It's All True, again

[Colmena]

Just watched "It's all True" again, having seen it when it first came out on VHS, some 15 years ago or so.

Most of all, I was hoping that some wonderful & illuminating new "special features" might turn up on the DVD, but no such luck.

Interesting contrast between the early B&W discussion of IAT by Welles, which is post-debacle, but where he maintain his OW style as he tells his tale of how the demise of the project was bound up with voodoo.. and later, heavier, older, wheezier OW who is clearly and frankly distressed by the whole 1942 debacle.

My pleasure in seeing the "4 Men on a Raft" footage edited into a proper chronology was undermined by the repetitious, inappropriate (wrong tone) and anachronistic (wrong era) music. Also, without any indication of the dialog, what people are saying, the plot is incomprehensible w/o watching the preceding documentary. So it can't work properly as a free-standing short, unfortunately.

The heavy filtering and tropical setting reminded me continuously of the stunning "I am Cuba," another unique movie that has been rescued from Oblivion.

I thought that My Friend Bonito was completed... but I guess not. In Callow Vol 2 he points to Welles' success in long-distance editing of Bonito as leading to his supposition that he could engage in long distance edition of Ambersons and Journey in Fear, while in Brazil-- so I took that to indicate that Bonito was finished.

[tonyw]

I agree with you about the distracting music. However, much footage still remains in the archives but it is deteriorating. Money is needed to complete the project but in today's financial climate, funding is sadly unlikely.