THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND Thread - 2002-2014 discussions

[RayKelly]

The producers say they aim to have it ready for a screening in time for May 6, the 100th anniversary of Welles’s birth, and to promote its distribution at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, Calif., next month.

Jedediah, I asked Filip Jan Rymsza of Royal Road Entertainment about the theatrical release date last night. He said he would have a better idea AFTER the American Film Market next month.

[Jedediah Leland]

Thanks for that, Ray - that bodes well. It may have been the NYT jumping the gun on a release date, rather than the producers' actual intention, then. I'd just like to see the producers take the attitude "It'll take as long as it takes"! I grant you that's almost unheard of (and perhaps unrealistic) when there are budgets and deadlines at stake, but my guess is they'll only have one shot to get it right, so at the very least, we should hope for a release date that doesn't present an unnecessarily early deadline resulting in a rushed job - which is what Welles was keen to avoid, back in '76-'77, when he feared Les Filmes d'Astrophore would take the film out of his hands and do a rushed job on the editing.

Even with modern editing technology, I'd expect something like this to take years, not months. 'Too Much Johnson' took two years to restore, between discovery in 2011, and release in 2013. While the nature of the challenge will be very different (different film stocks, less restoration to do, MUCH more editing), I think it's indicative that piecing together a "lost" film like this can take even longer than making a new film from scratch - to say nothing of the experimental editing required.

[Roger Ryan]

I wonder if what we might end up seeing next year is "work-in-progress" screenings at festivals with a more polished final cut debuting in 2016 or later. As it is, I would expect a finished version to only play art house cinemas (the few that are still around) and museums before being released on home video. I just hope the distributors see Blu-ray (and DVD) as a viable format; I'd hate for this film to end up as a "streaming-only" product.

[Le Chiffre]

I want to see it done right too, of course, but I think it would be a shame if they couldn’t capitalize on the centennial (I would consider December 2015 to still be the "centennial"). I think next year may be the best chance it will have to really get the attention it deserves. The situation I think is different from the Franco Quixote. That film was slapped together without a script, without notes, basically according to Franco’s whim. With TOSOTW they have a script, they have Welles’s notes, they have a 45-minute edit by Welles, the 1999 complete edit by Oja and Gary Graver, and possibly a 2 ½ hour rough cut (if Dominique Antoine is correct). They have pretty much everything they need to put the film together quickly if the money and manpower are there (I would settle for a series of “work-in-progress” showings if necessary). A year just to do cataloguing says Bogdanovich? That sounds like something that could have and should have been done already. Besides, over the past few years we’ve had bits of info here and there about editing work being done on the film in secret. For all we know it may be almost finished already. There have been a lot of red herrings in this saga.

[Jay]

I just hope the distributors see Blu-ray (and DVD) as a viable format; I'd hate for this film to end up as a "streaming-only" product.

I would bet a lot of money that Criterion ends up with the blu-ray/DVD rights, which would be an ideal situation for consumers. Criterion would treat the film with the respect it deserves, and consumers would get a top-notch product.

[RayKelly]

I have to agree with my esteemed colleague that this situation is far different than Don Quixote.
First, it is not being done on a shoestring budget, and there is a script and notes left behind by Welles.
Second, and most importantly, this project is helmed by Frank Marshall, not Jess Franco.
Many, many years ago, I asked Peter Bogdanovich about completing and editing TOSOTW.
He said that Frank Marshall was the wisest choice because of the amount of time he had spent on the set.
BTW, there is a slight minor error in the NY Times story. It states, "In 2012, Mr. Marshall joined with Filip Jan Rymsza, of Royal Road, to approach Ms. Welles in Sedona, Ariz., and Ms. Kodar, who also acted in the film."
In 2012, Marshall and Rymsza joined together to complete TOSOTW. However, they did not approach Beatrice Welles until two months ago.

[RayKelly]

Beatrice Welles talks with Wellesnet about why she supports the finishing of TOSOTW
http://www.wellesnet.com/?p=11131

(I will be speaking with the producers about the nuts and bolts of the project shortly).

[Jay]

Thanks for the updates, Ray. I'm looking forward to reading your interview with the producers.

[LostOverThere]

This is all very exciting but I agree with others about the rumoured release. Even if they were sitting on a locked cut, to get the grade, sound and music completed by May is ambitious in itself. I'm expecting something much, much later.

Nonetheless, very good news all around.

