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Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2005 5:33 pm**

I had heard that the Pasolini estate had pulled it, because they feared that this would become the film Pasolini would most be remembered by (due to the lack of availability of his other films, and the tremendous cult popularity of Salò).

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:22 pm**

But Pasolini's other films were available; the Image "Trilogy of Life" releases came out at roughly the same time (Salo came out in August '98, the Trilogy of Life in May-October '98), to say nothing of the myriad VHS releases. The Gospel According to St. Matthew came out in February '99. And I might be mistaken here, but I seem to remember that Salo and the Image discs all went OOP at more or less the same time, which wouldn't make sense if it was just Salo the estate was concerned about. Then there's the fact that Salo is readily available in several European countries; if we accept the "the Pasolini estate doesn't want Salo available" story, it seems a bit strange to me that the U.S. is the only country where they can exercise any control over the film.

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:34 pm**

However true this rumor is, it seems wrong not show a film because someone's family wanted so. Sounds like the current news on tv with brain dead people. Pasolini wanted this film to be shown regardless of what the public would think or happen. It should be released in every language in the world. Expecially, every American should see this. It is still very true and realistic as Pasolini intended. Shame on these companies if they are living up to their wish.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:06 am**

cinephrenic wrote: Sounds like the current news on tv with brain dead people.

Yeah it's just like that

If the rumor were true, there's nothing wrong with Pasolini's estate doing what they want with the film.

Posted: **Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:42 am**

Not proof, but evidence (of the breadth of the rumor, if nothing else):

wikipedia wrote:For a time the film was unavailable in many countries, although it is now available uncut on DVD in the United Kingdom, France and Italy. It has run into intermittent legal trouble in the United States. Criterion Collection laserdisc and DVD editions were released for North America; the DVD is now out of print due to conflicts with Pasolini's estate over the licensing to the film.

our own faq wrote:Salo (it is presumed) was taken out of print at the request of the family of Pier Paolo Pasolini. There seem to be no plans by any company, Criterion included, to release a new edition of Salo on DVD.

If I remember correctly, it might even have been on Criterion's site, or in one of the interviews with a Criterion employee.

Two points:

1. It is entirely possible that MGM/UA has the rights to the film. These two ideas are not mutually exclusive. Certainly if MGM/UA has it, I doubt we will ever see it again in R1.

2. If_ the_rumor is true (and so far I see no reason to believe that it isn't--though skepticism is always a reasonable approach), there's a fairly clear rationale for Criterion's edition being singled out: it was released by a well-known company and it acquired a pretty strong reputation at a time when Pasolini's fame had waned pretty severely, and there was a dearth of availability of his other films (particularly in quality editions) to correct that. It may be that the Pasolini estate didn't see the bfi disc as having the same popularity (and therefore effect on Pasolini's reputation) as the Criterion. It may be that the rights contract in the US allowed the estate that control, but not in the UK or France. It may be that they asked Criterion to end production on the disc and Criterion did so willingly.

That said, probably more people know of Pier Paolo Pasolini because of Salï¿½ than any of his other films these days, and if that is true, Criterion's release of it is mostly responsible for that. Hopefully Mamma Roma will help to correct that.

When a director goes through a long period where his/her films are mostly unavailable, and there are no theatrical releases or pop-cultural contexts for his films to capture public interest, a sudden trumpeting of a single film has a pretty tremendous effect on the public's perception of that director. I imagine that in a year, most people will know of Visconti because of The Leopard, which in the US at least, was never his most well-known film.

Posted: **Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:52 am**

But again, why did the Image discs go OOP? If the Pasolini estate was concerned about Salo specifically, it seems very odd all the other Pasolini films available in R1 coincidentally went out of print at the same time. Given that all the Pasolini DVDs available at that time (Salo and the Image discs) were licensed from Water Bearer, it seems logical to assume that Water Bearer lost the rights to all their Pasolinis and, therefore, so did Image and Criterion. To believe otherwise is to believe that the Pasolini estate asked Criterion to withdraw Salo even though Water Bearer (and thus Criterion) had already lost the rights. Either that, or Water Bearer lost the rights to all their Pasolini titles except Salo, which went OOP only after the intervention of the Pasolini estate, which is a bit too far into the realm of the absurd for my liking. Until this question is addressed all other speculation is very much jumping the gun, but I will make one other point:

It may be that the Pasolini estate didn't see the bfi disc as having the same popularity (and therefore effect on Pasolini's reputation) as the Criterion.

