The Other Side of the Wind (Orson Welles, 2018)

[captveg]

Can someone remind me - was it the case that when the Indiegogo was passed to Netflix funding that those who contributed at the level that would receive a BD/DVD were essentially denied that specific perk? I seem to recall that being the case, which means I'll just end up purchasing the BD (UHD?) when Criterion finally does release it.

[Roger Ryan]

Can someone remind me - was it the case that when the Indiegogo was passed to Netflix funding that those who contributed at the level that would receive a BD/DVD were essentially denied that specific perk? I seem to recall that being the case, which means I'll just end up purchasing the BD (UHD?) when Criterion finally does release it.

I don't believe there was ever a statement saying that the Blu-ray perk was not going to happen. While I don't know any details, it would make sense for a set number of (an eventual) Criterion release be set aside to mail to Indiegogo contributors instead of the original producers going to the expense of having Blu-rays produced themselves (and the Criterion release would presumably have better bonus content, packaging, etc. so it would be a better deal for contributors). Of course, this requires Criterion and Netflix to actually arrange for the film to be released on disc, so...

I was surprised to hear through the grapevine about a year back that the producers were still trying to get a coffee table book published, primarily to fulfil that perk for contributors, but various factors prevented that from happening.

[captveg]

Appreciate the feedback.

[Stefan Andersson]

New correspondence re: The Other Side of the Wind uncovered in Turin, Italy:
https://www.wellesnet.com/directors-company-other-wind/

[FrauBlucher]

Welles explains The Other Side of the Wind

[Drucker]

Jonathan Rosenbaum claims Criterion told him they will not be releasing the film. I'm a bit skeptical of his claim, which is that Criterion won't release it because it's not PC.

[diamonds]

Jonathan Rosenbaum claims Criterion told him they will not be releasing the film. I'm a bit skeptical of his claim, which is that Criterion won't release it because it's not PC.

It's so over.

In fairness, he admits in the clip that it's pure speculation on his part and that they provided no official reason. (But realistically, if it's not a rights issue there don't seem to be many other options. Given that it's Welles.)

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

He wrote the same thing a few months ago in a Cinema Scope column where he also alleged that PC concerns were the reason Criterion put out Cooley High but not Car Wash or The Glass Shield—never mind that Car Wash is still in print from Shout or that The Glass Shield is tied up with the Miramax catalog. So forgive me if I don't put any stock in this claim. (Should also be added that Wellesnet reported late last year that the decision rests with Netflix.)

[swo17]

Didn't a bunch of people contribute to a crowdfunding campaign with the promise of an eventual Blu-ray release?

[bearcuborg]

Ray Kelly of Wellesnet gave a lecture at the ongoing, 7 part series at the Free Library in Philadelphia...and he basically said that he can't say for certainty it won't happen, but Netflix has no plans and specifically, no interest in producing a physical copy.

[yoloswegmaster]

From Wellesnet:

Netflix today released its viewership report of 18,220 programs for the first half of 2023. I cringed to see the Orson Welles documentary THEY'LL LOVE ME WHEN I'M DEAD placed at No. 17,812. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND was not included in the report.

Insane how Netflix buried this film

[Stefan Andersson]

An Italian-language analysis of the screenplay evolution for TOSOTW:
https://www.wellesnet.com/other-wind-script-evolution/

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

From Wellesnet:

Netflix today released its viewership report of 18,220 programs for the first half of 2023. I cringed to see the Orson Welles documentary THEY'LL LOVE ME WHEN I'M DEAD placed at No. 17,812. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND was not included in the report.

Insane how Netflix buried this film

I can’t help but think Netflix coughed up the money to restore this thinking they were going to get Citizen Kane 2 along with awards recognition, but instead gave us a late-period Welles masterpiece that probably left casual viewers confused. I think they were more interested in the content creation of the documentary rather than the film itself.

[Altair]

Tbh I am just happy they funded it and made it widely accessible - this could easily have languished in the vaults like other Welles' projects (The Deep anyone?) and it always needed a lot of money to reedit and to create the soundtrack. No conventional studio would have done it and now that Bogdanovich has died and other people who knew Welles on the 70s and 80s are getting old, this was probably the last moment to do it.

[beamish14]

From Wellesnet:

Netflix today released its viewership report of 18,220 programs for the first half of 2023. I cringed to see the Orson Welles documentary THEY'LL LOVE ME WHEN I'M DEAD placed at No. 17,812. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND was not included in the report.

Insane how Netflix buried this film

I can’t help but think Netflix coughed up the money to restore this thinking they were going to get Citizen Kane 2 along with awards recognition, but instead gave us a late-period Welles masterpiece that probably left casual viewers confused. I think they were more interested in the content creation of the documentary rather than the film itself.

