritz Lang: The Silent Films Collection (1919-1929)

[MifuneFan]

Kino has officially announced a Fritz Lang Box set for November 21st 2017. It will include 11 films, including several that haven't been released on Blu-ray before. I will update this post as more becomes available.

Coming November 21st! Only on Blu-ray!
FRITZ LANG: THE SILENT FILMS
Includes 32 Page Booklet with essay by Tom Gunning
12 discs - Region A

Disc 1:
THE SPIDERS (Die Spinnen)
1919-1920 Germany 173 Min. Color Tinted
Part One: THE GOLDEN SEA 69 Min.
Part Two: THE DIAMOND SHIP 104 Min.
Music composed and performed by Ben Model

Disc 2:
HARAKIRI
1919 Germany 87 Min. Color Tinted
Music by Aljoscha Zimmermann

THE WANDERING SHADOW (Das Wandernde Bild)
1920 Germany 67 Min. Color Tinted
Music by Aljoscha Zimmermann

Note: Both films on Disc 2 are standard definition masters that have been up-converted for Blu-ray release.

Disc 3:
FOUR AROUND THE WOMAN(Kämpfende Herzen / Hearts in Struggle / Vier um die Frau)
1921 Germany 84 Min. Color Tinted
Music by Aljoscha Zimmermann

Disc 4:
DESTINY (Der müde Tod)
1921 Germany 98 Min. Color Tinted
Music composed by Cornelius Schwehr, performed by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB)

SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas
• Restoration demonstration footage
• 2016 Re-release trailer

Discs 5-6
DR. MABUSE, THE GAMBLER (Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler)
1922 Germany 270 Min. B&W
Music (2001) by Aljoscha Zimmermann

SPECIAL FEATURES:
• “The Story Behind Dr. Mabuse,” (52 Min.), a three-part documentary exploring the musical score by Aljoscha Zimmermann, the career of novelist Norbert Jacques, and an analysis of the film

Discs 7-8:
DIE NIBELUNGEN
1924-1925 Germany Color Tinted
Disc 7: SIEGFRIED 149 Min.
Disc 8: KRIEMHILD’S REVENGE 131 Min.
Original score by Gottfried Huppertz
Performed by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

SPECIAL FEATURES:
• “The Legacy of the Nibelungen,” a 68-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film, by Guido Altendorf and Anke Wilkening
• Newsreel footage taken on the set

Disc 9:
METROPOLIS
UFA 1927 Germany 148 Min. B&W
Original Score: Gottfried Huppertz
Performed by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB)

SPECIAL FEATURES:
• “Voyage to Metropolis,” a 50-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film
• Interview with Paula Felix-Didier, curator of the Museo del Cine, Buenos Aires, where previously missing footage was discovered

Disc 10:
SPIES (Spione)
1928 Germany 150 Min. B&W
Piano score (2005) by Neil Brand

SPECIAL FEATURES:
• “Spies: A Small Film With Lots of Action” (2006, 72 Min.) a documentary by Guido Altendorf and Anke Wilkening
• Original German theatrical trailer (5 min.) courtesy of the Austrian Film Museum, Vienna

Disc 11:
WOMAN IN THE MOON (Frau im Mond)
1929 Germany 169 Min. B&W
Piano score (2005) by Javier Pérez de Azpeitia.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
• “Woman in the Moon: The First Scientific Science Fiction Film,” a documentary on the making of the film (14 Min.)

Disc 12 (Bonus Disc):
THE PLAGUE OF FLORENCE (Pest in Florenz)
1919 Germany 102 Min. B&W
Directed by Otto Rippert - Screenplay by Fritz Lang
Based on “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe
Music (2014): Uwe Dierksen.

Note: SPIES and WOMAN IN THE MOON have been re-authored to correct an error in the aspect ratio that appeared in the first pressing of the single-disc Blu-ray releases.

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Original post:

[Show spoiler]

Courtesy of MisterLime, our resident Kino Insider, I can share with everyone that Kino will be releasing three new Fritz Lang films in early 2016, including Spies (Spione), Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler (Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler), and The Woman in the Moon (Frau im Mond). Better yet, they're also putting out a Fritz Lang Box set! This is absolutely amazing news

Originally Posted by MisterLime

Yes, we'll be releasing Women in the Moon, Spies and Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler early next year and a Fritz Lang Blu-ray Boxed Set.

