Reporting from Tarrytown

[Gothick]

I personally am much, MUCH more upset over WB's reneging of their promise to restore the NoDS film for the disc release than I am over anything to do with the Burton/Depp ... project. I am nearly as upset over various aspects of the handling of the October release of the films but won't go into that now.

I haven't spewed the vitriol here out of respect for the general tone of civility that MB and Midnite prefer to maintain here, but believe me, my opinions on the matter would sound right at home amongst the Collinsport longshoremen after a long day spent out in the boats.

cheers, G.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

I personally am much, MUCH more upset over WB's reneging of their promise to restore the NoDS film for the disc release than I am over anything to do with the Burton/Depp ... project. I am nearly as upset over various aspects of the handling of the October release of the films but won't go into that now.

I feel you, G.  I really do. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Though at least if we can believe Pierson, the restoration of NoDS will eventually take place.

[Lydia]

Those stand-up pictures of characters from the Depp movie that were on display at Lyndhurst are going to be thrown out in a couple of months if nobody wants them, Jim Pierson said.  He tried to auction them off with a beginning bid of $100 (complete with instructions on how to set them up; Jim seemed especially smitten with those) but nobody was interested.  I liked them (the pictures, not the instructions, though I didn't get to see the instructions close up the way Jim did) and hope somebody wants them.  I don't have room for them myself.  If anybody is interested, he or she should call Lyndhurst and see what can be worked out.

[Teresa]

Cool Lydia, I missed the auction and did not know that. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

As much as I love the Depp/DS film, I wouldn't have bid on them either. Like you, Lydia, I'd have no place to put them.    But worse still, I have no idea how I would have gotten them home - well, unless the Fest was going to mail them to me.

[Darren Gross]

Though at least if we can believe Pierson, the restoration of NoDS will eventually take place.

Well, I'm not going to give up trying, that's for sure.  We'll keep trying to get other divisions at WB to make it happen.

That said, what Jim was referring to was only that we're going to keep soldiering on, and we'll finish up the re-looping at least in the near future- so at least we'll be safely covered should things begin to move forward 5 or 10 years from now.  The actors aren't going to be around forever.

[Gothick]

Thanks, Darren, for not giving up.

I think at this stage in the scheme of things, you're a better man than I am with all of this... if there were a possibility of an outfit like Criterion having a swing with it, that would be different, but from what I understand the rights to the material remains under the evil thrall of the Deatheaters at WB Home Video.  And do they care?  NO.

hugs, Steve

[Gerard]

I am shocked - shocked - that the film was downplayed at this festival.  Too bad some didn't like it.  I wasn't enamored of the '91 remake (palm trees, palm trees, palm trees!!!!!) and thought it was an overblown remake of HoDS, rather than being "true to the original" (a statement that has been oft used with regards to those who didn't like the Depp/Burton film).  But I watched it religiously and was very upset at its cancellation.  No one "down-played" those from that version who attended, with all glory, laud and honor, other DS festivals.  Then there was the 2004 version that never saw the light of day, and had plenty of critics, but it appears they had no problem showing the unfinished pilot at following festivals over and over and over again.

The Depp/Burton film should've been the who reason for this festival, held up high and honored (just as the other versions based upon the OS have been honored).  People involved in the movie should've been invited to attend (maybe they were, I don't know).  Again, so what if some in DS fandom didn't like it because it didn't stand up to their "ideal" of the original.  They didn't have to come.  They could've stayed home and sulked.  Nothing about any of the remakes (and that includes HoDS and NoDS) was true to the OS.  All had stuff that deviated from the OS and were blatantly stupid.  Heck, much in the OS was stupid.  I know this has been discussed before, but having Barnabas trying to figure out the world of 1972 in the Depp/Burton film made far more sense, even when done comedically (of course it would be comedic), than all the remakes that had him showing up at Collinwood a few days after being released, perfectly clothed by Birkenstock's (would Barnabas know and understand how to use a zipper?) and fitting right in.  That was stupid.  It was stupid when Jonathan Frid did it in the OS and HoDS, and it was stupid when Ben Cross did it in '91.  (I don't know how it was handled in the aborted '04 remake because I never saw it.)

Stupid.

But we loved it all.  It's DS.  The Depp/Burton film is DS, just as much as is the OS, HoDS, NoDS, '91 and '04.  To try and "keep it on the down-low" at that "festival" so some fans wouldn't get upset and make a scene is simply shocking.  Millions were spent bringing it back to us and it has made $335 million dollars world wide.  That's not something to ignore, but to celebrate.

But I will say, that JP person trying to auction off huge cut-out billboards starting at a hundred smackers each, or else threatening to send them to the trash is also stupid.  I always wonder if the JP guy has his head screwed on tight.  I have thought for a long time that it's been time for the Curtis family and anyone else associated with DS to find some way to flush him.  The guy doesn't have an ounce of business sense inside his head.  He scowers youtube and other places to remove anything that doesn't make money for whatever he does regarding this franchise.  Having lots of DS stuff on youtube and elsewhere in cyberspace is free publicity and brings in more potential customers for the stuff he wants to sell to make more money.  He can't figure that out?  Call out the lawyers?

Now that's really, really stupid.

Gerard

[michael c]

having learned during this filmaking process, although not at this fine board, how many emotionally unstable and even disturbed people there are in this fanbase i guess maybe they wanted to keep people pacified and not "upset" anyone. 

[michael c]

AND since the depp film has largely left theaters and will very soon be out on DVD you'd think they might have actually, you know, showed it at some point in the event's programming.


or were they running HODS for the hundredth time???

[Teresa]

I have no idea of the legalities of showing something privately before the DVD comes out but I am sure there would have been an interest especially for those who have not had a chance to see it. I myself just recently went to see it.  They did show both NODS and HODS starting at 6:00.  I left at around 4 so not sure who stuck around but I know a few in the hotel mentioned staying until the end.  I am very pleased that those I came into contact with seemed to be respectful to each other in person but I have seen some of the negative postings on Facebook pages. I tend to ignore that behavior and anyone that tries to instigate which is why I removed myself from most of the pages on there.  Obviously there is still a huge interest in the fest and I think the DVD will do well and have more of an impact at future fest.

[KMR]

AND since the depp film has largely left theaters and will very soon be out on DVD you'd think they might have actually, you know, showed it at some point in the event's programming.

I think it probably would have been very difficult negotiating with Warner Bros. to arrange a screening of the new DS film at the fest, especially seeing as it's still in its theatrical run (regardless of how many or few theaters are currently showing it). And of course, even if it were already out on DVD, they'd still have to negotiate with WB for a public exhibition (yes, showing it at the fest would be "public").

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Publicly showing major, and I mean major, films before their release on DVD is definitely doable.  I know a group that did it with The Dark Knight and continues to do it with every large release, though they are skipping Depp Shadows for the time being.   

But, for a film to qualify, it usually has to have finished its theatrical run.  Plus, a public exhibition costs a fairly hefty sum.  So showing Depp Shadows at this year's fest had, at least, two things going against it. 

[Janet the Wicked]

I always wonder if the JP guy has his head screwed on tight.  I have thought for a long time that it's been time for the Curtis family and anyone else associated with DS to find some way to flush him.  The guy doesn't have an ounce of business sense inside his head.

Thank you. I rather enjoyed that. LOL!