Kevin Brownlow Documentaries - WHEN??? (1 Viewer)

[Dave B Ferris]

Clearances were also supposed to stand in the way of "Los Angeles Plays Itself" from ever being released,
but that film/doc has been released this week on DVD and Blu.

 

[Vic Pardo]

Clearances were also supposed to stand in the way of "Los Angeles Plays Itself" from ever being released,
but that film/doc has been released this week on DVD and Blu.

Wow, that's good news! I saw that theatrically and loved it. It made me seek out DRAGNET (1954) and finally see it. And a few others as well.

How did they manage to get all the clearances? Did they finally just pay for them?

 

[Dave B Ferris]

I'm not sure. My main source, for many years, has been the Los Angeles Times. There have been numerous articles (or mentions, such as a "Critic's Pick" for an upcoming screening) in the Los Angeles Times about this film for at least the last five or six years.However, the articles in the Los Angeles Times about this release, including two last Sunday (10/12), were fairly tight-lipped about how they finally obtained the clearances. Possibly there are industry-publications that have more details.The release is legit, though (not a bootleg, in any way, shape or form). I believe "The Cinema Guild" is doing the release.

 

[Mike*HTF]

Cinema Guild's releases are indeed legit.
I wonder if they went back and remastered some of the clips--many of the films that were unavailable or available only on VHS at the time of the docu's original release have subsequently been remastered.
Been looking forward to this release.

Keeping this thread on track, however, regarding Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow--there is a nice Swedish release that is fully intact (unlike Network's release that used a workprint missing onscreen titles identifying the interviewees)