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Out of the Blue
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (26th January 2022). |
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The Film
 "Out of the Blue" (1980) Cebe (played by Linda Manz) is a 15 year old girl who is looking for a sense of direction in life. It's not coming from her own family, as her mother Kathy (played by Sharon Farrell) is busier getting high on heroin and having time with male companions rather than time with her child. For her father Don (played by Dennis Hopper), he has been incarcerated for the last five years for a drunk driving incident in which Cebe was in the passenger seat. Music is a major part of Cebe's life, but her idols, Elvis Presley and Sid Vicious have both passed away. But there is some good news that her father is finally coming home, but will his entrance back into her life be able to give her stability, or will things get even worse than they already are? Filmmaker Leonard Yakir was set to direct his second feature film from his own script about a psychiatrist's rescue of a troubled teen girl under the title of "Cebe". Production was set in Vancouver, Canada with the cast of Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper, Sharon Farrell, Raymond Burr among others for a fairly simple low budget production of the drama. Unfortunately after two weeks of shooting, the producers were not happy with how the film was turning out with the shot footage. With the production getting far behind schedule, producer Paul Lewis discussed the situation with Hopper, who took the opportunity to try and salvage the production. Rather than continuing where the Yakir left off, Hopper looked at rewriting the script and recasting the supporting cast altogether. The producers were skeptical with the decision to have Hopper take over directing, as Hopper's last film as director, aptly titled "The Last Movie" was a major disaster for Hopper's career, as the experimental art film that was heavily hyped as a follow-up to his landmark directorial debut "Easy Rider" confused Universal and was lambasted by critics and audiences. Hopper's career in the 1970s was close to being exiled from Hollywood, as he took parts in non-American productions such as "Mad Dog Morgan" (1976), "The American Friend" (1977) among others. Having quite a reputation of a madman both on set and off set, the producers were reluctant to have him take over the production. But Lewis, who produced "Easy Rider" and "The Last Movie" convinced the others to give Hopper control, and that meant discarding all that was shot and starting from scratch. The script went through daily changes on the newly restarted production with constant rewrites by Hopper. Instead of having the film seen through the eyes and words of Raymond Burr's character of the psychiatrist looking at the character of Cebe, the viewpoint was turned in the opposite direction. Cebe became the main eyes of the story, where the audience would be by her side throughout the story. More emphasis was placed on her love of music and her attitude, and instead of seeing the character of being troubled and bad, instead there was more empathy for the character, rather than distant sympathy. She was no longer a file taken from a psychiatrist's cabinet, but a true individual with depth. Cebe's trouble comes from the fact that she is ready to rebel against everything, yet she has no particular outlet for her rebellion. Being a fifteen year old, she is on the verge of childhood and adulthood, teetering on both sides equally. She sleeps with a teddy bear and sucks her thumb, but at the same time she is a smoker and has no problem swearing at whoever gets in her way. As she doesn't have a truly positive role model, she has no one to look up to and no one to idolize anymore. She has a few friends that she hangs out with at times though most of their time is towards being bitchy and bullying rather than being true friends. This is actually one aspect of the film that is weak, with Cebe's two girl friends having the least amount of supporting screen time and having barely any presence. As for men, every male figure in her life has only given her disappointment. Her father being incarcerated. Her father's best friend Charlie (played by Don Gordon) is a skirt chaser, and has no problem getting his hands on her mother when she's vulnerable. The rock stars that she loves have died through their excess lifestyles. The only male figure that comes close to being positive is restaurant owner Paul (played by Leon Ericksen, the set designer of the film, under the name "Eric Allen") who also has a relationship with her mother. He's obviously there as a concerned figure and realistically the only person that wants Kathy and Cebe to have a more normal life. But as he is basically a nice guy who is not prepared for conflict, he is not on Cebe's radar as a strong male figure at all. Cebe's disgust, disappointment, and hatred of adult figures come from all around her. There is also the psychiatrist Dr. Brean, who is there to help, but barely feels to be of any helpful presence. At this point in her life she only sees that she is headed in their direction, to also become a disgusting and disappointing figure in a world she does not want to be part of. Manz plays the character of Cebe with brutal honesty that is wonderful as it is hard to watch. Seeing her go down a bleak road is saddening, and only felt that was as she was able to bring so much to her character, from her attitude to her expressions, it is truly a standout performance from the teen