We hope you’re as excited as we are that Vanilla Sky is finally (finally!) out on Blu-ray! We put lots of TLC into the release — which is why it took so long — but we hope you’ll find that the wait was worth it! There’s new artwork and menus, and a slew of new bonus features, all to accompany the original extras that were on the first DVD release back in 2002. Let us know what you think of the new deleted/extended scenes, especially the Alternate Ending.
Jeff on the set of Elizabethtown. Picture courtesy of Jeff Wexler.
Jeff Wexler has been working in the film industry since he was an intern on Harold and Maude back in 1971. His career spans more than four decades with such varied films as Foul Play, Being There, The Natural, Spaceballs, Independence Day, Fight Club and Mission Impossible III. We spoke on location working on his sixth film with Cameron, Aloha.
Looking back on your 40 year career in the film industry, I read that you had no plans to follow in your dad’s footsteps (preeminent cinematographer Haskell Wexler). Tell us how working a summer job on Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude changed your life?
I had been on sets with my father probably since about the age of two. I was very familiar with what goes on when making a movie but when I started to think about what I would do “when I grow up” it never crossed my mind that I would work on movies. I spent 5 years in college preparing to teach sociology at the college level. One summer I think my father felt that I had been in school long enough and needed a summer job. Of course he got me a job on a movie, working as a production assistant in the Art Department on Harold and Maude. I had known Hal Ashby from times spent going to dailies with my father, visiting the editing room (Hal was an Academy Award winning editor on several movies my father had shot), so I was quite comfortable on the set again, with people I knew. What I was not prepared for was how I felt, for the first time, being on a movie, not as a visitor but as a participant. I fell in love with the movies. When the movie wrapped I made the decision: teaching was out — I would pursue a career working on movies.
Describe to our readers the duties of a Sound Mixer?
I am a Production Sound Mixer and it is the responsibility, with my crew, for all the sound that is recorded during production. This is primarily dialog recording, but we also record sound effects, ambiences, music (sometimes live performances depending on the movie). Many others will work on the soundtrack for a movie in post production (i.e. sound designer, sound editorial, foley, music composer, re-recording mixer, etc.) but the production sound recordings are the primary and fundamental basis for the movie.
Here’s a recap of yesterday’s Twitter chat that Cameron did with IMDB. I’ve reformatted it to make it easier to read (one paragraph answers, no hashtags, etc.).
For some reason romantic comedies seem to be a lost genre. What makes Aloha unique?
Only a matter of time until some reinvents the genre and makes it fresh again. It always begins with the characters, and the twists that make it real and unique. A great romantic comedy always has aches, along with the laughs. “Silver Linings Playbook” was a great romantic comedy. The new movie “The Overnight” is excellent, as was “Skeleton Twins.” “Aloha” has a lot of elements, one being romantic comedy in the style of the movie “Ninotchka,” that was a favorite of Emma Stone’s too.
How did you choose the cast?
Everything began with the great Emma Stone then we built from there. Emma was the catalyst. Bradley next. Then Rachel became available. Krasinski, McBride, Bill Murray. One by one, a dream cast developed. Always such a thrill to have Alec Baldwin with us too. We had a great time on “Elizabethtown.”
Aloha looks like a collision of the past & the future for Bradley’s character. Is that accurate?
It’s almost here! After many, many months of work (and your infinite patience), the Vanilla Sky Blu-ray will be released on June 30th. Listen, we know that our promised May date did not come to fruition, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. Sometimes scheduling delays are unavoidable for a variety of reasons, but with Warner officially announcing the release, the June 30th date is now final.
In addition to the brand new cover art (pictured above), the Blu-ray will include the theatrical version and the extended/alternate ending version (complete with commentary by Cameron on this alternate ending). Here’s a list of the extras:
Here’s an exclusive first look at the back cover and BD disc art:
Tom Cruise turns 52 today and it seems like the perfect time to honor the man with a few interviews that he did with Cameron. The first one with Interview magazine back in 1986 was his most in-depth to date. They discuss his early years, Top Gun, The Color of Money and much much more. We also recommend that you check out Cameron’s Vanity Fair interview with Tom from 2000.
