End of the Road (1970 film, starring Stacy Keach) (1 Viewer)

[WaveCrest]

Have done a HTF thread search, and there don't appear to be any existing threads for the 1970 film End of the Road, starring Stacy Keach. It's being released on Region 1 by Warner Home Video on Tuesday 18th September (source: Amazon.com).

 

[Richard--W]

I hope Warner Archive comes down to earth on pricing by September. I've always wanted to see this hippie acid trip movie and never caught up with it. Stacy Keach in his prime.
Why was it rated X, does anyone know?

 

[WaveCrest]

Apologies Richard if I've mis-read what you posted inbetween the two pieces of movie poster artwork for End of the Road, but this isn't going to be a Warner Archive title (based on it being available for pre-order on Amazon.com and a recent post on the Warner Archive's Facebook page from this past week, saying the film was being released by Warner Home Video on September 18th).

The only Stacy Keach title I've got on DVD/Blu-ray is Road Games (1981), which I haven't got round to seeing yet.

 

[Richard--W]

No problems, WaveCrest. My mistake.
I would still like to know why END OF THE ROAD was rated X.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Fabulous. Great to finally see something of an official announcement, in terms of a release date, after this was initially reported in the news nearly a year ago. Big thanks go out to Mr. Soderbergh.

During our lengthy conversation -- more on "Haywire" tomorrow -- Soderbergh revealed to us a labor of love documentary he's been plugging away on for the last few years in his spare time: a making-of about the cult pic, "End of the Road," a 1970 counter-culture film written by one of his idols, screenwriter, essayist and satirist Terry Southern ("Dr. Strangelove," "Easy Rider," and "Barbarella" to name a few; Soderbergh donated a sizable and undisclosed sum of money to the New York Public Library in 2003 to keep their Southern archives alive). Directed by Aram Avakian (an editor on Arthur Penn's "Mickey One") the film starred James Earl Jones, Stacy Keach, Dorothy Tristan, Harris Yulin, was rated X for a controversial abortion scene and drew in arthouse crowds for its satirical bent in the vein of '60s and '70s establishment-challenging films such as "Putney Swope" and "Medium Cool."
“Aside from the director, everyone’s still alive, so we got some really good interviews out of everyone," he said noting that Warner Bros. will release the film on Blu-Ray in October as part of their re-discovered cinematic treasures series and his completed making-of doc will be on the extras. "It’s something we’ve been working on a for a few years, so I’m really excited for it to come out.”

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

I hope the Blu-ray Soderbergh mentions in the interview comes to fruition.

Fabulous. Great to finally see something of an official announcement, in terms of a release date, after this was initially reported in the news nearly a year ago. Big thanks go out to Mr. Soderbergh.

 

[WaveCrest]

This would be great if this making of documentary about End of the Road (1970) was included in the Blu-ray release.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

This would be great if this making of documentary about End of the Road (1970) was included in the Blu-ray release.

You'd have to think this doc would make it onto some kind of END OF THE ROAD release, whether that be DVD or Blu-ray, since it seems to be what spurred WB on to release the film in the first place. Soderbergh seems to have put a lot of time and money into it as a labor of love.

 

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by Jon Hertzberg /t/321416/end-of-the-road-1970-film-starring-stacy-keach#post_3937965
You'd have to think this doc would make it onto some kind of END OF THE ROAD release, whether that be DVD or Blu-ray, since it seems to be what spurred WB on to release the film in the first place. Soderbergh seems to have put a lot of time and money into it as a labor of love.

Well there are just over three months till the Region 1 release, so there's plenty of time for the Making Of documentary to be included as a DVD extra. More impressed when a lengthy Making Of documentary is included as an extra on a DVD/Blu-ray release of a film.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Interesting choice for a regular DVD release. Very odd film, but one that has a cult following.

I believe it got its X rating because of the

abortion scene

more than anything, which is quite uncomfortable to watch even by today's standards.

According to filmratings.com it was re-submitted by Warner in 2010 and received a re-rating of R for

"strong disturbing content including an abortion, aberrant sexuality, violent images and brief language."

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

I believe Soderbergh had a good deal to do with this...because, you're right, it is an odd film to be released outside of the Archive in the current environment. The man has just a little clout there with the OCEANS series and all.

Interesting choice for a regular DVD release. Very odd film, but one that has a cult following.
I believe it got its X rating because of the

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

abortion scene

more than anything, which is quite uncomfortable to watch even by today's standards.
According to filmratings.com it was re-submitted by Warner in 2010 and received a re-rating of R for

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

"strong disturbing content including an abortion, aberrant sexuality, violent images and brief language."

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Based on the earlier news reports and direct quotes from Soderbergh, I'd be very surprised and disappointed, obviously, if it weren't included because I can't really see any reason this film is getting this type of release (i.e. non-MOD) outside of Soderbergh's passionate interest in the film.

Well there are just over three months till the Region 1 release, so there's plenty of time for the Making Of documentary to be included as a DVD extra. More impressed when a lengthy Making Of documentary is included as an extra on a DVD/Blu-ray release of a film.

 

[Louis Letizia]

Soderberghs MAGIC MIKE...also from WBs...is poised to be released at appx the same time as END OF THE ROAD on DVD. So...even though they are totally different thematically...it would seem like good Fall cross pollenation. I could also see ROAD get a small rereleae to arthouses.
Its too early to tell if MAGIC MIKE will be this years A NIGHT IN HEAVEN or the end of the road for Soderberghs career. With Tom Cruises assless chaps in ROCK OF AGES and all the guys going bare in MAGIC MIKE...WB seems to think its companies jock strap will be stuffed with wads of cash this Summer from a group of guys that were called asses in the industry ( Cruise..McCaughnehey)....to showing them on screen

 

[JoHud]

I believe Soderbergh had a good deal to do with this...because, you're right, it is an odd film to be released outside of the Archive in the current environment. The man has just a little clout there with the OCEANS series and all.

Must be the reason. WHV pretty much gives the WAC the go-ahead on nearly every other title that's not slated for blu-ray, especially one of this vintage. I'm thinking director influence/investment may have been what got WHV to release Kazan's America, America on a stand-alone disc.
It's interesting that WHV still hasn't abandoned the DVD-only market since the last few years has had an annual release of at least two or more new releases of deep catalog films on the format.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Must be the reason.

Well, yes, that's what I've been saying. Soderbergh essentially says as much in the Indiewire chat.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

I'm thinking director influence/investment may have been what got WHV to release Scorseses' America, America on a stand-alone disc.

Kazan's AMERICA, AMERICA, yes?

 

[JoHud]

Haha, whoops-- Fixed. I meant that Scorseses was had strong involvement in getting the earlier Fox Elia Kazan set, and Kazan's America, America, released by WHV