Just picked up a book in a continuing series from the National Society of Film critics and listed in here is 1978's seemingly lost AMERICAN HOT WAX. I know there have been numerous bootleg vhs and dvd's of this (all atrocious) , but this totally escaped home video all together . It's missed oppurtunities were in 2003 or this year (it's 25th or 30th anni) as well as any tie ins to the (fleeting) fame of Fran Drescher or continued one of Jay Leno-both of whom gave stellar supporting performances in supporting roles.( Do we whine about its not being released or take it on the chin?).
With Paramount finally opening its vaults and filtering its back catolog through its own division, Legend and Criterion-the time seems ripe. (i'd prefer a deluxe Criterion treatment over a barebones Legend one). Heck, I'd even settle for them licensing it to Rhino as they recently did with another lost film -the equally sought after LADIES AND GENTLEMAN THE FABULOUS STAINS. Or fr TCM to run it in it's continuing agreement with Paramount.
I do have great hope AMERICAN HOT WAX will soon see the light of day in the wake of the Legend collection of never released to video films and criterion unleashing ACE IN THE HOLE and the forthcoming WHITE DOG , 2 others that never made it to video.
As always my excitement of licensing deals that majors make with dvd companies quickly die down when the likes of Anchor Bay with Fox failed to produce the never on vhs curios FIRE SALE, ALEX AND THE GYPSY and the infamous ALL THIS AND WW2 and Universal never letting Image release W,C, FIELDS AND ME, MOMENT BY MOMENT nor countless others in their vault(never understood how GABLE AND LOMBARD got out and not its 1976 counterpart FIELDS) .
As Alan freed said "This is not goodbye-only Good Night"....lets hope.
With Paramount finally opening its vaults and filtering its back catolog through its own division, Legend and Criterion-the time seems ripe. (i'd prefer a deluxe Criterion treatment over a barebones Legend one). Heck, I'd even settle for them licensing it to Rhino as they recently did with another lost film -the equally sought after LADIES AND GENTLEMAN THE FABULOUS STAINS. Or fr TCM to run it in it's continuing agreement with Paramount.
I do have great hope AMERICAN HOT WAX will soon see the light of day in the wake of the Legend collection of never released to video films and criterion unleashing ACE IN THE HOLE and the forthcoming WHITE DOG , 2 others that never made it to video.
As always my excitement of licensing deals that majors make with dvd companies quickly die down when the likes of Anchor Bay with Fox failed to produce the never on vhs curios FIRE SALE, ALEX AND THE GYPSY and the infamous ALL THIS AND WW2 and Universal never letting Image release W,C, FIELDS AND ME, MOMENT BY MOMENT nor countless others in their vault(never understood how GABLE AND LOMBARD got out and not its 1976 counterpart FIELDS) .
As Alan freed said "This is not goodbye-only Good Night"....lets hope.
