Late news is still good news, especially if it’s about David Lynch and Blue Velvet.
As you undoubtedly know, Lynch’s original cut of Blue Velvet ran four hours. He trimmed it down to just under two, and the footage was never seen again. It’s been one of those maddening losses for cinephiles. It’s not that the film isn’t just fine on its own … but you always want to know. To see.
Well, modern wonders never cease! Lynch appeared on KCRW and dropped quite the Velvet bombshell. The lost footage has been found, inexplicably in Seattle, and plans are underway to restore it and put it on the upcoming Blu-Ray.
It’s not known exactly what scenes these are. The alternate beginning, with Jeffery seeing the date rape? The alternate ending with Dorothy’s suicide? A severed ear being flushed? (Russ Fischer over at Slashfilm has the list and stills that appeared in the 1991 issue of Video Watchdog if you would like to look and imagine.)
It’s exciting news. I love when bits of film, books, or scripts pop up in closets and drawers. It would appear that nothing is ever truly lost, and that’s a strange comfort. Although if everything starts popping up, a’la Connie Willis’ Lost and Found, we’re in serious trouble.
10 comments
Ok, nearly every 2 hour film has a 4 hour rough cut. It’s called a first assembly, an assembly of everything that was shot where scenes are too long etc but most of it is made up of long pauses and walking shots. Not much would be of different scenes and certainly not 2 hours of extra scenes which prbably really amount to a half hour at most.
Have you actually read any of the scene descriptions? IMDB, Wikipedia, or Russ’ post has quite a lot of information about what was cut from Blue Velvet. It wasn’t just first assembly stuff.
However, you may be the first person to be “meh” about seeing lost David Lynch footage. So that’s something.
While this is great news (BV is one of my favorite films of all time) I will reserve total enthusiasm until the release of the disk. Remember, Lynch is the man who eschews chapter stops and approved the blurring of pubic hair in the home video release of Mulholland Drive. He could have released cut scenes from TP: Fire Walk With Me years ago, but chose not to.
Also: this is the first time I’ve seen Tim Lucas’s Video Watchdog mentioned on CHUD.
Wow. Lynch negativity. Baffling.
I can’t wait to see this.
There was a website (The City of Absurdity) that had the original script for “Blue Velvet” uploaded. A great read with all those scenes you mentioned, with the exception of Dorothy’s suicide.
It’s not the internet unless someone attempts to shit all over something that’s great for film fans.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5785
This mentions a running time of Four MOVIES, rather than 4 hours. If true, a ratio of wheat and chaff would be in force, but holy hell.
That new sound mix is exciting.
Oh DAMN this is exciting. A four-hour stay in Lumberton would make for a nice day’s vacation.
so, does this mean we’re going to get an alternate cut of the movie or are the rediscovered scenes only going to be included as bonus features? Either way, it’s great news.
OK, never mind. Lynch announced at the New Bev that he’s OK with chapter stops now. Yippee!
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