Beatty's "Reds"
A newly restored print of Warren Beatty's Reds ('81) is going to be screened at the N.Y. Film Festival in late September, presumably with Beatty dropping by for a post-screening q & a. And then Paramount Home Video is releasing this spruced-up version as a 25th Anniversary DVD on 10.3.
The Amazon page doesn't say if Beatty recorded a narration track or participated in a retrospective documentary, which would be par for the course for a DVD of this sort. (The Paramount Home Video folks didn't know about this, Beatty biographer Peter Biskind didn't know anything either and Beatty wasn't around when I called.)
Martin Blythe, the p.r. go-to guy at Paramount Home Video until '04 or thereabouts, told me five or six years ago that Reds had been remastered and looked great (a superb-looking version showed at the San Francisco Film Festival four years ago) but the hang-up was getting Beatty to record a narration track and/or participate in a DVD documentary...which I know he's been loathe to do previously.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 16, 2006 at 2:21 PM
comment #1
VoiceOfReason
says ...
A commentary would be nice but whatever,,, Maybe I'm in the minority but I rarely listen to them anyhow. I'm just happy Reds is finally going to be on DVD.
Posted by VoiceOfReason
at August 16, 2006 3:56 PM
comment #2
crabbieshollywood.blogspot.com
says ...
Vanilla epic.
Posted by crabbieshollywood.blogspot.com
at August 16, 2006 4:29 PM
comment #3
Edward
says ...
Maybe it's because I'm a closet communist--at least my very conservative Republican father thought I was seriously leaning Red after my college trip to the Soviet Union in 1969--but I love "Reds." I was close to standing during the scene where the people march singing the Internationale
"Arise, ye workers from your slumber,
Arise, ye prisoners of want.
For reason in revolt now thunders...."
Posted by Edward
at August 16, 2006 4:42 PM
comment #4
therealshell
says ...
I had vanilla epic at Coldstone Creamery the other day, it wasn't bad, but I prefer Tiger-by-the-Tail.
Seriously, is it really 25 years since I saw "Reds" at the Hudson Bay Plaza theatre (now gone) ?
About all I can remember about the movie was that I enjoyed the "witness" section(s) better than the actual movie, which I found a bit slow.
Posted by therealshell
at August 16, 2006 4:55 PM
comment #5
ArchiveGuy
says ...
The Revolutionary stuff is articulate and well-presented, but everything with Louise (romantic entanglements, literary insecurity, tundra trauma) is a serious slog. And there's way too little Gene Hackman and way too much Jack Nicholson.
Posted by ArchiveGuy
at August 16, 2006 5:06 PM
comment #6
Reedyb
says ...
Not a vanilla epic at all. This is one of the last epics made with any real gusto. OK, The Right Stuff is an excellent 80's epic, but a movie that has a main character who is a jerk half the time and who loses the girl (ok, he gets her back), but is fighting for a lost cause is on par with Lawrence of Arabia in its themes.
This type of ambition and personal vision has been missing from the "epic" film for awhile. Now it's all CG warriors and pure hero types.
Posted by Reedyb
at August 17, 2006 6:08 AM
comment #7
sardine
says ...
Beatty's GOOD friend, Pauline Kael....said "Reds isn't very good." I agree. Kael though maybe Beatty had lost interest......the project took forever. However Beatty is wonderful in it. Too bad Diane Keaton did not have good written role to play. She was sensational right after in Shoot the Moon...which is ALAN PARKER'S only good movie. Moon is BRILLIANT. This movie is the best break-up movie ever made.
Posted by sardine
at August 17, 2006 8:04 AM
comment #8
adorian
says ...
"Reds" was on my Top Twenty Want List when I first got my DVD player, and I was really shocked and disappointed to learn it wasn't available on DVD.
(I also wanted Bertolucci's "1900" and Losey's "Boom!" Also Ken Russell's "The Boyfriend" and Vanessa Redgrave as Isadora Duncan. Does anyone have inside info on if and when they will ever be available?)
I remember "Reds" as being one of those thrilling epics that made me love sitting in the dark theater for hours. I watched Diane Keaton as "Mrs Soffel" again the other day and was reminded again of what a great actress she can be.
I will buy "Reds" the day it comes out.
Posted by adorian
at August 17, 2006 9:06 AM
comment #9
sardine
says ...
Keaton WAS wonderful in Soffel. She is one of the best actresses of my lifetime. you might want to watch crimes of the heart again....
Posted by sardine
at August 17, 2006 9:12 AM
comment #10
T. S. Idiot
says ...
Given Warren's stumbling speaking style, wouldn't his commentary, if he chose to discuss every scene, last much longer than the film itself? Can you imagine a conversation between him and Chris Walken?
Posted by T. S. Idiot
at August 17, 2006 9:23 AM
comment #11
sardine
says ...
warren may stuble bumble speech-wise, but he really is ONE OF THE SMARTEST GUYS IN H'WOOD. And if only Gary Hart....had been elected....another smart man.
Posted by sardine
at August 17, 2006 10:49 AM
comment #12
christian
says ...
Yeah, SHOOT THE MOON is one of the most painful realistic end-of-relationship films ever. Can't even watch it anymore because it just feels too damn sad and truthful.
Posted by christian
at August 17, 2006 3:24 PM
comment #13
sardine
says ...
please watch shoot the moon again. This is Finney's best performance, and Keaton is a glory. It is an amazing movie....and the children are like a Greek chorous. These kids are superb. EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH THIS MOVIE.
Posted by sardine
at August 18, 2006 7:19 AM