[RayKelly]

I truly believe the May 6 date stated by the New York Times was an assumption by the reporter on the centennial (The date vs. the year).
In emails a few days ago with Filip Rymsza and an hour-long talk today, he made it clear the exact release date and strategy would be determined with the chosen distributor.
I am slated to talk with Frank Marshall tomorrow.
Assuming we don't get a lot of trick or treaters, I will get the interview written as quickly as possible.

[RayKelly]

Special thanks to Frank Marshall, Filip Rymsza and Beatrice Welles for talking with Wellesnet about the film project that has intrigued us all for many, many years.
You can read about their plans for TOSOTW at http://www.wellesnet.com/?p=11185

[mido505]

This was posted by Wellesnetter Rosebud on Monday, August 22, 2005 on the old Lacarno Wrap Up Thread:

Three excerpts from the Yahoo thread that I was particularly struck by:
***********************
HotLove666:
"The chunk most people have seen - about 40 mins - was edited by OW, and rumors have long persisted of a full workprint - Joe Dante saw it, for example, years ago. I see no reason why Welles wouldn't have finished it once he had his hands on the material. Apparently Gary has now confirmed that."

Richard Modiano:
"Gary Graver claims that he has the complete print. According to another source, Welles completed "90 percent" of the editing on "The Other Side of the Wind." I can't vouch for or dispute the validity of these assertions myself, but maybe someone else can."

Jonathon Rosenbaum:
"Dominique Antoine, the producer, maintains she saw a version over 2 1/2 hours long edited by Welles, in Rome, and mainstains it was a masterpiece. Oja confirmed the existence of this version when I first met her, a few months after Welles's death, but denies that it exists today, saying that only 40 minutes or so were fully edited by Welles. I tend to believe her about most things, but I'm stumped on this issue.

The last quote, by Rosenbaum, is very interesting - Oja confirmed, and then denied the existence of the purported 2 1/2 hour work print of TOSOTW that Dominique Antoine insists she saw. Make of that what you will.

[Roger Ryan]

Ray - Regarding your interview article with Frank Marshall and Filip Rymsza, I find the syntax in the portion discussing the "Drive-in" scene to be a bit confusing. Did Marshall state that there will be no additional footage shot, but showing the film playing on the drive-in movie screen will be accomplished as a visual effect and the car crash represented by stills taken during production?

My understanding (prior to this interview) was that an effect shot of a plume of smoke (presumably from the crashed car) rising behind the drive-in screen was one of the few things that were not completed during principal photography. There are certainly different ways you can handle a scene like this, but as I noted, I wasn't quite sure what Marshall meant.

[RayKelly]

Roger,
Frank Marshall was referring to a scene at the drive-in, which would have be completed as a visual effect. It could very well be the plume of smoke. He mentioned having still photos of Jake Hannaford's car, which could be used for another shot.
Then, I asked how Orson Welles' opening narration would be handled. Would it be done by Peter Bogdanovich as Brooks Otterlake?
At that point, Mr. Marshall said it was too early to make those calls. He noted he had not yet gone through the prints in Los Angeles since contracts had only recently been signed. The 1,083 reels of negatives are currently being indexed in France and will soon be in the U.S.
To put things in perspective, I was asking Mr. Marshall about very specific shots and script details on a film he worked on 40 years ago before he had a chance to inventory the footage. (I can't recall what I had for lunch last Tuesday).
Filip Jan Rymsza and his assistant have promised to provide information to Wellesnet on TOSOTW's progress as it becomes available. Mr. Marshall, who is probably one of the busiest and successful producers in Hollywood, offered to fact check anything I was unclear about.
After talking with both of these gentlemen, it is easy to understand why the Boushehri estate, Oja Kodar and Beatrice Welles have signed on.

[Roger Ryan]

Thanks for the additional information, Ray. I wasn't really demanding more specifics from Mr. Marshall or Mr. Rymsza; I just wasn't clear on whether the statement in the story meant that Marshall saw no need for additional shooting or visual effects for the drive-in scene since they have still photos of the crashed car...or they felt they could complete the drive-in scene with a visual effect that involved no additional shooting. From your reply, I see the latter is the more accurate. The mere fact that Marshall is mentioning both the possibility of a visual effect for the drive-in scene and acknowledging the car crash photos prior to going through the prints demonstrates that he has prepared himself for this project. I agree this is very commendable.

I also find it commendable that you provided us with interviews with Beatrice Welles, Mr. Marshall and Mr. Rymsza within a couple of days of this story breaking. Bravo!