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okcmaxk wrote: Thu Jul 03, 2025 3:46 pmSimilar holdup on Remember My Name, Altman finding a musician to score, unknowingly fumbling the agreement/contract for future releases because home video wasn't a thing.

GaryC wrote: Fri Jul 04, 2025 11:40 am

okcmaxk wrote: Thu Jul 03, 2025 3:46 pmSimilar holdup on Remember My Name, Altman finding a musician to score, unknowingly fumbling the agreement/contract for future releases because home video wasn't a thing.

The hold-up there is due to Alberta Hunter's blues songs not having been cleared. She died intestate, which certainly wouldn't help. I saw tof is he film at the BFI Southbank about a dozen years ago in an ex-UK-distribution print which was fading in places. Apparently the film is definitely in need of restoration.

Another I'm aware of is American Hot Wax, directed by Floyd Mutrux. I'm told the cost to clear the music rights for homevideo would cost more than the film's entire dudget at the time. It's a biopic of DJ Alan Freed so as you can guess it's more or less wall-to-wall pop and rock music. As it was a big commercial flop at the time, I can understand why this wouldn't be a priority.

If streaming is legally equivalent to TV broadcast as far as music rights are concerned, I could live with films like this being available to stream in decent HD versions, but in these and many cases they aren't. Remember My Name has been shown a few times recently on Talking Pictures TV in the UK so that's something, but American Hot Wax was last on British TV in the 1990s. Plenty of other examples I could name, and don't get me started on films seemingly only available now with music rights replacements unless you have a vanishingly rare chance to see the film on a 35mm print (e.g. Medium Cool).

It makes you wish there was a philanthropic millionaire cineaste out there.

GaryC wrote: Fri Jul 04, 2025 11:40 am

okcmaxk wrote: Thu Jul 03, 2025 3:46 pmSimilar holdup on Remember My Name, Altman finding a musician to score, unknowingly fumbling the agreement/contract for future releases because home video wasn't a thing.

The hold-up there is due to Alberta Hunter's blues songs not having been cleared. She died intestate, which certainly wouldn't help. I saw tof is he film at the BFI Southbank about a dozen years ago in an ex-UK-distribution print which was fading in places. Apparently the film is definitely in need of restoration.

Stefan Andersson wrote: Fri Jul 04, 2025 4:42 pm

GaryC wrote: Fri Jul 04, 2025 11:40 am

okcmaxk wrote: Thu Jul 03, 2025 3:46 pmSimilar holdup on Remember My Name, Altman finding a musician to score, unknowingly fumbling the agreement/contract for future releases because home video wasn't a thing.

The hold-up there is due to Alberta Hunter's blues songs not having been cleared. She died intestate, which certainly wouldn't help. I saw tof is he film at the BFI Southbank about a dozen years ago in an ex-UK-distribution print which was fading in places. Apparently the film is definitely in need of restoration.

More info re: Remember My Name and Alberta Hunter:
"despite both the studio and the record company being under the same corporate parent, Sony Pictures has not been able to come to terms with Sony Music for re-clearing Hunter’s tracks".
https://thenewbev.com/blog/2022/06/remember-my-name/

Alan Rudolph quote:
/Criterion/ told me they wanted "Remember My Name" but that there is some kind of legal thing involving the music. Now, everyone involved with the music is dead, and the music wasn't pop music—it was Alberta Hunter and her blues tunes. It is probably just some lawyer who got lazy and didn't do something, but that has stopped it from anybody who has tried to pursue it. Nobody will tell me what the issue is—they just say it is a legal thing.”
https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/a ... -interview
Interview also mentions a 2024 4K restoration of Breakfast of Champions.

reaky wrote: Tue Oct 07, 2025 4:46 pm Indicator have just posted an image of four question marks and the statement ”Two days”.

A tranche of movies with question titles? Who Slew Auntie Roo? Qui Etes-Vous, Polly Magoo? Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? Paris Brule-t-Il? Dude, Where’s My Car?

TMDaines wrote: Fri Oct 10, 2025 7:54 am Anyone know what the picture clue in the newsletter is?

eerik wrote: Sat Oct 11, 2025 3:44 pm Any idea if there are more Mexican films coming soon? They have a separate section for Mexican titles on their website, but it's been a year since the last one, nothing for the whole 2025.