actress. When the father Don is released from prison and is able to return home after five years, things cannot be patched up so smoothly. Getting a job is not easy for an ex-convict, and the relationship between his daughter that has grown fully into a teenager is no longer the ten-year-old he knew. In addition to all the family issues, the homecoming party that is held for him is interrupted by Anderson (played by David Crowley), a father of one of the children that Don accidentally killed in the drunk driving accident that sent him to jail. Hopper's performance is excellent here, with multiple noteworthy scenes where he was able to bring a lot to the role that was originally fairly limited. He could go on as a raving lunatic, yet at other times keep incredibly cool, and at the same time able to direct the film as well. What also shouldn't be forgotten is the music for the film, in which Hopper must be thanked for. After hearing Neil Young's "My My, Hey Hey Out of the Blue)" on the radio, he knew that it had to be the theme song for the film. The original title "Cebe" was retitled to "Out of the Blue" and with his friendship with Young, the song was easily licensed for the film. He gave Cebe a musical identity by also including a pivotal scene in which she runs away from home to downtown Vancouver, where she goes to a punk show where the local band The Pointed Sticks performed. The show at Viking Hall also has some great backstage moments with the band, the fans, and with Manz who later joins them on stage to bang on the drums for a short bit. Hopper and the crew scouted for the local music scene, giving the punk scene a timely exposure on film, just after the explosion of bands like The Ramones, The Clash, The Sex Pistols and others were truly a fresh sound for the era, which was just a few years before MTV would redefine the exposure of new music. Having them perform in the film as well as including Neil Young's song that was an ode of rock and punk, "Out of the Blue" suddenly was turned into a time capsule rather than a standard troubled-teen drama that could be at anytime in any place. This was 1980 in Vancouver, and the signposts were cemented in celluloid. In addition there are band logos that can be found in Cebe's bedroom, with Public Enemy, The Subhumans, and Teenage Head seen. "Public Enemy" is not Public Enemy with Chuck D and Flava Flav, as they formed a full five years after the film was released. The logo looks very much like the rap group's logo, but it seems like this Public Enemy could have been the group, which was an American band that released one single in 1979 and was never heard from again. It's possible there was an obscure Canadian punk band named Public Enemy from that era, but nothing that I could find. The Subhumans and Teenage Head on the other hand were both Canadian punk bands of the period and were good choices to be showcased even for just a small bit. It is also interesting to note that Manz said in an interview that she didn't even know who Sid Vicious was until making the film, as she was more of a disco and pop kid rather than rock and punk. There is a scene in which Cebe and her friends go to a movie theater where they are playing the Charlie Chaplin film "Modern Times". At the end, Cebe says "I hate happy endings. Where’s the killing?" This foreshadows the explosive ending for "Out of the Blue" which Hopper constructed to be as bleak as could be. In the original ending, Cebe kills her father, and the psychiatrist saves her from any more harm. In Hopper's version, it's a mass murder suicide of the entire family orchestrated by Cebe. There was no future for her in the world and she took with her the only people she equally loves and hates at the same time. "Hope" is not a word in "Out of the Blue", and the ending leaves a bitter yet satisfying taste for audiences. The emotionally draining experience comes to a drastically cruel conclusion, and there are literally no survivors for a coda. The film had a troubled history in the production process, but the release was also troubled as well. Initially made with Canadian tax credits in mind to cover most of the cost, rule changes during the production and post production made it impossible for investors to receive tax credits, as most of the cast was American as well as the director, rather than Canadian. The Canadian government was not willing to promote the film as it no longer was "Canadian", and it had to be promoted independently when it first screened at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20th, 1980. Reactions ranged from incredibly positive to a huge number of walkouts. Although it was nominated for the Palme d'or, the film walked away empty handed and distribution for the film in either Canada or America being in limbo. It wasn't until 1983 that the film received US theatrical distribution from Discovery Productions, and it was incredibly limited. One very interesting and insane way that Hopper helped with the promotion of the film was after a screening in Texas that he brought some of the audience members (that didn't walk out) to an outdoor rally where Hopper performed the "Russian Dynamite Death Chair" stunt where he was surrounded by a number of explosives. The event was covered on the news (and is available to see on YouTube), but it barely helped with the promotion of the film, which only had limited distribution and faded into obscurity very quickly. Over the years and especially after Hopper's death in 2010 at the age of 74, there has been a re-evaluation of many of his works, including new critical appraisal for "The