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The Swan Archives News Page
The Swan Archives has decided to replace our old "Trivia" page (since nothing having anything to do with Swan's legacy could properly be called "trivial") with an up-to-the-minute ticker of Swan-related news. What with Swan having been dead for more than 30 years, we're not expecting it to be particularly challenging to keep up with the fast-breaking bulletins, but when something new does come up, you'll find it here.
December 26, 2011 - Ghastly Love of Johnny X to Screen at Cinequest, San Jose
The Ghastly Love of Johnny X, a new retro-sci-fi-musical (featuring 50s-style singing juvenile delinquents from another planet who've been banished to Earth) in which Paul Williams plays an onscreen role (as shown in the lobby card accompanying this entry) will be screening in San Jose, California as part of the Cinequest Film Festival, which runs from February 28 to March 11, 2012. Showtimes and venues aren't posted yet, but get more info on Cinequest here, and on Johnny X here. Update as of February 2, 2012: Johnny X screens March 3 at 9:30pm, March 6 at 7:00pm, and March 10 at 4:45pm... Go here for tickets.
November 28, 2011 - Paul Williams Talks Muppets on Soundcheck
Paul Williams is interviewed today on WNYC radio's Soundcheck show about his escapades appearing on "The Muppet Show" and writing music for The Muppet Movie and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Listen here.
November 22, 2011 - New(?) Phantom Soundtrack Remaster Available
A company called "Culture Factory USA" released today a "Strictly Limited Collector's Edition" of the Phantom soundtrack album, which they say is a "Ditigally Remastered 96KHz / 24 bit" recording. We doubt it, since standard CD's are limited to 16 bits and 44.1kHz. What they likely mean is that the master recordings were 96/24, but they were compressed prior to being transferred to CD...as happens when a CD is made from any suitably high quality source. In any event, the new disc, which may or may not sound any better than the original disc or the existing Japanese remaster, is already out of stock at Amazon.ca, and not on sale yet at amazon.com. The disc comes in a cardboard sleeve that resembles the original album cover (but smaller, of course).
November 4, 2011 - Phantom to Screen in Anchorage
The Anchorage (Alaska) Museum will be screening Phantom on November 12 at 6:30pm as part of their "SuperTrash Film Series". We presume they'll be projecting from DVD, and admission's $5. We take great umbrage, of course, at their implicit characterization of Phantom as "trash", but it's nice that they're showing the film. More info here
September 29, 2011 - CJOB to Broadcast 90-Minute Phantom Radio Special with All-New Interviews on Halloween
After spending a couple days recovering from your experience at Phantom of the Paradise in 6D, you can relax in the comfort of your own home, turn off the porch light to dissuade pesky trick-or-treaters, and tune in (on the web, if you're outside the broadcast radius) to Manitoba's (yo, that's in Canada, bro) CJOB 680 AM, which (on the 38th anniversary of Phantom's opening night) will present a 90 minute Phantom of the Paradise special from 10:30 - midnight (CDT) (so that's 8:30-10:00 pm for us math-challenged Californians) featuring exclusive, all new interviews with Jessica Harper, Gerrit Graham, William Finley, Peter Elbling, Archie Hahn, Jeffrey Comanor, and Paul Williams. Expect to hear about the film, and about their recollections of Phantompalooza 1 and 2 in Winnipeg. Tune in to CJOB here at the "Listen Live" button at the top of the page.
September 23, 2011 - Baltimore Rock Opera Society Putting on Phantom of the Paradise in 6D
The Baltimore Rock Opera Society will be putting on something they're calling Phantom of the Paradise in 6D on October 28 and 29 at the Autograph Playhouse in Baltimore. Showtime is 8pm both nights, and your humble Archivist will be in attendance. They're turning Phantom into some kind of multimedia presentation, with live musicians, live singers, and a bacchanalian anarchy vibe. What could possibly go wrong? More info (and tickets!) here.
August 31, 2011 - This Week's Projection Booth Podcast All About the Phantom
Jessica Harper and I, your humble Archivist, are the special guests on this week's episode of The Projection Booth, the most excellent podcast from Mike White (of Cashiers du Cinemart fame) and his pal "Mondo" Justin. I was pretty sure I'd come off like a complete tool but, thanks to Mike's brilliant editing, I'm only kinda geeky. Download the show (free) from iTunes, or here.
August 3, 2011 - Paul Williams Documentary to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
Steven Kessler's documentary, Paul Williams: Still Alive, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which runs September 8 - 18. The film tells the story of what happens when Kessler, who had admired Williams in the '70s, went looking for him to find out "what had happened." The rough cut screened awhile back in Austin featured some fine footage from Paul's concert at Phantompalooza 2, and we presume that material's still in the film.
June 24, 2011 - The Night Crew Shows the Love for Phantom
Episode 8 of The Night Crew Podcast, helmed by the gang from dreadcentral.com, takes a few minutes to explain why Phantom is one of the great rock musicals of all time, while Repo: The Genetic Opera is "worse than prison rape". We so completely agree, except we think they went way too easy on Repo. If Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats took a dump, and that dump puked, and Sara Palin ate the puke and took a dump, then that dump would be Repo: The Genetic Opera. Find the podcast here, and skip to about 90 minutes in if you want to go straight to the Phantom/Repo discussion.
May 17, 2011 - Phantom to be Screened at Coney Island
The Coney Island Film Society will be screening Phantom from DVD on June 4 at 8:30pm as part of their "Rock N Roll Summer" film series at the Coney Island Museum. Tickets are $6, doors open at 8pm, and they do a pre-show starting at 8:15 featuring classic old trailers, shorts, commercials, and other stuff. They've assembled a really fun series of Saturday night screenings running through mid-September, including 200 Motels, Rock N' Roll High School, Sid & Nancy, Don't Look Back, and others. Tickets for Phantom can be found here, and their whole program is here. Ticket sales raise funds for the nonprofit arts center Coney Island USA.
