Fritz Lang’s silent dystopian masterpiece had long been shown in a somewhat abbreviated form. Following its release in 1927, close to an hour’s worth of footage was snipped by displeased studio executives and lost forever. Or so it was thought. Two years ago, a version of Metropolis discovered in Argentina included some of the footage that was presumed destroyed. This year, the full (or as close to full as we might ever get) version was shown in theaters, an improvement from the 1984 rerelease of the film masterminded by synthesizer-heavy composer Giorgio Moroder. Accompanied by songs from Pat Benatar, Freddie Mercury, Adam Ant and other early-’80s artists, the Moroder version of Metropolis is considered by many to be an embarrassment. Naturally, there are also those who consider it to be an unfairly attacked work of artistic bravery.
Top 10 Movie Rereleases
George Lucas isn't the only filmmaker guilty of giving audiences alternate versions of his movies. TIME takes a look at other cinematic reintroductions.