American Movie (1999) - October 18, 2022

[Hedrox]

Originally Posted by honeycrisp

Here's what the back cover looks like:

That third picture is from Coven, a variation of it is even used on Coven's poster. Kinda cheeky for Sony to include it without actually having Coven on there.

[larrythefatcat]

Originally Posted by Hedrox

That third picture is from Coven, a variation of it is even used on Coven's poster. Kinda cheeky for Sony to include it without actually having Coven on there.

It's an image from the Coven poster shoot (not Coven itself) which is covered at 1hr 19min into American Movie.

It would only potentially be blatantly misleading if they had included an image from a part of Coven that wasn't portrayed in a "behind the scenes" manner or explicitly shown within AM itself.

[Stanis]

You think Mark pulled a Rubenstien, asked too much to license Coven for the release? Was it rights issues, or a sticky situation with the coowners? Id figure it wouldnt cost much to include it, and any moneys is profit to the filmmakers. Maybe Covens negative is missin?

[larrythefatcat]

Originally Posted by Stanis

You think Mark pulled a Rubenstien, asked too much to license Coven for the release? Was it rights issues, or a sticky situation with the coowners? Id figure it wouldnt cost much to include it, and any moneys is profit to the filmmakers. Maybe Covens negative is missin?

I wasn't aware of the Rubinstein situation, but now that I am... I don't think this is like the threat of destroying 'Dawn of the Dead' situation at all. (If you're actually referring to a different rights dispute, I'm all ears!)

My (entirely speculative) guesses are that it's either:

1) A case of Sony not bothering with it at all, knowing they'd have to write up a new contract with Mark (and pay him) just to include it on a "manufactured on demand" physical release... while physical media sales continue to decline. (Maybe they'll eventually include the other extra features with AM via digital distribution, but Sony doesn't seem to be big on that at the moment.)

2) Sony made an offer to include Coven, but wanted to buy the full rights to own it in perpetuity... and Mark declined since he wants to continue to own the film and still sells VHS copies of 'Coven' (with a seemingly long waitlist) through his website.

3) Something else entirely and I'm bad at guessing.

As for thinking that a high quality version of the film no longer exists, I would imagine the negative still exists in decent quality... and, if not, a first generation print in good quality is certainly around.

They likely wouldn't have bothered to re-scan 'Coven' anyway: the trailer and deleted scenes on the Blu-ray are upscaled from the DVD master and aren't even in the correct aspect ratio. If I play them in VLC and adjust the aspect ratio from 16:9 to 16:10, they actually look *closer* to correct... which tells me Sony (likely some intern) took the 720x480 source, didn't correct the ratio to 4:3, and just upscaled everything to 1080p. They also didn't bother to crop the letterboxing from the deleted scenes so they're fully surrounded by a black border when they could have been properly presented slightly pillarboxed... the hardest of "facepalms" on that one! I know film prints of deleted scenes go missing all the time and the rescanning of film and audio elements can be quite an added expense, but not even getting the aspect ratio correct on the upscale makes it clear how little consideration was put into the extra features.

Sony would have likely just upscaled the SD master of 'Coven' that was on the DVD anyway, so it would only be marginally better without the limits of low bitrate MPEG-2 compression.

[umanlike]

Coming (back(in a new transfer?)) to the Criterion Channel 11/15

[marty7044]

The Blu-ray looks great, you can almost read the credit card numbers when Mark points his new Mastercard at the camera at the beginning of the movie LOL

I'm still kicking myself because the DVD was $6 new on Amazon Prime not too long ago, and now it's crazy expensive for a used copy. I bought the DVD new over 20 years ago, and it still works great.

The DVD really is loaded with special features besides Coven. There are a LOT of deleted scenes as well as some short films by some of the other cast members (which are terrible but hilarious).

So glad this came out on Bluray, but considering that I paid $25 for this, I really expected more special features. How could they not have included an HD version of Coven?