Lastly, have you seen Edge of Tomorrow yet? In my humble opinion, it’s a perfect Summer movie. Very entertaining and funny too. Do check it out. Happy Birthday Tom!
Hot Shot in Top Gun
It has been three years since Tom Cruise made his starring debut as Joel Goodsen, the awakening young capitalist in Paul Brickman’s “Risky Business.” The movie was a perfect showcase for Cruise’s style – equal parts comic vulnerability and dramatic strength. When the family egg tumbled through the air at the end of “Risky Business”, audiences everywhere felt the full weight of Joel’s predicament. By the time it landed, Cruise had arrived.
Now 24, Cruise has worked steadily since that memorable turn, but due to a combination of lengthy schedules and production delays, he hasn’t been seen since 1983′s “All The Right Moves.” That hiatus is about to end. This year will see the release of three high-profile Cruise releases. First comes Ridley Scott’s long-awaited “Legend.” The summer blockbuster, “Top Gun” will hit theaters this month, and due in December is “The Color of Money,” Martin Scorsese’s sequel to “The Hustler.” Cruise stars as the pool playing protégé/nemesis of Fast Eddie – Paul Newman.
I spoke with Tom Cruise at the Columbus Dynasty Restaurant on New York’s Upper West Side. A model of manners, Cruise rarely missed an opportunity for a “sir” or “ma’am.” When our talk was over, he thanked the waitress, hoisted his backpack onto his shoulders and disappeared into a crowded subway, looking a lot like Joel Goodsen a long way from home.
Cameron Crowe: You’re someone who is associated with a lot of people’s adolescent thoughts and fantasies…
Tom Cruise: Yep, I’ve been laid just about everywhere. On the train, in the bedroom, on the stairs….[laughs]
Neal Preston is one of rock’s most celebrated and iconic photographers. Neal’s relationship with Cameron nearly goes back to the beginning of his illustrious career. We chatted with Neal on location in Hawaii about his career, his new iBook Led Zeppelin: Sound and Fury and much more.
When did you first meet Cameron? I know you guys worked together at Circus magazine and Rolling Stone, but had you met earlier while he was writing for the San Diego Door or Creem?
You know, I actually don’t recall the very first time we met — but I know that around the time we met he was definitely writing for the San Diego Door. I remember my girlfriend Bobbi (who was a publicist with rock p.r. agency Gershman, Gibson and Stromberg) shoving a copy of the Door in front of me, virtually demanding that I “read this kid’s stuff!! He’s only 14 years old!!!!”
Yeah, he could write, but what was far more astounding to me was that he was a really good ping pong player. There was a ping-pong table in the rec center where he lived. I was 5 years older than him, yet he probably beat me 80-90% of the time. I hated losing to him, more than he ever knew. In fact I’m still upset about it.
Can you believe it’s been more than 11 years since Vanilla Sky was released? We thought it we be fun to revisit Cameron’s Journalism piece from the Guardian, which includes an unlikely connection to Mr. Elvis Presley. Enjoy…
Welcome to another edition of Inquire Within… Through your submissions, Cameron will answer your questions in his own words.
Tony S.: Just wondering if there are any plans for a Blu-ray edition of Vanilla Sky?
Cameron: Thanks for the question, Tony. The fact is that we’ve been hearing more and more about Vanilla Sky lately. On our recent travels for We Bought A Zoo, there were a lot of questions about the movie, and a lot of passionate fans who wanted to discuss it. It’s fueled our desire here at Vinyl Films to start planning the Blu-ray, with a new commentary track, the original ending included, and a lot more Kurt Russell, Michael Shannon, and Tilda Swinton among other elements. I think ultimately it will come down to Paramount hearing from the fans, so feel free to write ’em and tell ’em you’re interested. It feels like the time has come back around for the movie, which was certainly polarizing in the day, coming as it did right after 9/11… but has now settled into its own psychedelic groove. Certainly would be a joy for all of us to dive back in and pull out some of the rarities that were such a big part of the early cuts of “V Sky.” Tech support!!
CC, TC and PC
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