'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

[TMDaines]

What Fassbinder stuff is there to still restore and release?

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

It looks like the three Fassbinder projects are likely I Only Want You to Love Me, The Stationmaster's Wife, and Despair. Eclipse set?

It might be a pity if these are bare bones Eclipse. According to Bogarde the first cut of Despair was magnificent until Fassbinder 'fucked it up' after a coke fuelled binge leaving a distraught editor in his wake. Might be exciting to see some of this or at least hear in more detail what we might have been in store for.

[TMDaines]

It looks like the three Fassbinder projects are likely I Only Want You to Love Me, The Stationmaster's Wife, and Despair. Eclipse set?

It might be a pity if these are bare bones Eclipse. According to Bogarde the first cut of Despair was magnificent until Fassbinder 'fucked it up' after a coke fuelled binge leaving a distraught editor in his wake. Might be exciting to see some of this or at least hear in more detail what we might have been in store for.

Weren't Criterion working on Lili Marleen too?

[Jeff]

Did Criterion even know this information?

I've emailed both Criterion and Bavaria in hopes of arranging a marriage.

[stereo]

According to Bogarde the first cut of Despair was magnificent until Fassbinder 'fucked it up' after a coke fuelled binge leaving a distraught editor in his wake. Might be exciting to see some of this or at least hear in more detail what we might have been in store for.

Sounds like a director's cut to me; I'd prefer Fassbinder's coke fuelled binge to a distraught editor's any day of the week.

[Tribe]

Did Criterion even know this information?

I've emailed both Criterion and Bavaria in hopes of arranging a marriage.

You have become our official Forum Yenta. =D>

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

According to Bogarde the first cut of Despair was magnificent until Fassbinder 'fucked it up' after a coke fuelled binge leaving a distraught editor in his wake. Might be exciting to see some of this or at least hear in more detail what we might have been in store for.

Sounds like a director's cut to me; I'd prefer Fassbinder's coke fuelled binge to a distraught editor's any day of the week.

The point Bogarde was making was that Fassbinder presented a cut to a select cast and crew which was met with acclaim before hacking it up subsequently. So in essence it was the Director's cut before he went off the rails, not some prissy editor's version. If you're not interested in seeing any of that then it's your loss pal.

[zedz]

It looks like the three Fassbinder projects are likely I Only Want You to Love Me, The Stationmaster's Wife, and Despair. Eclipse set?

That would be a rather random assortment for an Eclipse set (suggested title: "Some More Fassbinder, Okay?"). I think Despair is a weak adaptation, but it's got more than enough going for it (Fassbinder + Bogarde + Nabokov + Stoppard) to make for some interesting extras. The Stationmaster's Wife comes in two versions, though I'm not sure it's got the profile to sustain that size of release, and I Only Want You to Love Me is just a masterpiece. A 'Fassbinder on TV' Eclipse set including this would be most welcome - maybe to accompany World on Wires, which might be the next main line Criterion out of the gate.

EDIT: The talk about the two cuts of Despair is intriguing. The released version is pretty tame Fassbinder, so it's hard to think of this as the 'drug-fuelled, off-the-rails' version! I'd certainly be up for a more unhinged version. Less unhinged, maybe not.

[ianungstad]

I wonder what's going on with the American Zentrope pictures distributed by Paramount? They've all went out of print over the last few weeks. I've sent out a few emails but have not had any luck in finding anyone who knows anything.

On 1/10/10 Paramount put Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, Hammet out of print. In the weeks prior they discontinued The Virgin Suicides, Tucker to name a few.

Everything Coppola's company licensed to Paramount outside of the Godfather Trilogy (which was a coproduction with Paramount) is out of print.

With Criterion buying up everything that the majors are shedding, I half wonder if they worked out a deal with Coppola. They've previously licensed Mishima and are bringing out the Qatsi titles...Criterion has also hinted that we may see The Black Stallion.

All total speculation on my part...but I would like to know what's going down. All of these films are independently owned by Coppola's production co.

Ex - in region 2, Apocalypse Now is distributed by Path and The Conversation by Walt Disney. The distributors vary by territory.

Too bad Criterion isn't answering questions on Facebook anymore. Could be nothing to it but it makes for a good Mulvaney question.

[domino harvey]

What'd be the point of a Criterion Apocalypse Now anyways? They'd still 2:1 it

[aox]

I just want AN on Blu. I don't care who distributes it. It will look gorgeous if it gets the attention that the Godfather Trilogy got.

