Original Vision

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"The words 'director's cut' on the cover of a DVD usually mean a few more minutes of gags too coarse to make the R-rated version shown in theaters," N.Y. Times columnist Dave Kehr begins in a review of an unusual DVD release. "For the DVD release of his 1976 Nickelodeon, Peter Bogdanovich has done something different. The director's cut is indeed a few minutes longer than the theatrical version (both are included on the new disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), but more conspicuously it's a black-and-white edition of a film originally released in color.

"Black and white had been Mr. Bogdanovich's original choice for Nickelodeon, a comedy about the early days of American filmmaking that drew on Mr. Bogdanovich's interviews with pioneering directors like Allan Dwan and Raoul Walsh. But even though Mr. Bogdanovich's black-and-white films, The Last Picture Show (1971) and Paper Moon (1973), had been commercial and critical successes, monochrome was increasingly frowned upon by the studios.

"Even in color, though, Nickelodeon found little favor. The story follows two men from different backgrounds, Ryan O'Neal as Leo Harrigan, a Chicago lawyer who becomes a writer and director, and Burt Reynolds as Buck Greenway, a Florida pitchman who becomes a star. Many viewers found the film too broadly farcical in its first act and too darkly melancholic in its last, when the men's friendship is tested by their mutual attraction to a wide-eyed young actress, Kathleen Cooke (Jane Hitchcock, a last-minute substitute for Cybill Shepherd, Mr. Bogdanovich's protege.)

"In black and white Nickelodeon is obviously more true to its subject, and it has unexpected emotional effects as well. The broad farce and physical comedy of the first half seem less hysterical and eager to please, and the conflicted emotions and encroaching sense of lost innocence in the second half (a pattern followed by many of Mr. Bogdanovich's films) seem more substantial and plangent.

"The director's version wasn't created simply by turning down the color knob: it's the result of substantial work by Mr. Bogdanovich, the cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs (who died in 2007), the colorist John Dunn and Grover Crisp, the executive in charge of maintaining the Sony/Columbia library. Each shot was re-evaluated and retimed for black and white, using both traditional photochemical processes and new digital tools. It's particularly striking how much more detailed and expressive the interior sequences appear.

"And as the movie becomes more and more nocturnal, approaching its somber, portentous ending, there is a new sense of emotional darkness devouring both the characters and the image.

"Here is one director's cut that isn't merely more of the same, but something substantially different and palpably superior. Nickelodeon now seems a much closer cousin to The Last Picture Show, which is also included this two-disc set, in an excellent new transfer."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 19, 2009 at 2:06 PM

comment #1

BurmaShave says ...

I would love a black and white version of HOOPER.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 19, 2009 2:30 PM

comment #2

Travis Crabtree says ...

Okay, weird. I was going to mention "Nickelodeon" when we were talking about "The Fortune" a few days ago. They both have that "the 70's are so dreary let's look back at the fun, mad-capped 20's and 30's (but keep the bad 70's hairstyles)" feel to them.

Also, my thing with directors cuts has always been this - have at it. Just make sure that the original version is always readily available. That way we have a choice, and we're not scrambling around for copies of the original cut before they disappear, ( "The Exorcist" & "The Outsiders")

Posted by Travis Crabtree at April 19, 2009 2:50 PM

comment #3

chad_pole says ...

At least the original version was also included, for better or worse. Since Bogdanovich "knows" everyone, and name drops more than anyone I've ever seen, he should call his buddy Friedken and tell him how it should be done. None of this "re-imagining, pastel French Connection" bullshit. Release both versions if you want to tinker.

Posted by chad_pole at April 19, 2009 3:03 PM

comment #4

JT says ...

As long as it doesn't suck a la APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX, easily my pic for the worst director's cut ever. There used to be a time when these things kicked as a la LAWRENCE OF ARABIA but now they seem to be getting less controlled. I avoid them as much as possible, but I'd still like to see the 5 hour cut of THE THIN RED LIE and also Scorsese's original cut of GANGS OF NY.

Posted by JT at April 19, 2009 3:31 PM

comment #5

TM says ...

I'd like to see the original cut of ALL THE PRETTY HORSES. I spoke with someone who had been lucky enough to see it and she told me it was terrific.

