The Bootleg Files

[Eric Campos]

Any comments on Phil Hall's new column?

Here's a sneak preview -

http://www.filmthreat.com/Features.asp?Id=773

[El Duderino Diablo]

Good article. While Song of the South couldn't possibly make enough money to warrant a commercial release I agree it should be made available, as Phil put it, "as a curio from a less-sophisticated era and as the lone missing piece in the Disney canon... "

I have my own grievence towards Buena Vista\Disney\Miramax\Dimension Films. I can't stand that they scooped up the rights to so many HK flicks from the nineties and either won't release them without first butchering them, dubbing in English dialogue, replacing original scores with really poor hip-hop and liberally cutting whole scenes from the movie, only offering pan and scan prints and not having the decency to include an original print with their chop-job variations on DVD or they just won't release the movies at all.
:tdown:

[Reverend Ned]

Decent read. I must like "SotS" a lot more than Mr. Hall does. Then again, I've had a fascination with 'race' cartoons for years.

I bought the Japanese laserdisc at my local Tower Records a few years ago for $65; if I knew then what I know now, I would've bought every disc in stock and sold them on eBay for $300 apiece.
The laserdisc has two audio tracks - one English, one Japanese (with Japanese subtitles during the songs), which makes for a very surreal experience to watch poor black sharecroppers in 1860s America speaking fluent Japanese. The picture quality is pretty good, but the colors are kinda murky for a Technicolor film.

As far as racist content goes, "Song of the South" is relatively harmless, especially when compared to other 'race' cartoons made during that time. The worst stereotype in the film is the rampant bad English by the black characters, although the poor white characters speak almost as well. There are no blatantly racist sight gags or scenarios in the movie.

For a fun double feature, watch "Song of the South" and Ralph Bakshi's "Coonskin" (released on video as "Street Fight").

[Gorillaboss]

I saw Song of the South when it made a return appearance in 1986, when I was 14. Does anyone remember how it was received--press reviews, articles, etc?

My memory is very foggy, but I remember being entertained by the Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear segments BECAUSE they seemed to mimic the Tom and Jerry asthetic. Are the segments really that dull and/or uninspired?

[Phil Hall]

Hey folks, thanks for the feedback.

I found the animated sequences to be second-tier Disney. Of course Disney was capable of making some hilariously sadistic cartoons (Donald Duck and Chip & Dale frequently got pretty rough), but I genuinely found the SotS animated sequences to be nasty without being funny. Perhaps because Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox aren't really appealing villains and Br'er Rabbit is a bit of bore...to me, any way. The sequences also seem way out of place when dropped in the midst of the lumbering live action stuff. But that's my take. After all, we are dealing in opinions here and I know many people love this movie.

And please visit www.songofthesouth.net for more info on this title.

Next week's Bootleg Files: the most infamous home movie of all time. Which one is it? Here's a clue: hang on to your pillbox hat!

[egoett]

I always have heard that Song of the South took place during the Reconstruction Period and that it was AFTER the Civil War. These weren't slaves, per se, but free blacks who chose to stay and work on the Plantation (as most did). One would hope that they were paid for their services!

My mom bought a bootleg of this film in Florida on her winter vacation. When we went home on this summer I got to see it again. The last time I saw it was in the 80's when they used to show it at the outdoor movie at Fort Wilderness in Walt Disney World. My 11 year old daughter really loved it and got into the story....(little girl, mean big brother, ruined the party dress..etc.), but it wasn't as much of a great film as I had remembered. I think we all want it so bad because we can't have it.

Ed G.

[Phil Hall]

The Joel Chandler Harris stories, from which the film is derived, take place in the post-Civil War years. But the film is not clear regarding when the action takes place. At one point Uncle Remus decides to leave the plantation for Atlanta, which provides a sense of liberty that slaves lacked, but earlier in the film the boy's father is described as being a controversial journalist in Atlanta (though what he is controversial about is not stated--I assumed he was anti-slavery). It also wouldn't make sense why Uncle Remus was living on the plantation as a free man, given that he did virtually no work that contributed to the plantation's financial success.

There is no talk of being paid for work in this film, which makes things all the more confusing.

[JohnnyReb]

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

Copies of SOTS can be purchased at any Sons Of Confederate Veterans Convention during the Summer months. They are mint copies in the same type box as the original Disney - except the little girl is carrying a Confederate flag in her fist. They sell for $19.95. I received one as a Father's Day gift last year.

JohnnyReb

[Reverend Ned]

Originally posted by JohnnyReb
Copies of SOTS can be purchased at any Sons Of Confederate Veterans Convention during the Summer months. They are mint copies in the same type box as the original Disney - except the little girl is carrying a Confederate flag in her fist. They sell for $19.95.

I'm sure there's a few bloodthirsty Disney attorneys out there that would gladly thank you for sharing this information.

[JohnnyReb]

REVERENED NED:

All I can say to that is they must have some clot as a Non-Profit Organization and the sales are used as fund-raisers. They have been distributing SOTS for over 10 years at the Conventions.

JohnnyReb

[baires]

Just read the "The Zapruder Film of the Kennedy Assassination" article. I agree that it is shamless the way those 26 seconds were bootlegged. But the real tragedy is that other Zapruder masterpieces are not so easily found (or even available.) For example: "The Zapruder Film of the Diner by the side of Loop 12" in that film you can actually see the first foray of Mr. Zapruder into filmmaking. Or "The Zapruder Film of Little Kates 2nd Birthday". In this one Mr. Zapruder already shows a promising future by establishing different color patterns to express different emotions (of those 19 sec of film make sure to stop on frame 58... that is a beauty.) The later Zapruder years where in turmoil and artistic indifference. As can be witnessed in "The Zapruder Film of the Flat Tire Near Irving" here he just goes through the paces, he seems to be phoning this one in. And "The Zapruder Film of Mark Going Off To College", this 27 seconds of film should have been more emotional. But by this time it seems he was`t even committing to the project.
It would take a 2 year hiatus. 2 years away in Nepal with the monks... the meditation... the breathing methods. Those 2 years would give us a new man.
When he returned to America he was ready to work again. That`s when he gave us his true masterpiece... "The Zapruder Film of the Sunday Barbacue at Phill`s" Not only his most heart wrenching project, but also his longest. The colors... the perfection applying the rule of thirds... the loneliness... the anguish... and yes, why not? The happiness. That film is pure perfection. It makes you think, laugh and cry. It does everything a film should do. The way the tension is held for exactly the right time before he lets you go with a laugh, and then he turns it right back at you and a tear just rolls down your cheek. Few films come close to providing the rollercoaster of emotion this one does. Those were the best 34 seconds of my life. Don`t believe me? Just stop in frame 345 and weep. WEEP DAMN IT!!

[Eat_Badger_Shit]

Fuck that, I invented movies. You all owe me a nickel.

[AmaiStina]

Originally posted by The Dude
I have my own grievence towards Buena Vista\Disney\Miramax\Dimension Films. I can't stand that they scooped up the rights to so many HK flicks from the nineties and either won't release them without first butchering them, dubbing in English dialogue, replacing original scores with really poor hip-hop and liberally cutting whole scenes from the movie, only offering pan and scan prints and not having the decency to include an original print with their chop-job variations on DVD or they just won't release the movies at all.
:tdown:

Thank you!

[El Duderino Diablo]

You're welcome.

EDIT: Here's a website that addresses the issue of Miramax's HK movie butchery (http://alliance.hellninjacommando.net/) and here's a Disney email addy so you can let them know how you feel about said butchery: disneyinfo@disneyhelp.com
And a phone number, too! 1-800-72-DISNEY

[dentree]

Good SoTS article. I completely forgot about that flick, which seems to be exactly what Disney is after. I saw it when I was a kid and recall it as pretty turgid. I also seem to remember the kid getting mowed down by a bull and almost expiring near the end. Am I dreaming this?

The ultimate bootleg movie is, as far as I know, completely unavailable and is the Holy Grail of enthuiasts of bad taste. I am referring, of course, to Jerry Lewis's clown in in the Nazi concentration camp flick The Day the Clown Cried. Does anyone out there know of anyone who has seen this? It is rumored to be the most jaw-droppingly distasteful piece of celluloid ever produced, although its reputation is probably distorted by legend. It was so judged in another era when The Producers was considered shocking. Nevertheless, I want to see it real bad.

Facts as well as wild rumors about TDTCC are very welcome.

[Chris Gore]

That movie is like the Holy Grail of bootlegs. It would be amazing to get the Day the Clown Cried -- by any means necessary! We ran a story on it awhile back and even dug up some creepy photos. Check out the piece here:
http://www.filmthreat.com/Features.asp?Id=258

[Pete Vonder Haar]

The script is available online in various places. Reading it is like that feeling you get when you pick up the wrong beer can at a party and get a big mouthful of someone's tobacco spit: severe dizziness and disorientation combined with an immediate desire to vomit.

And I thought Holocaust clown movies couldn't get any worse than "Life is Beautiful."

[Pete Vonder Haar]

Hey Phil, excellent job on "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park." I remember watching it on TV when it first aired and thinking it was the greatest thing since Slime With Eyeballs.

Of course, I was 9 years old at the time.

I've seen boots of it at just about every con I've attended in the last twenty years, but never an actual retail copy. Looks like you can get used copies on Amazon, though.

"Cripes."
"Looks like apes to me."

[Reverend Ned]

Howzabout an article on the Rolling Stones film Cocksucker Blues?

[Phil Hall]

You can get a decent copy of "Cocksucker Blues" from a company called Shocking Videos, located online at www.revengeismydestiny.com

I have the Bootleg Files list for the remainder of 2003 pretty much in place, but I am starting to consider titles for next year and that is among them.

[Pete Vonder Haar]

Yeah, I remember the Paul Lynde Halloween Special. Weren't Donnie and Marie in there somewhere?

Witch: "Do you have any more wishes?"
Paul Lynde: "I wish I was in Dixie, hooray, hooray..."
KISS: [make threatening noises]
Paul Lynde: "Actually, I wish KISS would do another song."

*shudder*

[Phil Hall]

Yes, Donny and Marie stuff Lynde in a garbage can that explodes, leaving him a smoking mess. I did not cite that in the review, however, because I wanted people who came to this video to be surprised by their unannounced appearance.

The quotes you have, Pete, were spliced together. Lynde does the "Dixie" reference early in the show and gets a fourth wish to hear KISS sing at the end of the show.

[Jack of all Ass]

Just picked up that special from a guy on ebay. I'll look up his handle and post it. Smooth transaction.

You can get a lot of these movies from www.superhappyfun.com - that's where I got my SONG OF THE SOUTH and it's wonderful. If you pay more than a penny over $20 you're getting ripped for it. Before I got it on DVD from SHF, I bought it from some jackass on ebay for over $100 and it was a shitty VHS copy made from a poor PAL transfer.

Speaking of shitty transfers... has anyone been able to actually locate the DVD of KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM that was allegedly released by some fly-by-night operation on 10/28/2003? I saw it listed on the Fangoria "Chopping List" but have yet to see it for sale anywhere.

[Pete Vonder Haar]

Yow. Sorry about that, Phil. You'll have to forgive me for the fact I was seven years old the last time I saw it.

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by Pete Vonder Haar
Yow. Sorry about that, Phil. You'll have to forgive me for the fact I was seven years old the last time I saw it.

I didn't mean to sound abrasive, Pete.:(

The show is very strange since it was designed for family viewing. By all means, check it out.

I had to put the Bootleg Files on hold this week due to personal problems which have since been sorted out. They return next week.

[Gorillaboss]

Is it just me, or does the Lewis version of "The Jazz Singer" seem like direct inspiration for the Simpsons episode "Like Father, Like Clown," where Krusty and his Rabbi father are reunited after a long split?

[Jack of all Ass]

Yeah, I think the joke is that they're paodying THE JAZZ SINGER.

I dunno, guys, I thought I WOKE UP EARLY THE DAY I DIED is pretty great. Really sticks with you. Must stick with Phil since all of these Bootleg Files articles seem like just extended versions of the "films you won't find on video" pieces from last year.

[mondoshane]

I really enjoy the "Bootleg Files". Two great bootlegs I think are "Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie" and "Fantastic Four" plus the long version of "Dune".

[unidyne]

Christian Willis listed on his website "songofthesouth.net" that (and this is SO ironic) Disney's own website lists sites where bootleg copies are for sale!

Go to Disney.com, and type "Song of the South" (with quotation marks) in the Search Engine block. Check the "Sponsored Links" listings and see what pops up. :D

[Furious D]

I actually saw "All This and Rabbit Stew" as part of a festival of banned and censored cartoons in Toronto. The host of the festival said that he had heard that Avery had made the film as obnoxious and offensive as possible to piss off Leon Schlesinger before Avery took a job at MGM.

When I saw it I figured he succeeded it was the most obnoxious and offensive cartoon I ever saw.