[larrythefatcat]

Originally Posted by marty7044

The Blu-ray looks great, you can almost read the credit card numbers when Matt points his new Mastercard at the camera at the beginning of the movie LOL

I'm still kicking myself because the DVD was $6 new on Amazon Prime not too long ago, and now it's crazy expensive for a used copy. I bought the DVD new over 20 years ago, and it still works great.

The DVD really is loaded with special features besides Coven. There are a LOT of deleted scenes as well as some short films by some of the other cast members (which are terrible but hilarious).

So glad this came out on Bluray, but considering that I paid $25 for this, I really expected more special features. How could they not have included an HD version of Coven?

Matt? Ha! Who?

Any chance you could share what short films are seemingly on the DVD because the (rather thorough) reviews I've found of the DVD don't mention any such thing. It sure looks like Coven is the only thing on the DVD that wasn't ported over to the Blu-ray.

[marty7044]

Originally Posted by larrythefatcat

Matt? Ha! Who?

Any chance you could share what short films are seemingly on the DVD because the (rather thorough) reviews I've found of the DVD don't mention any such thing. It sure looks like Coven is the only thing on the DVD that wasn't ported over to the Blu-ray.

My bad, I was wrong about the short films. I was thinking of some deleted scenes that focused on two particular guys. Those scenes are included in on the bluray.

[Mose Harper]

Given the popularity and goodwill this film engenders, and the fact that Sony has deals with several boutique labels now, a fully packed edition of this- with Coven along with newly created content- at some point, with Mark's input, doesn't seem all that far fetched to me.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by dja09

VUDU now offers HDX and UHD versions but also-- the SD version FINALLY features the correct speed and running time.

Glad to hear it's fixed on VUDU, did anybody confirm yet that the bluray doesn't have the sped up version?

[ak4984]

Originally Posted by ak4984

Excited to see how this looks in HD…finally!!

I’ve met with Mark numerous times in the Milwaukee area and I can say he’s one of the nicest, most sincere guys you’ll ever meet. I can tell you first hand that his personality and quirks from this movie are legit and sincere. It’s the real deal.

I actually went to the same school for film (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) that Mark edits Coven in. I used the exact same equipment (moviola, splicers etc) that are seen in this movie.

Later in film school, I was able to write for our campus paper and secured an interview with him to discuss some of his acting roles. It turned into a 3 hour conversation BSing about movies and life. His stories and enthusiasm were amazing.

Quick update. A couple weekend's ago, I ran into Mark at a Christmas Parade (of all places) just outside of Milwaukee. As always, he was super friendly and engaging. I had to jog his memory a bit, but he seemed to remember me from our previous encounters. We talked at length about numerous topics (movies, family, Milwaukee). There were a few things that stuck out.

Apparently he hadn't been as close with Mike Shank in recent years. He did attend his funeral/wake, but from what I could tell, they grew apart over the years. Same thing when I mentioned some of the other guys from the documentary (Ken Keen for example).

I mentioned the new American Movie blu ray and he seemed to have no idea it had come out and obviously wasn't approached to participate in any new extras. He does own all rights to COVEN, but it sounds like Sony didn't approach him to include it on the new blu ray. He made jokes about getting lawyers involved if that was to happen.

His dad passed away about 10 years ago. I think he kept close with him. I remember running into both he and his dad outside a local bookstore maybe around 2010-11 or so. His Dad was super sweet. His mom is still alive.

I had always assumed that he grew up in the Menomonee Falls suburb (as depicted in the doc) but apparently this wasn't true. He grew up/lived in Milwaukee (city) his whole life.

Surprisingly, we exchanged phone numbers! My work office is fairly close to his home and I mentioned being able to keep in touch and he actually asked for my number first!

Mark is such a good, genuine guy. As I've said before, what you see in the documentary, is exactly who he is. He exchanged pleasantries with my wife and kids as well. I got a good photo with him that I will try to upload here if I can figure out how to do it, lol!

[BigSleepy]

Very disappointing this is such a barbones release. I guess I will wait for the definitive 4k they'll release in 20 years.

