Fritz Lang on Blu-ray

[MifuneFan]

Kino has announced plans to release Fritz Lang's Human Desire (1954). The film was previously released by Eureka in the UK.

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!

Human Desire (1954) Starring Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame & Broderick Crawford – Shot by Burnett Guffey (Bonnie and Clyde) – Screenplay by Alfred Hayes (The Lusty Men) – Based on a Book by Émile Zola (Germinal) – Directed by Fritz Lang (Spies, The Big Heat)

Credit to Dailyan

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Kino has announced plans to release Fritz Lang's Human Desire (1954). The film was previously released by Eureka in the UK.

Credit to Dailyan

Excellent news! I was just eyeing the UK BD at Amazon yesterday.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by Gunsnroses092789

Don't forget his one French film Liliom (1934) — it's very good as well.

What’s keeping this from being released? Elements, film rights, studio?

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

What’s keeping this from being released? Elements, film rights, studio?

I think elements. It's in print via Kino, but the master stinks. I think it was also included on the special edition DVD of Carousel, so definitely not a rights issues. Maybe it's public domain?

[silverlakephil]

You’re probably right. I see maybe Kino-Lorber or Criterion releasing this if someone uncovers a decent copy. Detour and the recent Love Affair are 2 good examples of Criterion getting access to higher quality film elements and releasing it to the public.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

You’re probably right. I see maybe Kino-Lorber or Criterion releasing this if someone uncovers a decent copy. Detour and the recent Love Affair are 2 good examples of Criterion getting access to higher quality film elements and releasing it to the public.

Would be a day 1 for me I think part of the problem is that it's a relatively mid-level film from the grandmaster Lang, whereas Detour is often considered Ulmer's best, and Love Affair one of McCarey's best. Liliom, while great, is probably behind at least 10 other Lang films, at least as far as public/critical reception is concerned.

[James Luckard]

I'm listening to the audio commentary on Douglas Sirk's The Final Chord, from KL, and it mentions a fascinating upcoming book.

Horst Von Harbou, brother of screenwriter Thea Von Harbou, was the stills photographer on The Final Chord, and also on Metroplis, apparently.

The fellow doing the commentary mentions that a new book is coming out of photos Horst shot on the set of Metropolis, it looks stunning:


https://steidl.de/Books/Metropolis-0817183638.html

I'm fuzzy on the release date. Amazon says it came out in either 2015 and 2019, and they have listings for each date:

https://www.amazon.com/Horst-von-Har...dp/3869306033/
https://www.amazon.com/Horst-von-Har...dp/3869303697/

However, I find it hard to believe the commentary was recorded years ago and has been sitting on the shelf.

Target and Artbook.com both say the book comes out on July 5, that sounds much more reasonable:

https://www.target.com/p/horst-von-h...r/-/A-84896410
https://www.artbook.com/9783869303697.html

Perhaps this is a reprint of an earlier edition.

[James Luckard]

Hi all, I've been doing a Fritz Lang deep dive over the last few months. Trying to see all his films.

I've seen almost all the sound films that are on BD, now I need to do the silent films. (I'll do those titles that are only on DVD last)

However, I know there are two issues with his silent films on BD:

1) Kino Lorber apparently released some discs that had flaws, and later corrected them. My understanding is that it was the standalone discs that had flaws, and the ones in their Fritz Lang boxset are corrected. Is this the case? Which titles had flaws? I know I'll need to buy the boxset to get a few titles that are unavailable anywhere else, but are all the KL boxset titles corrected?

2) Kino Lorber replaced the German intertitles and German onscreen text in Metropolis with English text. As a result, I bought the UK MoC disc of that title. My understanding is that KL did this on all the Lang films they released. If so, I'd want to buy the MoC versions, where available, in addition to the Lang boxset, so I can watch the MoC original intertitles. Is it true that all of the MoC silent titles have original German intertitles that the KL discs lack?

Once I get answers to those two questions, I'll assemble a chronological list of the silent titles and which disc seems the best, and I'll post it here and run it by everyone before I buy the discs.

Thanks!!!!!!

[koberulz]

Having basically all his films except a couple that are only in that Kino box set is a royal pain.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Hi all, I've been doing a Fritz Lang deep dive over the last few months. Trying to see all his films.

I've seen almost all the sound films that are on BD, now I need to do the silent films. (I'll do those titles that are only on DVD last)

However, I know there are two issues with his silent films on BD:

1) Kino Lorber apparently released some discs that had flaws, and later corrected them. My understanding is that it was the standalone discs that had flaws, and the ones in their Fritz Lang boxset are corrected. Is this the case? Which titles had flaws? I know I'll need to buy the boxset to get a few titles that are unavailable anywhere else, but are all the KL boxset titles corrected?