[unlickedcub]

I believe FT did a story about The Karen Carpenter story a million years ago when they had magazines instead of the internet.

Has there been any updates regarding this very interesting film in terms of seeing it anytime soon on DVD?

[Phil Hall]

"Superstar" is still in Bootleg Files limbo. Richard Carpenter will not agree to let this film be legally presented. Todd Haynes has taken to showing this in unofficial festival screenings, but no official re-release is planned.

[creeto]

Looking for Superstar? Try here (http://illegal-art.org/video/index.html).

[Phil Hall]

It's back online? When I wrote the "Superstar" article, it was offline. I guess they are hoping Richard Carpenter doesn't find out about it (again?).

Does anyone have any suggestions for future Bootleg Files? A reader asked about "El Topo" and that is coming up this week. I have "White Dog" in the queue (another reader request) plus "Chastity" (the 1969 Sonny-less Cher movie), Barbara Loden's "Wanda," the 1951 "Death of a Salesman," either the 1954 BBC telecast or the 1956 movie of "1984" (I've not decided which is the one to go with) and the 1955 telecast of "The Petrified Forest" with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Henry Fonda.

Any other suggestions?

[mondoshane]

Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie

[Zebo]

I am shocked and disappointed to hear that "El Topo" is out of circulation.

I actually rented a videotape copy with English subtitles from my local Blockbuster three or four years ago. It's disenhearting that this unbelievably weird and mesmerizing film is unavailable for easy access in the United States.

Hmm, I wonder if that Blockbuster still has the tape?

[El Duderino Diablo]

Zebo, why don't you order a copy up from some foriegn land like Canada? My preferred video renter has both the Japanese subtitled, English dubbed vhs tape and recently got the Italian dvd mentioned in Phil's article.

[Rick Sparks]

I second the "Fantastic Four" as a Bootleg File. It's clobberin' time!

[unlickedcub]

Originally posted by Rick Sparks
I second the "Fantastic Four" as a Bootleg File. It's clobberin' time!
That's a fun movie to watch...bad effects and all.

[mondoshane]

Farenhieght 9-11

[Phil Hall]

FANTASTIC FOUR was already reviewed on Film Threat, which is why I did not cover it. I had it as a top Bootleg File choice until I discovered someone already wrote it up.

[Phil Hall]

"Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown" is the funniest animated short I've ever seen. I was able to get that via a Film Threat reader. Another reader is sending me a bootleg of "California Jam," a 1974 rock concert broadcast once on ABC and then promptly forgotten.

If you know of any great bootleg titles, please alert me. I was unaware of both of these until the Film Threat readers chimed in.

[bronsonseven]

Ah! I want to see "Bring me the Head of Charlie Brown"! It sounds like the greatest thing ever. Where can one find such an amazing film?

Keep up the great column man.

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by bronsonseven
Ah! I want to see "Bring me the Head of Charlie Brown"! It sounds like the greatest thing ever. Where can one find such an amazing film?

Keep up the great column man.

Email me via input@filmthreat.com and I will tell you how to get a copy of this film.

And you've not lived until you've seen Linus use his blanket to strangle Charlie Brown!

[bronsonseven]

Originally posted by Phil Hall
Email me via input@filmthreat.com and I will tell you how to get a copy of this film.



The dishes are done man, thanks!

[eyeresist]

I haven't seen 'El Topo', but I have seen 'Holy Mountain' [broadcast on SBS TV in Australia], and loved it. It could best be summarised as "two hours of fucked-up shit". It was like a William Burroughs novel come to life, but without the boy-on-boy action. Apparently his movies are expounding some far-out kabalistic philosophy, but I think knowing what the hell he's on about might reduce the impact of the movie.

[Phil Hall]

I am curious to know if anyone is familiar with the new Bootleg Files subject, "Daffy Duck & Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies." I saw it back in 1972 and forgot about it until recently, when I was told a bootleg version was floating around.

Or for that matter, does anyone remember The Groovie Goolies themselves? They were syndicated in the US up through the late 1970s. I picked up a British video of several of the old shows and I was shocked at how awful the cartoons were. As a kid, I thought they were great. As an adult, I have a very different opinion of the comedy (although the musical numbers performed by the Goolies are still fun).

[bronsonseven]

I finally saw Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown....

Awesome stuff. Peckinpah would be proud. Keep up with the column dude.

[bizzlejig]

I have to ask a question. While I do thoroughly enjoy reading your column and discovering all these wonderful oddities that I didn't know even existed, I can't help but perseverate on the fact that, in almost every column, you mention that the movie you're writing about is so bad that there's no wonder it's not on the market. So, are there ever any good movies that are only available as bootlegs? Movies that are definitely worth seeing, but for some reason or another, they're just not available?

[bronsonseven]

Originally posted by bizzlejig
So, are there ever any good movies that are only available as bootlegs? Movies that are definitely worth seeing, but for some reason or another, they're just not available?


Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown....

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by bizzlejig
I have to ask a question. While I do thoroughly enjoy reading your column and discovering all these wonderful oddities that I didn't know even existed, I can't help but perseverate on the fact that, in almost every column, you mention that the movie you're writing about is so bad that there's no wonder it's not on the market. So, are there ever any good movies that are only available as bootlegs? Movies that are definitely worth seeing, but for some reason or another, they're just not available?

An intelligent question, young friend!

There are three categories of films that I am writing about:

1. Great films
2. So-bad-they're-good films
3. Bad films

From my count, I can recommend the following titles already covered in this column: SONG OF THE SOUTH (for historical purposes), THE ZAPRUDER FILM OF THE KENNEDY ASSASSINATION, LET IT BE, KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK, THE ETERNAL JEW (again, strictly for historical purposes), THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY, THE PAUL LYNDE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, SUNFLOWER, SPECIAL BARDOT, SH! THE OCTOPUS, BOOM IN THE MOON, THE IMMORTAL STORY (if you are a Welles fan, it must be seen), JAVA HEAD, LIZA WITH A Z, A TRIP TO THE MOON, THE BEATRICE ARTHUR SPECIAL, KILLER OF SHEEP, TREE IN A TEST TUBE, DOWN AMONG THE Z-MEN, NO I HAVE NO REGRETS, THE HOMOSEXUALS, APOCALYPSE POOH, LINDA LOVELACE FOR PRESIDENT, ALIBI BYE BYE, BRING ME THE HEAD OF CHARLIE BROWN and BUSCH ADVERTISING 1967.

If you want to check out films that are entertaining by accident, the look for THE JAZZ SINGER (the Jerry Lewis version), THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, CAN HIERONYMOUS MERKIN..., GODZILLA VS. MEGALON, and THE SCOPITONES.

The films that I disliked in the Bootleg Files are SUPERSTAR: THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY (not a big fan of this one, sorry), GOLD RAIDERS, I WOKE UP EARLY THE DAY I DIED, THE THREEPENNY OPERA, ALL THIS AND RABBIT STEW, SANDAKAN 8, EL TOPO (sorry again), ABBA: THE MOVIE, ONE-EYED JACKS, ANNA LUCASTA, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, THE WOODY ALLEN SPECIAL, DAFFY DUCK & PORKY PIG MEET THE GROOVIE GOOLIES and MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA.

Films are selected for this column for a variety of reasons: historic value, its place within the career of the filmmaker or stars of the pic, cult following, and its importance in bootleg history. I obviously don't exclude films that I don't like, but I have to be honest about my feelings. Especially if it is an elusive title that some people only know by reputation and may want to try to hunt down.

I hope this helps. Thanks for your input!

[bizzlejig]

Thanks, Phil. I did totally forget about some of those films that you wrote about that you liked. I'm not a big Liza Minelli fan, but after reading your column on "Liza with a Z," I have to say I'm really curious about that one now. And the "Beatrice Arthur Special."

I do already have Song of the South which I copied from Japanese laserdisc, which makes it real fun to watch when you put on the Japanese soundtrack and hear a Japanese person imitating an old black man from the South. And I am a huge fan of "Apocalypse Pooh" and especially (on the copy that I got) "Blue Peanuts."

I've also got "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story," and I kinda agree with you on that one. It's not really that good. It's entertaining for like 5 minutes, but then the joke becomes a little old.

And I was so happy when I finally got to see the "Star Wars Holiday Special" when I was in college cuz I had spent most of my young life telling people about a TV show that I saw when I was a kid that had Chewbacca's family on it, living in the trees or something, and nobody believed me!!

Thanks again for writing your column. I thought I had an extensive knowledge of film, but yours totally blows me away everytime I read your column. Keep up the awesome work.

[Phil Hall]

Thanks, L.A. "Liza with a Z" is a great concert film, with Liza at her performing peak. But my fave TV bootleg is "The Paul Lynde Halloween Special." You can find that on eBay -- it is the weirdest thing ever put on video, and in many parts of the special you will laugh until it hurts (especially "special guest star" Florence Henderson does a disco version of "That Old Black Magic").

And fans of bootleg video, take note. After years of searching, I unearthed one of the most sought-after bootleg titles of all time. I should be receiving it from a European source in the coming week and I hope to share it with the Film Threat family once I have it in hand. What film is it? Stay tuned to The Bootleg Files and you will find out!

:D

[WJones]

Regarding 'good' bootleg films, there's actually an astonishing number of reputed classics that are either OOP or were never available in the first place. Many of these are foreign or silent films, and obviously the lack of a big market for these is why so many are scarce. Unfortunately, the bootleg market doesn't always help much here. Most bootleg websites - at least from what I've seen - tend to veer away from 'good' and towards 'bizarre,' 'shocking,' etc. There are certain sites that specialize in rare classics, but they tend to be pretty expensive. Plus, a select few websites can only go so far in making up for an overall dearth everywhere else.

A few filmmakers whose films I've been seeking (with no luck so far):
-Theo Angelopoulos - A Greek director who has a couple films that are widely available, one of which stars Harvey Keitel. Many of his earlier films have never been released on home video to my knowledge.
-Bela Tarr - Hungarian director probably most famous for "Satan's Tango," a seven-and-a-half hour (!) film which has been lauded by nearly everyone who has seen it; J. Hoberman lists it as the best film he saw in 1996. [By the way, I don't think it's intended to be watched all in one sitting;)] A couple of his shorter films recently came out on DVD in Britain, so maybe "Tango" will come out sooner or later.
-Manoel de Oliveira - From Portugal, he's notable for being the oldest director still active today. His most recent film or two is widely available on DVD, assumedly because he's less obscure now due to the age thing. His older stuff, however, is all virtually impossible to find.

I understand it would be a bit silly to write about these kinds of films in the Bootleg Files, Phil, since they're actually not the least bit prominent among bootleggers. As possibly the premier bootleg statesman on the Internet, though, do you think you could do something to encourage bootleggers to offer more good stuff? I'm being half-serious there, you know. :)

I'd like to suggest some films for the column, too:

Nightmare Alley
Cul-De-Sac (this may not be quite rare enough for the Files)
Ace in the Hole/The Big Carnival (ditto)
Fragment of Fear
Jerzy Skolimowski's films The Shout and Deep End
Titicut Follies
The Hour-Glass Sanatorium (it's foreign, and I haven't been able to find it from any bootleggers, but it certainly sounds strange enough that I would think there would be more interest in it)

If you were willing to read all that, I'm much obliged. ;) Keep up the great work with the column, Phil.

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by WJones

I understand it would be a bit silly to write about these kinds of films in the Bootleg Files, Phil, since they're actually not the least bit prominent among bootleggers. As possibly the premier bootleg statesman on the Internet, though, do you think you could do something to encourage bootleggers to offer more good stuff? I'm being half-serious there, you know. :)


Hey, half-a-praise is better than none! Thanks for the nice note.

"Nightmare Alley" has been commercially released (I think on Critierion DVD). I reviewed "Ace in the Hole" when it had a New York retro run a few years ago -- not one of my fave films, sadly. You can get that on video from Darker Image Video (email darkerimagevid@webtv.net and ask for Charlie -- tell him Phil sent you!). Darker Image may also still have "Nightmare Alley" and maybe "Cul-de-Sac" -- I need to look back at their catalog.

I know "Titticut Follies" is available for non-theatrical release but not commercial home video. I would need to track down the others, but I am sure they can be located.

The Euro films you cited are hard to track down since they were not released in the US and are probably not subtitled in English. Art films also are not as commercially viable as, say Brazilian porno (Video Search of Miami has too much of that!), which is why you can't find those prestige pics so easily.

I might recommend searching some European DVD and e-commerce sites for the films of those directors. Most (if not all) of those sites will ship to the USA.

Sometimes it takes a long time to track down classic bootlegs. It took me five years to find a title that many people assumed was not available -- and some folks claimed it was actually destroyed by the producers! But I found it via a private collector in England who had a copy and who made me a copy. That film is on its way to me now and it should be featured on Film Threat within the next couple of weeks. Any guesses which film it is? Hint: it is the only time Helen Reddy and Adolf Hitler were in the same movie!

