June 2024
Only about a year until we can *finally* see this 'masterpiece'.
shareI thought it was not until 2025?
And it's only a screening, not a release, as Lewis stipulated when he gave an incomplete copy of it to the Library of Congress.
What's a year or two? But I heard it was 2024, and did a check which seems to confirm it.
Unfortunately, I think you can only watch it in one location: Virginia.
I wonder which state the incomplete copy of the film is in. Hopefully, he gave them the negative.
shareUnsure of the condition, or whether they're doing any kind of restoration to it before screening.
There's the one that Lewis gave to the LOC, but according to the Wiki article there's also another copy that someone found in Europe somewhere.
I also read he had a VHS copy of the film that he showed to friends. Let's hope he didn't give them the VHS!
shareThe VHS (if it does exist) might actually be in better shape than whatever print they have of it.
I wonder if they're going to digitize it for this screening?
A print is always better than a VHS. It can be restored, adjusted, and corrected. And if it's the negative, they can create 4K or 8K digital copies if they choose. Of course, they would need to digitize whatever they have before showing it.
I have a feeling we will see this film some day. Even as a documentary.
According to Lewis's son, there is no complete negative of the film, and outstanding copyright issues have prevented its release.
There are some documentaries floating around the internet & were released on DVD in Europe only that show some outtakes & behind the scenes/still footage. Some were posted on YouTube years ago but AFAIK have since been deleted. share
It's likely that the negative was never fully edited. Just abandoned. My assumption is that there's an edited workprint with a temporary score, but it's uncertain if the film was fully scored or if credits were made. The absence of a complete negative raises many questions: is it because parts of the negative are lost, or because the editing is incomplete on the negative itself, with unedited sections of the negative still remaining? Who knows.
If someone were to make a documentary about this film, it would likely be a challenging legal hurdle to obtain the necessary permissions, but it's not impossible. It could be a fascinating project, showcasing restored footage and featuring interviews with experts who could explain the film's legendary status as the number one unreleased film in movie history, and the perceived lack of "good taste" by the creator.