All releases will be sourced from restorations done by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation (just like the UK releases from Eureka). I'll update this post as I get more info, but it's safe to say, If this is a taste of the kind of care and devotion that Kino will be doing next year, we're all in for a treat!

[Dr. Humbert]

Cool for those limited by region but I've had these titles for months now.

[filmmusic]

Do you mean the Box Set will include more movies?

I would hope for The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb, but I doubt it.
Or at least the Dana Andrews noirs.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

Do you mean the Box Set will invlude more movies?

I would hope for The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb, but I doubt it.

It won't include those as I don't think Kino has the rights to them. It may just include the new ones coming out separately, but I imagine it will probably include popular existing releases like Metropolis, and perhaps Die Nibelungen too.

Originally Posted by Dr. Humbert

Cool for those limited by region but I've had these titles for months now.

Yes, this is great for Region-A only folks. Many have waited some time to get some of these.

[Abby is Q]

Very neat. May pick this up.

I wish there could be some complete set of Fritz Lang's work with Thea von Harbou. They were one of the first great couple filmmakers, and I'd love to see a special feature or get a booklet on what happened with them.

[insomniac013]

Looking forward to see how they compare with Eureka's!

And speaking of Silent films from Kino, get The Man Who Laughs out on Blu Ray already!

[Egbert Souse]

Kino doesn't have the rights to The Man Who Laughs anymore, along with the other few Universal films they licensed years ago.

[Martin_31]

I wonder if the box set will include previous releases?

[Vinyl]

Been waiting ages for this. Eureka has had those out on Blu for ages, it feels like. Even if it's just a set of those three on Blu I will be happy. Always hoping for more, but excited none the less!

[insomniac013]

Originally Posted by Egbert Souse

Kino doesn't have the rights to The Man Who Laughs anymore, along with the other few Universal films they licensed years ago.

Thanks for the info!

[CouncilSpectre]

I've got the Eureka discs for these, but it's great news for my Stateside buddies. There can never be enough Fritz Lang to go around. Anyone who has an interest in silent era movies, these are an absolute must IMO!

[The Great Owl]

Woo hoo! Fritz Lang is one of my favorite directors.

[Dex Robinson]

I really hate to be the noun police but, since nobody else has mentioned this, FRAU IM MOND translates to WOMAN IN THE MOON.

I was hoping "Women" was a one-time typo but I've seen it in a few posts now and I just want to correct it.

[octagon]

Nobody likes getting pulled over but the world needs traffic cops.

[James Luckard]

It might be minor for some people, but I picked up the UK METROPOLIS, because it has the original German intertitle cards, with player-generated English subs. The Kino has alternate English translation intertitle cards, with no option to see the original German. I suspect that will be the case with all of these.

Sadly the Eureka versions, with the original intertitles, are all locked, but every Eureka title I've bought so far plays with the "Stop, Top Menu, Top Menu" trick.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

I really hate to be the noun police but, since nobody else has mentioned this, FRAU IM MOND translates to WOMAN IN THE MOON.

I was hoping "Women" was a one-time typo but I've seen it in a few posts now and I just want to correct it.

Thanks, I actually know it better by the German title.. I'll ask a mod to adjust the title.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

It might be minor for some people, but I picked up the UK METROPOLIS, because it has the original German intertitle cards, with player-generated English subs. The Kino has alternate English translation intertitle cards, with no option to see the original German. I suspect that will be the case with all of these.

Sadly the Eureka versions, with the original intertitles, are all locked, but every Eureka title I've bought so far plays with the "Stop, Top Menu, Top Menu" trick.

It's funny but the Lang titles in particular really undercut my purist tendencies with regard to original intertitles. I absolutely think the original intertitles should be an option on any silent release but man, some of these can get busy. The Die Niebelugen titles are practically novels in just one language

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by Dr. Humbert

Cool for those limited by region but I've had these titles for months now.

Exactly, let's have The Woman in the Window.

[Al_The_Strange]

Never did pick up the Eureka Blu-Ray for Mabuse, and I haven't seen the other movies, so it looks like I'll be buying this set.

[CBHampson]

Already own the Mabuse releases from Eureka....but I've been waiting on any others, so this is fantastic news. Spione is one I've almost purchased several times.