[Mr B Natural]

Originally posted by Phil Hall

Hint: it is the only time Helen Reddy and Adolf Hitler were in the same movie!

Oooo, that sounds like fun!

What about Cannibal Holocaust? I had a hard time tracking down a copy, and ended up finding it on bootleg.

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by Mr B Natural
Oooo, that sounds like fun!

What about Cannibal Holocaust? I had a hard time tracking down a copy, and ended up finding it on bootleg.

I don't believe the film is currently in video or DVD release. I believe the distributor for the film is still trying to milk theatrical playdates for it. You can contact the film's distributor, Grindhouse Releasing, at GRNDHOUSE@aol.com for more details on whether the film will be on DVD soon.

[WJones]

Would this secret film be "I Love Liberty," a 1982 TV special described on IMDb as "an all-star variety special saluting America?" That's my only guess.

Actually, Nightmare Alley is still totally unavailable on mainstream video and DVD. If Criterion has plans to release it in the future, it's (good) news to me. It is very easy to find on bootleg, though; I picked it up on eBay recently.

The list of films I gave you were just suggestions for the column, as I know for a fact that all but the last one are available from some bootlegger or another. I think at least Nightmare Alley and Titicut Follies would be ideal picks for the Files, especially with the backstory of why Follies is unavailable. But regardless of geeks, mental patients, or Groovie Goolies, the Files are always a fascinating read. :)

[Mr B Natural]

Originally posted by Phil Hall
I don't believe the film is currently in video or DVD release. I believe the distributor for the film is still trying to milk theatrical playdates for it. You can contact the film's distributor, Grindhouse Releasing, at GRNDHOUSE@aol.com for more details on whether the film will be on DVD soon.

Cool, thanks. I'd love to see a good DVD of that film. I've caught it on the big screen, too -- highly reccomended, if you have the stomach for it.

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by WJones

Titicut Follies

I found this for sale at Subterranean Cinema (www.subcin.com) -- it comes from the sole PBS screening of the film. Subterranean has a great collection and I highly recommend them.

[bobbikins]

Hi, I dig the site, I dig the column, but I'm wondering when I'll ever see a, uh, investigation for "Too Soon To Love (1960)"?? It's director Richard ("Stunt Man") Rush's first movie, and it's probably the only remaining MIA Jack Nicholson title. Last I heard, VCI Home Video (correct name?) had it scheduled for release, but that was nearly two years ago. Are they the ones sitting on it?

Just a friendly suggestion for a Bootleg Files title. :)

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by bobbikins
Hi, I dig the site, I dig the column, but I'm wondering when I'll ever see a, uh, investigation for "Too Soon To Love (1960)"?? It's director Richard ("Stunt Man") Rush's first movie, and it's probably the only remaining MIA Jack Nicholson title. Last I heard, VCI Home Video (correct name?) had it scheduled for release, but that was nearly two years ago. Are they the ones sitting on it?

Just a friendly suggestion for a Bootleg Files title. :)

VCI (by way of Kit Parker Films) was planning to release that film in the late 90s, but the deal fell through. The film has yet to resurface.

I saw the film and, to be frank, I can barely recall it. The only thing that sticks in my mind is when the father of the teenage girl arrives at the police station (the teens were arrested for necking in public!) and he slaps the girl's boyfriend in the face with all of the cops watching.

Nicholson has very little to do with the film -- I think he is briefly in two or three scenes. There is a more intriguing MIA Nicholson film: a war movie shot in the Philippines called "Back Door to Hell" co-starring folk singer Jimmie Rodgers.

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by WJones
Would this secret film be "I Love Liberty," a 1982 TV special described on IMDb as "an all-star variety special saluting America?" That's my only guess.

Actually, Nightmare Alley is still totally unavailable on mainstream video and DVD. If Criterion has plans to release it in the future, it's (good) news to me. It is very easy to find on bootleg, though; I picked it up on eBay recently.


No, but a good guess. "I Love Liberty" would be a fascinating re-release given its cast (Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, Peter Falk, Miss Piggy, and Helen Reddy). I remember that production and, unlike most TV variety specials, it was quite good.

Criterion did release "Nightmare Alley" four years ago -- albeit theatrically. I did not keep track of that title (I am not a Tyrone Power fan) and I assumed Criterion took the film to DVD after the theatrical run.

[El Duderino Diablo]

from Phil Hall's 1984 article:In the past half-century, there have been four adaptations of George Orwell's landmark novel "1984." Strangely, none of them is currently available for commercial DVD sale in the United States. Only one was ever released on American home video: the fourth version, made in 1984 and starring John Hurt as the doomed Winston Smith and Richard Burton as the treacherous O'Brien. You can easily find used videos of this version on eBay - and this version is worth tracking down.

Thought you might be interested in this: 1984 (1984) on DVD (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007KQA3/qid=1095701284/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-4649318-1899029?v=glance&s=dvd) Though it appears to have been vandalised by the director.

[Phil Hall]

Thank you for the "1984" update. I was unaware that this version made it to DVD -- it literally must have been dumped into stores without any advance publicity. (I subscribe to the DVD trade journals and I do not remember seeing any news of this release.)

I hope someone out there has a copy of the Eddie Albert version. That must be a riot to watch.

[Phil Hall]

Next week's edition of The Bootleg Files is a major bootleg discovery: the 1976 feature "All This and World War II." This is one of the most sought-after bootleg titles...and little ol' me found it!

"All This and World War II" mixes footage of World War II with the music of the Beatles. Not the original Beatles recordings, but a weird mix of covers ranging from the sublime (Elton John's chart-topper "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," pegged to the Battle of Midway!) to the ridiculous (Leo Sayer doing "I am the Walrus" while Pearl Harbor is bombed).

20th Century Fox has kept this flick out of the US market since its disastrous theatrical premiere. You cannot find it anywhere -- except here!

[Phil Hall]

Sorry for blowing the self-promoting trumpet, but this week's column will be #50. The focus is the Giorgio Moroder version of "Metropolis," which recently debuted on bootleg DVD (sold openly on eBay -- you'd think they'd have noticed by now!).

Coming down the pike are some more fun Bootleg titles:

THE STORY OF MENSTRUATION (produced by Walt Disney!)

CALIFORNIA JAM (the long-lost 1974 ABC-TV presentation of the famous concert)

COCKSUCKER BLUES (The Stones get stoned)

PANDA AND THE MAGIC SERPENT (the first full-color anime feature)

BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA (the greatest movie ever made -- honestly!)

Thanks for your support of this column. It has been a load of fun to research and write.

[El Duderino Diablo]

Originally posted by Phil Hall


THE STORY OF MENSTRUATION (produced by Walt Disney!)


Are you serious?

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by The Dude
Are you serious?

Hell yes. I just got my bootleg copy this weekend. Uncle Walt takes you where...well, you can imagine where he takes you!;)

[filmgurl]

thought you'd be interested to know that Image just announced a DVD release for this December.

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by filmgurl
thought you'd be interested to know that Image just announced a DVD release for this December.

Really? Damn, it's about time. VCI and Kit Parker Films got stymied in negotiating for the rights to this one some five years ago -- and I thought it would never make it to DVD.

Thanks for the update!:)

[Ellen M.]

Ohmigod... Phil, your story just gave me a bad flashback to 5th grade, where the girls & boys were both separated & made to watch films on
the "changes" our young bodies were about to go through. I swear to god they showed us that Disney film "The Story of Menstruation", along with a few other dated ones that I couldn't quite wrap my little 11 year old brain around (and I distinctly remember seeing another wacky Disney animated film in grade school about music "Plunk, Whistle, Tweet & Boom").

Anyway, great story... I think I need some Midol!
Ellen :)

[Phil Hall]

[i]
Anyway, great story... I think I need some Midol!
Ellen :) [/B]

Midol! I have a great story about Midol.

Back in the late 1970s, when I was a little boy, my family had a clunky old camera that used 126 film and tiny disposable flashbulbs. My sister kept the camera in her desk drawer and she stored the flashbulbs in an empty Midol bottle. I had no idea what Midol was, nor did I bother to read the label.

Any way, my family and I were at a restaurant one afternoon and somehow the discussion went to photography. My sister said she needed to stop at a store to get more flashbulbs for the camera. And I responded, in a voice that was a little too loud, "You don't need to buy more flashbulbs. You have a whole bunch of them in the Midol bottle in your desk drawer."

Look out for Friday's Bootleg Files -- learn about the movie that made Jerry Lewis go ape shit!

[sonnyboo]

The latest edition focuses on a guy named Scott Lfishine, a plague of the Internet and scourge of the sane masses.

I first ran into Scott Lifshit on the Hollywood Reporter message board trying to hock his crappy bootleg as if it were a meaningful bootleg, and it's not.

ABC has denounced everything he has said and they do retainthe masters, but there isn't enough itnerest in the event to warrant doing anything with it.

Anything "according to scott Lifshithead" is warped beyond recognition and should be translated by a mental health professional.

[Phil Hall]

Originally posted by sonnyboo
The latest edition focuses on a guy named Scott Lfishine, a plague of the Internet and scourge of the sane masses.

I first ran into Scott Lifshit on the Hollywood Reporter message board trying to hock his crappy bootleg as if it were a meaningful bootleg, and it's not.

ABC has denounced everything he has said and they do retainthe masters, but there isn't enough itnerest in the event to warrant doing anything with it.

Anything "according to scott Lifshithead" is warped beyond recognition and should be translated by a mental health professional.


More likely, if the video masters exist (and there is no reason to doubt that -- I am sure they are out there somewhere), they would need to be restored and all of the music rights would have to be cleared. Clearly this is a time consuming and expensive proposition, which ABC does not wish to commit to at this time.

There is enough interest for continued sales of Deep Purple's entire California Jam performance, which is available on DVD.

As for Scott Lifshine -- please keep the name calling out of here. We are not here to demean people and such commentary is inappropriate in this forum.

[Caljamscott]

[i]Anyway, great story... I think I need some Midol!
Ellen :) [/B] I thought the big thing around here these days was NYDOL:D

[Caljamscott]

Originally posted by Phil Hall
As for Scott Lifshine -- please keep the name calling out of here. We are not here to demean people and such commentary is inappropriate in this forum. Bah. It's ok, Phil. Apparently the only way these ppl can get a bit of much-needed attention these days is to try and get it from me.

The tactic won't work. I've just pulled my coattails out from under them.

Scott
I'm the biggest movie star in the World, thank you everyone.

[Caljamscott]

In the above post, who wrote such diparaging remarks about "the only filmmaker who matters"....Was it none other SonnyBoo? :rolleyes:

Hey Sonnyboo why don't you c'mon over here and join the conversation civil-laake:p

[El Duderino Diablo]

Yeah. Okay then. Moving on.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Bah. It's ok, Phil. Apparently the only way these ppl can get a bit of much-needed attention these days is to try and get it from me.

I don't think it was directed specifically toward you, Scott. In general, name-calling is not appreciated in these forums, no matter who it is aimed at.

[Caljamscott]

Originally posted by Rory L. Aronsky
I don't think it was directed specifically toward you, Scott. In general, name-calling is not appreciated in these forums, no matter who it is aimed at. I agree! That's why I don't do it.

However there seems to be a lot of frustration and anger by a couple of people around here who aren't getting what they want.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Takes all kinds, man. That's why the Internet was created, for name calling through created names.

[Caljamscott]

Hahaha Rory :D

Well, that's why /I'm/ here, "the King of Intellect" to change things on the internet :D

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Weird. Very weird. But I'm not complaining.

[Caljamscott]

Who could complain? :o

Bwahahahaa

[sonnyboo]

Originally posted by Caljamscott
Who could complain? :o

Bwahahahaa

As has happened on multiple forums, Scotty here will be banned in a matter of time.

Clock is ticking....

Scott has been banned on multiple forums for spamming & causing fights. It happed already at the Hollywood Reporter forums, and I have no doubts it will be the same at Film Threat.

Out of respect for Chris Gore and Rory & the gang, I'll let Scott hang himself as he always does...

Scotty - here's a tip - I've been posting constructive things on this forum since it's inception. It relates to films. When you post things that relate to films & filmmaking, you'll here no complaints from me.

[El Duderino Diablo]

Originally posted by Rory L. Aronsky
That's why the Internet was created, for name calling through created names.

I thought it was created for porn?

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Out of respect for Chris Gore and Rory & the gang, I'll let Scott hang himself as he always does...

Fair enough, so long as you keep posting about your movies and other matters. Enough time has been spent on these issues. Let's move on.

I thought it was created for porn?

That too, depending on the porn.

[Caljamscott]

Originally posted by sonnyboo
Scotty - here's a tip - I've been posting constructive things on this forum since it's inception. It relates to films. When you post things that relate to films & filmmaking, you'll here no complaints from me. I see nothing constructive in your vicious namecalling. So today you're suddenly constructive and yesterday you resorted to calling me vicious names. Do you see me calling anyone names, Sonnyboo? I don't, because I don't have to. I take critics out on all levels, because I'm so perrfect I cannot be criticized.