April 23, 2011 - Phantom Being Readied for Domestic Blu-Ray Release?
In a story in today's edition of Variety about digital restoration firm Reliance Mediaworks, it's mentioned in passing that members of the company's image processing team in Burbank are "studying and manipulating individual frames of classic and not-so-classic movies such as ... The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and ... Phantom of the Paradise." Hmmm. Reliance has done work for Fox in the past, notably converting the first three seasons of The Simpsons from standard def to hi def. They're currently working on, among other things, cleaning up Disney's Cinderella for Blu-Ray. In the past, they've done similar touchups for twenty of the James Bond films, three of the Star Wars films, Roshomon, and hundreds of others. While this is hardly definitive, it looks to us like the first early warning that a North American Phantom Blu-Ray edition might be on the horizon. (Of course, while you wait, you can pass the time with the French Phantom Blu-Ray from 2009 mentioned on our Merchandising page.)
April 7, 2011 - TimeOut New York Features Brief, Crappy Interview with De Palma
In conjunction with the De Palma restrospective at BAM that starts tomorrow, TimeOut New York's Joshua Rothkopf gets Brian De Palma (in France) and Noah Baumbach (in New York) on the phone, and then wastes the opportunity (and our time) rehashing the same old tired, stupid, done-to-death questions about ripping off Hitchcock and putting women in peril that have (as De Palma exasperatedly points out during the discussion) been asked and answered "a thousand times" before. If you have an Obsession with experiencing Deja Vu (see what I did there?), you could read the answers to these questions for the thousandth time here.
March 24, 2011 - Phantom to Screen Twice in 35mm at Anthology Film Archives in New York City in June
Anthology Film Archives will be presenting Phantom from a 35mm Fox archival print, as part of their "Hollywood Musicals of the 1970s & 80s" showcase, on June 17 at 9:30pm and June 24 at 7pm. Each film is a separate admission fee, but on the 17th Phantom will be preceded at 7:15 by Frank Zappa's 200 Motels, and on the 24th you can take in the great Ramones flick, Rock'n'Roll High School at 9:00. (RNRHS stars PJ Soles, who figured prominently in De Palma's Carrie as well.) Tickets are $9 per film, at the door. (They don't sell tickets in advance, but don't worry: since this is a post-Rapture event, there should be plenty of seats available.) Other titles in the series include The Little Prince, At Long Last Love, New York New York, All That Jazz, The Wiz, and Pennies from Heaven (with Phantom's Jessica Harper!). Anthology Film Archives doesn't yet have anything up on their own site about this, but we're sure they will soon, so keep checking there.
March 9, 2011 - Phantom and Nine other De Palma Films to Screen in 35mm at BAM in April
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (which borders the alley where a couple scenes from Phantom were filmed) will be screening ten De Palma films, including Phantom, all from 35mm, between April 8 and April 20. The schedule isn't available yet, but check BAM's website here for details in the next few days. Along with Phantom, they'll be running Sisters, Obsession, Carrie, The Fury, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Body Double, Raising Caine, and Femme Fatale. Wow! Update: Phantom producer Ed Pressman will appear in person to introduce the film on April 9 at the 6:50pm screening! Update the Second: William Finley will be there too!
February 28, 2011 - Phantom to Screen in Halifax March 3
An organization called "Carbon Arc" (the name is presumably derived from the light source used in movie projectors before xenon bulbs became ubiquitous) is screening Phantom from DVD at 8pm on March 3, at the Khyber, a 60-seater at 1588 Barrington St, 3rd Floor in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The film will be introduced by Mark Palermo, critic for The Coast, a local alternative newsweekly. More info here.
February 10, 2011 - More Juicy New Stuff on Peter Elbling's Site
Peter Elbling ("Harold Oblong" to Phantom fans) has put a couple new "Vinegrettes" (short videos featuring his "Mr. Vinegar" character) up on his website, along with some other new offerings. (Mr. Vinegar, sort of a latter day WC Fields, is perpetually hacked off at the minor annoyances that besiege him.) You can watch the vinegrettes for free, and order longer Vinegar misadventures on DVD, all from Peter's site.
January 14, 2011 - Phantom Back to Back with Rocky Horror at Keycon 28 in Winnipeg
Phantom will go slumming on February 12, opening for a screening of RHPS put on by Keycon, a Science-Fiction/Fantasy convention in Winnipeg. While the convention itself isn't until May 20-22, they're getting an early start on their festivities, throwing a games day and movie night at the Park Theater. $10 for one film, or $15 for both (in Canadian currency; in real money, that's way less.) Both films will screen from DVD, costumes are encouraged, and info is here.
January 14, 2011 - Criterion's Blow Out Release is Finally Official
De Palma's great mashup of patriotism and ice-pick killing, Blow Out, is finally getting its day in the Blu-Ray, thanks to Criterion. Like Phantom, Blow Out has never had a decent North American DVD release, and we're glad Criterion is stepping up. The disc, to be released in April, includes "director-approved special edition features," including, among others, an hourlong interview with Mr. De Palma, and a new interview with Steadicam master Garrett Brown on the Steadicam shots (presumably the ones in Coed Frenzy, the film-within-a-film). How cool, we can't wait! See Criterion's Blow Out page, here
January 2, 2011 - Dressed to Kill to Screen as Part of January's Wright Stuff Festival at the New Beverly
De Palma's Dressed to Kill will screen at the New Beverly in Los Angeles on January 22 and 23, with Frenzy. Edgar Wright (we don't need to tell you he directed Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim, right?) will be onhand (on the 22nd only) to introduce the films. For more info, check out the New Beverly's website, here.
