Missing Metropolis Footage Found - How Cool Is That?

I’m behind the times by a few weeks here, but I don’t recall hearing this before so I’m going to guess that some of you haven’t, either. Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis, a seminal work of science fiction and, in my opinion, cyberpunk was originally released in 1927 but after only one viewing was significantly edited by The Man (boooooo!). Really. Well, kinda. Like nowadays, the studio had a movie on its hands that it thought audiences wouldn’t understand, so they cut it. Unlike today, the original saw the light of day once. ANYWAY. Approximately 25% of the movie was cut, “never to be seen again.” The entire movie seemed to disappear for awhile, but then fragments of it started turning up. Like true geeks anywhere, the cinephiles made it one of their missions in life to piece the thing together as best they could, restore it, hug it, squeeze it, and call it “George.” Except for the missing 25%, the movie has been in a somewhat stable form for awhile now, a disfigured icon of the past.

That is, until this happened.

Apparently some archive in Argentina had acquired a nearly-complete print without realizing exactly what it is they had. First, duh. Second, OMG. The print is apparently in crap condition, but if Ted Turner can colorize Ingrid Bergman (excuse me for just a sec - hubba) in Notorious, the forces of Good should be able to counter with a restoration of this treasure. Efforts are already underway, but we shouldn’t expect anything for years. Still, that’s infinitely closer than this was a month ago.

Thanks to Alert Nerd for bringing this story to my attention!