That's the State of the Arts today. I believe in the total ablation of my surroundings, and there's nothing you can do to alter me on this forum or on any other forum. If you want to see the True Me, meet me on Usenet.

Anyway I'm seeing mostly stalling tactics from you anyway. I enjoy posting the facts. I post just about the Facts, because I'm a fiilmaker, I'm mot a timewaster. I've created the only two films that matter, and you know that. This is how it is today.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Sonny, I'm starting to see your point.

I've created the only two films that matter, and you know that. This is how it is today.

There are other films that matter too, Caljamscott. Filmmakers work hard to get their films out there and there are many that aren't good, but there are also others worthwhile. Lower the dial on your ego already.

[sonnyboo]

Originally posted by Caljamscott
I see nothing constructive in your vicious namecalling. So today you're suddenly constructive and yesterday you resorted to calling me vicious names. Do you see me calling anyone names, Sonnyboo? I don't, because I don't have to. I take critics out on all levels, because I'm so perrfect I cannot be criticized.


The countdown continues....

As happened on all forums, you will be banned, and it will be as it always is.. your own fault.

If you do the simplest of searches, you'll see that I've been posting on the forum with many topics & aspects with much information on the topic of films and filmmaking from the first day the forum opened. No one followed you here, we were already posting here.

When you begin to understand that this entire forum is about filmmaking, you might find handy info & even people enthused. Saying that you are perfect & that you have the only films that matter will probably not make you many friends sicne msot here are filmmkaers themselves.

----------------------------
now let's focus back to the article series....


I love the Bootleg Files. It's a fascinating sub-culture of people, of whom I am a part, that value the rare & unavailable. At every comic book, sci fi, and odd end convention - there's always those people who sell many copies of bootlegged videos, formerly on VHS, now mostly on DVD-R's.

Sandy Collara's "Batman: Dead End" is currently a high voulme item, but I remember getting accosted as MidOhioCon when I was telling patrons that they can download the full MPEG2 version for free from www.theforce.net and burn their own DVD-R of it. My movie "New World" was playing at the comic book/sci fi convention at the same time.

Another great bootleg item is the Blade Runner BBC documentary "On The Edge of Blade Runner", which for reasons of legal rights, is not availalbe for broadcast or home video rights in the United States.

[sonnyboo]

Also the series "SPACED" from Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg who did the recent SHAUN OF THE DEAD feature have their whole seires that aren't technically "bootlegs" but are not officially available in the U.S.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

The countdown continues....

Don't worry Sonny, he's long gone. Countdown took only a few hours.

[sonnyboo]

Don't worry Sonny, he's long gone. Countdown took only a few hours.

I will still apologize for starting off poorly, but Scott Lifshine has brought his "style" to many good message boards I've participated in and he has done the same thing every time. The not so distant memories of what this guy does & how he acts set me off immediately. For my initial rudenss & not giving him a chance, I am sorry.

Back on topic...

The STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, of which I have obtained a copy for myself, is everything Phil says. I disagree with the description & criticism of the animated section. It's not he best, but it is the only part of this atrocity worth seeing. Getting even Harrison Ford to reprise the voice role was a coup. A segment of it appears on the "web" documentary for Star Wras II on the DVD for the Fett family.

[Furious D]

From the IMDB
Lucas Wants TV 'Star Wars' Film Banned
Moviemaker George Lucas wants his first Star Wars sequel banned, as he is so disappointed with its quality. The one-off, two-hour-long The Star Wars Holiday Special was originally screened on the CBS network in 1978 and tells the story of Chewbacca's journey home with Hans Solo to celebrate Life Day with his family. During the course of the much-maligned movie, Carrie Fisher's beautiful Leia is seen reducing Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker to tears with a song. A contributor on the Star Wars website comments, "The Holiday Special has always been the red-headed step child of the Star Wars family." While a source at LucasFilm adds, "The Holiday Special was the biggest f***-up ever. The Force was definitely not with Mr. Lucas the day that doozy was born."

I guess there's a form of censorship that Lucas would endorse. ;)

[Phil Hall]

I guess there's a form of censorship that Lucas would endorse. ;)

Lucas should acknowledge he goofed with that and release it on DVD -- he would make a fortune with a cleaned-up, restored version of that lovable atrocity.

Coming up in THE BOOTLEG FILES in the near future: the 1964 Czech drama "...And the Fifth Horseman is Fear," the mammary mania of "The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield," the Christmas madness of "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" and the long-forgotten cartoon series "The Beatles" (yeah, yeah, yeah!).

:D

[The Baron]

I grew up watching those Beatles cartoons! Hell, I used to resent Little League practice when it interfered with The Beatles.

I even still have Beatles trading cards and original singles and albums from 1963 on up.

Bring on the cartoons, Phil!

[Gorillaboss]

...the mammary mania of The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield, the Christmas madness of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians...

Not trying to step on your toes, but both of these flicks are available on legitimate dvd. Just a friendly FYI.

[Phil Hall]

Not trying to step on your toes, but both of these flicks are available on legitimate dvd. Just a friendly FYI.

No, both of these films have been bootlegged for years -- both titles continue to be offered on multiple labels. That is why they are being featured in the column.

[coinsandcrosses]

Phil,
I found Filmthreat by sheer accident and love the Bootleg Files. How about reviewing William Klein's "Mister Freedom." I've had this strange movie for a while. Would like to see your take on this and little history/background on the film.
Also any chance of reviewing "Star Crash" with David Hasselhoff and Christopher Plummer. I have this on an offiicial release VHS from the late 70's/early 80's but its been out of print for years. I see that a French company's released it on DVD but I doubt this is officially sanctioned.
Btw your review of Bela Legosi meets a Brooklyn Gorilla was spot on. I bought this a two weeks ago at Walmart for a buck! This cheapo Digiview pubic domain release is just about pristine. The movie's a riot... chris

[Phil Hall]

Phil,
I found Filmthreat by sheer accident and love the Bootleg Files. How about reviewing William Klein's "Mister Freedom." I've had this strange movie for a while. Would like to see your take on this and little history/background on the film.
Also any chance of reviewing "Star Crash" with David Hasselhoff and Christopher Plummer. I have this on an offiicial release VHS from the late 70's/early 80's but its been out of print for years. I see that a French company's released it on DVD but I doubt this is officially sanctioned.
Btw your review of Bela Legosi meets a Brooklyn Gorilla was spot on. I bought this a two weeks ago at Walmart for a buck! This cheapo Digiview pubic domain release is just about pristine. The movie's a riot... chris

Hi Chris

Thanks for the compliment! I don't know either of the two films and thus cannot write about them (I have to see a film before doing an article). Email me via input@filmthreat.com and I can tell you where to send video copies if you want me to see them.

Yes, "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla" rocks!

[Jack of all Ass]

If you want the hook up for stuff, I'm sure that some of these sites would help you out. Superhappyfun has a great MR. FREEDOM from Japanese DVD and (according to the site), they're working on subbing Klein's WHO ARE YOU POLLY MAGOO? However, they say that they've been working on that for about - oh - 6 months. Luckily they've released (in quotes...) some other decent flicks with decent subtitles -- and perhaps other fodder for Phil's articles: Dinner for Adele (also known as Nick Carter Goes To Prague -- with special effects by Svankmeyer!), Godspeed You Black Emperor (source of the band name), and a few others. Goes back to the earlier post about sites specializing in the "Bizarre" and "offbeat" and "too bad to be believed" -- luckily there are some sites out there that seem more arthouse than outhouse when it comes to their taste in bootlegs.

Suggestions for Phil's future columns:
1) Stuff not already covered in Shock Cinema
2) The Pink Lady Movie (if you can find it!)
3) The Big Gundown (I'd love to know what is *the* definitive version of that)
4) Bullet in the Head (same)
5) The Big Crimewave - people need to know about this movie!

[Phil Hall]

Suggestions for Phil's future columns:
1) Stuff not already covered in Shock Cinema

Shock Cinema is the best film magazine on the news stand, bar none. Steve Pulchalski is a genius.

[El Duderino Diablo]

4) Bullet in the Head (same)


Can't say it's definitive, but... http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.531605/qx/details.htm

[dawgzilla67]

Does anyone know if this will ever be released legitimately in the states on dvd? Or a film Ishiro Honda made a couple of years later called "The Mysterians", with a lot of the same cast, but in scope and color with some (actually) good spfx (for its day)? I know Gojia had a theatrical run last summer, but I haven't seen anything about a dvd release (both had to be acquired on that bastion of bootleg video, ebay).

There's also a north korean monster movie called "Pulgasari" that is supposed to be pretty hysterical. I don't imagine this will ever see the light of day in the states (at least in a licensed release) but has anyone seen a bootleg of this? Is it as campy as one would think?

[Phil Hall]

"Gojira" will be on DVD in 2005.

"Pulgasari" was released in the USA on VHS. I am not certain if it is on DVD.

Don't know about "The Mysterians."

[Phil Hall]

Heads up: one of the previous films profiled in The Bootleg Files, the 1958 drama "Anna Lucasta" starring Eartha Kitt and Sammy Davis Jr, is now available on legit DVD via MGM/UA Home Video.

[judex]

"Gojira" will be on DVD in 2005.

"Pulgasari" was released in the USA on VHS. I am not certain if it is on DVD.

Don't know about "The Mysterians."

The Mysterians coming Jan. 25.

http://videoeta.com/movie.html?id=34746

[erbenz]

Bruce Conner's Report- Avant-Garde short on Kennedy's death.

The Day of the Locusts
That's it, I think.

[Phil Hall]

The new Bootleg Files column, "The Magic of ABC," came my way via a devoted FT reader. Next week's column, the animated feature "Hugo the Hippo," is also a reader request.

If you have bootleg goodies to share, please let me know about them! :cool:

[MikeWatt]

Pittsburgh's WQED was a strange channel when I was growing up, and I remember seeing both HUGO THE HIPPO (parts of it - as a kid, I was devastated that a storm had knocked out our power in the middle of it) and AMOS N ANDY. Many years later, I worked in a video store that rented legitimate "Best of" copies of AMOS N ANDY, so there was one brave '80s company out there that compiled a few of these for the mass market.

As for now, if my memory serves, Troma owns the rights to the entirity of the two Amos n Andy TV seasons as well as the minstrel film (again, memory hazy, but I remember seeing some copies during my last trip to the Troma building). Since Lloyd and company hate to let anything go to waste, there may very well be DVDs of this series coming in the future.

Mike Watt

[Phil Hall]

Pittsburgh's WQED was a strange channel when I was growing up, and I remember seeing both HUGO THE HIPPO (parts of it - as a kid, I was devastated that a storm had knocked out our power in the middle of it) and AMOS N ANDY. Many years later, I worked in a video store that rented legitimate "Best of" copies of AMOS N ANDY, so there was one brave '80s company out there that compiled a few of these for the mass market.

As for now, if my memory serves, Troma owns the rights to the entirity of the two Amos n Andy TV seasons as well as the minstrel film (again, memory hazy, but I remember seeing some copies during my last trip to the Troma building). Since Lloyd and company hate to let anything go to waste, there may very well be DVDs of this series coming in the future.

Mike Watt

Hey Mike

There was never a legitimate "Best of" video collection of AMOS 'N' ANDY. That was actually a bootleg series (and I know what you are talking about, as it was the first video I ever rented when I got a VCR and video store membership). CBS went through a lot of legal grief to get that video collection pulled from circulation. The distributors of the videos argued that that old episodes were public domain, but CBS still controls the copyrights on those programs.

Troma, through its Roan Group subsidiary, has distributed the 1931 film CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK, but so have a lot of companies -- it is a public domain film, so anyone can release it. I don't believe Troma ever acquired the rights to the CBS TV show, since CBS will not allow it to be released.

Thanks
phil

[brad laidman]

wow and to think i've always been dying to see cocksucker blues

[leamanc]

Hey Phil,

Great job on The Bootleg Files! It's currently my favorite feature at FT. Here's some ideas for some future columns:

The Naked Ape
End of the Road
Bad Ronald
Dusty and Sweets McGee
Wanda
The American Dreamer (Dennis Hopper documentary) and/or The Last Movie

I'd love to read your insights on any of these!

[erbenz]

If anyone wants to find this, you can find this in Australia (The Butchered cut though, I am afraid) at www.theavchannel.com.au

Though I'm not sure this is the distributor, the distributor I've listed specializes in Foreign Language films & obcure, hard to find films. Though I am sure this was released in September/October, last year.

[Phil Hall]

Thanks for the good words and the great tips!

