733 La dolce vita

[SamLowry]

Good news, MoMA's added another screening of the restored print for Sunday, January 1, 2012, at 2:00 p.m.

Did anyone go? and did they happen to see who's credited with the rights for US distribution? Was there a Paramount logo on the print? Has the US rights issue been solved?

[Minkin]

This probably isn't the most appropriate place to put it - but it was the last area I remember it being mentioned.

Foreign works in public domain can now be re-copyrighted.

[Matt]

Just so people are aware, this Supreme Court decision doesn't actually change any law, it just upholds the existing US laws that make re-copyrighting public domain works possible. This happened on a major scale in 1994 with the passage of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act which brought the US in line with the Berne Convention (which the US had strongly opposed for decades). But it's very unlikely that we're going to see additional works currently in the public domain have their copyright restored without new copyright legislation making that happen.

[hearthesilence]

That's what I thought - the first thing that came to mind was It's a Wonderful Life. Wasn't that public domain for a while (and since been re-copyrighted)?

[Matt]

Sort of, but as a result of a legal precedent based on copyright ownership of derivative works (Stewart v. Abend), not the URAA. In essence, the film was never really in the public domain because Republic owned the copyright of the story and the copyright of any derivative works made from it.

[andyli]

Finally a blu-ray edition is coming out! Advertised as 'from HD telecine' by IVC, is it possibly the Film Foundation restoration??

EDIT: cover art below.

[Jeff]

More on the legal dispute

[Tom Hagen]

I love everything about this story. The complex litigation. The fact that someone actually made a high concept porno about La Dolce Vita in the first place.

[SamLowry]

The fact that someone actually made a high concept porno about La Dolce Vita in the first place.

I don't know that slapping on the title "La Dolce Vita" to a standard (albeit large budget) porn movie makes it high concept. Having fun with the title (A Clockwork Orgy, Cape Rear, White Men Can't Hump, Saving Ryan's Privates, Driving Miss Daisy Crazy, The Talented Mister Raped Me...) is another story.

[R0lf]

It was actually SHAVING RYAN'S PRIVATES.

[warren oates]

My favorite porn parody title from the marquee of the old Tomkat in We-Ho was Dawson's Crack. We knew someone who was working on the actual show at the time, gave them a picture of it as a joke and heard later that it was proudly posted on the wall of the production office.

[Brvtality]

Which DVD edition would you recommend of this? Ashamed to say I still haven't seen it. Any region will do. Thanks!

[Kauno]

Picture-wise I would go for the Italian one. Here's DVDBeaver comparisons.

[albucat]

So is the legal dispute resolved? Or, if not, then who is it distributing the film?

[Matt]

The latest news I can find on the dispute is from April. I would need a lawyer to be able to interpret most of it for me, but it appears that Paramount's request for a quick resolution ("partial judgment") was denied and that the suit will go to trial. The trial appears not to have been scheduled yet.

[albucat]

Aah. I was surprised to see it coming to a local theater in a couple of weeks considering what I knew of its rights.

[Lowry_Sam]

The latest news I can find on the dispute is from April. I would need a lawyer to be able to interpret most of it for me, but it appears that Paramount's request for a quick resolution ("partial judgment") was denied and that the suit will go to trial. The trial appears not to have been scheduled yet.

I thought that the case did go to trial last April & that the judge stated that while IMF did not show proper rights to it, it did not mean that those rights were necessarily granted to Paramount because the movie could be considered in public domain. Since the Supreme Court has since ruled that former rights holders can reclaim rights, then Paramount does retain ownership. I did a search not too long ago & found an article that stated that Paramount basically owned "La Dolce Vita" & that IMF only had rights to box office receipts in certain select cities (I think New York & Philadelphia were 2) which is what in fact IMF's agreements were, but I can't find it anymore. Here's more conjecture.

[Matt]

Here's more conjecture.

I appreciate the effort, but conjecture and misinformation is not really helpful. The "Supreme Court ruling" you refer to was actually a U.S. District Court decision that upheld a portion of the Copyright Act of 1976 that says artists may terminate a transfer of copyright or license by serving advance notice within certain specified parameters for copyrights and licenses transferred after Jan. 1, 1978. So it only applies to works created or copyrighted after that date, really only applies to works where copyright has been transferred from a creator to a publishing entity, and thus has no bearing on the La Dolce Vita case.