But the BFI disc was preceded by a BFI theatrical re-release that received a very substantial amount of press. If the UK public didn't already heavily associate Pasolini with Salo, the re-release and the attendant publicity pretty much guaranteed they would. I find it a bit difficult to believe the Pasolini estate couldn't have foreseen this outcome, given Salo's reputation as one of the UK's most notorious banned films. Also, citing Wikipedia as proof of the rumor's breadth seems questionable, given there's a very good chance whoever wrote that derived the info from the FAQ on this site. And I have no clue what the original source for that was, maybe Matt or somebody else remembers. I very much doubt it was any sort of official statement from Criterion, given their traditional reluctance to provide detailed explanations when discs suddenly go OOP.

Posted: **Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:56 am**

The Fanciful Norwegian wrote: Your recollection of a notice on Criterion's site seems incredibly unlikely to me, given that Criterion doesn't traditionally offer explanations when discs go OOP; unless I'm mistaken, we still don't know what the exact situation was with the Morrissey and Hulot titles.

My take is that most of the time they lose the rights... even though the 'new' title holder takes a while to release their version.

Just like Sid and Nancy, MGM released their usual sh*tty dvd release...

Posted: **Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:03 am**

The Fanciful Norwegian actually wrote:Also, citing Wikipedia as proof of the rumor's breadth...

Jun-Dai wrote:Not proof, but evidence (of the breadth of the rumor, if nothing else)...

Maybe there's some ridiculously fine distinction between "proof" and evidence" I missed. Nice selective quoting, in any event.

Posted: **Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:38 am**

Actually, there's a pretty big difference between the two, not merely some sort of "fine distinction." Evidence is merely a piece of something that could at some point become proof, but if I had proof, we wouldn't really be arguing at this point.

Posted: **Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:21 am**

Has anyone read Gary Indiana's book on Salo?

Posted: **Sat Apr 02, 2005 8:29 am**

Salo has just been released on DVD in Germany. (Sorry, no Engl. subs!)

It's marketed as "uncut " and "restored" version with a bulk of extras. The small DVD label "Legend Films" has established a series called "Controversial Cinema", where theyï¿½ve released Noï¿½`s "Irreversible" and "Seul Contre Tous" and Larry Clarkï¿½s "Ken Park" up to now. The transfers are pretty good, and the extras are sumptuous.

DVD specs:

Runtime: ca. 113 min/ PAL
Letterbox (1.66:1)
German/Italian: Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono
Subs: German
DVD 9

Extras:

Chapters, animated menues,
documentary DIE KINDER VON SALï¿½ (The Children of Salo),
documentary: SALï¿½ - GESTERN UND HEUTE (Salo - Yesterday and Today)
Stills-Gallery
Original Trailer, Contemporary german Trailer
32 page booklet with essay: Die Mechanismen des Terrors (The mechanics of terror)

Posted: **Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:39 pm**

Anonymous wrote:I bought the Gaumont version because I saw the DVDBeaver comparisons and it has by far the best picture quality. I hope people who shell out $900 to buy the out-of-print Criterion version don't get disappointed...

I just shelled out 32 bucks. I hope I didn't get screwed.

Posted: **Mon May 09, 2005 5:40 pm**

According to this news story on BBC, new evidence has come up and investigators in Rome have reopened the inquiry into Pasolini's death:

Posted: **Tue May 10, 2005 2:58 am**

He probably short changed his male prostitute on his services and got pissed off. This guy had it coming from various corners for his work and his personality from so many possible enemies. Will they really ever know, and if he was killed over Salo, the film provides the legacy of justice on his murderers for what they once stood for and believed in.

Posted: **Tue May 10, 2005 3:25 am**

if he was killed over Salo, the film provides the legacy of justice on his murderers for what they once stood for and believed in.

Legacy of justice? What the hell are you talking about?

Posted: **Tue May 10, 2005 5:07 am**

I think he means the film was about the people who killed him... or something to that effect.

Posted: **Tue May 10, 2005 6:14 am**

What you don't understand about it. I was talking about his murder. The film's legacy and its allegory meaning against fascism and the idealism of fascist assholes.

