The Bootleg Files: The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 712: “The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood” (1965 television special starring Liza Minnelli).

LAST SEEN: On DailyMotion.com.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On a highly dubious label.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The absence of the original color production.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely at all.

During the 1960s, the Christmas season brought a glut of holiday-oriented productions to television. But for every “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that became an instant classic, there were scores of efforts that never clicked with audiences and became quickly forgotten.
Continue reading →

The Bootleg Files: Snack Boy

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 711: “Snack Boy” (1998-2001 online video series starring Terry Crummitt).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Long-forgotten pioneering production of online-exclusive entertainment.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely at all.

Did you ever stop and ask yourself: where did the concept of an online video star begin? After all, we are currently overburdened with characters who have become rich and famous by making wacky videos for YouTube. But there had to be a time and place where this show business phenomenon actually took root, yes?
Continue reading →

The Bootleg Files: Love

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 710: “Love” (newly bootlegged version of a copyright-protected restoration of a 1919 comedy short starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbucke).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: This just appeared online two days ago.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Someone must have thought it was okay to rip off the presentation because the source material is public domain.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely at all.

The basic premise of this column is to highlight rare film and television productions that can only be seen in bootlegged prints and unauthorized online video postings. The column has never encouraged bootlegging of copyright-protected work. On occasion, this column has considered public domain titles that are the subject of endless duping because of their lapsed copyrights – and in too many cases, the only way that one can appreciate those works is by enduring the duped versions.
Continue reading →

The Bootleg Files: Yogi Bear and the Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 709: “Yogi Bear and the Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No” (1966 spoken-word album).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

FORMAT RELEASE: As a long-playing vinyl album.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Out of print for many years.

CHANCES OF SEEING A CD RELEASE: Not likely.

This week’s column is different from the others because the focus is not on a film or a television production. Instead, we are revisiting a record album that combines the personalities of pop culture icons into a jolly spoof of mad scientist movies. Indeed, it is a major shame that this offering was only captured on vinyl and not on film.
Continue reading →

The Bootleg Files: White Zombie

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 708: “White Zombie” (1932 horror film starring Bela Lugosi).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A copyright infringement accusation at the beginning of its production and a lapsed copyright after its release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: There has yet to be a truly pristine commercial release of this title.

When “White Zombie” opened in New York in 1932, the critics were scathing in their denunciations. Words like “ridiculous,” “ludicrous,” “failure” and “Worst Movie of 1932” peppered the reviews. And while the critical slams did not scare away audiences, it nonetheless saddled the film with a negative reputation that required decades of repeated screenings and new generations of film scholars to mitigate the initial wave of abuse.
Continue reading →

The Bootleg Files: The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 707: “The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t” (1979 TV special with Judd Hirsch and Mariette Hartley).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: A VHS video release only.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Something is holding up a DVD and Blu-ray release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not a priority.

So, how was your Halloween? If you wish the holiday could go on a bit longer, then you came to the right place because we are digging up one of the silliest productions centered around October 31.
Continue reading →

The Bootleg Files: El Sartorio

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 706: “El Sartorio” (1907 Argentine porn film).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: I have no idea – maybe in an anthology of old smut flicks.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The underground nature of early 20th century porn resulted in endless bootlegging.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not as a standalone, and probably not in a documentary on Argentine cinema.

The most widely seen film produced in Argentina was not one of Leopoldo Torre-Nilson’s political dramas or the Oscar-winning gems “The Official Story” and “The Secret in Their Eyes.” Instead, it is a smutty silent short of a mysterious origin that has gained contemporary notability for being among the oldest surviving examples of pornographic cinema.
Continue reading →