I already have a line-up of flicks for the coming weeks, and they include:

NO SEX PLEASE, WE'RE BRITISH (not about Charles & Camilia)
THE T.A.M.I. SHOW (the greatest concert line-up of all time)
BABY BLUE MARINE (any Jan-Michael Vincent fans out there?)
LIGHT UP THE SKY (a rare Benny Hill movie)
THE FANTASTIC FOUR (the Corman version)
THE PETRIFIED FOREST (1955 TV version with Bogie and Bacall)
RENALDO AND CLARA (any Bob Dylan fans out there?)
STAR CRASH (an Italian ripoff of STAR WARS)
DON'T WORRY, WE'LL THINK OF A TITLE (starring Morey Amsterdam!)
MISTER FREEDOM (got this one from a reader - comments to follow)
SANTA CLAUS (Mexican romp -- in time for summer!)

Thanks again! :cool:

[judex]

Hey Phil,

There is a british film i have benn curious about for a long time but can't seem to find. It is No Orchids for Miss Blandish. Has it ever been available? Ot was remade as The Grissom Gang.

[Dancin' Pete]

Hey Phil, long time "Bootleg Report" reader, first time caller. Just wanted to ask how the Criterion laserdisc (and Home Vision VHS) versions of "Confidential Report" fit into the whole "Mr. Arkadin" situation. I know there are different cuts out there, but I'm not sure if there so different as to constitute radically different films.

Info on the Criterion laserdisc can be found here: http://www.chaumurky.net/criterion/catalogpage-61.html

Couple suggestions for you:

"Anarchy U.S.A." - Racist anti-communist propaganda film from the '50s and '60s.
"Che!" - Bio pic starring Omar Sharif as the Cuban Revolutionary hero.
"White Dog" - The Samuel Fuller film about a racist dog.
The Rob Lowe Sex Tape (yeah I know, but this was sold for a while with other celebrity sex videos, so it might make for a fun read)

[Phil Hall]

Hi again!

To answer a couple of questions:

"No Orchids for Miss Blandish" -- drop a line to Darker Image Video, darkerimagevid@webtv.net -- I think they have it.

I've put off "White Dog" for a long time because I'm not a big Fuller fan. But the film does have Burl Ives, who I think was great, so I might get to it later this year.

I've not seen "Che!" in ages -- I recall it being a goofy movie.

I never saw "Anarchy USA" but I remember it being in the Video Yesteryear catalog back in the 1980s. If anyone has a copy, let me know.

I once had a copy of "Wanda" but never watched it. The film never caught my fancy, which is why I didn't view it. Perhaps I was wrong on that one?

I can't answer questions on the Criterion and Home Vision versions of "Mr. Arkadin" since I never saw them. I have an old VHS copy from some fly-by-night company that identified the filmmaker as "Orson Wells."

I toyed with the idea of reviewing the Paris Hilton sex tape when that flooded the market, but I never got around to doing a piece on that (I mean, really, why would anyone want to watch Paris Hilton having sex?).

Keep the ideas coming, please! :cool:

[Dancin' Pete]

Didn't think about the Paris Hilton tape (honestly, the less thought about that ignorant waste of space the better). I mentioned the Rob Lowe tape because of an old ad offering it on late night public access. The tape came with the Lowe footage, plus footage supposedly of Chuck Berry having raunchy sex with some lady, and some backstage footage of the Go-Gos.

Hell, at this point, maybe you could take a week and go through the entire Celebrity sex tape genre, like you did for the Scopitones. Hilton, Tanya Harding, Pam & Tommy Lee, those rare ones from the 70s that supposedly have Barbara Steisand or Joan Collins... there should be enough for an article.

[Joe here]

What about "The Dot and the Line" by Chuck Jones?

I believe that there's a clip of it in 'Chuck Jones - Extremes and In-Betweens,' but I don't think it was ever comercially released..

[Phil Hall]

I've seen "The Dot and the Line" several times on TV. I am not certain if it was ever included in a home video release. It is not one of my favorites, to be honest, but I could look into that.

I almost forgot...I also have "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith" and "A Taste of Honey" awaiting write-ups.

Keep the ideas coming in! ;)

[Dancin' Pete]

"The Dot and the Line" is included on a Doris Day DVD Warner Bros. either put out recently, or will be putting out soon. Can't remember which film exactly though.

[Phil Hall]

Also...if anyone has a copy of "Streisand...And Other Musical Instruments" on video, let me know. That's a 1973 TV special with Babs that is supposedly so awful it is priceless. Bootlegs are out there, but I am having a problem locating one.

[MikeWatt]

Phil, this movie sounds WONDERFUL! That's classic vaudville humor, man. (I'm using "classic" as a synonym for "old", btw)

So when will we see a DVD of Richard O'Brien's SHOCK TREATMENT?

Mike

[Phil Hall]

Phil, this movie sounds WONDERFUL! That's classic vaudville humor, man. (I'm using "classic" as a synonym for "old", btw)

So when will we see a DVD of Richard O'Brien's SHOCK TREATMENT?

Mike

Probably before Fox puts "Hugo the Hippo," "The Blue Bird" and "All This and World War II" on DVD.

"Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title" is an extraordinary thing...emphasis on the word "thing," because it barely qualifies as being a motion picture. And those jokes! Oy!

[coinsandcrosses]

Phil, this movie sounds WONDERFUL! That's classic vaudville humor, man. (I'm using "classic" as a synonym for "old", btw)

So when will we see a DVD of Richard O'Brien's SHOCK TREATMENT?

Mike

I have "Shock Treatment" on VHS. I've had it for years after finding it at a flea market. Only got around to watching it a few weeks back. I found it equally fascinating and boring. So what's the history behind this so-called "sequel" to Rocky Horror anyway. This movie appears to have been buried for some reason. It is pretty awful in my opinion ...chris

[Phil Hall]

"Shock Treatment" was intended to be a midnight movie -- the first time a studio went out of its way to market a film like that. "Rocky Horror" became a midnight film by accident -- it bombed in its commercial release and wound up being exiled to the wee hours.

"Shock Treatment" never found a cult audience and pretty much dropped out of sight. If it is absent from DVD, it is most likely because there is no perceived value in re-releasing it.

[The Baron]

Wow, reading the most recent Bootleg Files brought back memories.

In '79, I was involved with the crew putting on a convention in Pittsburgh, and Caroline Munroe was there to promote Starcrash. The actor playing her robot side-kick was her husband, Judd, whose surname I have forgotten. I do, however, have a picture of Caroline, Judd, and myself, together at the convention. They looked great. I looked like ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag after having been awake for three days straight. (Better living through chemistry.)

I visited Caroline's website a month or so back. Damn... She's still looking mighty fine.

Three Hours Later...

Lawrence. Judd Lawrence. I knew I'd remember. (Okay, I had to look at the photo they signed to me.)

[El Duderino Diablo]

Caroline Munro... sigh

[The Baron]

Hey, Phil, here's a title that I've looked for in every video store I've ever entered, but have never succeeded in finding:

Meetings With Remarkable Men

It's based on the book of the same name by G. I. Gurdjieff, and stars Terrence Stamp.

I saw this in the theatre when it came out back in the late '70s, loved it, and have wanted to obtain a copy. Any chance that this one might see a dvd release?

[Phil Hall]

Hey, Phil, here's a title that I've looked for in every video store I've ever entered, but have never succeeded in finding:

Meetings With Remarkable Men

It's based on the book of the same name by G. I. Gurdjieff, and stars Terrence Stamp.

I saw this in the theatre when it came out back in the late '70s, loved it, and have wanted to obtain a copy. Any chance that this one might see a dvd release?

An online site is selling a video copy, albeit at a somewhat high price: http://www.heall.com/products/videos/meetingswithremarkablemen.html

It was released on VHS by a company called Parabola, but that is out of print. I would be surprised if it turned up on DVD any time soon.

[The Baron]

I remember Parabola. Back in the early Eighties, I subscribed to their quarterly journal of myth and tradition.

$59.95 is a bit steep, but I really want that movie. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet. Thanks for the info, Phil.

[Phil Hall]

Just as an update: I finally tracked down "Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments." It took a long time to track this down (Streisand fans are not forthcoming in acknowledging they own bootlegs of this). And it's the kind of mess that only Streisand can create (doing a version of "People" while performing a Turkish bellydance?).

[bobbikins]

I have been looking NON-STOP for The Noah, everywhere from ebay to old issues of 'Classic Images' and FGA for potential advertisers/traders. (None of them have it.) Any hints or suggestions as to where I should be looking?

Suggestion: Purportedly a "lost movie," Julie Andrews' first movie - before "The Sound of Music" - an Italian kids cartoon feature called "The Singing Princess," a.k.a. "Rose of Baghdad." So rare it's not even listed in either Leonard Maltin Video Guide or the Halliwell guide. Not a lost movie at all. Very, very easy to find if you know where to look.

Also, did Bobby Darin have an unreleased movie - is it in the same category as Jerry Lewis' clown movie?

Constructive criticism (so don't take it as ungrateful whining or bitching): Is there a reason why some of the week's titles are gravitating towards TV (such as "The Noah" or "The ____ Holiday Special"), as opposed to feature films that would potentially have had theatrical exhibition? It's *FILM* Threat, not *TELEVISION* threat, damnit.

Friday mornings are Bootleg File time. :) :) :)

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Constructive criticism (so don't take it as ungrateful whining or bitching): Is there a reason why some of the week's titles are gravitating towards TV (such as "The Noah" or "The ____ Holiday Special"), as opposed to feature films that would potentially have had theatrical exhibition? It's *FILM* Threat, not *TELEVISION* threat, damnit.

Because sometimes, there's eclectic titles that cannot be ignored. You won't find writings on "Everybody Loves Raymond" or "Friends" or any of the typical shows, but you'll find words on what can't be found that easily, what should be noticed, even though it inhabits a completely different medium. In the case of "The Bootleg Files", it's a good column to notice it.

[Phil Hall]

"The Noah" was not a TV show or a made-for-TV movie. It was meant for theatrical release but never got it. If you want to know-a where to get "The Noah," then send an e-mail to sales@revengeismydestiny.com and ask for Mark -- tell him Phil Hall at Film Threat sent you over to get "The Noah."

If I dabble a bit in TV-related bootlegs, it is either because (1) there is some film-related element to it (such as "The Star Wars Holiday Special" or the "Lost Horizon" promo with Burt Bacharach) or (2) there is a film icon making a rare appearance on the small screen (such as Jerry Lewis in "The Jazz Singer" or this week's Barbra Streisand debacle), or (3) there is a social or cultural importance to the title (like "Amos 'n' Andy" or "The Beatles" cartoon series).

By the way, a previous Bootleg title ("ABBA: The Movie") is coming out on DVD in August.

[bobbikins]

If I dabble a bit in TV-related bootlegs, it is either because (1) there is some film-related element to it (such as "The Star Wars Holiday Special" or the "Lost Horizon" promo with Burt Bacharach) or (2) there is a film icon making a rare appearance on the small screen (such as Jerry Lewis in "The Jazz Singer" or this week's Barbra Streisand debacle), or (3) there is a social or cultural importance to the title (like "Amos 'n' Andy" or "The Beatles" cartoon series).


Fair enough, though I do think reasons #1 and #3 carry more weight than reason #2.

Thanks for the tip on The Noah. :)

[hugothehippo]

Hi Phil, thanks for your article/review on Hugo The Hippo - and thanks for the plug back to my website www.hugothehippo.com (http://www.hugothehippo.com/) (sorry to be cheeky, but is there any chance you could make the URL in the article a clickable link?!)

If anyone can offer advice for campaigning for a film to be released on DVD (specifically Hugo The Hippo) - or anyone who wants to share fuzzy memories of the film - please get in touch via my site!

cheers
Jim
www.hugothehippo.com (http://www.hugothehippo.com/)

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Fair enough, though I do think reasons #1 and #3 carry more weight than reason #2.

Not really. Sometimes you just go with what's rare and what strikes you. That's what's great about Phil's column, the constant surprises.

[judex]

Hey Phil,

Maybe you know about "Darker Than Amber." This big screen version of a Travis McGee novel never appears to have been available on video. I could be wrong.

As a fan of the McGee novels, I can't say that I thought Rod Taylor was a good casting choice for ole Trav. However, I have never seen the movie and am curious as hell about it. Director Robert Clouse got the "Enter the Dragon" gig because of the fight scene between Taylor and William Smith. Do you know if this movie has ever been released.

I know Taylor's other tougher-than-tough movie "Dark of the Sun" was briefly available on VHS. I'd like to see both of these flicks released on DVD.

[Phil Hall]

"Darker Than Amber" was on VHS from the Chiron label, but is no longer in circulation. Old videos might pop up on eBay. Otherwise, I'd have to dig around to find it. Jane Russell was in the film, too (it was her last movie).

[Terminal_Ny]

I LOVE the latest article about The Fantastic Four film. I read about this a long time ago in Wizard magazine and my cousin bought it and brought it over and we saw it together.

I have to say, it's bad, but it's a fun film. The movie is as ill-conceived as you can imagine, and it's not as awful as many perceive it to be.

