Has anyone seen the re-release of Samuel Fuller's The Big Red One (Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill)?

The good...

LA Weekly Scott Foundas
To see this seamless "reconstruction" - consisting of some 15 entirely new sequences as well as augmentations to 23 others - is to behold a masterpiece revealed.

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan
What the movie may lack in "Saving Private Ryan"-style gloss, it more than makes up for in authenticity, or, in other words, heart.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard
The combination of old-time Hollywood valor and ahead-of-its-time surprises makes this restoration a big event.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Hard-boiled, filled with action, held together by male camaraderie, directed with a lean economy of action. It's one of the most expensive B-pictures ever made, and I think that helps it fit the subject. "A" war movies are about War, but "B" war movies are about soldiers. (Review of Original Release)

The not-so-go-good...

Washington Post Stephen Hunter
Though 45 minutes longer than the original release, still feels thinner, less complex, more mythic and far less compelling.

I've never seen this movie, but would like to see it on the big screen during its current, limited theatrical run.

fixed.

Classic film...

I've always loved this film...can't wait until the DVD release.

For those in the in the NY area, it's playing at the Jacob Burns film center in Westchester in February.

http://www.burnsfilmcenter.org/FilmP....htm#bigredone

As I recall Entertainment Weekly's review gave the film a C rating.

A friend of mine, who doesn't particularly like war movies, saw this at the NY Film Festival in early October - and thought it was one of the best things he'd seen all year. I'm really looking forward to catching up with this one.

I did not know about this, but when I read the title I tought great another lame ass sequal.

or a live action version of Clifford: The Big Red Dog

It's hard-boiled, hilarious, disjointed, and at times absolutely gonzo. In other words, an extraordinary picture, especially for fans of Fuller. Don't expect a clean, fluid narrative, it's all about the visceral and psychological. And Lee Marvin kicks ass.

Schickel did add the sparse narration, which may be too on-the-nose at some points, but still helpful in keeping track of the thin narrative strand.

Any news of more theatrical dates for this? I live in Baltimore and would love to see it on the big screen.

i doubt it will make it here in the hinterlands, however, i do look forward to a possible dvd release.

kms

Saw it tonight at the Oak Street Cinema here in Minneapolis.

Loved it.

Didn't feel it was too long at all. Epic filmmaking, great Lee Marvin character, and overall satisfying war movie experience.

hope the belcourt gets it...can't wait

If you hear of screenings let me know, I missed the AFI Silver Theatre (Silver Spring, Maryland) screenings.

Glad to hear it.

I noticed today that it is no longer playing at Oak Street. That sucks because I was planning on catching it tomorrow.

Big Red One The Reconstruction is excellent. Lee Marvin is very good. I would say if you can definitely see it on the big screen. The three hours or so (with no intermission) went by fast .

It's been playing this last week at the Nuart in West Los Angeles . After the final show last night there was an audience Q&A with the restoration editor Bryan McKenzie, and with Sam Fuller's widow. Some things that were mentioned:

The editor said the work started last January and was very rushed so it could be shown at Cannes in May 2004. He wished there'd been more time to work on it.
They used Sam Fuller's own hand-notated shooting script as the restoration guide to insert the new 45 minutes of footage (15 entirely new sequences and augmentations to 23 others according to one article). He said the first DVD test pressings are being done right about now. The DVD should have even more footage that didn’t make it into the restoration.

The 1980 butchered release was 113 minutes, this restoration is 158 minutes. Fuller's original 4½ hour (!) cut has been completely lost. Apparently the studio at the time just thought of it as that summer’s Lee Marvin action flick.

Mrs. Fuller said it was a deathbed wish of her husband that this film be restored as he made it, and she's been pushing it since then (1997). And she mentioned more than once about how autobiographical the movie is. Also her part (as a countess) is in one of the restored sequences.

The theater manager mentioned the box office was excellent the past week at the Nuart, so it’s getting to play for another week at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood (it’s pretty unusual for a film to move from that art house to a regular theater). He also mentioned that if it continues to do well the coming week in L.A. that it might roll out to other cities before the DVD release later in the year.