p.s.:  was it Mr. Mark Linnett, whom we see so often in the film (even though he doesn't look a thing like Chuck Britz) that uttered the line "it's going to cost $5000" (when Brian wants to cancel a SMiLE session)?

Yep.

p.p.s.:  in the '60s scenes at Brian's home, and at the studio too, there were quite a few scenes w/ background individuals shooting a little 8mm movie camera

Good eye.

Paul Dano absolutely deserves a nomination. He dove headfirst into this role.

[Pet Sounds]

Hi Mark,

I saw a recent comment you made (I think?) on Amazon about a 'likely' release of Pet Sounds in 2016. Do you have any insight about if that will be the previously announced Blu-ray Audio disc? Or might we possibly see a deluxe re-issue of The Pet Sounds Sessions?

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1MUNJYC3UGU2P/ref=cm_cr_dp_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000G03Q2S&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=5174&store=music#wasThisHelpful

Sorry, just fishing for answers.

Thanks,
Jason

[Walk The Line]

I'm with you guys, the more scenes the better. Back in June, Oren Moverman did an interview with Collider and mentioned that the first real cut of the film was 2 hours & 20 minutes. I would love to see that some day. Who knows, an 'Extended Cut' of Walk The Line appeared several years after that film hit home video.

Did you mean this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWwhrVXXcZU

Sweet, thanks!

Sorry for my ignorance. I seem to recall seeing a video clip on YouTube a few years ago about a forthcoming documentary about Carl. Did that ever materialize?

Was listening to the audio commentary for the film last night and apparently that scene you guys are talking about was longer. Before it was trimmed, that scene has Landy actually making the call to Melinda and then Melinda tells Landy 'If he wants a date with me, he'll have to call me himself' or something like that. Then what we see in the film happens, Brian calls back.

Entertainment Weekly has published an exclusive deleted scene (1 of 4 included in the iTunes Extras).

Link below for the curious among us..


http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/25/paul-dano-love-and-mercy?utm_campaign=Contact+SNS+For+More+Referrer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=snsanalytics

[***SPOILER ALERT***]

***SPOILER ALERT***

The Deleted Scenes are terrific and a couple of them help flesh out certain aspects of the film. While a couple of others were probably rightly excised from the final cut of the film.


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* Deleted Scene #1: Brian Past meeting Phil Spector on the street. Very brief interaction where Brian sees Phil and professes his adoration for Phil's work. Phil essentially blows him off leaving Brian perplexed and bittersweet. I think this scene would have been fine in the film but I get why it was removed. It probably would have taken the viewer out of the film. The actor that plays Phil does a great job at capturing his essence, while only on screen for a brief minute with pseudo-Ronnie Spector on his arm.

* Deleted Scene #2: Brian Past tells the family he must stop touring. This is basically the full scene, as it appears in the screenplay. Brian, surrounded by the family (Audree, Murry, Carl, Dennis & Mike, along with Al) at Murry's house explaining what happened on the plane. In the screenplay, this scene immediately follows the panic attack/nervous breakdown on the plane. It also immediately leads into the scene in the film where Brian, Carl & Dennis are sitting around and Brian explains his desire to "take them further". It's a strong scene but the reason it would up on the cutting room floor is clear, it's redundant. Of note in this scene is Mike saying "Can I say something, on the record - you don't do it all by yourself Brian". In response to Brian expressing his desire to write lyrics with someone new. I like the scene a lot although, again, it's clear it had to go.

* Deleted Scene #3: Brian Past meeting with Tony Asher. This scene would have been better left in, in my opinion. It fleshes out a little more background on Pet Sounds. Brian looks to Tony to collaborate with him on lyrics for Pet Sounds, initially Tony resists. As presented, the scene is sligthly truncated from what is written in the screenplay but the gist is all there. In the flow of the film, this scene would fall right before Brian enters Western Studios for the first time (with glasses on, that scene) and introduces Tony to the Wrecking Crew.

* Deleted Scene #4: The "I Get Around" Session. In the finished film a brief moment or two of this scene is glimpsed in the opening montage of 'highlights'. It's clear the scene might have halted the momentum of the opening sequence if it had been left in, therefore, it had to go. Although it is very powerful, even on its own.  The band is cutting the vocals for the song when Murry & Audree arrive and the situation devolves from there. The scene is derived from the infamous "Help Me, Rhonda" session where Murry exclaims, "I'm a genius, too!"

[*]

Cool beans. Any 80s era stuff in the deleted scenes?

No. And other than like maybe one or two very short scenes, I don't think there are any 80s era deleted scenes.