Doctor Doom is cool, but the rest is junk, The Thing looks like the same animatronics from the TMNT movie and his suit looks plushie, Jay Underwood looks like he has a blond wig on while his torch effects are a step above the animation in the "Money for Nothing" video, and Mr. Fantastic is hilariously overdone with his stretch effects used rarely but when they're on-screen it's really funny. In the end when Reed and Sue get married, Reed stretches his hand out from the top of the limo and waves goodbye with an obviously coiled mechanical hand waving. Too funny.

I still own a copy of it on VHS somewhere. Not sure it still even works. I may watch it to compare and contrast when I review the new film, lol.

[Phil Hall]

You can get tons of fine-quality bootlegs of "The Fantastic Four" on eBay, which is funny since this is the one bootleg title that eBay is not cracking down on (you can't find "Song of the South" or "Porgy and Bess" any more on eBay, sadly).

Thanks for your kinds words on the column! Wait until you see this coming Friday's column! :D

[Gorillaboss]

Mr. Hall, does this recollection jibe with your info?

From what I remember from the comic book press (I used to read a lot of comic mags and zines), the Fantastic Four WAS supposed to be shown--in fact, its world premier was at the Mall of America, and lines ran throughout the mall. (I think it was a free screening.) Stan Lee was even in attendance!

However, just before rolling the previews, the lights went back up inside the theatre and a management type came out and announced the cancelation of the show. No reason was given, and the audience was appropriately cranky.

The flood of bootlegs started immediately after this incident--I definitely got mine just a few weeks after the debacle.

[Terminal_Ny]

I think I may have to buy myself a copy.

[Phil Hall]

Mr. Hall, does this recollection jibe with your info?

From what I remember from the comic book press (I used to read a lot of comic mags and zines), the Fantastic Four WAS supposed to be shown--in fact, its world premier was at the Mall of America, and lines ran throughout the mall. (I think it was a free screening.) Stan Lee was even in attendance!

However, just before rolling the previews, the lights went back up inside the theatre and a management type came out and announced the cancelation of the show. No reason was given, and the audience was appropriately cranky.

The flood of bootlegs started immediately after this incident--I definitely got mine just a few weeks after the debacle.

Mr. Gorilla, I know the film was supposed to premiere at Mall of America, but I don't know if the cancellation happened that way. I did not find that story in my research.

I've never found out who is the source of the bootlegs, either. I assume someone at Corman's office was responsible, but to date no one has taken credit for making "The Fantastic Four" a bootleg stape.

[Gorillaboss]

Mr. Gorilla, I know the film was supposed to premiere at Mall of America, but I don't know if the cancellation happened that way. I did not find that story in my research.

I just wanted to see if your sources matched my memory, and that I wasn't completely mental. Assuming that I'm not mis-remembering things, I think that the Mall of America tale was from an article in the Comics Buyers Guide, a weekly comic book newspaper that printed all the hobby/industry news. There was a great deal of coverage over the incident, mainly from irate fans and industry pros who were in actual attendance at the not-so-premier of the film.

I'll see if I can dig up the story.

[The Baron]

Wow, memories came flooding back. I was, if I recall, three years old when my mother took me to the Leona Theatre in Homestead, PA, to see this little gem. The clearest memory I have is of a group of devils, in their red union suits, dancing in a ring around a fire in Hell.

I think it was given the treatment on MST-3K a few years back.

[Phil Hall]

I think it was given the treatment on MST-3K a few years back.

Yup, the MST3K gang had fun with this. That's actually where I first saw the film. I watched it again on a regular bootleg and it was actually funnier without the MST3K running commentary!

[Seedy Edgewick]

I always thought the devil's minion was named "Pitch." I'm pretty sure they called him that on MST3K, as well.

[Phil Hall]

Just as a heads up: in the coming weeks, the Bootleg Files will be exploring such unlikely and intriguing offerings as:

THE BANANA SPLITS IN HOCUS POCUS PARK: and if you recall that one, you deserve a banana split!

THE DONNY & MARIE SHOW: THE STAR WARS EPISODE: I tracked that down and it makes THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL look like THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK!

BABY BLUE MARINE: any Jan-Michael Vincent fans? Here's your chance to raise several glasses and fall off the barstool in honor of that much-maligned star!

MISTER FREEDOM: I got this from a devoted reader (keep the bootlegs coming, folks!).

BAAL: a 1982 BBC version of Brecht's first play starring David Bowie.

WHITE DOG: Samuel Fuller's controversial flick, still in bootleg only.

THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH: the Aussie classic, also a bootleg-only.

CAROL CHANNING AND 101 MEN: this one defies description!

RENALDO AND CLARA: I still have Dylan's four-hour movie on my shelf for viewing. I will get to it, honestly!

A BAYOU LEGEND: an all-black witchcraft opera, only shown once on PBS in the early 1980s.

THE 1971 GRAMMY AWARDS: hosted by Andy Williams!

Any other suggestions out there for bootleg favorites?

[The Baron]

Here's one for you, Phil...

The Tin Whistle.

I caught this once, only once, on PBS, when I was around nine-years-old. It deals with a young boy who becomes involved in the occult. (Must be from the BBC, since back then, the only movies you saw on PBS were foreign.)

I remember it was shot on video. It may or may not have been in black & white. (We didn't get a color tv until I was ten.)

[Phil Hall]

I don't know "The Tin Whistle." I cannot find it on Google or the IMDB. Does anyone out there know this film? :confused:

[judex]

RENALDO AND CLARA: I still have Dylan's four-hour movie on my shelf for viewing. I will get to it, honestly!

You are a better man than I. I can only get through the first 30 minutes. This was the movie that convinced me that Dylan should stick to music.

I just saw a documentary on Edgar Ulmer at the National Gallery. I thought maybe you would know if any of his yiddish movies are available on video or DVD. Also perhaps "Moon Over Harlem."

Can't help with "The Tin Whistle."

[Phil Hall]

You are a better man than I. I can only get through the first 30 minutes. This was the movie that convinced me that Dylan should stick to music.

I just saw a documentary on Edgar Ulmer at the National Gallery. I thought maybe you would know if any of his yiddish movies are available on video or DVD. Also perhaps "Moon Over Harlem."

Can't help with "The Tin Whistle."

I believe the Yiddish Ulmer films were recently released on DVD. "Moon Over Harlem" is a public domain title, so that should not be difficult to find on video.

[RPyatt]

Orson Wells's Chimes at Midnight? Did that ever get a domestic release? I know it's available from Spain and Japan.

[Phil Hall]

"Chimes at Midnight" was released twice on US home video from small and now-defunct labels. It is not currently available in the American market, although a Spanish DVD is available.

I have that film as a bootleg (recorded off Bravo).

I've already done two Welles titles for the Bootleg Files ("The Immortal Story" and "Mr. Arkadin"). Does anyone want me to go for a third? :rolleyes:

[Rory L. Aronsky]

I've already done two Welles titles for the Bootleg Files ("The Immortal Story" and "Mr. Arkadin"). Does anyone want me to go for a third? :rolleyes:

Trifectas are always nice and yeah, I know that question was rhetorical.

[Phil Hall]

I just checked the IMDB and "Chimes at Midnight" is currently undergoing restoration; that work began last year. It would probably make more sense to wait for the restored version to come out (most likely in 2006) than to do a bootleg review.

[Woblin Weebles]

Re: The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park

This special was actually aired on HBO a few times during the mid 80s. That is where one of my copies came from.

Totally agree with the review.

If you can find a copy, Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter, another ABC Superstar Saturday Movie, is actually kind of interesting. Besides Popeye, it includes a lot of other characters owned by King Features Syndicate, including Flash Gordon, Beetle Bailey, and Blondie and Dagwood.

[Phil Hall]

Re: The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park

This special was actually aired on HBO a few times during the mid 80s. That is where one of my copies came from.

Totally agree with the review.

If you can find a copy, Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter, another ABC Superstar Saturday Movie, is actually kind of interesting. Besides Popeye, it includes a lot of other characters owned by King Features Syndicate, including Flash Gordon, Beetle Bailey, and Blondie and Dagwood.

Hey, I didn't realize the Banana Splits were on HBO in the 80s. Thanks for the update!

I actually remember "Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter" very clearly, even though it has been nearly 30 years since I saw it! After watching that, I could sympathize with the Man Who Hated Laughter!

Come to think of it, those ABC Saturday Superstar Movies were pretty awful. I also remember the one with Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger, which made a shambles of the Dickens characters.

[HadjiQuest]

Am I missing something, or is there really no easy way to dig through The Bootleg Files seperately from other frequent features?

I love the site, and the column; but the layout needs a little more organization.


To add poignancy to a post that may be somewhat misplaced, the Hanna-Barbara retro channel "Boomerang" used to show the old Banana Splits daily, as recently as a few years ago.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Am I missing something, or is there really no easy way to dig through The Bootleg Files seperately from other frequent features?

Here's an easy way. (http://www.filmthreat.com/Search.asp?search=Bootleg+Files)

[HadjiQuest]

Any other suggestions out there for bootleg favorites?


You've mentioned "Pull My Daisy" before; maybe you should cover it in a full column?


And one for the very bottom of the barrel: John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) and Public Image Ltd. on American Bandstand in the early 80s. They proceeded to mime along per-course for a few seconds, and then they threw down their instruments and proceeded to join the crowd. Dick Clark has cited it as one of his favorite bandstand "performances". Public Image Ltd. also did a Tom Snyder interview which ended, more or less, in name calling.

[Phil Hall]

Yes, Hadji, the live action "Banana Splits" episodes were on Cartoon Channel, but not the animated movie.

Actually, only the first season of the "Banana Splits" was in syndication. The second season, for no clear reason, was never broadcast again after their initial run on NBC from 1969-70. You can tell the difference between the two seasons because the Snorky character changed from being a grey woolly elephant in the first season to a blue non-woolly elephant with a vest in the second. Strangely, the syndicated episodes use the opening and closing credits from the second season with the non-woolly elephant.

"Pull My Daisy" used to be a bootleg-only title, but I believe it now has legit commercial release. It is also not one of my favorite movies (very, very boring) -- did I mention it?

I am somewhat hesitant about doing columns about individual TV episodes. I have one coming up this Friday (for the first time), and I've toyed with doing a piece on Andy Kaufman's infamous disruption of "Fridays" in 1981. But for TV, I would rather focus on standalone productions or entire series which can only be found on bootleg video.

[HadjiQuest]

If "Pull My Daisy" has a legit release, than I must be doing an awful job of looking for it. I guess I should check the official memorial sites of the late beats...

Well, I'm sure I can think of something out-of-print that's mildly interesting. Back I go, into the archives!

[Phil Hall]

If "Pull My Daisy" has a legit release, than I must be doing an awful job of looking for it. I guess I should check the official memorial sites of the late beats...

Well, I'm sure I can think of something out-of-print that's mildly interesting. Back I go, into the archives!

Here is "Pull My Daisy" for sale online:

http://shopping.icp.org/store/product.html?product_id=2034

[HadjiQuest]

Here is "Pull My Daisy" for sale online:

http://shopping.icp.org/store/product.html?product_id=2034


Ahh, thank you.

I emailed the Kerouac trust about it last night, and they told me it wasn't circulated anymore. I was directed towards a waiting list on VideoETA (http://videoeta.com/), but "Pull My Daisy" isn't even listed.

[eyeresist]

“My late lamented husband got me off wood alcohol by beating me.”

That would make an awesome T-shirt.


_

[Phil Hall]

“My late lamented husband got me off wood alcohol by beating me.”

That would make an awesome T-shirt.


_


Now that's a concept: Brechtian t-shirts! :cool:

[Phil Hall]

I just found out that one of my earlier Bootleg favorites, "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park," now on DVD via Cheezy Flicks Entertainment. URL: www.cheezyflicks.com

[Jagermeister70]

I remember this show solely as a part of reruns of Underdog I've seen various places. The way I remember it, the show would start off with a short Underdog segment, and then have a full Tennessee Tuxedo cartoon, and then maybe one or two other random short cartoons, and then continue the Underdog story. I remember watching these at some ungodly on some local (Nashville) station as recently as last year. For all I know, they may still be on the air.

[Phil Hall]

Hey, Jagermeister, thanks for your input! After "Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales" finished its network run, it was syndicated in a variety of guises. Some markets showed the program as it was first broadcast (I first saw it on New York TV in the 70s in that format), while others did that mix of cartoons which you described. I last saw it in the late 80s on another New York station that mixed Tennessee Tuxedo with the "Fractured Fairytales" from the Bullwinkle program (a completely different show). I never saw it mixed with "Underdog" (when I was a kid, Underdog's cartoons ran separate and apart from Tennessee Tuxedo).

I was unaware that "Tennessee Tuxedo" is still being shown on TV -- it seemed to have disappeared from my screen in the early 90s.

If anyone here can confirm that the Tennessee Tuxedo cartoons are still playing, please let me know. Thanks!