Posted: **Tue May 10, 2005 8:27 am**

Do you really mean:

1) Pasolini predicted his own death (this theory/fantasy was variously circulated around the joint for all of a minute and got deservedly short shrift.)

No.

2) he deserved it? If you do I can't believe why you're posting her

.
No, I love his films. Nobody deserves to die.

From what you have said since I assume you confused what you meant to say with it's expression.

Don't read into my post too much, didn't mean anything, just defending Pasolini.

Please be very careful what you say! The notion that fag bashing is an acceptable pastime is not a human concept. Maybe you didn't mean this but I can assure you I took it that way.

I happen to be gay.

RULES: Carefully read the post you are replying to. You appeared to me to be replicating the right wing gutter press of the time.

Huh? Right wing? you kiddin

Carefully consider not only what you are saying, even if you intend "humor" with your despicable comment about the hustler turning on a short changing john. Murder is not funny. Homphobia is not funny. You are not funny.

Unless you exercise funding illegal prostitution, I don't know why anyone would be offended by it.

If your first language isn't English carefully check your text before you post it.

Learn to think before you bash.

Yours in enlightenment

Did you have an orgasm?

Posted: **Tue May 10, 2005 12:52 pm**

cinephrenic wrote:He probably short changed his male prostitute on his services and got pissed off. This guy had it coming from various corners for his work and his personality from so many possible enemies. Will they really ever know, and if he was killed over Salo, the film provides the legacy of justice on his murderers for what they once stood for and believed in.

did you read the BBC article I linked to? The new theory is that the male prostitute was used as bait (and a cover-up), but that he was killed for political reasons.

Posted: **Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:54 pm**

If MGM/UA (now owned by Sony) owns the rights to Salo, are we actually going to see a release, and if we do, will it actually be uncut? I don't understand the logic of a major studio acquiring the distribution rights, and deciding not to release it. Is this for political motivations based on the general controversy over the film? I have never seen Salo, but have enjoyed several of Pasolini's other films. The pricing for the OOP Criterion DVD is just to steep. Any concrete evidence that we will get a Region 1 release though?

Also I have noticed a pattern with OOP Criterions.

This is Spinal Tap
The Silence of the Lambs
Robocop
Sid & Nancy
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Straw Dogs

All of these titles went out of print, only to become MGM DVD's that were generally lackluster with a few exceptions. Also, what is the deal with Warner or Paramount not licencing their films out to third parties?

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:26 am**

Benoit wrote:Also, what is the deal with Warner or Paramount not licencing their films out to third parties?

Seems pretty clear that they'd rather make all of the $$$, and keep full control of all of their properties. Not to mention avoiding the hit to the ego of being outdone by another (small) company.

As for Salo, it is soon making its second appearance in Vancouver in half a year from a new restoration, and the print, at least in December, was very nice.

Posted: **Fri Sep 23, 2005 4:41 pm**

Harrowing Pasolini shots revealed

Images shown of lost scenes from 'most disturbing' film

(ANSA) - Rome, September 22 - Images of lost scenes from Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salo, considered one of the most disturbing movies ever made, have been put on show here for the first time.

Posted: **Fri Sep 23, 2005 7:04 pm**

Excellent article, It slipped my mind that portions of the film were stolen and lost forever. What is the best online source or book for information on what was stolen from the film? This was such an excellent film, I can not help but be fascinated with the minutia of every story and event surrounding its creation.

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:38 pm**

A lot of the facts in that article don't ad up. I don't like the suggestion that the version available today is missing anything. Is Ansa some kind of Italian Tabloid? They describe the film as having been 'kidnapped' after its release. How do you kidnap a film after it has been released? I presume that the original negative was stolen. Even if the ON was stolen, altered, and returned, the excised bits would still be available on internegatives and release prints. It is possible there may have been many scenes shot and later cut (like the scene with the rats that is pictured on the Criterion DVD), and stills of these scenes certainly would exist, but I don't like the conjecture made by the article that this means there were scenes cut from the film.

Posted: **Tue Sep 27, 2005 7:16 am**

This story is new to me (besides the murder of Pasolini) and with everything being said above, I think there is enough material to make a very exciting movie about it. Could be a great future supplement for a re-release of Salo (which will never happen).

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