[larrythefatcat]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

Glad to hear it's fixed on VUDU, did anybody confirm yet that the bluray doesn't have the sped up version?

The Blu-ray is in its correct 23.976 framerate. I have no earthly idea why VUDU had a PAL master for this film, but I'm glad to see that it's been corrected.

Even though I have the Blu-ray, I'm tempted to buy the film on VUDU just to see if the 4K Dolby Vision version is any higher quality because I love the film that much!

Originally Posted by ak4984

I mentioned the new American Movie blu ray and he seemed to have no idea it had come out and obviously wasn't approached to participate in any new extras. He does own all rights to COVEN, but it sounds like Sony didn't approach him to include it on the new blu ray. He made jokes about getting lawyers involved if that was to happen.

It's excellent that you got a chance to speak with the man himself! I've only ever met Mark in passing and never got a chance to exchange more than a "hey, how ya doin'?" when he came to see a few of the Shakespeare in the Park shows I did during a few of the summers in the mid-2010s.

Not surprised to learn that they didn't even contact him regarding licensing of COVEN, but disappointed nonetheless. Overall, it's probably for the best as the rest of the features on the disc were hastily upscaled and *not* an upgrade from the DVD.

I wish him the best and hopefully he'll get a few nice residual checks from more people buying physical and digital copies of AM!

Originally Posted by BigSleepy

Very disappointing this is such a barbones release. I guess I will wait for the definitive 4k they'll release in 20 years.

Ha! I would *love* for there to be a 4K disc (especially since the 4K version with Dolby Vision exists on VUDU), but I sadly don't see there being too many more extras.

Obviously the lack of COVEN is a shame, but everything else from the DVD is there. I suppose it's *possible* that the deleted scenes still exist on film and could be rescanned (their appearance on the Blu-ray is appalling as they are poorly upscaled from the inexplicably cropped DVD master at the wrong aspect ratio and surrounded by black bars on all sides, same with the trailer) and maybe there are more little cut snippets that weren't there before... but that's likely a long shot.

Considering Sony didn't consult Mr. Borchardt in any way while preparing this release, and that the release was probably more spurred on by Chris Smith's recent resurgence in popularity due to 'Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond'/'The Tiger King'/'Fyre'/'Bad Vegan', I would hope they would actually try to get input (and interviews) from all of the surviving parties who would be interested in an anniversary re-release: next year is the 25th anniversary of the film after all!

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by BigSleepy

Very disappointing this is such a barbones release. I guess I will wait for the definitive 4k they'll release in 20 years.

You won't have to wait as long as that. 4K coming October 15th 2024:

AMERICAN MOVIE DEBUTS ON 4K ULTRA HD™ OCTOBER 15TH

SYNOPSIS

The hit of the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, AMERICAN MOVIE is the hilarious and intense story of one man's obsession to make movies. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is a long way from Hollywood, but Mark Borchardt has a dream. Armed with a driving ambition and nothing to lose, the fast-talking Borchardt enlists friends, local thespians and unwilling family members to help him finish his no-budget horror film, COVEN. The camera doesn't flinch as it captures every emotional crisis and financial pitfall in his two-year odyssey. What emerges is a bizarre, yet surprisingly heartfelt, documentary portrait of a true American character.

DISC DETAILS AND BONUS MATERIALS

4K ULTRA HD DISC

• Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
• English Mono DTS-HD MA
• Special Features:
• Director and Cast Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Coven Short Film by Mark Borchardt
• Theatrical Trailer

CAST AND CREW

Directed By: Chris Smith
Produced By: Chris Smith, Sarah Price
Co-Produced By: Jim McKay, Michael Stipe
Cast: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Matt Weisman


SPECS

Run Time: Approx. 104 minutes
Rating: R
4K UHD Feature Picture: 2160p Ultra High Definition, 1.33:1
4K UHD Feature Audio: English Mono DTS-HD MA

American Movie Official Trailer - HD - YouTube

Credit to Beckstreaker for the heads-up