No reviews today! A couple are almost ready but I figured I'd wait until the weekend when they could go out with fewer typos and errors of judgment. But I have a bunch of news tonight to tide thee over ...
I talked to Grover Crisp at Sony the other day. It's no joke, he has indeed recorded a new score for MAJOR DUNDEE, just last week in fact. There were acually three orchestras of different sizes recorded. It's apparently a full reworking, including Mexican mariachi music. Michael Schlesinger said that it "sounds like a real 1960s score," which hopefully is a good sign.
It's amazing to think that DUNDEE could be treated this well after officially being ignored by Columbia for so long. As I wrote last November I was able to see a screening of the extended version, and the old soundtrack was the element that still made the movie difficult to sit through. Finally viewed with a great-looking picture, the music now seems worse than terrible. Studios have re-scored silent films but I don't know if this is the first full-bore rescoring of a picture that already had an official original score ... even though this original was a sloppy patch-up job. Grover asked me to be silent back then about his intention to do the rescoring, and I have to admit that it seemed too wild of an idea at the time - I thought for sure it would be cancelled.
It does mean that the DVD (rumored) for later this year will be an extra special item. Theatrical screenings of the re-tracked DUNDEE will start on April 8 in NYC and April 15 in Los Angeles. New trailers and posters are being prepared. What an amazing development.
I received a copy of the upcoming NIGHT AND THE CITY Criterion DVD today - the one with my commentary on it. Haven't had the nerve to listen to it yet. I'll report later after I find the courage. John Cameron Swayze, I aint, but it was another exciting experience, as they say.
Notes on news from elsewhere come through helpful Savant correspondent Gary Teetzel:
Yet another great James Cagney movie is coming, one Savant has received numerous inquiries about over the years. Warners has announced LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME for April 26. It's part of a six-movie Doris Day set.
And with absolutely zero fanfare, ADV Films is re-releasing the first DAIMAJIN film by itself next week. According to their website it has been remastered in 16:9. Hopefully the other two will follow. Savant's review of their older 3-film boxed set is here.
More Scorsese, vintage gangster films, new Home Vision and Criterion titles ... and even some Bettie Page exploitation to be reviewed soon at DVD Savant. Thanks for your patience! Glenn Erickson
Posted by DVD Savant at January 27, 2005 08:37 PM