Last Movie", as well as interest in "Out of the Blue". It was actually before his death in 2008 that a restoration of the 35mm negative of the film was undertaken by Discovery Productions, who still retains the rights to the film. While the restoration didn't immediately lead to a new home video release, it led to a Kickstarter in 2019 to restore the film digitally in 4K for theatrical, streaming and home video releases. The restored version which played at worldwide festivals in 2020 and 2021 received much higher praise than its initial run, and for Blu-ray, France was the first to release it on the format by Potemkine Film in March 2021. The UK was next, with this BFI release in November 2021. The world wasn't quite ready for the troubled "Out of the Blue" in 1980. More than 40 years later, it's ready for audiences to rediscover a wonderful and draining film that is unlike any other. Note this is a region B Blu-ray set
Video
The BFI presents the film in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The original 35mm negative was digitally restored by Discovery Productions at Roundabout Entertainment in 4K resolution. As stated above the original 35mm negative went through a photochemical restoration in 2008, and additional work was performed in the new restoration. Like the title suggests, the film has a very heavy blue and pale tone throughout, with brighter colors being very muted and dark tones looking very dark. The restoration has cleaned the film to remove damage such as dust, scratches, and other marks, though there are still some very minor damage marks that remain on close inspection. Colors have been well balanced, detail is very clear, and film grain is visible throughout, leaving a great film-like quality in appearance without digital artifacts. Overall, it's a very nice looking transfer. The film's runtime which includes restoration credits is 95:46.
Audio
English LPCM 2.0 mono The original audio was transferred from the 35mm original 3-track magnetic master. The mono audio does have its limitations with fidelity, but thankfully it is a very faithful and clean track. Dialogue is always clear and easy to understand, while the songs featured from Neil Young to the live performance by The Pointed Sticks sound great, with no issues of drowned out sound or overbearingly loud portions. The sound is well balanced, and free of pops, cracks, or other noise. There are optional English HoH subtitles in a white font for the main feature.
Extras
DISC ONE Audio Commentary with director Dennis Hopper, producer Paul Lewis and distributor John Alan Simon (2000) In this audio commentary, Hopper, Lewis and Simon discuss the film a full twenty years after its initial release. Discussed are about Hopper's initial hiring for the role, additions made to the script by Hopper in the rewriting process, background on the punk show scene, the production design, the use of improvisation to create the characters, hindsight criticism, lament over the distribution, and more. This commentary was recorded for the 2000 DVD release by Anchor Bay. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Audio Commentary by Kate Rennebohm (2021) Lecturer and film academic Kate Rennebohm discusses the production of the film, from its troubled production, about the Cebe character in detail, the music choices, the locations of Vancouver seen, the troubled release, and much more. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Audio Commentary by Kat Ellinger (2021) Film critic Kat Ellinger also provides a solo commentary, as she discusses about Cebe's character, background of the film, Hopper's direction, the punk movement, and more. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Screen Guardian Talk: Dennis Hopper (1990) (90:50) This Q&A at the London Film Festival has Hopper interviewed by critic Derek Malcolm, as they discuss a variety of topics. Included are about the controversy surrounding the production and release of Hopper's latest production at the time "Catchfire", the maligned promotion for "Out of the Blue", working with legendary director Henry Hathaway, directing "Easy Rider", work on "Blue Velvet" and much more. There are a lot of funny stories, honest truths, and unfortunate happenings that Hopper is open to discussing to Malcolm as well as to the audience. This is an audio-only extra, playing as an alternate audio track over the film. Once the interview ends, the audio reverts to the film's audio track. Note this interview is also included on Indicator/Powerhouse Films’ Blu-ray release of “The Last Movie”. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Interview with Dennis Hopper by Tony Watts (1984) (96:52) This lengthy on camera interview with Hopper was following a re-release screening of "The Last Movie". Discussed are about many of the specific choices he made for the film as the director, as well as going back to his childhood life in Kansas and later California, working with BBS, the making of "Mad Dog Morgan" in Australia, working in Germany for "The American Friend", as well as production of "Out of the Blue". Shot on video, the source is not exactly the best with some tape errors as well as tinny sound at times. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Subverting Normality: Linda Manz Comes from Out of the Blue" 2021 video essay by Amanda Reyes and Chris O’Neill (17:53) This new video essay is an excellent look at the rebellious character of Cebe as well as the life and short acting career of Linda Manz. Featured are clips from the restored film. