BD 147 Fedora

[domino harvey]

Get your Doritos and Mountain Dew ready, Wilder's film is coming in the next quarter from MoC

[Dylan]

Hopefully this will include the "preview" version of the film that is eight minutes longer and includes Miklos Rozsa's full score. This version exists, and has been written about as early as 2006. Here's an interesting 2006 forum post by Rex McGee, who was Wilder's personal assistant on the film:

I was a personal assistant to Billy on this film, and I preserved a preview print of the film from the original camera negative and donated to AMPAS in 1996. It is 8 minutes longer than the release version and contains the entire Miklos Rozsa score before it was chopped up by the producers. Excecpt for having turned pink through the last 28 years, it is in pristine condition and in fact has never been projected. I also donated boxes of outtakes and deleted workprint scenes and screen tests to the Academy. I wrote an article about the production for American Film magazine, and I still have hundreds of high-quality production stills from the film.

Also, here's hoping it will also include the 87-minute documentary Swan Song: The Story of Billy Wilder's Fedora, which was on the French Blu-ray released in 2014.

[swo17]

Delayed until September 19

[Cronenfly]

Specs have been updated to include deleted scenes and a restoration comparison, plus a booklet including contributions from Neil Sinyard and David Cairns, but still no sign of the Fiction Factory documentary.

[swo17]

You don't want to watch it, and Eureka don't want to put it out--delayed again to September 26th.

[Douglas R]

I have the Eureka. The deleted scenes total about 12 minutes and therefore must be all of the excised material (courtesy of Rex McGee?). Many of the cuts are extremely short - a second or two, which makes one wonder what was the point. The intention was obviously simply to tighten the film. Quality varies but most of the deleted footage is good. A pity it couldn't have been completed edited into the film as an extra although there would be obvious problems such as Miklos Rozsa's music being on the deleted scenes but not continuing for the same scene on the theatrical version.

[Cronenfly]

So no Fiction Factory documentary? Most disappointing...

[manicsounds]

DVDBeaver

[M Sanderson]

Really high level transfer though a few establishing shots early in the film appear to be from a secondary source.

What an amazing film, depicting the devastating effects on more than one identity straining to manufacture, and maintain, the Fedora persona. And, showing the need to believe in this persona, especially in men. Great film about the power and allure of the classical Hollywood style, a style which makes things mysterious and beautiful. One of the best ever MoC titles and transfers, for me.