Read in this moth Uncut magazine an article about the 50 greatest lost Films, and guess it was worth a thread. It’s a list of what they think are the 50 greatest lost films.
So what’s a lost film to them, well many of the films in the list, and I quote them, are hard to find because they’re stuck in a labyrinthine rights issues. Some of them have been suppressed by the director of the studio, while other simply disappeared off the map entirely, too obscure to warrant a DVD or special edition like any recent blockbuster.
Of course in this digital age it’s easy to find a torrent a download of every stuff, even the most obscure, but let’s not count that into the equation, some of this films you can only find in VHS tape, they can be seen sometimes in television, film festivals and some of them have become legendary.
About the list, some great films no doubt about it, but being made by a British magazine it’s more centred In English spoken films, which is normal of course, there are also some great lost films from other countries, maybe we all could point one or two.
But here it goes the list by the order in the magazine
SONG OF THE DOUTH – 1946 USA
Wilfred Jackson and Harve Foster
It’s a Disney film do not know much about it, can be found only in VHS
HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT – 1980 USA
James Caan
Seen this on in TV, Caan almost went bankruptcy after it (too much white powder I guess), can be found only in VHS
MADE – 1972 UK
John MacKenzie
Never hear of it. Seems that T-Rex Marc Bolan auditioned for the main part, can be found only in VHS
PSYCHOMANIA – 1971 UK
Don Sharp
Never saw it, for what I’ve read seems very weird, nice motorcycles, there’s a region 1 release.
MAIDSTONE – 1970 USA
Norman Mailer
News to me, demolish by the critics, thought that Mailer was “only” a writer, with Rip Torn, there’s a French 2 DVD must found it.
HAMMETT – 1982 USA
Wim Wenders
Produced by Coppola, some problems during shooting, with Sam Fuller and Roy Kinnear must fount it urgently, there’s a Spanish DVD (El Hombre de Chinatown).
92 IN THE SHADE – 1975 USA
Thomas McGuane
Peter Fonda, Oates must be good, can be found only in VHS, it’s a western by the way.
WILLARD – 1971 USA
Daniel Mann
There’s a 2003 remake, never saw it with Ernest Borgnine, VHS and region 1 out of print DVD
THE LUSTY MEN – 1952 USA
Nicolas Ray
Reject by the audiences at the time, with Mitchum, Susan Hayward I wonder why, can be found only in VHS, never on DVD.
CALIFORNIA SPLIT – 1974 USA
Robert Altman
Lost!! Well there’s a DVD of it (only in the US), with Elliot Gould.
RENALDO & CLARA – 1977 USA
Bob Dylan
Only seen in excerpts never the all movie, it was restored; I’ve the bootleg series nº 5 with DVD.
THE TOUCH – 1971 SWEDEN/USA
Ingmar Bergman
Never seen it or heard of it, Elliot Gould again, can be found only in VHS and a rare one, must find this one.
MICKEY ONE – 1965 USA
Arthur Penn
Only in Laserdisc UAU, with Warren Beatty, they say it’s very good.
TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING – 1977 USA
Robert Aldrich
Shot in Germany, saw this on in TV a very long time ago, a great film, can be found only in VHS.
HUMAN DESIRE – 1954 USA
Fritz Lang
Glenn Ford on it it’s a lost one!!, can be found only in a Spanish DVD (Deseos Humanos).
CITIZENS’BAND – 1977 USA
Jonathan Demme
Never been issue, only in television, said to be one of Demme’s best.
WHITE DAWN – 1974 USA
Phil Kaufman
Another one with Oates, never hear of it, there’s a 2004 Region 1 DVD, out of print off course