For those that saw it, Peter Bogdanovich’s final film – 2014’s She’s Funny that Way, was a bit of a disappointment. The first wholly original property since he was relegated to a gun for hire for suing Universal for changing the music in Mask – was supposed to be the triumphant return for one of the great American auteurs. But instead of a continuation of the likes of Targets, The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, it felt flat and devoid of the director’s once great voice. Had the director lost touch and relevancy? This was answered a few years ago when a digital tape of the lost director’s cut of She’s Funny that Way was found in an abandoned storage locker, ending up on of all places ebay.
James Kenney, a Bogdanovich super fan found the tape online, labeled with the film’s original title Squirrels to the Nuts, purchased it, and had it transferred, quickly realizing it was the lost director’s cut of the film that was completely different and ran almost 30 minutes longer. Since the film was the director’s first new original project in some time, when the studio decided to revamp his vision according to test screenings, Bogdanovich remained silent rather than rocking the boat. It happens all the time, and the director who was happy he was finally back in the game, thought his first film back was simply a necessary casualty to get him in Hollywood’s good graces, showing he could play the game again.
Kenny contacted the director who was thankfully still alive at the time and the two worked together to get the film out there, first screening in the rep circuit only to land on VOD this week, sadly with little to no fanfare whatsoever. The film is now a proper screwball comedy in the truest sense of the word that has these new actors Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Kathryn Hahn and Imogen Poots in a film that while dealing with some daring subject matter – feels channeled from a simpler time. It’s nothing short of a delight and if you’re one of those folks with their TV locked into TCM, you’re definitely going to love this. I know it’s streaming now on Youtube, Xfinity and a few others for a mere $5.99, here’s hoping for a physical media release. I am looking at you Criterion!