[Phil Hall]

Hooray for me! This week is my 100th column for The Bootleg Files. When I started the column, I didn't know if I could come up with 25 worthy titles. As it is, I have another 25 waiting in the queue.

Thank you for your support, suggestions and enthusiasm for this endeavor!

:D

[judex]

Congrats. Your column is one of my favorites 'cause I love them hard to find movies.

I wonder if the fine folks at Video Search of Miami have ever read this part of your column:

"IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorized duplication and distribution of copyright-protected material is not widely appreciated by the entertainment industry, and on occasion law enforcement personnel help boost their arrest quotas by collaring cheery cinephiles engaged in such activities. So if you are going to copy and sell bootleg videos, a word to the wise: don't get caught. The purchase and ownership of bootleg videos, however, is perfectly legal and we think that's just peachy! This column was brought to you by Phil Hall, a contributing editor at Film Threat and the man who knows where to get the good stuff...on video, that is."

[Pete Vonder Haar]

Congrats, Phil. I'm constantly impressed by the stuff you unearth. Keep it up.

[The Baron]

Kudos, Phil, and thank you. I never miss a Bootleg Files.

[Jagermeister70]

I have to agree. Keep up the great work.

[Filmgenius89]

Phil, whats the possibility on doing an article on Danny Kayes 1951 film On The Riviera? I'd love to know more about this film and i would love to see it.

all i know about it is that it also has Gene Tierney and the song Bailin the Jack

Thanks!

Jordan

[Phil Hall]

ON THE RIVIERA? I am not a huge Danny Kaye fan, so I think any review I might write would be unfairly slanted.

You have to realize that (contrary to what some people insist) I would NEVER review a film that is either starring or is made by someone I don't like. It is not fair to the talent in the film and it is not fair to the Film Threat audience to have that kind of bias in a review.

Of course, I never saw ON THE RIVIERA and this might be the one Kaye film that I really like (although THE COURT JESTER is very amusing, thanks mainly to the ensemble who work with Kaye). :rolleyes:

[Filmgenius89]

I respect your oppinion, and I love you're column, but in all honesty, I must ask, How can you not like Danny Kaye?

Among his best movies are

Kid From Brooklyn
Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
Inspector General
WHITE CHRISTMAS
The Court Jester
Hans Christian Anderson

All frequented on TCM.

I think On The Riviera is his only title never released on VHS.

So even if you wont review it, could you tell me how I can find it?

[judex]

I am not a big Danny Kaye fan either although I really enjoyed The Court Jester. He ruined The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I heard his stage show was much better than his film appearances.

P.S. Phil have you heard about any video releases of The Last Run with George C. Scott and his wife of the time?

[Phil Hall]

For me, Danny Kaye is like Jim Carrey -- their comedy is just not organic. They try waaaaaay to hard to be funny/silly and I feel it in every inch of teeth-grinding footage.

For me, THE COURT JESTER was his best work because he had a great ensemble backing him. Most of his films are minus that level of support and balance.

For ON THE RIVIERA, try Darker Image Videos. Email them at darkerimagevid@webtv.net and see if they have that in their collection.

You may also want to contact Darker Image for that George C. Scott movie. I can't say I recall that one.

[Phil Hall]

Okay, I am convinced. Darker Image Videos has ON THE RIVIERA, so I will get a copy from them and write up that article for a future Bootleg Files column.

Danny Kaye fans, rejoice.

[judex]

Phil, I wonder if you know anything about a flick named "Wicked, Wicked?" I remember seeing this as a teenager. It was filmed in "duo-vision" which was a fancy way of saying that the entire movie was shown split screen. Two bits of action were always taking place. Of course, this format didn't translate well to the pan and scan video age. However letterbox DVD would work. I can't remember much about the movie except the split screen showed the killer and intended victim at all times. Kind of interesting concept. Has it ever been available on video?

[Phil Hall]

I heard of the film through the book "The Golden Turkey Awards," but as far as I know it was never released on home video.

Thanks!

[bobbikins]

I am one of the viewers who remembers watching it on that PBS broadcast, and it made enough of an impression on me that I have been working for mental health issues and volunteerism ever since. (Though I've always preferred "The Snake Pit" and "Three Faces of Eve" to "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.") Knowing that mental health issues don't get enough state and federal funding, I will say this: Unless the filmmaker is donating all the proceeds of those $500 tapes to organizations that could use the money, which is always a possibility (is that the case?), then he's part of the very problem documented in this 'cinema verite.' Perhaps a clarification could be added to this Bootleg File?

[Phil Hall]

I am unaware of how Wiseman spends his money from the rentals and sales on "Titicut Follies." I know the legal expenses surrounding the censorship of the movie cost him a pretty penny.

Heads up: next week's column with cover "On the Riviera" (as requested a couple of weeks ago).

[Filmgenius89]

Heads up: next week's column with cover "On the Riviera" (as requested a couple of weeks ago).


THANKS SO MUCH, PHIL!!!!

[Phil Hall]

Update: two previous Bootleg Files titles are finally coming to commercial DVD. "Barbra Streisand...and Other Musical Instruments" is being released as part of a five-disc Streisand set (there is a review of that in today's NY Times). And Pathfinder Pictures will bring "The Noah" to commercial release in 2006.

[The Baron]

Hey, Phil, what's the chance of coming up with the European cut of the 1977 TV pic Spectre. (Written by Gene Roddenberry, starring Robert Culp, Gig Young and John Hurt.) It's a old guilty pleasure of mine.

One afternoon back in 1987, when I had a day off shooting, a local Pittsburgh station accidentally ran a version of the movie with a pretty graphic orgy scene. I had seen the flick several times before, including the television premiere on NBC, and that's the first time that segment was in it.

Truth be told, I'd even settle for the US TV cut.

Thanks.

[Terminal_Ny]

Mr. Hall, you know what I'd love for you to take a look at? A very obscure kids film called "Hawk Jones". I dont know if anyone knows what it is, but it's a film starring all children ala "Bugsy Malone" with a very low production, it's a crime noir that's funny and has terrible production values, but is still fun.

[Phil Hall]

I am not familiar with either "Spectre" or "Hawk Jones," so I will have to investigate those further.

I actually have enough titles to last me well into spring. In the next few weeks, be prepared for "Bugs Bunny Bond Rally," the 1967 made-for-TV "Kisment" with Barbara Eden (she can generate a pants-breaking erection, trust me!), the 1977 French-Italian-Irish madness "The Purple Taxi," my all-time fave holiday movie "A Child's Christmas in Wales" (the 1962 version) and "Get Christie Love!" ("You're under arrest, sugar!").

[Phil Hall]

Heads up: another Bootleg Files favorite is going commercial. The "Donny and Marie Show" episode with the "Star Wars" characters will be out on DVD in 2006 via R2 Entertainment. In fact, all 72 episodes of that 1970s kitsch-fest will be on DVD!

[gman12]

Dose anyone know why you can't read anything about Titicut Follies>
Any answer on this would be great.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

It's right here. (http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=features&Id=1629)

[Seedy Edgewick]

That link doesn't allow you to read beyond the first-page synopsis.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Didn't realize. Here's the rest. (http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=features&Id=1630)

[Phil Hall]

Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone for their support, enthusiasm and suggestions for the Bootleg Files column during 2005. Next year, there will plenty of bootleg curios, classics and catastrophes to celebrate!

Yee-hah! :D

[leamanc]

Hey Phil,

This post is not directly related to THE BOOTLEG FILES, but rather your recent Lost Films Part 3 article.

I don't know if you'd seen this or not, but apparently there is a copy of "Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales" out there. The weird story around the film only gets weirder, as apparently Penelope Spheeris and Richard Pryor's daughter stole a copy from Pryor's house 20 years ago.

Here's two articles IMDb ran on the topic last year:

IMDb news for Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370038/news)

[Phil Hall]

I know Penelope Spheeris and the kind of behavior she is accused of doesn't mesh with the filmmaker I know. I don't know if the surviving footage is from a completed film. From what I know, the film was never finished.

It was also not Pryor's first movie.

Thanks for the update.

[leamanc]

Phil,

That's sweet that you know Penelope Spheeris! I love her movies and her contributions to "Ask a Filmmaker" at IMDb.

The credibility of the IMDb news page is sometimes equal to the National Enquirer, so I'm inclined to agree with your take on the situation. I just got a little excited over the thought that footage existed at all.

[Terminal_Ny]

Good article on "Africa Screams" Phil. I've seen a lot of A & C films and they are repetitive, but still pretty harmless, I've never seen this film, and I really don't expect to. Sounds bad, especially since the Marx Brothers' last films were also really bad.

[Phil Hall]

Yeah, it must have been pretty depressing to watch "Africa Screams" and "Love Happy" on a big screen double bill.

[Terminal_Ny]

Yeah, it must have been pretty depressing to watch "Africa Screams" and "Love Happy" on a big screen double bill.
Yep. My uncle showed me "Go West" one day, and it was so damn depressing. The Marx Brothers in films like "Animal Crackers" and "Duck Soup" would have me laughing so hard I'd have to pause the film, but "Go West" is so utterly unfunny. It's so depressing.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Have you seen "The Big Store"? Even more depressing than "Go West" because by then, MGM had full control of them.

[Terminal_Ny]

Have you seen "The Big Store"? Even more depressing than "Go West" because by then, MGM had full control of them.
I'd rather not. The Marx Brothers are my favorite comedy team and watching more of their later entries is painful.

[Phil Hall]

The Marx Brothers films at Paramount were peerless. When they went to MGM, it went downhill. Even "A Night at the Opera" is woefully inferior to the Paramount stuff. And their subsequent indie work was even sadder.

However, all of the Marx movies are under copyright protection and I cannot write about them for the Bootleg Files. The only one that might come close is "The Story of Mankind," in which the brothers made separate guest appearances in the course of the movie.

[Terminal_Ny]

I think I was told it was Mayer who hated them so much he purposely gave them the worst scripts and forced them to make these movies, not to mention the release of Zeppo ruined them. It's amazing, no one really liked Zeppo, but once he left the magic was gone. You have to have a straight man in a comedy team to balance things out. You just have to. Or else it's slightly overwhelming.

[Phil Hall]

Hey, Zeppo was hilarious for being so straight in the midst of those madmen.

[Phil Hall]

Hey, I've been bootlegged! My movie acting debut, "Land of College Prophets," is illegally circulating across the Net. It is easy enough to find -- do a Google search for the film's title and plenty of those download sites pop up!

[The Baron]

Thank you, Phil, for yet another stroll down the Memory Lane of my youth. I remember watching Frankenstein: The True Story as a mini-series. As a kid, I was far less selective about what horror movies I would watch. Although I was disappointed by the first installment, I watched the whole enchilada.

Gads, I was starved for monster movies back then.

Your review pretty much sums up what made F:TTS so unimpressive. (Being simply bad can often be forgiven in a B flick; being completely uninteresting cannot.)

Wasn't Sarrazin hot off of The Reincarnation of Peter Proud? I know he had a high TVQ. Pairing him up with Jane Seymour was probably the network's idea.

Don't think I'll seek this one out. But it was fun to recall watching that cast using histrionics worthy of a Mexican soap opera.

[Phil Hall]

Michael Sarrazin had a lot of buzz coming out the late 1960s by the time "Frankenstein: The True Story" came around. "Peter Proud" came after this, as did another horror flick with a similar title: "For Pete's Sake" (okay, it wasn't an official horror movie, but Barbra Streisand doing slapstick is as close to horror as a "comedy" can get). Sarrazin's star waned by the mid-70s. Likewise, Leonard Whiting (who played Dr. Frankenstein) was pretty much washed-up after this mini-series was made.

Jane Seymour, however, is like the Energizer Bunny.

[Furious D]

Jane Seymour, however, is like the Energizer Bunny.

She was one of the few things I remember about that flick. When I was a kid they used to show that fairly regularly on the Great Money Movie and she made an impression in my ten year old mind.

Sarrazin still works, you see him a lot on Canadian TV and movies, nowadays playing older authority figures.

[filmgurl]

there was a public screening of "frankenstein: the true story" in vancouver last october (2004). it was a private collector print, the most complete version available, which included the original broadcast and the european gore bits, likely the source material for the DVDs on iMBD. sadly it screened in the middle of the afternoon on a saturday and about 10 people showed up. as i was volunteering at the festival it screened at, i ended up missing large portions of it, but being a big fan of hammer stuff & the frankenstein myth, i thought it was pretty cool. then again, i like a little hamminess with my gothic. and jane seymour was at the peak of her hotness.

interestingly, the film was kinda promoted at the festival as "the gay frankenstein" and attracted a predominantly male audience.

[Filmgenius89]

Hey Phil!

I noticed that some of the older titles (like song of the south) have been removed when i search for the bootleg files. How can one still view all of these past articles. Even though they're old, they are quite good!

[Phil Hall]

Hey Phil!

I noticed that some of the older titles (like song of the south) have been removed when i search for the bootleg files. How can one still view all of these past articles. Even though they're old, they are quite good!

