SCREEN-L Archives

March 1999, Week 2

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Leo Enticknap <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Date:
Mon, 8 Mar 1999 21:21:40 +0000
Content-Type:
TEXT/PLAIN
Parts/Attachments:
TEXT/PLAIN (52 lines)
On Mon, 8 Mar 1999 09:00:09 +1000 Felicity Meakins <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> News has recently come through that Stanley Kubrick died yesterday morning
> (English time) aged 70.
>
> Does anyone know how complete his latest script was?

If you mean EYES WIDE SHUT, then, according to today's Daily Telegraph, "It had
been completed behind the customary wall of silence surrounding his sets.  But
is was not clear whether it would be released in the autumn as planned." (p. 1)

If by "completed", the reporter means post-production as well, then I cannot
see any reason why it should not be released as planned - in fact, if I were
the distributor, I would be thinking in terms of the quicker the better, in
order to capitalise on the publicity surrounding Kubrick's death.  If
post-production is not complete, however, I would hate to be the editor called
upon to finish it off.  During a director's lifetime is one thing - as von
Stroheim and Welles unambiguously condemned the individuals who finished off
GREED and THE MAGINIFICENT AMBERSONS respectively and by name, the approximate
nature of the author's judgement is beyond doubt.  But I cannot think of an
instance of a film being taken through the crucial post-production stages after
a director's death . Doing so, I guess, would be analogous with Sussmayr and
Mozart's requiem, or Deryck Cooke and Mahler's 10th symphony, i.e. it would
precipitate ongoing debates as to how accurately or otherwise the resulting
hybrid communicated the original director's intentions.

Another question raised by Kubrick's death is that of the UK embargo on A
CLOCKWORK ORANGE.  As mentioned in earlier posts, my understanding of the
situation is that K owned the UK rights, which was the reason why the film is
not distributed in this country.  Do these rights die with him?  If so, do they
revert to Warners and if so what do Warners intend to do with them (if
anything)?  If not, how has he disposed of them in his will (if at all)?  I
can't say I'm anxious to see the film re-released, but it will be interesting
to see if his reluctance to let the film be seen survives his death.

L
__________________________________
Leo Enticknap
Postgraduate Common Room
School of English
University of Exeter
Queen's Building, The Queen's Drive
Exeter
Devon EX4 4QH
United Kingdom
email: [log in to unmask]

----
Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the
University of Alabama.

ATOM RSS1 RSS2