DOMINICI AFFAIR

[jaime marzol]

The Dominici Affair is excellent. some here posted that if i didn't like Aound The World With OW i wasn't going to like Dominici.

Dominici is nothing like Around The World With OW, though it was supposed to be a segment for that show. Dominici is more like the It's All True documentary, as informative, very interesting. i thought it was quite excellet.

the only thing i learned from watching Around The World With OW is that keneth Tynan has a flat head, and a dumpy wife.

Dominici Affair is full of information, the documentary was very well researched and presented. i give it an 'A'.

Other Orson bi-products worth seeing are Rosabella, It's All True. One Man Band, The Orson AFI Tribute (an unbalanced affair, but interesting to see how superficial these things can be).

[Fredric]

Cool. I have it on my shelf and have been putting off watching it. Guess I'll sit down with it now.

[Jeff Wilson]

I found the background material on the show interesting, the actual remaining footage of the Dominici Affair less so. Without Welles' original narration and connecting shots, it was seemed somewhat boring to me. Worth having though, for the background stuff alone.

[jaime marzol]

unlike IT'S ALL TRUE, the actual Dominici show, like AROUND THE WORLD,WITH OW, is crap. the documentary, the intertviews with the original participants in the filming, as excellent.

[Kubed]

The DVD on the Dominici Affair isn't the original version? It's missing his narration?

So, what's left. Just his footage?

What is Rosabella?

Is the AFI tribute available to the public?

[Flint]

Jaime-
I have to disagree with your statement that "Around the World with Orson Welles" is crap. I just got the image DVD and watched all the episodes back to back. I was enthralled. I very much see the films as a prelude to Welles' "stream of consciousness" style of documentary making which culminates in "Filming Othello" and "F for Fake". While not all the episodes were top notch, most I found extremely interesting and some (such as the man in France who makes everything he owns) even moving. I highly recommend this show to anyone. I'd be curious to hear your reasons for disliking it.

Regards,
Flint.

[Flint]

Jaime-
I will however agree with you that Kenneth Tynan has a flat head.

-F.

[jaime marzol]

ok, i'll look at it again. on first viewing i considered it the bottom wrung (or is it rung?) of the welles ladder. every single welles thing i have ever seen has brilliant moments, editing, framing, character choreography, etc. this had none of that. it was like a show called PM MAGAZINE, but if it moved you i might be missing something and will try it again.

you cracked me up with your second post.

somewhere welles complained that tynan had stabbed him in the back in some article tynan wrote. any one know what article this is? i read an article by tynan where he says whenever you are around welles you adopt the position of stooge. you have to get everything for him. hand him this, get him that. i wonder if this was the article welles was refering to.

[Flint]

Jaime-
Yes, if you are looking for the usual brilliant Welles camera work, "Around the World" will leave you cold. They are very "slapped together"/"quick, put the camera here and let's shoot this!" school of production. But I don't feel this harms the material (that much).
In "One Man Band", Oja talks about Orson's "F for Fake" as a "visual essay" (I think that's the term she used) and these are exactly that. Take them as light, breezy conversations with Welles on subjects he found interesting.
As well as the episode I mentioned previously ("St. Germain Des Pres"), other highlights include Welles interviewing a group of utterly charming old widows & retired soldiers in "Chelsea Pensioners" and exploring the small world of the Basques (whom I'd never heard of before) in "Pays Basque Pt I & II".
I think only the Bullfight segment with Kenneth Tynan & his wife suffers in comparision, because for some reason Welles choose to have them narrate (stutter & all) instead of himself for the majority of the segment.
Anyway, take a look at these again, they really are quite wonderful.

Regards,
Flint.

[Jeff Wilson]

What is Rosabella?

Is the AFI tribute available to the public?

Rosabella is a documentary about Welles' time in Italy. It's available from Chip Taylor productions on VHS and DVD. A web search should find it fairly easily, I imagine.

The AFI tribute was available on VHS and LD, but is long out of print. Copies appear on eBay regularly.

[Kubed]

ChipTaylor.com has Rosabella.

What do you all think of the doc? Does it contain footage from Welles films or of Orson himself?

Where does it stack against the other Welles docs?

[blunted by community]

rosabella is great, i love it. glenn probably has a review of it somewhere.

jaime has no taste. around the world in 80 days is pretty darn good.

[jaime marzol]

i said i will look at it again!

[blunted by community]

ok.

[maxrael]

LOL!!! hey blunted, stop picking on Jaime ok?!