Steven Soderbergh

[Galen Young]

Finally got to see And Everything Is Going Fine last night and thought it was fantastic. Have been a fan of Gray since Swimming to Cambodia, having read all his books and watched everything I could get my hands on -- Soderbergh's film was still like discovering buried treasure, everything I'd seen was only the tip of the iceberg. The home movie reel over the end credits with music by Gray's son -- that final image of him and his mother just knocked me right out. Here's a couple of nice interviews with Kathleen Russo and Forrest Gray.

[Zumpano]

Soderbergh to retire after next slate of movies?!

Maybe not?

[domino harvey]

Cheating on Jules Asner is his worst experimental foray yet

[Anhedionisiac]

In Mexico instead of saying "Oops", we say "Uy". Uy

[willoneill]

We're not actually referring to this illegitimate lovechild as a "b-side", are we?

[Zumpano]

More stupid retirement talk. Just two more flicks...
I thought his deal with Mark Cuban was for like 6 or so more "Bubble"-type films...

[Oedipax]

More stupid retirement talk. Just two more flicks...
I thought his deal with Mark Cuban was for like 6 or so more "Bubble"-type films...

I've been wondering what the hell happened to this deal for years; I guess The Girlfriend Experience qualifies (at least, it was associated with HDNet), but other than that...? It was such a cool idea, too.

[willoneill]

I think Bubble was part of that HDNet deal as well.

Aside from those two films he's yet to make, doesn't Soderbergh have 3 other films that are done or almost done that haven't come out yet?

[Zumpano]

My count is four between: Haywire, Contagion, The Spalding Gray doc/piece, and the Tot-Mom-play-cast film (which quite possibly could qualify as one of those HDNET films?).

The dude has spoiled us if we're complaining that we only get to see SIX more films before he retires. But, here I am, spoiled as 2 week old milk.

[willoneill]

I have no idea how serious Soderbergh is about this retirement, but I guess I just don't believe it's permanent. I think it'll turn out to be just a long break. Same thing with Kevin Smith. I find entertainers are kind of like professional wrestlers that way. I'm pretty sure, among other people, Anthony Hopkins has announced his retirement a couple of times.

[colinr0380]

My fingers are crossed that this retirement is a chance to recharge, and may even produce another Schizopolis (and, no, I'm not trying to be sarcastic when I say that! )

[willoneill]

I'm hopeful of that too (even another Schizopolis .. I liked it). But I'm an eternal film optimist. Hell, I still think I'll see another Cimino flick someday. (Maybe even a decent one).

As evidence, I present you Francis Ford Coppola (though I'm not sure he ever sau he was retired, he didn't put out a film for a whole decade).

[Zumpano]

I'm just disappointed that the GBV/Cleopatra project looks like a "I-don't-need-to-do-that-before-I-retire/recharge/paint" picture.

[colinr0380]

Well, the Man From U.N.C.L.E. isn't just going to remake itself you know! Priorities people!

[Murdoch]

Even Soderbergh saw Tiny Furniture (his personal diary of what he's watched and read)

[Jeff]

squeezing in one more B-side before calling it quits

[Zumpano]

squeezing in one more B-side before calling it quits

Thank God. Sounds interesting.

[domino harvey]

This is just Soderbergh-palooza: Soderbergh's been making a documentary about the 1970 counterculture film End of the Road, which is itself forthcoming on Blu-ray (!) from Warners in October-- The linked article's wording is a little fuzzy about whether Soderbergh's film is actually an extra on that release, but it seems logical

[Hopscotch]

From the article:

his completed making-of doc will be on the extras.

[domino harvey]

They helpfully reworded their article, it most definitely did not say that when I posted the link

[med]

That's good news about End of the Road. I've long been a fan of the novel and had resigned myself to never being able to see the film version.

[Ishmael]

That's good news about End of the Road. I've long been a fan of the novel and had resigned myself to never being able to see the film version.

I'm also a fan of the novel (one of Barth's best, I think), but, if I'm remembering correctly, the film version doesn't resemble the novel very much. In fact, the film famously has a scene with a man screwing a chicken (or is he just trying to screw it?), which should give you an idea how different the film and novel versions are. Barth hated the film, and reviewers pretty much unanimously called it a godawful piece of shit (generally in kinder language). One reviewer said (and I have to paraphrase here because I can't find the quote):

Spoiler

The novel ends with a harrowing abortion, whereas the film is an abortion from start to finish.

Personally, I found the film to be a godawful piece of shit whether you compare it to the novel or not, although I don't remember many specifics as I saw it 20 year ago. I'm sure the film will find some fans, but I just wanted to caution everybody not to get their hopes up.

[Jeff]

He's directing second unit on Gary Ross' teen sci-fi, The Hunger Games.

?

[domino harvey]

It must be amazing to have so much energy! For what it's worth, I've been told by a lot of people that these books are actually good or at least better than you'd think

[GaryC]

That's good news about End of the Road. I've long been a fan of the novel and had resigned myself to never being able to see the film version.

I'm also a fan of the novel (one of Barth's best, I think), but, if I'm remembering correctly, the film version doesn't resemble the novel very much. In fact, the film famously has a scene with a man screwing a chicken (or is he just trying to screw it?), which should give you an idea how different the film and novel versions are. Barth hated the film, and reviewers pretty much unanimously called it a godawful piece of shit (generally in kinder language). One reviewer said (and I have to paraphrase here because I can't find the quote):

Spoiler

The novel ends with a harrowing abortion, whereas the film is an abortion from start to finish.

Personally, I found the film to be a godawful piece of shit whether you compare it to the novel or not, although I don't remember many specifics as I saw it 20 year ago. I'm sure the film will find some fans, but I just wanted to caution everybody not to get their hopes up.

More favourable reviews here and here, the latter by me. I bought this on VHS from Amazon.com over a decade ago (it took me six months and two attempts to get hold of it). There was a "DVD" from Allied Artists Classics which looked very much like the video master burned onto a DVD-R.

The film was Gordon Willis's debut as DP and you can see a clip of it on one of David Bowie's TV sets in The Man Who Fell to Earth.

I did read the novel and actually the film is fairly faithful to it (that chicken scene aside, which replaces sequences of Dr D's patients homosexually propositioning Jacob).

I'm surprised, and pleased, that this is getting a Blu-ray release, as I had heard rumours that the negative had been lost. Interesting that Soderbergh is making this documentary, as one past unrealised project of his was a film of Barth's novel The Sot-Weed Factor.