All of my columns are still online. Just do a search by "Phil Hall" and you will find them.

Coming up in the next few weeks: the musical version of "Lost Horizon," Sam Fuller's "White Dog," the Aussie classic "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith," Bob Dylan's "Renaldo and Clara," Vincent Price in "The Last Man on Earth" and "Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet."

[The Baron]

Looking forward to your piece on The Last Man on Earth. I own a DVD copy of it. It shares a disk with The House on Haunted Hill.

LMoE is pretty remarkable, and Price gives a great performance. It's also easy to see the movie's influence on Night of the Living Dead.

[Terminal_Ny]

Coming up in the next few weeks: the musical version of "Lost Horizon," Sam Fuller's "White Dog," the Aussie classic "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith," Bob Dylan's "Renaldo and Clara," Vincent Price in "The Last Man on Earth" and "Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet."
I'm looking forward to the Last Man on Earth article. I liiked LMOE and its remakes. I think LMOE had the most atmosphere. It was a frightening movie in spite of the cheesy elements to it.

[franklinshepard]

Has At Long Last Love (1975) ever been written about? Are you planning to write a column about it?

It's a movie that I've long wanted to see, but I seem to miss it every time it shows up on TV. Also, I heard that the TV cut is different than the theatrical version. In a perfect world, both versions would show up on DVD. Is this bootlegged anywhere?

[Phil Hall]

Has At Long Last Love (1975) ever been written about? Are you planning to write a column about it?

It's a movie that I've long wanted to see, but I seem to miss it every time it shows up on TV. Also, I heard that the TV cut is different than the theatrical version. In a perfect world, both versions would show up on DVD. Is this bootlegged anywhere?

Ouch! Now that brings back painful memories. I saw the film on TV years ago and still recall how bad it was. It pretty much killed Bogdanovich's career.

I found a bootlegger on eBay who is selling it on VHS. An auction is now in process.

Thanks
phil

[judex]

Ouch! Now that brings back painful memories. I saw the film on TV years ago and still recall how bad it was. It pretty much killed Bogdanovich's career.

Not to mention Dorthey Stratton. Oh wait. That was Paul Snider, not At Long Last Love.

[generikz]

They are very easy to find on eBay, which is odd given that site’s mania for stamping out the sale of bootlegged material.

Uh... Are we using the same eBay.com auction site? The auctions are swamped with bootleged DVDs, constantly, all the time. Sellers choose short time auction to avoid being caught, their feedback ratings are in the hundreds and eBay still won't raise a finger.

If you avoid the forbidden keywords (I had one auction removed with a warning from eBay because I used the word DVD-R in the description: this was a legal material put and sold on DVD-R, no copyright issue, eBay would never accept they made a mistake and apologize).

SOTS of course, but out of print Criterion, OOP DIsney, OOP SUperbit, laserdiscs transfers can be found in the thousands everyday on eBay.

eBay's mania is on making money, not fighting bootlegging via their useless VERO program.

Coming back to the original topic, here is the entryfor Lost Horizon on the Laserdisc Database (LDDb.com):

Lost Horizon: Ross Hunter's (1973) [PSE92-25] (http://LDDb.com/laserdisc.php?id=25236)

Regards,
Julien

[Phil Hall]

Uh... Are we using the same eBay.com auction site? The auctions are swamped with bootleged DVDs, constantly, all the time. Sellers choose short time auction to avoid being caught, their feedback ratings are in the hundreds and eBay still won't raise a finger.
Regards,
Julien

Hey Julien

Thanks for reading this (for some reason, this column didn't stay on the Home Page very long).

As you stated, eBay is erratic when it comes to bootlegs. Well known titles like SONG OF THE SOUTH and PORGY AND BESS are chased away. I'm aware of eBay acting against bootlegs of SKIDOO! and CHASTITY, too (someone complained to eBay). But many lesser-known titles are able to sneak in and from there you can pick and choose among plenty of goodies (and baddies, such as LOST HORIZON).

[The Baron]

For what it's worth, I found what appeared to be a factory dvd of Chastity in the "Cult Movies" section of Amoeba Music, in Hollywood. (For anyone rushing to Hollywood to get it, I saw it last Sunday, so it's probably still there.) The title didn't interest me enough to bother buying it, but some Sonny & Cher completist may want it.

[Phil Hall]

For what it's worth, I found what appeared to be a factory dvd of Chastity in the "Cult Movies" section of Amoeba Music, in Hollywood. (For anyone rushing to Hollywood to get it, I saw it last Sunday, so it's probably still there.) The title didn't interest me enough to bother buying it, but some Sonny & Cher completist may want it.

I was unaware that CHASTITY came out on DVD. I just checked and MGM/UA released it on DVD in August 2004 -- I wrote the Bootleg Files column on that in April 2004, when the film was still a bootleg-only title. I recall at that time eBay was forcing the bootlegs off their site, hence my citing it as an example here.

Thanks for the update!

[Phil Hall]

I'm looking forward to the Last Man on Earth article. I liiked LMOE and its remakes. I think LMOE had the most atmosphere. It was a frightening movie in spite of the cheesy elements to it.

I am soooooooooo glad the folks here were happy to hear LMOE was in my queue. Based on your input, I bumped it up my queue and I am very happy that I did. It is truly a great movie.

Next week, though, is devoted to a flick that I think is the very, very worst of all time. :eek:

[Paul P]

Hey Phil -

I just wanted to let you know that THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is available here in the US on DVD. It is part of MGM's "Midnite Movies" series - paired with PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO.

It's presented in it's OAR of 2.35:1 and has a pretty good transfer. The DVD also has a short featurette on Richard Matheson.

Here's an Amozon.com link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000787YOA/qid=1145719485/sr=1-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-4327993-2940620?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=dvd&v=glance&n=130

[Terminal_Ny]

I am soooooooooo glad the folks here were happy to hear LMOE was in my queue. Based on your input, I bumped it up my queue and I am very happy that I did. It is truly a great movie.

I'm glad. It's one of the few public domain films that are true quality. I also loved its remake "The Omega Man", which is one of my favorite science fiction films of all time. I recall back in the late nineties they were going to remake it as an action horror film with Arnold Schwarzenneger, but the talks of the film never panned out. It's a good thing. It works better as a science fiction horror instead of an action horror. It could work as a "28 Days Later" sort of apocalyptic horror epic if done right.

That scene where he falls asleep in the church and he realizes he has to run home in the dark was horrifying when I first saw it. YOu have all these vampire zombies popping out and chasing after him. It was great! Great article, Phil. But that's a given with you.

Next week, though, is devoted to a flick that I think is the very, very worst of all time. :eek:

Can't wait to see what it is.

[Phil Hall]

Hey Phil -

I just wanted to let you know that THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is available here in the US on DVD. It is part of MGM's "Midnite Movies" series - paired with PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO.

It's presented in it's OAR of 2.35:1 and has a pretty good transfer. The DVD also has a short featurette on Richard Matheson.

Here's an Amozon.com link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000787YOA/qid=1145719485/sr=1-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-4327993-2940620?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=dvd&v=glance&n=130

Yes, this title is available on DVD -- but being it is a public domain title, it is widely bootlegged and duped by a variety of labels. I have the widescreen version via the Madacy label, which is also an excellent quality (no mean feat, given Madacy's history of iffy and sometimes awful dupes).

There are, sadly, a lot of cheap and not-so-good versions circulating about.

[Terminal_Ny]

Yes, this title is available on DVD -- but being it is a public domain title, it is widely bootlegged and duped by a variety of labels. I have the widescreen version via the Madacy label, which is also an excellent quality (no mean feat, given Madacy's history of iffy and sometimes awful dupes).

There are, sadly, a lot of cheap and not-so-good versions circulating about.

The version they've played on the Sci Fi Channel in the past was sadly of poor quality. This is a gem usually found in this 20 DVD horror packs sold on online stores as well.

[Paul P]

Yes, this title is available on DVD -- but being it is a public domain title, it is widely bootlegged and duped by a variety of labels. I have the widescreen version via the Madacy label, which is also an excellent quality (no mean feat, given Madacy's history of iffy and sometimes awful dupes).

There are, sadly, a lot of cheap and not-so-good versions circulating about.

The Madacy is not bad, but with the availability of the film from MGM/SONY in an excellent edition and paired with another very enjoyable film for a great price - I don't know why you would even bother with any of the other sources.

This is the same with Romero's original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. As a PD title, many, many, many inferior versions are available. But why you look at any version other than Elite's release (either the original DVD release or the most recent Millennium version) is unfathomable to me. CHARADE is another example - the Criterion release is the only serious choice. As a film fan, and as a working DVD Producer, I always seek out the best possible presentation. Why eat dirt when you can have a nice steak? Of course, sometimes a bootleg is the only way to go and I've got plenty of those. ;)

I love your column - keep digging up a lot of the wonderful "lost" gems!

[Phil Hall]

The Madacy is not bad, but with the availability of the film from MGM/SONY in an excellent edition and paired with another very enjoyable film for a great price - I don't know why you would even bother with any of the other sources.

I love your column - keep digging up a lot of the wonderful "lost" gems!

Thanks for the praise! I only went for the Madacy version because it was a $5 impulse buy and I didn't want to pay more to have "Panic in the Year Zero," which I did not care to see.

I read today that another film version based on this source material, "I Am Legend," is going to be made with (ugh) Will Smith in the Vincent Price role. I suppose it will be more violence and gore than the creepy/eerie Price version.

[Terminal_Ny]

Thanks for the praise! I only went for the Madacy version because it was a $5 impulse buy and I didn't want to pay more to have "Panic in the Year Zero," which I did not care to see.

I read today that another film version based on this source material, "I Am Legend," is going to be made with (ugh) Will Smith in the Vincent Price role. I suppose it will be more violence and gore than the creepy/eerie Price version.
You can expect him to say at least once: "Aw Hail Naw!"

[Paul P]

I read today that another film version based on this source material, "I Am Legend," is going to be made with (ugh) Will Smith in the Vincent Price role. I suppose it will be more violence and gore than the creepy/eerie Price version.

This has been in the works a while. It looks like it might finally move ahead. The director is Francis Lawrence, who last directed CONSTANTINE.

The one that was always most interesting to me would have been the version Ridley Scott was prepping in the mid-to-late '90s. It was a pretty scary take, and would have starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[Phil Hall]

Just curious...am I the only one here who's seen RENALDO AND CLARA (this week's Bootleg focus)? If you've seen it, what do you think of it?:confused:

[leamanc]

Phil,

I've seen the 4-hour version of RENALDO, and it's god-awful. Your review was the best I've ever seen; it brought some structure to that cinematic spew. Edited with a weed-eater indeed!

[JackDharma]

Just as with James Joyce's _Ulysses_, _Renaldo and Clara_ will never have a large popular audience, but it will always appeal to an intelligent few willing to do the hard, but rewarding work, of close reading.

[Furious D]

Just as with James Joyce's _Ulysses_, _Renaldo and Clara_ will never have a large popular audience, but it will always appeal to an intelligent few willing to do the hard, but rewarding work, of close reading.

I think Bob Dylan just showed up.:D

[Terminal_Ny]

I think Bob Dylan just showed up.:D
I doubt it. We actually understood the person said. :p

[Phil Hall]

Just as with James Joyce's _Ulysses_, _Renaldo and Clara_ will never have a large popular audience, but it will always appeal to an intelligent few willing to do the hard, but rewarding work, of close reading.

Bravo for the brave man (and fellow Connecticut resident) to share this opinion. Sir, if you are willing to write a counter-review, perhaps we can run it?

[Furious D]

I doubt it. We actually understood the person said. :p

I e-mailed Bob Dylan, or Dilly as we like to call him, to ask if he wrote that note. Here's what he replied:


Vere Fuvious Bee

Skeeny meeny wooza hoppa sanka. Villee villee noonie noo, spooge.

~Dilly.

I think that clears the whole thing up.:D

[Terminal_Ny]

I e-mailed Bob Dylan, or Dilly as we like to call him, to ask if he wrote that note. Here's what he replied. I think that clears the whole thing up.:D

You know, he's actually more concise and eloquent than I give him credit for. He's succinct too.

[Phil Hall]

Hey, at least Dilly can sing. The next Bootleg Files column features a musical with stars who could neither sing nor dance! And it ain't pretty. :eek:

[Furious D]

Hey, at least Dilly can sing.

Dilly asked me to pass on this message to you.


Vere Pill Ball
Vank voo vor der wys tinks boot ve tinging.
~Dilly

[Terminal_Ny]

Hey, at least Dilly can sing. The next Bootleg Files column features a musical with stars who could neither sing nor dance! And it ain't pretty. :eek:
Grease 2? :D

[bronsonseven]

Or is it Chicago?

[Terminal_Ny]

Or is it Chicago?
I'm guessing Moulin Rouge

[Rory L. Aronsky]

But since it's The Bootleg Files, I'd bank on "Mame."