December 30, 2010 - Phantom Screening from Archival 35mm Print New Year's Eve in Cambridge (MA)
Phantom will screen at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm on New Year's Eve (tomorrow!) at The Brattle Theatre at Harvard Square, apparently from a 35mm archival print from Fox. Awesome!
December 21, 2010 - Those Crazy (Wini)Peggers are At It Again
No, it's not another Phantompalooza... but Winnipeg's love affair with the Phantom continues. Locals will be getting together at the Pemby Draft House on February 26 for a screening of Phantom on every high def tv in the joint. We hope there's not a hockey game that night. The Pemby doesn't have their own website, but we expect you can get info by calling them at (204) 453-3724. Update: Tickets are $10.00 each, and go on sale January 5 at the Pembina Hotel, 1011 Pembina Highway, in the VLT lounge area. Alternatively, you could call the number provided above, extension 6, to inquire about tickets. Festivities begin at 7:30pm, with Phantom showing at 9:00.
December 16, 2010 - Blow Out Coming from Criterion
Criterion's been dropping cute little hints about an upcoming Blow Out disc for around a month now...and it looks like they really mean it. To the left is a shot of Mr. De Palma from some supplemental interview content newly created for the upcoming release. No street date's been announced as of yet.
December 14, 2010 - Jessica Harper's Cookbook is Published!
Jessica Harper has been posting to her Crabby Cook blog since 2008, and has now published her "Crabby Cook Cookbook," which features 135 unfussy and practical recipes for those who do not love to cook, but, for one reason or another, are consigned to. Mixed in with the recipes (pumpkin pancakes, chicken soup, beer bread...) are liberal sprinklings of anecdotes that reveal that Jessica's purported hatred of cooking (we don't buy it at all) is at war with her love of feeding her family. Whether you cook or not (we don't), the book's a fun read. From this link at Jessica's site, you can purchase it from your online bookseller of choice.
December 3, 2010 - Huge New Update Coming to the Swan Archives
We've been hard at work on a new section for the site, and we can hardly wait to unveil it! Keep checking back, and look for a new destination on our navigation bar sometime next week. This new content will pretty much triple the size of the site overnight, and it's way geekier than anything we've ever done before, so we know you'll love it! Update: It's up, and it's here.
November 30, 2010 - Todd & The Book of Pure Evil Looks Interesting this Week
The Canadian TV series Todd & the Book of Pure Evil (sort of a Buffy/Glee mashup, but with a serious case of potty mouth) is premiering an episode called The Phantom of Crowley High this week...we're expecting some shoutouts to our favorite film...but then again, we expected a Major Matt Mason Lunar Command Set (from Mattel!) on our seventh birthday, and look how that worked out. More info here.
November 28, 2010 - Elbling's New Website
Peter Elbling ( "Harold Oblong" to Phantom fans) has just finished a total revamp of his website. In addition to Phantom related stuph, Peter has gathered pieces from throughout his varied career (commercials, Times Square Two routines, and much more), and even provides a nice interface where you can -- just in time for the holidays -- pick up some of his books and CDs for children, his Mr. Vinegar DVDs, and even an autographed copy of his (excellent!) novel, The Food Taster. Check it all out here.
November 24, 2010 - Adam Carolla Goes Off on Phantom on his Podcast
Comedian Adam Carolla obviously has fond memories of Phantom from his childhood, but is just as obviously completely clueless about its place in cinema history (dude, stop by the site sometime); he nevertheless chooses to wing it in discussion with Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath on his November 24 podcast, available here. We love his enthusiasm for the film, though, being Adam Carolla, he can't help himself from being snarky about it. What strikes us about this discussion is that even though it's clear that Carolla hasn't seen the film in 35 years, it's just as clear from his recollections (mistaken as many of them are) that it made a huge impression on him as a kid. Just like us.
November 10, 2010 - See Caligari with Quality Live Musical Accompaniment in San Francisco!
Both Swan's overall look and that of the Undead (as well as the Undead's stage backdrop) were inspired by the 70-minute 1919 silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Caligari will be playing at the beautiful Castro Theater in San Francisco at 6pm this Sunday, November 14, with live musical accompaniment by the Club Foot Orchestra. There are so many reasons to get to this, not least of which is the 1450-seat Castro Theater itself, one of the few great surviving movie palaces that feature a working Wurlitzer pipe organ -- the type that rises from the organ pit! The Castro's gets played most nights by David Hegarty, who could teach Winslow a thing or two. And seeing Caligari (and Nosferatu!) accompanied by the Club Foot Orchestra is the best way to enjoy them: the Orchestra, a nine-piece ensemble, has specialized for years in composing and playing original soundtracks for classic silent films, and kicks ass. There's nobody better. You can hear a sample of what they've done with Caligari (which just happens to include the portion of the movie on which Beef's unveiling at the airport was based) here. Tickets and info here. We'll see you there!
November 10, 2010 - See Phantom in a Scottish Castle! Pure Dead Brilliant!
We wish we had gotten earlier word of this, as we would have loved an excuse to go to Scotland: Phantom will be shown in the Castle Menzies at 7:30pm on November 13, as part of the Aberfeldy Film Festival, which bills itself as "Great Films in Unusual Places". (The castle is actually in Weem, which is apparently near Aberfeldy. Gae straecht! Than turn left!) Tickets and more info here.
