JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby Jox on 29 Dec 2021, 12:05

Before The Matrix, Johnny Mnemonic and Hackers led the internet movies of the '90s
https://www.cnet.com/news/hackers-25-jo ... -internet/

Meanwhile a rival production in Canada was having the opposite experience. Visual artist and music video director Robert Longo dreamed of a black-and-white arthouse film based on William Gibson's short story Johnny Mnemonic, about a courier who uploads digital files into an implant in his brain. Gibson wrote the script, but despite his success as bestselling author of cyberpunk novels like Neuromancer -- in which he coined the term "cyberspace" -- it proved difficult to raise the $1 million they needed. "You're not asking for enough money," Gibson told Longo, and eventually Sony's Tristar studio financed a bigger production with Val Kilmer in the lead role. Keanu Reeves took over after Kilmer dropped out. But when Speed boosted him into an action superstar, Tristar began to see the film as a popcorn summer blockbuster.

The suits imposed reshoots, complaining the action wasn't being taken seriously and the footage was too dark. Longo also had to employ guerrilla filmmaking tactics on his own set, moving the camera himself when the crew was at lunch so he could get the shot he wanted. Speaking on the phone from New York, Longo's memories are peppered with entertaining asides about who was "evil," "a dick," "an idiot" or "a fucking idiot."

"I had a lot of great people working with me, don't get me wrong," says Longo. He fondly recalls executive producer Staffan Ahrenberg, who helped get the movie rolling, and production designer Nilo Rodis-Jamero, who developed the film's riotously imaginative aesthetic. But the movie was ultimately taken out of Longo's hands and re-edited to compete at the summer box office against Braveheart, Die Hard with a Vengeance and Batman Forever (the one with Val Kilmer).

"I would say maybe 55% of the film I'm happy with," sighs Longo.

It might be a mess, but you can't say Johnny Mnemonic is short on ideas. The eclectic cast includes: rapper Ice-T and punk rocker Henry Rollins; Japanese icon Takeshi Kitano in a rare (mostly) English-language role; Dolph Lundgren dressed like Jesus; and an ex-military dolphin that reads minds. What's not to love?

Gibson drew from across his books and stories to posit a nightmarish near-future of "terminal capitalism," plagued by cut-throat corporations and unregulated body modifications. One of the film's big themes is addiction to technology, and Longo compares Johnny Mnemonic's "parasitic" brain implants to today's smartphones that feel to us like a phantom limb. As Henry Rollins' character says in the film: "Electronics around you poisoning the airwaves... But we still have all this shit, because we can't live without it!"
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby Jox on 05 Jan 2022, 21:42

Robert Longo's black and white version has actually been available on iTunes & Apple TV since December 23 (US)!
https://mobile.twitter.com/SonyPicsHome ... 3448187938
https://www.facebook.com/sonypicturesho ... 5534937638
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Plug into all-new digital extras, including an alternate black & white version of the film - #JohnnyMnemonic is Now on Digital: https://bit.ly/MnemonicExtras

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Includes a 25 minutes conversation with Keanu Reeves, Robert Longo and William Gibson

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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby Jox on 10 Mar 2022, 20:00

101 FILMS just announced a new release for the UK out April 25th (no B&W version though)
https://101-films-store.com/collections ... ed-edition
Brand New Extras:
• Audio commentary by film critic Rich Johnson
• Limited Edition Booklet: Features 'Future Proof: A Cyberpunk 101' by Rich Johnson and 'The Semiotic Ghosts of William Gibson' by Brian J. Robb
• Limited Edition packaging with new artwork by Lucas Peverill
• Set of six art cards - reproductions of Spanish lobby cards

Additional Extras:
Tomorrow Calling (1993), a short film adaptation of William Gibson's short story The Gernsback Continuum
• Commentary with director Robert Longo
• Japanese Director's cut (SD)
• Featurette
• Behind the Scenes
• Interviews from the shoot
• Music video
• Trailer

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Since it's not listed in the "brand new extras", I assume Robert Longo's commentary is the same that was recorded for the 2017 German release.


EDIT:
Here's what 101 Films replied when asked about the B&W version:
Hard to say when or if that’ll be available for license in the UK. We tried but no luck. In any case we couldn’t delay this release indefinitely, with no solid idea of when or if it will be.
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby lhz on 12 Mar 2022, 20:36

I hold my breath when I started to read your post about this new UK release but too bad they didn't include (or couldn't regarding the response they addressed to you) the B&W cut.
Nice package and good to have the Japanese cut though (despite it still SD).
I appreciate the disc itself comes with an amaray case.

I think I will order it anyway for the sake of dolphism :mrgreen:

Our main problem still remains though as we (residents living outside from US) are still not able to watch the B&W cut anywhere and nobody around seems to be able to watch it and provide us some feedback...
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby Jox on 13 Mar 2022, 12:07

What's puzzling about the B&W version is how little did Sony communicate about it apart from 1 Twitter post (and how it's hidden even for US customers so you have to pay for the original cut and only find the B&W cut as an "extra")... Unless Robert Longo covered all the costs by himself?
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby 13school on 15 Mar 2022, 15:56

I suspect - based on zero actual information - that Sony was putting this together in the hope that The Matrix: Resurrections would be a big hit. Then the black and white edition of Johnny Mnemonic could take advantage of the rekindled audience interest in seeing Keanu Reeves in cyberpunk movies and everyone wins.

But when Matrix 4 just did ok as far as box office and streaming goes, Sony realised that releasing the B&W version wasn't going to be the easy money they'd hoped. Being outside the US, I really hope this doesn't mean they've just dumped it on iTunes and walked away, as without some kind of physical edition I have no idea how I'm ever going to see the B&W version.
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby Jox on 22 Mar 2022, 22:34

Japan’s Takeshi Kitano to Receive Far East Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235114405/



Screening of JOHNNY MNEMONIC IN BLACK AND WHITE in Italy this Friday March 25th
http://www.iuav.it/NEWS---SAL/newsletter/
Johnny Mnemonic in Black & White
proiezione in lingua originale del film di Robert Longo
presentazione di Vera Dika, New Jersey City University
evento organizzato dal master MOVIES – Moving Images Arts
25 marzo 2022 ore 18
Venezia, Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Palazzetto Tito
Dorsoduro 2826
ingresso libero su prenotazione a info@bevilacqualamasa.it
[locandina] (PDF)

Screenshot 2022-03-22 at 20.33.45.jpg
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby lhz on 24 Mar 2022, 00:47

Jox wrote:Screening of JOHNNY MNEMONIC IN BLACK AND WHITE in Italy this Friday March 25th

Fingers crossed for an hypothetical screening in France !
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby Jox on 04 Apr 2022, 17:53

Jox wrote:101 FILMS just announced a new release for the UK out April 25th (no B&W version though)
https://101-films-store.com/collections ... ed-edition

Pushed back to May 9th:
RELEASE DATE CHANGE
Apologies to all those who have pre-ordered, but due to a couple of logistical issues we are having to move the release date of JOHNNY MNEMONIC back a fortnight.
The new release date is Monday 9th May, although we will ship orders on the 101 Store as soon as stock is received.
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby Jox on 24 Apr 2022, 14:21

https://mobile.twitter.com/theaterbyte/ ... 9323400193
TheaterByte @theaterbyte

Latest bluray check disc in for review from @101FilmsUK
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Re: JOHNNY MNEMONIC (Robert Longo, 1995)

Postby Jox on 06 May 2022, 20:38

French promo video poster

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