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Archive Shorts (with Play All) (35:00) The four short films listed below can be played individually or in a "Play All" function. "Morecambe and Wise – Be Wise Don’t Drink and Drive" 1963 short (0:49) This black and white comical short was produced by the COI and featured the comedy duo of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, who were fixtures on UK television at the time with their show "Two of a Kind", which as the title suggests, is a public service ad against drunk driving. The short was long thought lost until a 35mm print was discovered by Ulster Television during a move, more than fifty years after it was produced and shown. The print is now part of the BFI National Archive, and besides it being available here on this disc, is also available on the BFI Player, as well as on their YouTube channel. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Drink Drive Office Party Cartoon" 1964 short (0:43) This animated short is another anti-drunk driving PSA, directed by the acclaimed duo of John Halas and Joy Batchelor, using stillframes for a montage effect. Like the above, this short is available on the BFI Player and on their YouTube channel. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "A Girl’s Own Story" 1983 short (26:34) "A Girl's Own Story" was the third short film directed by Jane Campion, and produced by the Australian Film and Television School. A black and white short featuring young girls and the exploration of fandom, sexuality, social pressures, as well as dealing with the topics of Christianity and teen pregnancy, the layered piece is also a visually enticing piece with its experimental nature and its harsh monochrome look. The short is also available on the US Criterion DVD and Blu-ray of Campion's 1989 feature length debut "Sweetie". in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Girl" 1993 short (6:52) "Girl" was directed by Carol Morley at Central Saint Martins while she was a student. Shot in color on 16mm film, the melodrama with narration looked at abuse in an abstract non-linear form, and would showcase her ability as a director in both documentary and narrative features in later years. She did happen to direct a film titled "Out of Blue" in 2018, though it is completely unrelated to "Out of the Blue". The transfer for the short is fairly good, with strong colors, but there are quite a lot of scratches and speckled throughout its duration. The sound on the other hand is very clear. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Jack Nicholson Radio Spot (0:59) This 1982 radio spot by good friend Nicholson has nothing but high praise for "Out of the Blue", urging radio audiences to see the film. The radio spot is given some new animation directed by by Hello Mozart, featuring nicely animated captions. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Trailers (with Play All) (5:08) - US 1982 Theatrical Trailer (reconstruction) (2:29) - 40th Anniversary Trailer (2:28) Two trailers are presented here, one being a "reconstruction" of the original trailer and also a new trailer to commemorate and promote the 4K restoration. The "reconstruction" is a bit disappointing though, as it uses the restored version, cut exactly how it was in 1982 and overlayed with newly created text to mirror the original version. For all that trouble, why bother when they could have just transferred the existing 1982 trailer? The reconstruction trailer technically "looks" better, but lacks the film-ness of the original with the film grain and analogue feel. The anniversary trailer is a better example of reimagining the trailer for a new audience, and of course looks excellent as it comes from the restored materials. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles DISC TWO "Remembering Out of the Blue" 2021 interviews (with Play All) (173:37) - Christine Wilson, script supervisor (18:48) - Bob Akester, second assistant director (18:13) - Pointed Sticks & John Anderson, punk band & actor (20:47) - Tom Lavin, composer (22:36) - John Holbrook, camera operator (19:17) - Patti Allen, production coordinator (15:17) - Julia Frittaion, unit publicist & post-production assistant (29:00) - Doris Dyck, film editor (16:05) - Sharon Farrell, actress (13:31) With COVID-19 halting so many things in the world, one thing that became commonplace was remote interviews. Restoration producer John Alan Simon was able to conduct a large amount of interviews for this release from the people that were involved with the production, all from the comforts of their own homes. Some of the highlights include script supervisor Christine Wilson working as a mediator between the director and editor with the ever changing script, second assistant director Bob Akester and his work as a wartime photographer, The Pointed Sticks members recalling the lengthier than thought shooting of the concert sequence at Viking Hall and their career revival due to Japanese fans, composer Tom Lavin detailing some of the songs created especially for the film, camera operator John Holbrook on some deleted scenes that unfortunately don't survive, editor Doris Dyck at 94 years old on her lengthy career for CBC television and making her feature film debut on "Out of the Blue", as well as Sharon Farrell, who is the only surviving main cast member, on the casting and the production. There is a lot more information to be found in the near three hour runtime, and as most remote interviews are, audio and video quality can be lacking, with subjects not being miced and choppy video quality. But it is the content that makes up for the technical shortcomings