September 25, 2010 - Phantom to be Included in Fox's 75th Anniversary Collection
In a move that strikes us as truly bizarre, 20th Century Fox is including Phantom as one of the 75 films in their upcoming 75th Anniversary Collection box set of DVD's, scheduled for release on December 7 (as if there weren't already a good reason for that date to live in infamy...) There's no indication that this is a new transfer, or in any other way different from the embarrassing North American DVD that Fox has been fobbing off for the past fifteen years, so we have to assume they have a warehouseful of old Phantom discs that they just couldn't figure out any other way to get rid of. The box set contains 74 other classic Fox films from 1935 to 2010, and seems mostly like a way to get completists to buy, again, DVD's they already own (who doesn't already have Star Wars and Avatar?), as practice for buying them a third time next year in BluRay.
September 24, 2010 - The Untouchables to Screen in 70 FUCKING MM!
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As part of its "Lost Dominion 70mm Film Festival", the Canadian Museum of Civilization, in Gatineau, Quebec (just across the river from Ottawa) will be showing De Palma's Untouchables from a 70mm print... The film wasn't actually shot in 70mm, and the print is blown up from 35mm, but it should look absolutely spectacular. Six track Dolby stereo, too! More info here
September 22, 2010 - Phantom to Screen in Chattanooga, TN September 28!
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library will be screening Phantom (from DVD) as part of their "Flick's Cafe" (we assume that's some kind of Casablanca reference) series, at the downtown library (1001 Broad St., Chattanooga) on September 28. Admission is free. Showtime is 6:30, but doors open at 6:00, and it looks like if you get there early you get to enjoy a presentation by the museum's Director about the reasons he selected the film for their series. The following week, on October 5, incidentally, also looks like a great show, as they'll be screening two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Hush", which we think was probably the only genuinely scary episode of the series, and "Once More with Feeling", the fabulous musical episode from the sixth season.
September 11, 2010 - Brian De Palma turns 70
Today is Brian De Palma's 70th birthday. We at the Archives (and who's kidding who -- it's really just me) want to take the opportunity to say we love the guy. As much as we could love anyone we don't actually know, anyway. We feel an emotional and personal connection to his work because it speaks to us through powerful, carefully constructed imagery, humor, attention to detail, craftsmanship, and artistry. He is one of a very small number of American filmmakers who are actually creating art, and not mere entertainment, and, in our opinion, he's the best of them. His films involve us, implicate us, and make us feel in on the joke. Each new De Palma film is, for us, an event and a gift. We hope there'll be many more.
August 28, 2010 - Mike White and the Washington Psychotronic Film Society to Screen Phantom November 23
Mike White, the Detroit-based author responsible for the cleverly-named Cashiers du Cinemart magazine (the best of which, plus some never-before-published material, has now been compiled in a collection called Impossibly Funky, available here), will be putting on a screening of Phantom at the Washington DC stop in White's book-signing tour. The screening/signing will go down at The Passenger, 1021 7th Street, NW, 7:00pm, November 23. It's on a free-but-$2-donation-requested basis, and you can RSVP on Facebook here. White's book includes, amongst many other fun articles about film and pop culture, an (enthusiastic but occasionally factually-challenged) appreciation of Paul Williams, by Leon Chase.
August 14, 2010 - Edgar Wright Stirring Up Interest in Phantom
Edgar Wright, director of the fabulous Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (as well as Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and the most excellent Spaced series, from British TV), has been talking up Phantom's influence on Scott Pilgrim like nobody's business. Wright is a longtime Phantom fan, of course, having screened it more than once at his "Wright Stuff" mini film festivals, but on his latest press junket he's been going all out, and we're seeing an increase in our daily hitcount over the past couple weeks as a result. (It is all about us, you know). Thanks, Edgar!
August 13, 2010 - Toyer Looks Like it's Finally Happening
After years (and years...) of waiting, it looks like De Palma's next feature, Toyer, is finally going before the cameras. De Palma will be shooting his adaptation of Gardner McKay's story of a serial killer who doesn't actually kill his victims, but ... well, it's worse, i guess ... starting in November in Venice. Although McKay's story is set in Los Angeles, it appears that De Palma is going to be using Carnevale as a backdrop. Back in 2006, Colin Firth was slated to play the lead; we have no idea who's set to appear in this latest incarnation, but we wouldn't cry if Charisma Carpenter were given something to do in it. Just sayin'.
July 7, 2010 - Meansheets.com Favors Us with Attention
Our fellow obsessive over at meansheets.com, Russ Ryan, has run a little story about The Swan Archives in today's edition. We appreciate the attention! Meansheets is one of a relatively small number of sites dedicated to movie posters as art, and which talk about the too-often unknown artists behind them, with attention paid to the images, layouts, and designs. It's in stark and refreshing contrast to the myriad of sites that are focused on collecting posters, cataloguing them, valuing them, determining their condition, finding reputable dealers, and otherwise viewing them as investments, rather than as cultural signifiers and artifacts that can inform our understanding of how we are marketed to, and what values, prejudices and societal desires are exploited by the people who are paid to keep their fingers on the pulse of such things. We're honored to have been noticed.
June 24, 2010 - Phantom to be Screened in San Francisco
The Bridge Theater in San Francisco will be screening Phantom (from DVD) on July 24 at midnight as part of their "Rocksploitaion with Citizen Midnight" series. For ten bucks, you get to see the film, after enjoying a live 15 or 20 minute concert by Citizen Midnight, a band comprised of Bridge Theater employees and their friends. Our Principal Archivist will most likely be there as well, as it's practically in his backyard. Tickets and more info here. UPDATE: The Bridge has requested that we loan them our Blu-Ray edition of Phantom for the screening, and we've graciously consented; this should vastly improve the presentation over the originally-planned DVD, and we'll see ya there!
