31 F for Fake

[Julz]

Just watched this one and got totally blown away... what a masterpiece!

I was lucky to get the Criterion pretty cheap but because of the different supplements (especially the booklet) I think about double-dipping the MoC as well, so just in case: There probably are no plans about going blu with this one any time soon, are there?


PS: This is my first posting ever, but I've been silently reading here for quite a while before eventually registering and just wanna say "thank you guys!" for all the enlightening threads and MoC for keeping up the great work. :-)

[matrixschmatrix]

Yeah, it's a great one. The MoC release has the full 9 minute trailer as an easter egg, and is worth getting for that alone.

I was just watching Welles' Around the World TV series, and in some ways I think it's the closest relative to F for Fake in his ouvre- noticably in the editing, which has all sorts of the same tricks with putting Welles into a conversation he wasn't therefore and so on, and in Welles' approach to interesting personalities and what they're up to. It's certainly not the masterpiece F for Fake is, but in some ways that's why it's interesting- it's rougher, and you can see the seams. If Welles is a magician, Around the World is a trick he hadn't mastered yet, and you can catch how it's done if you follow closely.

[albucat]

They both have the full trailer. However, the commentary tracks are different, and MoC has a Rosenbaum video piece.

[Julz]

Yeah, but as far as I know the MoC-edition exclusively features the recently restored trailer in colour whereas the Criterion's ain't in a pretty good shape and even is in b/w. So that'd definitely be a nice improvement since - as many others have stated before as well - the trailer is a little masterpiece on its own.

Right now MoC's "F for Fake" is part of their recent sale for just £7,99 so I'm double-dipping for sure as long as there aren't any plans for releasing it on Blu-ray. Maybe Peerpee might like to help out with a short statement? Thanks in advance! :-)

[evillights]

The question mark hangs on how F for Fake will figure in the S&S Top 10 tally...

Of course there are so many films that will take justified rank. At this point in time, it's impossible for "10" to be anything but very diffuse. That said, F for Fake would be one of those justified 10-of-all-time.

[manicsounds]

Just wait an hour and see if it gets announced or not...

[Roger Ryan]

Yeah, but as far as I know the MoC-edition exclusively features the recently restored trailer in colour whereas the Criterion's ain't in a pretty good shape and even is in b/w.

The "color" trailer is actually a "recreation" that the Munich Filmmuseum put together using alternates takes, I believe. The black-and-white one is the original that Welles himself cut.

[albucat]

Edit: My apology for that comment, I am apparently quite an ass and got the two releases mixed up in my head. Jedz is right, it's the MoC with the color version.

[Julz]

The "color" trailer is actually a "recreation" that the Munich Filmmuseum put together using alternates takes, I believe. The black-and-white one is the original that Welles himself cut.

Thanks for putting it straight, that was news to me.

Both feature the restoration, in color. Julz, check your release before telling people what it has on it.

Sorry albucat, but there probably is a misunderstanding on our side since I was talking about the trailer featured on the Criterion, which - in contrast to the Masters of Cinema edition - has a pretty poor quality and is b/w. Of course "F for Fake" as a main feature film is beautifully restored from a high-definition transfer on the Criterion as well as on the MoC.

[denti alligator]

Is there a rights reason why this was an easter egg? Or was it a last minute addition?

[zedz]

I know that Munich Filmmuseum have got that "Unknown Orson Welles" set (based on their extensive holdings) that they've been working on forever. Maybe they just didn't want MoC to steal their thunder with a high-profile release of their restoration that far in advance of their own big set?

[Roger Ryan]

I know that Munich Filmmuseum have got that "Unknown Orson Welles" set (based on their extensive holdings) that they've been working on forever. Maybe they just didn't want MoC to steal their thunder with a high-profile release of their restoration that far in advance of their own big set?

Possibly. My understanding is that the reconstructed color trailer was offered to Criterion for their release, but was rejected in favor of only using Welles' own edit. This is somewhat understandable in that the color trailer technically isn't Welles' work whereas the black-and-white one is. The background on this is that only a black-and-white dupe of the original trailer exists. The color negative held by the Munich Filmmuseum is missing the specific takes Welles used when he cut the trailer, so in order to reconstruct a color version, alternate takes where used. Both versions are worthwhile in my opinion as it's great to see the trailer in color and see alternate takes that Welles chose not to use.

[Red Screamer]

After rewatching the film, I looked up other books about Elmyr and found this hilarious Amazon review supposedly by Clifford Irving, titled "FAKES OF FAKES. WHAT NEXT?", calling out a bootleg edition of his book. Irving's Amazon profile also includes impassioned reviews of airport thrillers, two one-star reviews of nail clippers, two reviews that call two different weeders "the best I've ever used," and a review of a sprinkler that calls its makers "an arrogant company."