in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Me & Dennis" 2021 interviews (with Play All) (80:12 + 14:49) Interviews by John Alan Simon - Ethan Hawke, actor & filmmaker (43:52) - Julian Schnabel, filmmaker & artist (16:41) - Philippe Mora, filmmaker (19:37) - Richard Linklater, filmmaker (14:49) If the cast and crew interviews were not enough, John Alan Simon conducted a series of interviews with people who worked with Hopper. Ethan Hawke who worked with Hopper on the 1995 film "Search and Destroy" talks about Linda Manz and her character, how different the film was from others at the time, his love hate relationship with the story, as well as his memories of Hopper. Julian Schnabel who directed Hopper in "Basquiat" as well as curating the "Dennis Hopper Double Standard" art exhibition talks about Hopper as an artist foremost. Philippe Mora recalls the production of the notorious "Mad Dog Morgan", with some great behind the scenes anecdotes and how Hopper was constantly tailed by the local authorities due to his notoriety. Richard Linklater was a college student at the time "Out of the Blue" was released, and he recalls the screening as well as the insane explosion stunt that Hopper put himself through to promote the film. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4 (Hawke/Schnabel/Mora), in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 (Linklater), in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Alex Cox Recalls Out of the Blue" 2021 interview (13:16) Cox directed Hopper in "Straight to Hell" and talks about the production a bit, but more interesting is his recollection of seeing "Out of the Blue" for the first time, in which the screening suddenly halted as the projectionist accidentally showed the reels in the wrong order. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles 2020 Montclair Film Festival Q&A (29:51) This remote Q&A from October 2020 has distributors John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr talking about the film to Tom Hall. Discussed are about the film's initial distribution in America in 1982, copyright issues over the years, its difficult life on home video, as well as the new digital restoration. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Booklet A 32 page booklet is included. First is the essay "Out of the Blue" by film critic Sheila O’Malley, which discusses the film's themes, the music, the production, the release, and the impact or lack thereof. This is an updated version of her essay first published in Film Comment on August 8th, 2019. Next is "Dennis Hopper on Out of the Blue", which are transcriptions of Hopper’s remarks from March 31st, 1982 at the Birmingham Arts Lab from an interview conducted by Julian Petley and Peter Walsh. Talked about are how troubled the production at the beginning, the recasting done, the editing process, the music choices, and more. "Punk Gestures" is the next essay, written by the BFI's Vic Pratt. Here is a look at the punk music scene, the importance of Neil Young's career, and where "Out of the Blue" sat in the middle of a major transitionary period in music in the post Elvis world. There are also two contemporary reviews reprinted, plus information on the extras, transfer information, acknowledgements, and stills. Original US theatrical trailer (not remastered or reconstructed) 2021 4K restoration trailer The UK Blu-ray carries over the commentary from the DVD, and adds a wealth of new and vintage extras. It has most of the extras found on the French Blu-ray, which has the DVD commentary, the Montclair Q&A and the 1984 Hopper interview, but it also includes an exclusive French language interview with filmmaker Jean-Baptiste Thoret. One person that is sorely missing from the extras is the original writer and director Leonard Yakir. It would have been interesting to hear from him about how the film eventually turned out in his eyes and if there was any bitterness in the number of changes made. The Kickstarter for the 4K restoration included pledges for eventual DVD and Blu-ray releases, which unfortunately have not been released yet. There was an announcement that some contributors would get signed copies of the DVD or Blu-ray by Linda Manz, but unfortunately Manz passed away on August 14th, 2020 at the age of 58 from lung cancer complications. There were other great Q&As done for the film over the years that are not available on the Blu-ray release, but are available on YouTube, as embedded below. Richard Linklater introduction and post screening Q&A (2014) Interview with John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr by Celebrity Spotlight Radio (2021) Interview with John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr at the AFI Virtual Film Festival (2020) In addition, Primal Scream's 2000 single "Kill All Hippies" samples Manz's dialogue from the opening credits of "Out of the Blue".
Overall
"Out of the Blue" may have had a disastrous production and release with everything working against it, but the emotionally draining piece of work has an incredible story to tell, both in front of the camera as well as for behind the scenes. Linda Manz gave a defining performance in the lead and Dennis Hopper's ability to rescue a nearly doomed production is yet another great addition to his impressive resume as an artist. The BFI's 2-disc limited release has an excellent transfer for video and audio, and is absolutely packed with extras. Though it came late, it eventually made it to the top of my list of favorite home video release of 2021. Highly recommended.
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