NEWS – Fritz Lang’s M Coming to Blu-ray

Published on: 13th February, 2010

NEWS - Fritz Lang’s M Coming to Blu-ray  | read this item

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Following on from the recent news that Criterion will be downsizing much of their impressive Criterion Collection DVDs, the latest from the company is that they plan to release Fritz Lang’s 1931 notorious classic M on Blu-ray later this year. And, in typical fashion, it will come loaded with a whole host of special features, although these appear to be identical to the ones found on their DVD release.

Peter Lorre plays Hans Beckert, a child molester and murderer, who terrorizes Berlin during the 1930s. But as his deeds begin to put pressure on the police, the city’s criminals soon find themselves under the spotlight, forcing them to lead a manhunt of their own. Inspired by the true case of Peter Kürten, dubbed the Vampire of Düsseldorf, the movie sparked major controversy upon its initial release but has since been renowned as one of the greatest movies the legendary director ever made.

The special features will include:
- Audio commentary by German film scholars Anton Kaes and Eric Rentschler
- The long-lost English-language version of M
- Documentary on the physical history of M, from production to distribution to digital restoration
- Conversation with Fritz Lang, a fifty-minute film by William Friedkin
- Claude Chabrol’s short film M le maudit, plus a video interview with Chabrol
- Classroom audiotapes of editor Paul Falkenberg discussing M and its history, set to clips from the film
- Video interview with Harold Nebenzal, son of M producer Seymour Nebenzal
- Stills gallery, with behind-the-scenes photos and production sketches
- A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Stanley Kauffmann, a 1963 interview with director Fritz Lang, the script for a missing scene, and contemporaneous newspaper articles

The Blu-ray will be released by Criterion on May 11, with Nicolas Roeg’s seductive drama Walkabout the following week.

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