[swo17]

I wouldn't hold your breath. I heard Vittorio Storaro recently had a dream in which it was revealed to him that he originally shot Apocalypse Now on Kinescope.

[agnamaracs]

I wonder what's going on with the American Zentrope pictures distributed by Paramount?

Ah, yes, the new Coppola/von Trier merger...

[ianungstad]

American Zoetrope. Sorry

[aox]

I wouldn't hold your breath. I heard Vittorio Storaro recently had a dream in which it was revealed to him that he originally shot Apocalypse Now on Kinescope.

haha kidding aside, Coppola has the balls to stand up to Storaro, right? The way that Bertolucci didn't?

EDIT: actually, was the Complete Dossier edition already botched in this regard, meaning Coppola already caved to his cinematographer 30 years later?

[Matt]

All laserdisc and DVD releases of the film (as well as all versions of Apocalypse Now Redux) reframe the film from 2.35:1 to 2:1, if that's what you're referring to.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

EDIT: The talk about the two cuts of Despair is intriguing. The released version is pretty tame Fassbinder, so it's hard to think of this as the 'drug-fuelled, off-the-rails' version! I'd certainly be up for a more unhinged version. Less unhinged, maybe not.

Without wanting to sound too schoolmarmy about this, a drug riddled director does not necessarily a better editor/more dynamic gonzoid edit make -pace Scorsese perhaps .

[Matt]

As a Nabokov fan, a Fassbinder fan, and a Dirk Bogarde fan, I've always felt that avoiding the film altogether was the best policy. I hear the production design, however, is exquisite.

The "distraught editor" referred to by Bogarde was likely Juliane Lorenz, who maintains that Fassbinder was not a drug abuser. As she is also the director of the Fassbinder Foundation, which oversees all editions of his works, I wouldn't expect to see any other version than the existing cut. Then again, she's been so contrary that she may decide to put together something resembling the original cut and present it as Fassbinder's original vision.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

As a Nabokov fan, a Fassbinder fan, and a Dirk Bogarde fan, I've always felt that avoiding the film altogether was the best policy. I hear the production design, however, is exquisite.

The "distraught editor" referred to by Bogarde was likely Juliane Lorenz, who maintains that Fassbinder was not a drug abuser. As she is also the director of the Fassbinder Foundation, which oversees all editions of his works, I wouldn't expect to see any other version than the existing cut. Then again, she's been so contrary that she may decide to put together something resembling the original cut and present it as Fassbinder's original vision.

As a fan of the same triumvirate I see no reason to unduly avoid it. Drugs or no, the film is dedicated to Artaud and Van Gogh so maybe Fassbinder was going through a self harming phase.

[stereo]

According to Bogarde the first cut of Despair was magnificent until Fassbinder 'fucked it up' after a coke fuelled binge leaving a distraught editor in his wake. Might be exciting to see some of this or at least hear in more detail what we might have been in store for.

Sounds like a director's cut to me; I'd prefer Fassbinder's coke fuelled binge to a distraught editor's any day of the week.

The point Bogarde was making was that Fassbinder presented a cut to a select cast and crew which was met with acclaim before hacking it up subsequently. So in essence it was the Director's cut before he went off the rails, not some prissy editor's version. If you're not interested in seeing any of that then it's your loss pal.

First off, I'm not your pal, friendo (I've got your shinebox right here). Second, Your second statement completely contradicts your first, so your criticism is f'd. Third, if given the option I'll take both in a nice double disc blu-ray, but if given only one option I'll take Fassbinder's wackiness over another edit any day.

[TheGodfather]

Just some random speculation of course but I just read on the Criterion Twitter:

Starting this weekend: a complete retrospective of Andrei Tarkovsky's films, with supplementary material, at LACMA: http://ow.ly/Z81H" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is it possible we`re gonna get a Stalker release in the future?

[eljacko]

Just some random speculation of course but I just read on the Criterion Twitter:

Starting this weekend: a complete retrospective of Andrei Tarkovsky's films, with supplementary material, at LACMA: http://ow.ly/Z81H" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is it possible we`re gonna get a Stalker release in the future?

Or better yet - Andrei Rublev rereleased!

[TheGodfather]

Or both?? that would be a great month!

[aox]

I can't see them getting Stalker, even though it is my dream that they do.

[James]

Yes! I'm seeing Mirror and Nostalghia on the big screen (the only other Tarkovsky I've seen is Stalker).