Warner chat at HTF 2007

[Dylan]

Seeing as Beatrice is also the lone stop sign for a release of "The Other Side of the Wind," it wouldn't surprise me, but somehow I doubt it. For "Wind," her gripe is that Welles didn't finish the editing (not a fair gripe, since Welles did leave the editing duties to Bogdanovich), and for "Evil," her gripe was all about the reconstruction. I can't think of a reason for her to make a fuss over "Ambersons," but who knows?

Every Welles fan on Earth, of course, is hoping that elements is actually "elements" and that they found the mythic 133-minute cut. It's extremely doubtful, of course, but if they did, I really don't believe Warner would announce the discovery until a few months before the DVD release*, with the intention of publishing/distributing a press release that would raise interest and DVD sales.

As doubtful as this seems, I wouldn't rule out this scenario until the DVD is announced. The fact that they're being so incredibly vague about the matter should make one slightly hopeful, though.

*How long was it until the discovery of the lost "Passion of Joan of Arc" print was made public?

[chaddoli]

If they found it, don't you think there would be a theatrical re-release as well?

And honestly, what the fuck is up B. Welles' ass? Why does she seemingly not want her father's work restored and seen? Is she just that greedy?

[justeleblanc]

If they found it, don't you think there would be a theatrical re-release as well?

And honestly, what the fuck is up B. Welles' ass? Why does she seemingly not want her father's work restored and seen? Is she just that greedy?

Its the Gena Rowlands syndrome. It's pretty fucked up if you ask me.

[Dylan]

If they found it, don't you think there would be a theatrical re-release as well?

Maybe a very small one for the major cities, seeing as most theatres aren't set up for (or flatly refuse to project films in) 1.33. But I think to coincide with the discovery/DVD release, a small theatrical re-release a few months before the DVD would be a distant possibility.

Meanwhile, the Warner chat this time around included an incredibly vast assortment of announcements (far more than I was expecting). I eagerly await the Kubrick titles, and many others as well.

[justeleblanc]

I wonder if the Kubrick "promotion" involves some sort of re-release.

[J Wilson]

If they had found the lost footage of AMBERSONS, then it's the best kept secret in recent memory, because we surely would have heard something about it somehow. What seems more likely to me is that there was some sort of settlement in Beatrice Welles' lawsuit from a couple years ago in which she claimed some kind of nebulous rights/ownership of KANE and AMBERSONS thanks to a document she somehow "found." Warner's continuing excuse about needing to find better elements for AMBERSONS always rang a little bogus to me; I mean, how many elements for this film are left to look for, anyway?

As to what's up her ass, it's money, plain and simple. She has one of those artists' rights slugs working on her behalf, much the same way Fred Astaire's widow does (same guy, in fact, last I heard), allowing Fred's image to be pimped out for vacuum commercials and such. Either Welles isn't bankable enough for such treatment, or Beatrice does have a modicum of taste. Her interest in preserving her father's artistic legacy seems nil, given the hamfisted stupidity involved in her "restoration" of OTHELLO in 1992, and her efforts to shut down other projects. And, no doubt, there is an element of revenge in it, as shutting down anything Oja Kodar tries to do allows her to strike back at the woman who took her father away from her mother, for the most part. Oja Kodar isn't totally spotless in her work either though; allowing Jess Franco to put together that abomination passing itself off as DON QUIXOTE was a major disaster, and her treatment of Mauro Bonanni, Welles' editor on QUIXOTE who still holds footage Kodar is trying to reclaim, is unfortunate also.

Regarding WIND, as I understand it, she isn't the remaining stumbling block to the film being finished, it's Oja Kodar. I'm not sure if WIND will ever see release; the egos involved and the difficulties in simply finishing it may prove too much. Not to mention that whatever they end up with will be only a best guess at what Welles may have wanted.

[Antoine Doinel]

Regarding WIND, as I understand it, she isn't the remaining stumbling block to the film being finished, it's Oja Kodar. I'm not sure if WIND will ever see release; the egos involved and the difficulties in simply finishing it may prove too much. Not to mention that whatever they end up with will be only a best guess at what Welles may have wanted.

Apparently, all the legal issues around TOSOTW are close to being resolved.

[J Wilson]

From what I understand, they have been. But I think that's just one hurdle among several that have to be overcome to get WIND into some kind of released version.

[Joe Buck]

I hope their "Elvis Announcement" regards "On Tour"......

Another year waiting for Ambersons is going to be torture.