2) Kino Lorber replaced the German intertitles and German onscreen text in Metropolis with English text. As a result, I bought the UK MoC disc of that title. My understanding is that KL did this on all the Lang films they released. If so, I'd want to buy the MoC versions, where available, in addition to the Lang boxset, so I can watch the MoC original intertitles. Is it true that all of the MoC silent titles have original German intertitles that the KL discs lack?

Once I get answers to those two questions, I'll assemble a chronological list of the silent titles and which disc seems the best, and I'll post it here and run it by everyone before I buy the discs.

Thanks!!!!!!

Someone with the Kino set will have to confirm what's on there, but the MoC's of Nibelungen, Spies, Mabuse, Destiny and Woman in the Moon all have German intertitles. I have the Australian release of Metropolis, not the MoC, but that's in German as well.

[James Luckard]

For anyone who has the Kino discs, do the films all have re-created English intertitles, like Metropolis?

I prefer the original German intertitles, with player-generated subtitles, which the MoC releases have.

[koberulz]

I mean....you need the Kino set anyway for the exclusives, right? So if you're getting it anyway, you could just check them yourself and order the MoC discs as needed.

[filmlover22]

what exclusives are there in the Kino versions? The Eureka discs are jam packed with extras, booklet, etc.

For me, I want the absolutely best transfers/supplements for Lang's films. I decided a long time ago to forgo the Kino Lang Silent box collection and buy the individual MoC versions. Probably ended up paying 2 to 3x more for these than buying the Kino set, but MoC has better encoding, German intertitles, supplements, booklets. disc art and even an occasional slip and steelbook. And their 90th anniversary Metropolis set is awesome. Have all their Lang sound films too.

Imho. Understand that for those who just like, not love, Lang's works that Kino produces fine PQ at a great price.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by filmlover22

what exclusives are there in the Kino versions? The Eureka discs are jam packed with extras, booklet, etc.

For me, I want the absolutely best transfers/supplements for Lang's films. I decided a long time ago to forgo the Kino Lang Silent box collection and buy the individual MoC versions. Probably ended up paying 2 to 3x more for these than buying the Kino set, but MoC has better encoding, German intertitles, supplements, booklets. disc art and even an occasional slip and steelbook. And their 90th anniversary Metropolis set is awesome. Have all their Lang sound films too.

Imho. Understand that for those who just like, not love, Lang's works that Kino produces fine PQ at a great price.

The Kino set also includes films available nowhere else, however.

My tentative plan is to get the Kino boxset when it's on sale, for those titles, but to focus on the MOC versions of the major silents first, for their superior presentation.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by koberulz

I mean....you need the Kino set anyway for the exclusives, right? So if you're getting it anyway, you could just check them yourself and order the MoC discs as needed.

I checked the thread for the Lang boxset and I have my answer to question 1:

The first pressings of the standalone KL discs for Spies and Woman in the Moon were distorted to the wrong aspect ratio. It was corrected for the KL boxset. That means the boxset is the definitive presentation of the KL editions.

[James Luckard]

Here's a draft list of what seem to be the best sources for the silent films for US viewers.

1919/1920 - The Spiders - KL boxset or KL standalone
1919 - Harakiri - KL boxset only
1920 - The Wandering Shadow - KL boxset only
1921 - Four Around a Woman - KL boxset only
1921 - Destiny (Der müde Tod) - KL boxset or KL standalone
1922 - Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler - KL boxset or KL standalone
1924 - Die Nibelungen - KL boxset or KL standalone
1927 - Metropolis - MOC has original intertitles, also in KL boxset or KL standalone
1928 - Spies (Spione) - KL boxset. KL standalone is defective
1929 - Woman in the Moon (Frau im Mond) - MOC has original intertitles, also in KL boxset. KL standalone is defective

It looks like not all the KL discs have faux English intertitles. The reviews here say Destiny (Der müde Tod), Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler, Die Nibelungen, and Spies have the original German intertitles.

I can't find any discussion of whether Woman in the Moon has the original intertitles, but it appears Metropolis may be the only one where KL created faux English intertitles.

[Richard--W]

Has anyone seen TCM's DVD of YOU AND ME ?
Can you comment on the quality of the transfer?

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

Has anyone seen TCM's DVD of YOU AND ME ?
Can you comment on the quality of the transfer?

No, but Kino is releasing it on Blu-ray in 2023 from a new 2K master, so you might be best off waiting for that

[Doomhunter]

I wonder what the first Fritz Lang 4k will be?!

[Areyakiddin]

Originally Posted by Doomhunter

I wonder what the first Fritz Lang 4k will be?!

I'd bet on it being M from Criterion, unless if Sony gets around to doing the Big Heat first in a future volume of Columbia Classics.