Other Side of the Wind

Mark Mayerson passed on this terrific article on Orson Welles last completed film, 'Other Side of the Wind'. Welles shot the film over six years but never finished the editing. Peter Bogdanovich, a long time friend of Welles and an actor in the movie, has been trying to complete the film. Much of Welles later catalogue of films, including Chimes at Midnight and the re-release of Touch of Evil have seen legal complications due to Welles' daughter Beatrice or issues dealing with ownership of rights.

http://brightlightsfilm.com/55/windiv.htm

If you're interested in Welles' works then you should check out the Criterion Collection Dvds 'F for Fake' and 'Mr. Arkadin' aka 'Confidential Report'. Both feature beautiful transfers of these wonderful films as well as terrific supplementals. 'F For Fake' includes the great documentary 'Orson Welles: One-Man Band'. Orson Welles friend and confidant Oja Kodar was trusted with all of Welles collection of film works and graciously gave access to this work to the filmmakers. The documentary features Welles doing monologues, test footage from unrealized projects as well as some scenes from 'Other Side of the Wind'. The collection is quite impressive and a testament to the fact that Welles had kept busy, working on independant projects until the day he died. He died at his typewriter, working on original material.

Clifford Irving, one of the subjects of Welles 'F for Fake', is now featured in the upcoming film 'Hoax'. Irving became famous after claiming to have written the autobiography of the mysterious and eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. It turned out to be a hoax. If you have a desire to see the new film starring Richard Gere then you should absolutely check out the Criterion Collection's 'F for Fake'. The film is a rather complex 'essay' on the nature of fakery. Welles breaks away from traditional documentary techniques which pertain to retain a degree of objectivity. 'F for Fake' is very much a personal statement and is as whimsical as it is profound. The more I read about Welles, the more I feel that he too was as whimsical as he was profound.