It still pisses me off that they didn’t give it a theatrical release. Netflix struck a 35mm print, but I think it’s only screened once in Los Angeles, which is insane

[beamish14]

Tbh I am just happy they funded it and made it widely accessible - this could easily have languished in the vaults like other Welles' projects (The Deep anyone?) and it always needed a lot of money to reedit and to create the soundtrack. No conventional studio would have done it and now that Bogdanovich has died and other people who knew Welles on the 70s and 80s are getting old, this was probably the last moment to do it.

The Munich Filmmuseum has toured their reconstruction of The Deep a bit in a program that includes other incomplete works. I think part of the issue might be the rights to Charles Williams’ novel, in addition to ownership questions with Welles’ heirs.

[hearthesilence]

Tbh I am just happy they funded it and made it widely accessible - this could easily have languished in the vaults like other Welles' projects (The Deep anyone?) and it always needed a lot of money to reedit and to create the soundtrack. No conventional studio would have done it and now that Bogdanovich has died and other people who knew Welles on the 70s and 80s are getting old, this was probably the last moment to do it.

Same here. It sucks they've kind of buried it and moreso that they haven't allowed someone to issue it on Blu-ray, but at least it's available to stream and more importantly a finished film. As Altair said, the window was rapidly closing, and given how soon Bogdanovich passed away, I'm grateful Netflix financed this. Remember, the Kickstarter campaign didn't come close to reaching their goal - Netflix was likely the ONLY way this was ever getting financed, at least in Bogdanovich's lifetime. It's no wonder Bob Murawski made a point to thank Netflix at the very end of the Q&A that followed its premiere at the NYFF, right as the audience was getting ready to leave.

EDIT: Forgot, it was IndieGoGo, not Kickstarter.

[beamish14]

Tbh I am just happy they funded it and made it widely accessible - this could easily have languished in the vaults like other Welles' projects (The Deep anyone?) and it always needed a lot of money to reedit and to create the soundtrack. No conventional studio would have done it and now that Bogdanovich has died and other people who knew Welles on the 70s and 80s are getting old, this was probably the last moment to do it.

Same here. It sucks they've kind of buried it and moreso that they haven't allowed someone to issue it on Blu-ray, but at least it's available to stream and more importantly a finished film. As Altair said, the window was rapidly closing, and given how soon Bogdanovich passed away, I'm grateful Netflix financed this. Remember, the Kickstarter campaign didn't come close to reaching their goal - Netflix was likely the ONLY way this was ever getting financed, at least in Bogdanovich's lifetime. It's no wonder Bob Murawski made a point to thank Netflix at the very end of the Q&A that followed its premiere at the NYFF, right as the audience was getting ready to leave.

Netflix likely had to spend a lot on making Oja Kodar walk away.

This is the company that is currently possing away $300 million on stuff like The Electric State while not coughing up less than $40 million for a David Lynch animated feature

[hearthesilence]

I may have posted this before, but back when Netflix, Amazon et al were spending money on auteurs left and right, I thought it was a sure bet they were building their reputation up from nothing via "prestige" projects and then changing course once they got established and attained the traffic they were aiming for. That is, you get the big names by giving them carte blanche and financing for their projects, they come out looking like a serious studio rather than a retailer or a video rental company that's just dabbling, and then when they have their general audience and their streaming numbers come in, they shift gears and play to those numbers the way TV networks play to ratings. I didn't think it was ever going to last, but it was nice while it lasted.

[Altair]

From Wellesnet:



Insane how Netflix buried this film

I can’t help but think Netflix coughed up the money to restore this thinking they were going to get Citizen Kane 2 along with awards recognition, but instead gave us a late-period Welles masterpiece that probably left casual viewers confused. I think they were more interested in the content creation of the documentary rather than the film itself.

It still pisses me off that they didn’t give it a theatrical release. Netflix struck a 35mm print, but I think it’s only screened once in Los Angeles, which is insane

I saw it in the cinema in first release in the UK - I didn't realize it had such a restricted US release.

Anyhow, I am not a Netflix defender as a company writ large, but it strikes me that these compromises around the film's release are a necessary trade-off for the film's very existence.

[Brian C]

I saw the 35mm print at the Music Box in Chicago, too. But as I recall, it was only a single screening and not a regular weeklong run.

[beamish14]

I saw the 35mm print at the Music Box in Chicago, too. But as I recall, it was only a single screening and not a regular weeklong run.

Yes, it was a one-off at the American Cinematheque. I just can’t believe they didn’t give it week-long runs in multiple locations. Since Netflix has taken over the Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre, I keep hoping it will come back

[hearthesilence]

IIRC not even the NYFF screenings were in 35mm...am I right about that?

[Drucker]

I definitely saw it in 35 in NYC, definitely at The IFC Center (maybe Metrograph too? I remember seeing it twice).

[HinkyDinkyTruesmith]

The NYFF premiere I went to (9/29) was the premiere of the 35mm print if I recall correctly. At the least it was the American premiere of that print.