Review: "The Other Side of the Wind" is a Provocative, Messy Piece of Brilliance

Scene from The Other Side of the Wind

Even in death, it seemed like director Orson Welles couldn't catch a break. His directorial debut, the highly acclaimed Citizen Kane, was mired in controversy and protest from its early release - and his later films would only continue to be pushed through development hell and often funded in less conventional manners, whether they be taking bit parts in inferior works like Transformers: The Movie, or even editing adult films. Still, Welles was a man of passion and it shows in his final film, the incomplete The Other Side of the Wind which was incomplete at the time of death and once again mired in lawsuits that prolonged its release by 30+ years. Thanks to Netflix, it's finally here and it's a mirage of a filmmaker who continued to push boundaries, finding the limits of film to be endless and in the process making avant garde art. This final film, actually an attempt to restore good graces with the Hollywood studio system, is probably his most challenging and unique in a career full of challenging and unique projects. It's why it seems like an odd fit for Netflix, even if it's one of the greatest puzzles of 2018.

Netflix, FilmStruck, and Streaming Services' Problems with Film History

Scene from The Other Side of the Wind

For a lot of cinephiles, today is a very special occasion. Today is the day in which the long awaited Orson Welles film The Other Side of the Wind finally meets the light of day. Thanks to a lot of meticulous effort and the powers at Netflix, the film is currently available to stream online, including an additional documentary on the assembling of this perceptively lost film. With all of this said, there's a certain irony in the film being released by Netflix of all streaming services within the same month of the demise of FilmStruck. The Other Side of the Wind, at least aesthetically, is more suited to the classic and foreign cinema service that will be going belly-up on November 29, which will see a lot of Welles' other titles disappear. While this isn't exactly Netflix's fault, it may as well be because for those looking for great cinema in the vein of Welles, there's a good chance that it won't be there for much longer. 

R.I.P. Gene Allen (1918-2015)

Gene Allen

On October 7, 2015, art director Gene Allen passed away at the age of 97 in Newport Beach, California from natural causes. Among his many achievements, he won Best Art Direction-Set Direction for his work on the 1964 Best Picture winner My Fair Lady, of whom the director George Cuckor was a frequent collaborator of his. He spent 27 years leading the Art Director Guild from 1970-1997 and was president of The President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for three years from 1983-1985. His massive amount of work continues to be loved for film lovers everywhere for his vibrant style and attention to detail. He leaves behind an impressive catalog that is likely to stimulate your mind.

Birthday Take: Peter Bogdanovich in "The Last Picture Show" (1971)

Scene from The Last Picture Show

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.