June 23, 2010 - Endure Meatballs Part II to See Archie Hahn in Person!
Archie Hahn of the Juicy Fruits, and several others from the godawful Meatballs Part II, will be appearing at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles this Saturday, June 26, presumably to apologize. In addition to playing the camp counselor who can't get any action, Archie voices the alien, "Meathead." More info at the New Beverly's website here.
May 19, 2010 - Paul Hirsch in Person!
Paul Hirsch, who edited Phantom (and Star Wars, along with many others) will be on hand, schedule permitting, at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles on June 8 to discuss his work on De Palma's Blow Out, which is being screened along with the wonderful Femme Fatale. God, we love Femme Fatale. More info at the New Beverly's website here.
May 19, 2010 - Follow the Swan Archives on Twitter!
Yes, it's true... The Swan Archives is now on Twitter. Follow us, @Swanarchives, and be the first to find out that... uh.... hmmm. Well, just think of it this way: every minute you spend on Twitter is a minute you're not spending on Chatroulette, and that's a good thing. Follow us here.
May 16, 2010 - Carlito's Way out on BluRay
Carlito's Way, an excellent and generally underappreciated (except, of course, by the French) De Palma work that features a fine supporting performance by the then-much-less-well-known Viggo Mortensen, and of course Sean Penn at his very best, is out on BluRay in North America with some new extras, on May 18.
May 16, 2010 - Vegas, Baby!
Paul Williams will be performing at the South Point Showroom in Las Vegas on June 18 and 19.
May 5, 2010 - Summer Camp Cinema Running Phantom in June
Phantom will be shown on a late-night double bill with the animated Heavy Metal on June 12, as part of the Summer Camp Cinema series at the Cinema Arts Centre on Long Island. Tickets, info, and a pretty compelling website here.
May 4, 2010 - Phantom to Screen from Blu-Ray in London, Ontario, Canada
Those Canadians have all the luck: something called the "Tanton-O'Brien Film Appreciation Group" will be screening Phantom from the new French Blu-Ray edition at the Hyland Cinema in London, Ontario, on May 28. Get all the info here.
May 3, 2010 - Finley and Graham to Appear at Rock Con, July 30 - August 1
William Finley and Gerrit Graham are both slated to appear at something called "Rock Con", which is billed as "The National Rock and Roll Fan Fest", and which runs July 30 through August 1, 2010 at the Sheraton Meadlowands Hotel and Conference Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. P.J. Soles, from De Palma's Carrie will also be on hand. More info here. We thank Rod for the tip! UPDATE AS OF JULY 29, 2010: Finley and Graham will NOT be appearing after all.
April 7, 2010 - Alamo Drafthouse to Screen Phantom from 35mm Archival Print
The venerable Alamo Drafthouse will be screening our favorite film at the Ritz in Austin, Texas, on Monday, April 12 at 10:00pm, and Monday, April 19, at 10:45pm. Buy tickets here.
November 10, 2009 - Screem Magazine Issue 19 Features Phantom
In honor of its 35th anniversary, Phantom is featured prominently in Screem's Issue Number 19. The article is better than most, though the factchecking was, at best, relaxed; the piece lazily repeats a number of the falsehoods that make the rounds on the web, despite the ready availability of authoritative refutation. Regardless, we're glad to see the film get the attention, and it's nice to see someone going to the bother of interviewing Tom Burman, as well as Gerrit Graham, Jessica Harper, Bill Finley, and Peter Elbling.
October 21, 2009 - Phantom coming out on Blu-Ray!
Phantom is being released in France by Opening on Blu-Ray on December 1, with the same content as their great 2-disc special edition set ...but in high def! Time to finally break down and buy that Blu-Ray player... Update: The content in the new disc is not quite the same as in the original Opening set: The Blu-Ray lacks the Bob Sinclar music video (we're not exactly crying about that), and also lacks the 2-channel English audio track on the feature. On the other hand, it has a spiffy new DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Although there's no menu option to turn off the French subtitles on the feature, you can turn them off with your player's subtitle button once the film starts playing. On the extras (which can only be played if your player is PAL-compatible), the French subtitles are forced.
August 29, 2009 - Casualties of War to Screen at Deauville
Our Archivist's second-favorite De Palma film, Casualties of War, will be screened twice at this year's Deauville Festival of American Film. It has lousy timeslots, but if you're up late on some of that film festival coffee, you can check it out on September 6 at 12:30am, or September 10 at 2:30am, as part of the American Nights programme at the Morny Club. Seeya there!
August 23, 2009 - De Palma Blog-A-Thon Coming to Cinema Viewfinder
Website Cinema Viewfinder is going to be running a De Palma Blog-A-Thon from September 7 - 16. They're inviting submissions, which they'll post for response and discussion. It's a site that has historically attracted a pretty high caliber readership, so we're looking forward to the postings. Find out more here.
July 25, 2009 - Andy Garcia to be Honored at Deauville
Andy Garcia, who had one of his earliest roles in De Palma's The Untouchables, will be one of the honorees at the Deauville Festival of American Film this coming September. (Harrison Ford is the Guest of Honor this year). It's not yet clear which of Garcia's many films they'll be showing, but our Principal Fanboy Archivist will be there to take it all in.
July 4, 2009 - Finally, an Opportunity to See Phantom Screened from a Decent Print
This shot of Winslow is how we've felt the last few times we've watched Phantom screened in a theater. If you've tried to do that in the USA in recent years, the odds are good that, like us, you were subjected to one of the 30 year old, spliced-to-death, faded, scratched pieces of shit prints that Fox stubbornly persists in allowing to circulate...or you saw it projected from DVD, with home-theater-quality resolution expected to look halfway decent on a real-theater sized screen. Things have, to be frank, sucked ass for Phantom fans hoping to see the movie projected in passable quality with a real audience. This Friday, though, Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive (yay! we love the Pacific Film Archive!) is screening a Fox studio vault 35mm print. It should be GORGEOUS. July 10, 9pm, Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley.