[Lowry_Sam]

, is it possibly the Film Foundation restoration??

According to Google translate it is:

Description:
◆ masterpiece Federico Fellini Marcello Mastroianni × × Nino Rota, the century appeared in the Blu-ray at last!

◆ second edition Blu-ray Release Fellini following the "Menoto"!

◆ many of the scenes in the history of cinema and his representative maestro Federico Fellini is beautifully revived by HD telecine!

- Fully restored version by GUCCI and THE FILM FOUNDATION]

Repair is GUCCI and THE FILM FOUNDATION through a partnership that is engaged in restoration and preservation of the movie is a precious cultural heritage,
I'm using the restore version was premiered in 2010 at the Rome Film Festival.

★ Grand Prix Award in 1960 Cannes International Film Festival (Golden Palm)
★ Award for Costume Design Academy Awards 1961

Explanation of Benefits in the leaflet enclosed is newly written commentary recorded statement Mr. Kikuchi Naruyoshi, Ministry Nakajo's flat!

Marcello even while dreaming to be successful as a writer, as a reporter for a daily newspaper get through gossip.
He covered the glamorous actress who came from Hollywood, was sent to every day with her playing in the Trevi Fountain, and colored by Roaring orgy.
But one morning, a large fish is rotten, I was launched on the shores of the seaside town was staying .......

Nino Rota: Music & Oterro Martelli Photography: Pin. To~urio Nelli Ennio Flaiano Brunetti Lo Rondi Screenplay: Federico Fellini Director:

LA DOLCE VITA: Original Title
Italy-France 1960

Scope size 16:9 Screen Size:

Leaflet Description: inclusion benefits
Content (from "Kinemajunposha" database)
Federico Fellini's masterpiece set in Rome's high economic growth period, was poignantly portrays the decadence of the city. · Marcello gossip reporter, who had repeated night after night with Hollywood stars and wild merrymaking ... daughter of millionaire. Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner in 60 years.
Content (from "Oricon" database)
Dreams of aspiring writers is broken, now humble gossip reporter Marcello had lived riotously flirt with the opposite sex. Steiner was a friend that his only emotional support such was suicide, will upset the balance of the spirit is ... Marcello. Poignantly depicts the shape of the upper class people living in the period of high economic growth, was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Federico Fellini's masterpiece. Edition Blu-ray.

[Lowry_Sam]

So does anyone have info on the German Blu-Ray.

[Kris]

According to their website it's going to be bare bones and only with German subtitles. Also Universum ist not what you'd call a premium label, so don't expect too much.

[Kris]

Also Universum ist not what you'd call a premium label, so don't expect too much.

Well, to my surprise it is the beautiful new restoration, but just with optional German subtitles. Italian/German DTS HD-MA 2.0 Mono, dual layered, a few rotten trailers, about 11 €.

[tenia]

Universum is not what you'd call a premium label, so don't expect too much.

Universum are the guys who released what is said to be the best worldwide release of Fritz Lang's M, beating MoC and Criterion, with a lot of extras, and in a luxurious packaging. Just sayin'. They haven't been this consistent with other releases, but they are not Mill Creek either.

[goodsirofbrodie]

When I first watched La Dolce Vita, it didn't do too much for me, I was fairly young when I watched it and am still fairly young at the age of 19. But I've started to see a lot more in and watch movies more for cinematic, educational and artistic value. When I first saw the movie I found it boring and a tad tedious, I won't complain about the length because it was colourful and moved faster than the other Fellini films, but growing up and having an altered outlook on life has really made me appreciate this movie over time. I really identify with being empty and yet always surrounding yourself with people, an intense hatred at the idea of settling down to any form of life that traps you. To add to this, it really is a very true and human movie despite being about someone who is a selfish obnoxious jerk, but in our own way we all are. I've watched a fair amount of Fellini now and I think this could be my favourite though I do really like 8&1/2 and I Vitelloni. I found La Strada kinda boring but is still good. I guess Fellini films to be seem very slow and boring at first and then you really start to see whats going on in them and how real they are and all the better for that. La Dolce Vita especially

[ShellOilJunior]

Paramount wins