10 Movies That Hollywood Won't Let You See
When The Interview was pulled from release earlier this week, it joined a rare (but not necessary elite) group of high-profile movies that experienced a bumpy road to release. And while it’s rare for a completed film to be permanently shelved, it has happened in the past — usually because of either copyright issues or garden-variety embarrassment. Here are 10 movies suppressed by stars and studios — some of which you can now watch, thanks to the magic of the Internet.
1. The Day the Clown Cried (1972)
Why It Disappeared: The most notorious of unreleased films is this bizarre tragi-comic Holocaust fable, in which director Jerry Lewis plays a circus clown who entertains children in a Nazi concentration camp. It was never released or even formally screened, in part due to a financing dispute, but largely because Lewis wasn’t happy with the final product. Only a handful of people have seen it, including actor Harry Shearer, who has commented extensively on its awe-inspiring awfulness. Jerry Lewis told EW last year that only one copy exists in the world, in a hidden place, and he intends to keep it there.
Can I Watch It? You will never, ever see this movie. But you can watch the behind-the-scenes footage, above, that was discovered last year.
2. Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)
Why It Disappeared: Patrick Swayze made his screen debut as a dancing skater in this roller-disco cash-in flick, which also featured Maureen McCormick (aka Marcia Brady) and Scott Baio. The low-budget film has never been released on home video, possibly because of copyright issues with its hits-of-the-’70s soundtrack, and possibly because it’s just really bad. “I have blocked that movie from my memory, it was so bad,” Baio told the AV Club in April.
Can I See It? Yes. Sony has pulled it from the Internet in the past, but for now, there’s a full version available in segments on YouTube. Clips, like Swayze’s solo dance above, are easy to find, as are adorable pictures of Swayze hanging out with wife Lisa Neimi at the afterparty.
3. Cocksucker Blues (1972)
Why It Disappeared: This infamous Rolling Stones documentary, directed by photographer Robert Frank, embarrassed the band with its candid look at their debauched backstage culture, including heroin use and groupie sex. The Stones have attempted to suppress the film ever since it was completed. Under the current court order, it may only be screened four times a year, and only when Frank is present.
Can I See It? Only if you can track down a bootleg. A few scenes from the 93-minute film are also available on YouTube.
4. Song of the South(1946)
Why It Disappeared: Despite containing one of Disney’s most popular songs, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” and characters that still inhabit theme parks, this combination animated/live-action musical has been locked in Disney’s “vault” since the mid-’80s. The film’s portrayalof happily subservient African-American Southerners in the Reconstruction era was controversial from the time it was released. Despite this, Disney re-released the film in theaters five times over the following decades, retiring it after a 40th anniversary screening in 1986. The full movie has never appeared on home video in the U.S., and has been out of print internationally since the ’90s.
Can I Watch It? Disney cracked down on Internet copies and unauthorized DVD sales last year. But bootlegs abound, and for now, you can watch it on YouTube.
5. Don’s Plum (2001)
Why It Disappeared: In 1995, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire agreed to appear in buddy R.D. Robb’s mostly improvised short film, Saturday Night Club. But when Robb turned the movie into the full-length feature Don’s Plum and attempted to sell it to distributors, his big-name stars got cold feet. In 1998, Robb filed a lawsuit against Maguire and DiCaprio (now a superstar, thanks to Titanic) accusing them of sabotaging Don’s Plum because its crude humor would damage their Hollywood images. The agreement they ultimately reached allows the film to be shown only outside of the U.S. and Canada.
Can I See It? You can watch the Leonardo DiCaprio scenes on YouTube, but be warned: He comes off like a total jackass in most of them. Bootleg copies can also be found online.
6. Frat House (1998)
Why It Disappeared: Before he made Old School or The Hangover, Todd Phillips went deep into one college fraternity’s appalling hazing rituals for this HBO-commissioned documentary. It never aired, following allegations by fraternity members that footage had been faked. Phillips denies fabricating any of his footage, though he did tell Vice that his style of documentary filmmaking involves manipulating “everybody in the room to say exactly what you want them to say.”
Can I Watch It? Knock yourself out. The full hour-long documentary (NSFW) can be seen above.
7. Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four (1994)
Why It Disappeared: Stan Lee, who created the Fantastic Four characters for Marvel Comics, claims it was never intended for release in the first place. In 2005, Lee told Los Angeles magazine that German producer Bernd Eichinger made the low-budget superhero film to retain the rights to the characters. (Eichinger went on to produce the 2005 Fantastic Four blockbuster at Fox.) Producer Roger Corman denied this, saying that his $1.4 million superhero film, in all its rubber-suited, green-screened glory, was headed for the big screen before it was abruptly pulled by Marvel exec Avi Arad. Doomed!, a feature-length documentary that attempts to sort out what happened to Corman’s film, was released independently this year.
Can I Watch It? Though the film was never released, a copy did leak at some point. You can buy the film from your favorite comic convention bootlegger, or view it one segment at a time on YouTube.
8. The Brave (1997)
Why It Disappeared: Better known as “the movie that Johnny Depp directed,” this depressing drama stars Depp a broke Native American alcoholic who agrees to be killed in a snuff film in order to get money for his wife and children. It’s notable because Depp pal Marlon Brando makes a cameo as the man funding the film, and delivers one of his trademark probably improvised monologues. The reportedly terrible film played at Cannes and was released internationally, but had no domestic home video or theatrical release.
Can I Watch It? If you own a multi-region DVD player, you can purchase a used Region 2 DVD. There are a few clips floating around, but sadly, the only way you can see Brando’s monologue on YouTube is dubbed in Italian.
9. Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987)
Why It Disappeared: This unauthorized biopic uses the surprisingly affecting device of telling Karen Carpenter’s story with Carpenters songs and Barbie dolls. Director Todd Haynes, a future Oscar nominee for Far From Heaven, made the short film in graduate school and showed it at film festivals. But Haynes failed to get the proper clearances for the music, and Superstar was quickly suppressed by a copyright-infringement lawsuit from Karen Carpenter’s brother, Richard (who is played by a Ken doll in the movie).
Can I Watch It? You can! The film can be viewed in its entirety above.
10. Nothing Lasts Forever (1984)
Why It Disappeared: MGM decided that the black-and-white feature debut of SNL director Tom Schiller was too artsy for a theatrical release — despite featuring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, then two of the hottest stars on the planet. The retro-futuristic comedy has never been released on home video either, probably due to copyright hurdles with the vintage film footage Schiller spliced into his story.
Can I Watch It? The film is screened occasionally at art houses. Bootleg copies are out there, though the one that appeared on YouTube this summer has been taken down.
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