June 7, 2009 - Carrie to Screen in Long Beach
We love Carrie, and Mondo Celluloid is going to be showing it at 11pm on June 27, at the Art Theatre in Long Beach. They encourage you to come dressed for their pre-show prom, at which a king and queen will be crowned. Uh oh. Info here.
May 17, 2009 - Scarface Getting a Digital Rerelease on August 25
De Palma's classic from 1983 is going to be released to digital cinemas this summer, as part of Universal's Cinema Classics digital reissue program. Someone at Universal is on the ball: the other summer digital releases are Spartacus (June 9), The Blues Brothers (July 28), The Thing (September 15), and Animal House (November 2).
April 23, 2009 - Phantom "Remake" Removed from Pressman's "Coming Soon" Page
Edward R. Pressman, who was credited as Producer on Phantom, has listed a remake of the film as "coming soon" on his website for years. We believe this is why some gullible soul submitted the supposed remake into the Internet Movie Database, which in turn occasionally inspires panicky fans to get in touch with us to ask "is it true?" (Our answer appears below, dated January 22, 2007.) Pressman's website has now finally deleted reference to the project; the Phantom remake is now no longer listed there, so everyone can sleep easy. Sheesh.
April 3, 2009 - Phantom to be Shown in Dallas, with Paul Williams Appearing in Person, on April 29
Paul Williams will appear in person at a screening of Phantom in Dallas (where of course much of the film was shot), as part of the USA Film Festival, on April 29. The screening is part of their tribute to Paul Williams, and Phantom will be preceded by what they're calling a film clip compendium tribute to Paul, as well as a preview of a work-in-progress documentary film about Paul by Stephen Kessler. Kessler's crew was shooting footage at Phantompalooza II in 2006, and we imagine it's possible that some of their footage from the event might be included as part of the preview. And...they say they have a new digitally remastered print of the film! The festival runs from April 29 to May 3. More info at the festival website. Update: We've just learned that even though they have a new 35mm print of the film, they won't be screening that print...they'll be screening it digitally. Oh, well.
April 3, 2009 - Phantom to Screen with Suspiria, with Jessica Harper appearing in Person, on June 12
Jessica Harper will be on hand (or on glove, for you Argento fans) for a double bill of Phantom and Suspiria, in which of course she also had a starring role, at the Steve Allen Theater in Los Angeles on June 12, as part of the theater's Masters of Horror series. You can see the film in the theater itself, or from your car on their Drive-in screen. Other shows in this series have been selling out, so plan accordingly. Details at the theater's website.
March 7, 2009 - Au Pair 3, with Gerrit Graham, to Air March 15
What a dilemma for Toronto-based Phantom fans! Go to Edgar Wright's screening of Phantom at the Bloor (see next entry below)? Or stay home and watch the premiere of Au Pair 3: Adventure in Paradise, featuring Gerrit Graham, on the ABC Family Channel? Au Pair 3 will be airing several times that day (and so will the other two, non-Gerrit-featuring, Au Pair movies -- it's apparently Au Pair day on Family Channel), so check your local listings for details; maybe you can do both. (That may be the worst-punctuated sentence we've ever posted to the Archives.)
February 22, 2009 - Edgar Wright to Present Phantom in Toronto on March 15
Edgar Wright, the director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, will be hosting a screening of Phantom at the Bloor Cinema in our Principal Archivist's hometown, Toronto Canada, on March 15. Phantom will screen at 9pm, and is double-billed with Dames, which screens at 7pm. Edgar's a huge Phantom fan, and this promises to be a great time. More information here.
December 27, 2008 - Austin Film Society Screening Phantom on February 3
The Austin Film Society will show Phantom of the Paradise as part of its "Essential Cinema" series, at the Alamo South Lamar in Austin. The film will be projected from a DVCAM tape, which is better than DVD, but not as nice as good old 35mm. In a virtual orgy of high quality cinema, they'll be showing some other De Palma features as well: Hi, Mom on January 20; Sisters on January 27; and Carrie on February 10. More information here.
December 26, 2008 - Fox Legacy Presenting Phantom Again for New Year's
In case you missed it on Hallowe'en, Fox Movie Channel will again be airing their Fox Legacy segment on Phantom of the Paradise, on January 1, 2, and 3, 2009. See our entry for September 23 below for more info on this, and check your local listings for times.
December 10, 2008 - John Alvin Exhibition and Interview
Artinsights, a gallery that specializes in art by John Alvin (who was the artist behind the Phantom album cover and Style A poster, and who unfortunately died last year), has posted a never-before-seen four-part interview with John, shot in 2007, on Youtube. Part 1 can be seen here. As well, Artinsights is curating, at their Reston, VA gallery, a show of original art from throughout his amazing career. (Alvin was responsible for the key art for almost 150 film campaigns over the last 35 years.) The show runs through February 6, 2009, and there's original art available for purchase.
December 7, 2008 - Yet More Deleted Footage Coming Soon
We thought we were done, but there's more: In the next couple of weeks, we'll be posting a few more clips to the Outtakes and Swan Song Fiasco pages of the site. If you ever wanted to know what the rest of the names on the Death Records receptionist's filecard list were, for example, stay tuned! Update: The footage is now up on the site on our Production page and our Swan Song Fiasco page.
