Kane on Blu-ray

[Sir Bygber Brown]

Well, that was a cryptic message, but I think I get your meaning. The fact that that continuation of the conversation came from Alan Brody's account and included several identifying features such as the mis-spelling of blu-ray, is too much of a riddle for me. On the one hand, I know that I am a different person to you; that I am 26, live in Australia, have been away from Wellesnet for a long time; on the other hand it does seem plausible that a critic of reknown would not want to make comments on a site under their own name. I think Wellesnet has always been rather coy and shy about this, with most of its "insiders" seeming to take on aliases; whereas Home Theatre Forum, over there, professional critics are listed on the site's credits and identified by their real names and monikers like "insider." I think what I've learned from all this pointless research is that the internet raises sometimes frustrating problems of identity and whether it is truly possible to have a two-way conversation on it.

[Sir Bygber Brown]

And, ps, I'm not sure if we were just guessing when we said "possibly 2011 for the anniversary," for Kane on Blu ray, but I've corroborated this information on several sites as an official plan of Warner Brothers. And I have two things to say about it. 1) it absolutely blows. 2) More reasonably, I can appreciate the light levels in Kane might provide a lot of food for risky decisions, and a lot of things to possibly stuff up. So I can see how it might keep them busy till then; but if its just sitting there finished for two years, I hope i never find out about it, or i'll be cross and say rude things in my sleep.

[Alan Brody]

the internet raises sometimes frustrating problems of identity and whether it is truly possible to have a two-way conversation on it.

Two-way conversations are for email. I tend to think of a forum like this as being similar to one of Arkadin's masked balls, although you never know who's wearing more then one mask, or perhaps no mask at all. But in the end, it's the conversation that counts.

Glenn

[Sir Bygber Brown]

Well played, Sir B.

[Glenn Anders]

The whole question of identity (not to touch on identity theft) is an important one. Is that not what Orson Welles often examines in films like CITIZEN KANE, THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (if we could see the film Welles made), THE STRANGER, THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI, MR. ARKADIN, THE TRIAL, and F FOR FAKE? The question has obviously been a controversial factor at Wellesnet. There are people here, I'm sure, who are concealing their real identity for more than "fun reasons." Remember how the very decent, straight forward Rick Schmidlin came to Wellesnet originally, and was cruelly attacked by counterparts of the cynical operatives who run the Republican right wing "echo machine."

Your observations, Alan and Sir Bygber, are most shrewd.

Have you ever considered that not only is Alan really me, but that Larry French may be David Thomson. Talk about evil fantasies!

Remember that Welles always said, his favorite story (if not his touchstone?) was G. K. Chesterton's "The Man Who Was Thursday."

I remain obediently yours . . . .

Lawrence French

[Alan Brody]

Lawrence French is David Thomson? Now that is a distressing thought. I wonder which one of us is Spartacus.

[Sir Bygber Brown]

Well, that's certainly cleared nothing up.

Yeah, he was definitely preoccupied with Identity. Its what ties every single one of his movies together, including F for Fake, which, right from the title, is so playful about authenticity. Its also, when you think about it, one of the two most experimental and incredible films he ever made, along with Kane, both of which are among the only films which he had final cut on. The Trial is a personal favorite, and also about identity theft, and another rare final cut.

When I first got into Welles the idea of final cut drove me crazy. I read the biography by Barbera Somethingorrather, the interviews with Bogdanovich, and read into all his major works so much frustration: he's a director who flaunted a personal vision, who saw with a unique eye, and yet works like Lady from Shanghai, Ambersons and Touch of Evil, some of his most beloved movies, were sources of immense frustration and cruelty for him, for the studio's utter disregard for the theory of the director as auteur; for their unwillingness to trust a groundbreaking theatre and radio director's knowledge of an audience; and their unwillingness to accept that the movie he handed in was going to be the one they paid for.

Leaming was it. Fun book.

[Sir Bygber Brown]

Why? Not a fan of Spartacus?

[atcolomb]

Speaking of Orson's stuff on dvd, Neil from Raredvds4sale.co.uk sent me a list of new titles and he has for sale a dvd called "The Lost Films of Orson Welles" which runs 76 minutes. This is the website where i purchased "Filming Othello" and "The RKO Story" both very viewable. I will go ahead and order it for $8 and see what it is all about...i hope something good. This is perfect because i am almost finished reading the book "What Ever Happened To Orson Welles" by Joseph McBride which has great info on Orson in the 1970's and 1980's.

[Alan Brody]

Now I remember! Keats is Glenn's 5th certain identity. I guess that makes 7 now.

Atcolomb, "The Lost Films of Orson Welles" is probably a version of "One Man Band" (there are several different cuts of it), but go ahead and order it anyway. Who knows, it might be some kind of unauthorized bootleg of rare Welles footage. If that's the case, let us know. I may buy a copy myself.

[atcolomb]

I just placed the order and will get the dvd next week sometime. Will view it and also the 2 copies of One Man Band i have...the one Showtime broadcasted and the other from Criterion's F For Fake extra. I will post the results as soon as i can.

[Glenn Anders]

Atcolomb, I think you will find that Alan is correct. Punch in THE LOST FILMS OF ORSON WELLES at IMDb, and up comes ORSON WELLES: THE ONE MAN BAND. Scanning down, you find that the documentary is known by the former title in the UK. The only difference is that you note that THE LOST FILMS OF ORSON WELLES on order runs 76 minutes; the IMDb lists the run-time at 88.

Certain discussions suggest that the discrepancy may be explained by alternate scenes from Welles' films being used in various release versions.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to read of your reactions.

Glenn

[atcolomb]

I started to watch the Showtime version of One Man Band to refresh my memory so i can be ready when i get the disc next week sometime. I will also watch the Criterion version too.....watching this and read the book on Welles i can think of no other director who has had so much trouble releasing the films he wanted. It's very tragic but also it's shows great strength and character in moving fowarded and trying to start new projects. It shows his love for filmmaking!

[Sir Bygber Brown]

My favorite bit in One Man Band was the vintage Merchant of Venice (TV) footage, not the desert monologue, but the full production, that begins with shots of gondolas and ends with the reel spinning off. I think I was mesmerised by the choreography of the architecture and the shadows on that walk as Shylock is being followed in the first half of the scene, or whatever is happening. That footage made me pine much more than even the Film Whose Name We Shall Not Speak, which they keep threatening to let us see, then going back on their word. (OSOTW of course). Merchant drove me crazy because the footage has that Wellesian magic, as well as being shot in nice colour, and apparently its sitting somewhere complete but for about nine minutes of audio which is lost permanantly. I spent months thinking seeing that footage might complete me. In some ways I think I enjoy the Welles films I'll never see more than the ones I have seen; because there's no chance the actual movie will spoil my image of it. (Just to go back on what i said earlier).

[atcolomb]

I like the scenes from The Other Side of The Wind with John Huston and Peter Bogdanovich at the birthday party! I can see Orson's use of the fast edits and different camera positions...all to a great effect!