Disappeared Films

[Gangster Octopus]

Things like the Marx Brothers' films and Laurel And Hardy films (and shorts) which used to be regularly on the telly seem to have vanished.

[Uncle Ethan]

My brain's lack of function this morning had me connecting consecutive posts without looking at the quoted part. Which meant that, for a fraction of a second, I was wondering how the Eiger Sanction was filmed in Stevenage.

Me too.

[Amor de Cosmos]

If memory serves, as a sixteen-year-old the 'Lager Sanction' was more of an issue. Unless you knew the right pubs.

[Snake Plissken]

Things like the Marx Brothers' films and Laurel And Hardy films (and shorts) which used to be regularly on the telly seem to have vanished.

Laurel and Hardy pop up on Talking Pictures a lot.

If I had the means and knowledge, I’d love to set up an equivalent to Talking Pictures for DTV stuff from the 80s and 90s. There are loads of movies and TV shows that I’d love to see again that aren’t exactly classics, cult or otherwise.

[Snake Plissken]

Jack The Bear (1993) by Danny De Vito seemed to disappear after a critical pasting. I remember thinking it was a decent effort, with an outstanding performance by DeVito in the lead, but I don't know if it would stand up now. Apparently it's on Amazon Prime but I get "unavailable to watch in your location":

https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Bear-Dan.../dp/B01EINN9FW

North is another one from around then that it feels like a lot of people involved have gone to great lengths to make sure has disappeared.

[ursus arctos]

"I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it."

Roger Ebert's review of North.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Jerry Lewis's The Day the Clown Cried has still never been released.

[pebblethefish]

Regular mentions of Stevenage on the thread reminds me of Boston Kickout, the film set in Stevenage that was banned in Stevenage, making everyone in Stevenage want to watch it. That's one I haven't seen anywhere for a long time.

[Satchmo Distel]

There must be some kind of Groupthink where a talented group of people convince themselves something is working well when it is objectively a disaster.

Ishtar is another (no DVD release in North America) although some European critics laud it.

But at least this Groupthink doesn't kill people, unlike some technological, engineering and scientific ones.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Regular mentions of Stevenage on the thread reminds me of Boston Kickout, the film set in Stevenage that was banned in Stevenage, making everyone in Stevenage want to watch it. That's one I haven't seen anywhere for a long time.

Never heard that. I wonder who banned it and how? The local Council? It wouldn't be very effective I'd have thought, there are cinemas in Hitchin and Letchworth just up the road.

[beak]

God, that BFI list makes me feel like I've barely been to the cinema. I mean, obviously I have not seen any of these, but I've barely heard whisper of them

If it makes you feel any better I'm the same, despite being a film archivist by profession, and despite one of the films listed by the BFI having since turned up in the vaults of my employer..

[Tony C]

Jerry Lewis's The Day the Clown Cried has still never been released.

Lewis’s ‘Which Way To The Front?’ has almost been erased from history too. Not that I recall it being any good but it’s certainly one of the most bizarre films I’ve ever seen with Lewis’s penchant for physical comedy going into overdrive.

As for the missing films relating to the thread title I was delighted the other day to see ‘Cutter’s Way’ on the list of a streaming service I now use. I first saw this film on its release in the early 80’s (it was the second film in the days when you could see two together although I forget what it was supporting) and I really enjoyed it. I have never since seen it on tv or on a streaming service before this. I’ve always liked Jeff Bridges’ films but the real star of this was John Heard who I was convinced was destined for A list stardom. The next time I saw him was as ‘hapless dad’ in the Home Alone films. What a waste.

[Felicity, I guess so]

I saw Cutter's Way and liked it so much I hunted down the even better novel

[diggedy derek]

If it makes you feel any better I'm the same, despite being a film archivist by profession, and despite one of the films listed by the BFI having since turned up in the vaults of my employer..

I remember going through that BFI Best Films You've Never Heard Of list a while back. I looked through it from top to bottom and it took me to number 95 or so (Czech Dream) to find the single film I'd seen in the list. Devastating.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I saw Cutter's Way and liked it so much I hunted down the even better novel

I flagged up both novel (Cutter & Bone) and film somewhere on here (?) recently. In the context of films and places — Santa Barbara — or something.

[Sporting]

A relevant article:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/202...d-for-our-dvds

[Stumpy Pepys]

A relevant article:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/202...d-for-our-dvds

I read that this morning. The author's correct that 28 Days Later isn't on any streaming services; however you can get a DVD copy for a few quid.

[Ginger Yellow]

Never heard that. I wonder who banned it and how? The local Council? It wouldn't be very effective I'd have thought, there are cinemas in Hitchin and Letchworth just up the road.

UK film licensing for cinemas has always been at the local council level. The BBFC is just the mechanism by which they generally exercise their licensing powers. But they can override it in either direction if they choose.

[3 Colours Red]

Indeed - see also Life Of Brian in Torbay and Aberystwyth, and Cronenberg's Crash in Westminster.

Except of course, you wouldn't have actually seen them there at the time.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Indeed - see also Life Of Brian in Torbay and Aberystwyth, and Cronenberg's Crash in Westminster.

Except of course, you wouldn't have actually seen them there at the time.

And St. Andrew's for Life of Brian

[3 Colours Red]

If I'd listed every council that banned Life Of Brian, I'd wear my fingers down to the nubs with all that typing.

[Tratorello]

I went to a free preview screening of Russell Crowe's film about the US tobacco industry, "The Insider", I thought it was great but it seemed to sink without a trace and, although I think I saw it on one of the streaming platforms, it seems barely remembered, which, considering how big Crowe was for a while, seems odd.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Seven Oscar nominations including best picture and best actor, and a disappointing 60 million box office.

I think it's kind of instructive to look af the list of films nominated for best picture since the second world war, and just marvel at the sheer number of films that you've never even heard of. The films that are remembered are but a tiny micro handful that are made, so this thread could potentially go on until the heat death of the universe

[Snake Plissken]

Oh, I remember what I was going to say about Strange Days in terms of living on despite being unavailable. It is the source of the “Right here, right now” sample for Fatboy Slim’s song of the same name.

[Lang Spoon]

Seven Oscar nominations including best picture and best actor, and a disappointing 60 million box office.

I think it's kind of instructive to look af the list of films nominated for best picture since the second world war, and just marvel at the sheer number of films that you've never even heard of. The films that are remembered are but a tiny micro handful that are made, so this thread could potentially go on until the heat death of the universe

The same for best picture winners, let alone nominees. Who now watches Shakepeare in Love or the English Patient? Ive a feeling that outside Cork the same fate will meet Oppenheimer.