October 15, 2008 - The Swan Archives Recommends an Insightful New Phantom Article
It's not often that we read something about Phantom that makes us think "I wish I had written that," or "I never thought of that" but scholar/critic/smart-guy Philip Auslander has posted a really nice piece in The Art Section, which you can read here. Auslander makes a convincing case that "whereas a film such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show...celebrates the glam sensibility as liberatory, [Phantom] treats glam rock as just another product purveyed by an essentially corrupt music industry that has sold out whatever idealism rock music may have reflected in the 1960s." Trust us: though we're not in complete agreement with everything Auslander has to say here, it's a good read.
October 6, 2008 - Jessica Harper to Co-Host Phantom Fox Legacy Segment
We hear that Jessica Harper will be co-hosting, along with Fox Legacy host, 20th Century Fox Chairman-and-Phoenix-husband Tom Rothman, the Phantom of the Paradise segment of Fox Legacy mentioned in our September 23 announcement below.
October 6, 2008 - Gerrit Graham will be at the Manitoba Comic Con
Gerrit, who played one of the Q's on Star Trek: Voyager, will be back in Winnipeg, along with John De Lancie (who played the other one, on Next Generation) and many others, on October 11 and 12. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.ca
September 23, 2008 - Phantom to be Featured on Fox Legacy on Halloween
Phantom of the Paradise will be the featured film on October 31, 2008 on Fox Movie Channel's Fox Legacy series. This is a series in which Tom Rothman (Fox's Chairman, and also Jessica Harper's husband) introduces the evening's film with a ten minute monologue about it, usually accompanied by visuals that reinforce whatever he's got to say, and then has a few more words to say after the film's conclusion. In the past, the series has featured The Omen, Gentlemen's Agreement, and Romeo and Juliet, and Edward Scissorhands. The Swan Archives is proud to have assisted this production by lending Fox some materials from our collection...we're looking forward to Hallowe'en!
September 16, 2008 - Gerrit Graham to Appear in Portland, OR
Gerrit will make an appearance in Portland Oregon, at the Laurelhurst Theater, in conjunction with their 9:30 showing of Used Cars, on September 27. Meet Gerrit, and get him to sign your plunger!
September 10, 2008 - More Outtakes/Unused Footage!
The Swan Archives has just gotten hold of another (probably the last) batch of Phantom outtakes, most on the original 35mm camera negatives. It's been sitting in film cans since 1974, untouched. It's been posted to our Production/Outtakes page and our Production/Swan Song Fiasco page (some on each page; check both!). The stuff is amazing, and, like our previously-found footage, has never been viewed anywhere, by anyone.
April 24, 2008 - Coming Soon: Outtakes/Unused Footage!
Up to now, the only unused footage from Phantom known to exist was a few frames of Winslow's head getting mooshed and his run across the record factory floor, which you can see on our main Production page and our Swan Song Fiasco page, respectively. But, after all these years, we've finally found it: The Swan Archives has located and obtained what we're pretty sure are the only other surviving examples of Phantom outtakes. This newly discovered material (we'd estimate it's around seven or eight minutes' worth) has been in a film can since 1974, and has never before been seen, by anyone. We can't wait to show it to you, and we're busily converting it from 35mm film to digital format for posting here at www.swanarchives.org. We hope to have it up in the next week. If you're on dialup, you might want to invest in a faster internet connection, just for this. UPDATE May 5, 2008: We've posted the footage here.
April 9, 2008 - Larry Pizer Has Died
Cinematographer Larry Pizer died of cancer at the age of 82 this past February. Mr. Pizer was the director of photography on Phantom, and also on the De Palma-shot Bruce Springsteen video, Dancing in the Dark, as well as numerous other features, including Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare. He appears briefly in Paradise Regained, the documentary featurette on Phantom available on the French special edition DVD set from Opening.
February 8, 2008 - R.I.P., John Alvin
Movie poster artist John Alvin, who created the artwork used on Phantom's album cover and original-release posters, died unexpectedly at 59 years old on Wednesday. In addition to his fine work on the Phantom campaign, John was responsible for the marketing art for somewhere around 200 other films, and was a great friend to the Archives, having provided us, from his personal collection, with his original painting of the Phantom artwork. While we knew John only through phone conversations and as a delightful email correspondent, it's a very sad day for us here. Our thoughts are with John's wife and daughter.
December 14, 2007 - Redacted DVD Release Date: February 19, 2008
De Palma's Redacted will be released in the US on DVD on February 19. The DVD will feature a behind the scenes featurette and refugee interviews.
December 4, 2007 - Happy Days Original Cast Recording Available for Pre-Order
The original cast recording of Paul Williams' new stage musical, Happy Days, will be released on January 8, 2008, and is available for preorder from the usual places. The first incarnation of this musical ran for a while at Garry Marshall's Falcon Theater in Burbank, initially with former member of New Kids on the Block Joey McIntyre playing Fonzie; our understanding is that this recording features the cast of the more recent production at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse this past October.
December 3, 2007 - Hopes Continue for New Stage Production
There is A New Hope that movement toward a stage musical production of Phantom (which came close to fruition at one point in the late 1980's) might finally be starting to gain momentum. Over the past couple of years, prodded by producer Gina Rugolo and Donovan Leitch (who is apparently interested in playing the role of Winslow), the various rights-holders have come together towards an agreement that would permit such a project to go forward. Auditions were held in February of 2007 for a workshop/lab which would have been directed in Los Angeles by Brian De Palma, who we understand was pulled away at the last minute when the opportunity to make Redacted fell into place. The principals are still talking enthusiastically about how and where to bring Phantom to the stage, and we wish them godspeed.