Posted by TM at April 19, 2009 4:01 PM

comment #6

hunterd says ...

Yeah, they did this for the DVD of THE MIST too.

Posted by hunterd at April 19, 2009 4:25 PM

comment #7

rr3333 says ...

Was reading Cloris Leachman's biography who was reminiscing about Bogdanavich and the Last Picture Show, her husbands close friendship with Marlon Brando, and her time hanging out with the Kennedy's 3 years after John Sr. was assasinated.

She really knew a lot of big shots in her day.

Bogdanavich, like Friedkin, has too much free time these days, considering both of them are washed up has beens, and waste their time putzing around ruining their old films.

Posted by rr3333 at April 19, 2009 5:08 PM

comment #8

AndrewOwens says ...

TM, you hit the nail on the head. Apparently there was a three hour plus cut with a Daniel Lanois score that was much closer to the book...Harvey Weinstein ordered the whole thing cut, tragically. I think Matt Damon said it was the best film he was ever in but no one ever saw it. I was hoping the No Country hype might bring about a release, but no dice. Maybe The Road?

Posted by AndrewOwens at April 19, 2009 6:27 PM

comment #9

Nate West says ...

Better to be a washed up has-been of genuine talent than some punkish never-was posting his dull-headed musings to a website, don't you think? Another casualty of too much free time, perhaps!

That being said, I won't buy a DVD of Nickelodeon until Bogdanovich produces a B&W full-on grain-storm edition.

Posted by Nate West at April 19, 2009 8:23 PM

comment #10

Gordon27 says ...

Does this disc have the theatrical cut of 'Last Picture Show', or just the director's cut?

Posted by Gordon27 at April 19, 2009 9:54 PM

comment #11

Gordon27 says ...

"Bogdanavich, like Friedkin, has too much free time these days, considering both of them are washed up has beens, and waste their time putzing around ruining their old films."

I'm not saying I agree with that statement about Bogdanovich, but Friedkin's last movie was amazing. It's a shame so few people saw 'Bug'.

Obviously, both are past their peaks, but 'Bug' is as good a movie as any of the '70's directors have made in the new millennium.

Posted by Gordon27 at April 19, 2009 9:57 PM

comment #12

Jonah says ...

Agree completely about Bug. Judd's performance should've been nominated.

Posted by Jonah at April 19, 2009 10:50 PM

comment #13

BurmaShave says ...

I second that on BUG. Brilliant all around.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 19, 2009 11:33 PM

comment #14

TVMCCA says ...

rr3333 wrote:
Was reading Cloris Leachman's biography who was reminiscing about Bogdanavich and the Last Picture Show, her husbands close friendship with Marlon Brando, and her time hanging out with the Kennedy's 3 years after John Sr. was assasinated.

She really knew a lot of big shots in her day.

Any anecdotes about Robert Aldrich and working on KISS ME DEADLY?

Posted by TVMCCA at April 20, 2009 12:06 AM

comment #15

JD says ...

Miramax would gladly release the director's cut of All the Pretty Horses -- they've been throwing the director's-cut-DVD-bone to directors whose work they cut up for years -- but apparently Daniel Lanois didn't want his score to debut in this form. Pretty ridiculous. Like Lanois' gonna get more attention if he releases these recordings out of context as stand-alone recordings. I'd also chalk this up to Bill Bob Thornton's stubborness and other personality issues. If just about anyone else had directed All the Pretty Horses, I'm sure the director's cut would be available by now.

Posted by JD at April 20, 2009 5:49 AM

comment #16

rr3333 says ...

TVMCAA : Havent read the whole book yet. Going to keep an eye out.

Nate West: Don't be so hard on yourself. Your dull musings are quite easy to skip over.

Posted by rr3333 at April 20, 2009 7:31 AM

comment #17

prairie_oysters says ...

Oddly many years ago I caught Texasville - Bogdanovich's poor sequel to The Last Picture Show, in case you didn't know - on tv. On a whim I dialled the color right down (and tweaked the contrast to negate the inevitable 'muddiness') and found the whole viewing experience much improved.

Posted by prairie_oysters at April 20, 2009 3:00 PM

comment #18