[Lino]

HTF will be hosting another chat with the reps of Warner Bros on May, 7. This chat is restricted to ANIMATION & TELEVISION CATALOG product only. No THEATRICAL product will be discussed.

[Cinephrenic]

HTF will be hosting another chat with the reps of Warner Bros on May, 7. This chat is restricted to ANIMATION & TELEVISION CATALOG product only. No THEATRICAL product will be discussed.

THIS IS TONIGHT!!!

An Evening With Warner Home Video

Monday May 7th

8:00-11:00pm EST, 7:00-10:00pm CST, 6:00-9:00pm MST, 5:00-8:00pm PST

[ByMarkClark.com]

So... anyone have a report?

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Here's the transcript.

[shearerchic]

that sure was a bunk ass chat. most of the shows people were asking for aren't even under consideration or have no plans for the time being....

[htdm]

Good to hear about Man From U.N.C.L.E. possibly coming later this year.

[patrick]

Wow, that TV chat was definitely a waste of time.

[Antoine Doinel]

At the next HTF chat with Warner someone needs to ask them why they are dropping commentaries from their films. There is no reason why films like The Departed (Scorsese), The Fountain (Aronofsky) and The Good German (Soderbergh) are arriving on shelves without them especially when in some cases the directors are banging their heads against the wall trying to get one recorded.

[Matt]

At the next HTF chat with Warner someone needs to ask them why they are dropping commentaries from their films.

They probably have piles of market research showing that fewer people listen to commentaries for these types of newer films than for classic films. When you see that Warners is cutting corners everywhere (monochrome disc art, little or no digital restoration for catalog genre films), it makes sense that they would also decline to delay a DVD release to add a commentary by a very in-demand director (Scorsese) or "throw good money after bad" to record a commentary for an underperforming film (The Fountain, The Good German). Nevermind that a commentary track might actually increase sales (though certainly by a small amount) for the latter films.

[justeleblanc]

You know, the last thing I would want to do is listen to a commentary track for THE FOUNTAIN. I love that movie partly because of my own interpretations.

Though I assume that Warner's plan is to release commentaries for a 10th anniversary edition down the road, if these films suddenly become more popular, as if often the case with films like these.

As for THE DEPARTED, that kinda makes no sense. Maybe they will only release commentary on the Blue Ray disc? I dunno.

[patrick]

At the next HTF chat with Warner someone needs to ask them why they are dropping commentaries from their films. There is no reason why films like The Departed (Scorsese), The Fountain (Aronofsky) and The Good German (Soderbergh) are arriving on shelves without them especially when in some cases the directors are banging their heads against the wall trying to get one recorded.

This was briefly addressed in the HTF chat, but the only thing that was said is that the "Classics"/catalog division has nothing to do with new releases and therefore can't address any questions about what their other hand is doing. I am kind of surprised that they released that 2-disc Departed without commentary though - although, who knows, perhaps Scorsese didn't want to record a commentary.

I'm not going to complain about Warner cutting some corners with their releases, I haven't noticed enough of a dip in quality to get too worried yet (although whoever greenlighted the horrible Butcher Boy cover should be shot with a nail gun).

[justeleblanc]

Agreed, this is a mere quibble compared to the quality DVDs coming from the Mensas at Universal.

[Highway 61]

Isn't it fairly obvious that Warners held off a commentary on The Departed for the inevitable double dib?

[dx23]

At the next HTF chat with Warner someone needs to ask them why they are dropping commentaries from their films.

They probably have piles of market research showing that fewer people listen to commentaries for these types of newer films than for classic films. When you see that Warners is cutting corners everywhere (monochrome disc art, little or no digital restoration for catalog genre films), it makes sense that they would also decline to delay a DVD release to add a commentary by a very in-demand director (Scorsese) or "throw good money after bad" to record a commentary for an underperforming film (The Fountain, The Good German). Nevermind that a commentary track might actually increase sales (though certainly by a small amount) for the latter films.

That may be the case but i mostly believe is the rush to release films on DVDs 3 month after they were shown in theaters. Since the window between theater and DVD releases have closed down, commentaries have become scarce in most new releases. Now, with the innovative video commentary track on HD-DVDs, studios are most likely taking their time so they get those directors to use that technology to promote double dips and future re-releases of their films.

[shearerchic]

Where are the SE's for Cool Hand Luke, An American in Paris and Bonnie & Clyde as well as the Harlow and Tracy sets and Up the Down Staircase?? The latter was to have a back to school release.