November 17, 2007 - Paul Williams to Appear at Phantom Screening in Los Angeles
The New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles will be screening Phantom and Bugsy Malone on December 2, 2007, and Paul Williams (who of course wrote the songs for Bugsy) will be there for a Q&A. Show starts at 7:30pm. (The sharp-eared will notice that Phantom's Archie Hahn dubs Bugsy's singing voice.)
September 8, 2007 - De Palma Wins Best Director at Venice
Brian De Palma has won the Silver Lion award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival for his work on Redacted. We at the Archives are anticipating a roadtrip to New York to catch this one at the festival there in early October. Meanwhile, we couldn't be happier for Mr. De Palma; congratulations, sir. UPDATE October 10, 2007: Our review of Redacted appears here.
August 25, 2007 - Redacted to Play the Festivals
De Palma's latest, Redacted, will get its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and will also be screened at the Deauville Festival of American Film, in France, the Toronto Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival.
August 25, 2007 - Gerrit Graham to Appear in Au Pair III
Gerrit was unable to attend Phantompalooza 2.5 earlier this year because he was in Puerto Rico filming a made-for-television film called Au Pair III, which is expected to air sometime this Fall, probably on The ABC Family Channel. Gerrit will be playing a character called Rupert.
April 7, 2007 - Gerrit Graham Canceled
The Phantompalooza Organizing Committee has announced that Gerrit Graham has canceled his scheduled appearance at the next Phantompalooza-sponsored event, due to a late-breaking movie commitment. They promise to provide a substitute programme of interest to Phantom fans, including highlights of previous Phantompaloozas, a live band, a memorabilia auction, and more.
March 26, 2007 - Phantompalooza to Present Gerrit Graham in Winnipeg
The Phantompalooza Organizing Committee has announced that the next Phantompalooza-sponsored event is to be an Intimate Evening with Gerrit Graham. The event will take place on April 28, in Winnipeg's Park Theater, which has only a couple hundred seats, so tickets (which go on sale March 30 through TicketWeb and at the Park Theater box office) are expected to sell out quickly. We anticipate that Graham will discuss Phantom and other career highlights, and that clips of his work in other films will be shown. The Organizing Committee will also be using the occasion as a DVD release party, for their collection of footage from prior Phantompaloozas. If the event is anything like those other productions, we can expect a live band, food and (this being Winnipeg) drink, and plenty of surprises.
March 12, 2007 - Medicom Now Selling Empty Death Records Boxes
In perhaps the most shameful exploitation of Phantom fans ever seen, Medicom Toys of Japan is now selling empty boxes. Their Death Records boxes are duplicates of the boxes seen in the record factory. They ship flat, and you unfold them. 3,990 Yen gets you five empty boxes, but they only ship to recipients within Japan.
March 10, 2007 - Paul Williams to Appear at Donovan Leitch Femmes and Phantoms Show in Los Angeles
Actor Donovan Leitch will be doing a tribute of sorts to the music of Phantom and Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles on March 27, and Paul Williams is scheduled to appear. Tickets available at Ticketmaster or the Roxy box office.
February 27, 2007 - Limited Edition Phantom Helmet Available Briefly
Medicom Toy Company of Japan is offering a limited edition full size reproduction of the Phantom helmet, but only taking orders until March 5, 2007, and only for delivery within Japan.
February 19, 2007 - French Phantom Disc Voted Best of the Year
The French Union of Film Critics tonight has voted Opening's Special Edition DVD of Phantom of the Paradise the best single DVD release of 2006.
January 31, 2007 - Phantompalooza Event Planned for April 28, 2007
Something is brewing in Winnipeg, as the Phantompalooza site has put up a teaser, and April 28 is a date of significance up there. We'll be holding our calendar open.
January 22, 2007 - New Phantom Action Figure Coming from Medicom in April 2007
Medicom Toy Corporation (http://www.medicomtoy.co.jp) , the Japanese toy maker that brought us the limited edition Phantom/Winslow action figures in 1999, has preannounced the release (on April 30, 2007) of their new limited edition Phantom of the Paradise "Version 2" figure. The 12-inch figure will come with dagger and plunger, display stand, and articulated helmet visor so you can lift the faceplate up and see Winslow's scarred face underneath. Available for preorder for $159.99 at http://www.monstersinmotion.com.
January 22, 2007 - Phantom Remake Rumors Just Won't Die
Producer Ed Pressman's website, http://www.pressman.com , has been listing a remake of Phantom of the Paradise as "coming soon" since before the Earth's crust cooled. As far as we at the Archives know, however, this project is still in the "yeah, and pigs'll fly outta my butt" stage of development. Should anything get more definite, we'll let you know as soon as we know.
January 22, 2007 - De Palma's Next Project: Redacted
Brian De Palma will be beginning production in early April on Redacted, a montage of stories about soldiers in the Iraq war, emphasizing new media war coverage, like websites, youtube posts, and blogs. Next up after Redacted is The Untouchables: Capone Rising, a prequel to The Untouchables, which will tell the story of Malone's relationship with Capone in both men's younger days.
January 22, 2007 - Paul Williams to Play in The Philippines, Escondito
Paul Williams has lined up a series of gigs in the Philippines, from February 10 through February 15, and in Escondito, California on February 17. See http://www.paulwilliamsconnection.org for details. He'll also be serving as a panelist at the ASCAP Expo in Los Angeles, April 19-21.
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All inquiries should be directed by email to archivist at swanarchives.org. The words "grand guignol" appear nowhere on this site. All website text, design, and coding is Copyright 2006-2011, Ari the Principal Archivist. No claim is made to the copyrighted works, trademarks or service marks of Harbor Productions, 20th Century Fox or A&M Records, and The Swan Archives is in no way affiliated with any of these entities.
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