What are the other 3 deleted scenes? I think if we know there is Spector scene, it'll make sense to know the rest, right? It's not a spoiler, even if it is, we got enough of it on the main 2 hours of movie, with detailed analysis & reciting the dialog bits. Everyone seemed okay with it. So, do tell.

* Brian Past meets Phil Spector on the street.
* Brian Past in a family meeting (Murry, Audree, Carl, Dennis & Mike) telling them he doesn't want to tour anymore.
* Brian meeting with Tony Asher, asking him to help him write lyrics.
* The full "I Get Around" scene where Murry & Audree arrive at the studio and it devolves from there. Scene derived from the famous "Help Me, Rhonda" session.

I had sort of hoped for these and maybe a couple of others, namely the one where Van Dyke & Brian write "Heroes & Villains" and the SMiLE montage. The first of which I'm pretty sure was filmed because there's a production still in the "California Story" featurette. The other one I imagine was also filmed. There are others but I presume that any scene that included actual music that wasn't already in the finished film would have cost additional money to license so that's probably the most logical answer why they weren't included as Deleted Scenes.

Anyone going to post rips from the soundtrack?

I have not, yet. I was going to wait on the Blu-ray.

Aieeee! Thanks for the heads-up. Looking forward to digging in. The Spector scene in?

It's there.

[Love & Mercy]

Heads up, it's August 25th and Love & Mercy is now available for download on iTunes, Google, Amazon. I've just completed the download from iTunes and I'm going through the Extras. I won't spoil anything for anyone but there are 4 Deleted Scenes and they are all very strong but I see why they were trimmed. Looking forward to a deeper dive in the coming days.

 

"Good Vibrations" last night at Giant Eagle grocery.

That's a very oddball review.

I saw L&M last night, my 4th, at its final local showtime (today I checked and it's completely gone in these parts).  I wanted to take one of my other sons, it was 9:30 and still 5 others showed.  I'm surprised it endured 2-1/2 months about.

And I still heard a line--a bit of dialogue between Brian & Carl--I hadn't caught before, closing the scene where the touring BB's return from Japan and're greeted by Brian in the studio in preparation for (hearing) the new Pet Sounds L.P. tracks.  Carl had given his older brother a souvenier fan "it even matches your shirt" he adds, but finally Brian kids Carl by saying "but I'd wanted a samurai sword!"

Just a half minute earlier we see (what I believe is) the only Bruce Johnston appearance and exchange, where Brian says something like "Great job, Bruce" (shaking his hand as he walks past) to which Bruce replies "I could never fill your shoes".

One part I came to terms with, that I used to have a problem, was where Murry tells Brian the 'good news' - he's just sold Sea Of Tubes publishing for $750K.  This is also where Brian had just told him the rest of the band were going to salvage the SMiLE album cuts with or without his help and call it Smiley Smile, in order to give Capitol an album post haste.  Obviously the SOT sale came over 2 years later and I didn't like the convoluted collapse of events.  But now I believe that was deliberate by director Pohlad in that he wanted Brian to get the full effect of a 1-2 punch at that point in time, Brian being essentially taken down by those around him as producer and 'music leader' and this drives that critical point home.

I'm feeling pretty lucky that after the film ended its 'first run' in my city in late July it has re-apepared at a 'second run' theater as of last Friday. More showtimes starting today. I feel a little silly for admitting this but I've seen L&M thirteen times. And will likely go once more before next Tuesday. Speaking of Tuesday..four short days away from the HD digital release on your e-tailer of choice in North America. On iTunes there are the same extras included in the BD/DVD release. Truly cannot wait.

Lots of joking in the scene you mentioned when the band comes back from Japan. That exchange between Brian & Carl is indeed very humorous.. "you know, a samurai sword would've been much cooler" or something to that effect. Also, a moment before, Mike to Brian "you need to go on a fast with me" and Brian says "I'm already eating as fast as I can".

Bruce's character actually appears in several subsequent scenes after the one you mention. As I recall, immediately following that interaction, he is with the group singing "You Still Believe in Me". He is also in the "Sloop John B" black-and-white film. Also he is seen chatting with someone during the "Good Vibrations" cello scene. There may be others.

You're absolutely right about the last interaction with Murry and Brian. It's an effort to condense a lot of hurt into one scene. It also, perhaps, is meant to put forth the theory that those two things (even if in reality they happened 2 years apart) were the impetus for Brian completely pulling back. Obviously, Brian continued to make music but he went from being the 100% driving force behind everything to ceding control to the others. Of course, when working within the confines of 120 minutes, some of this has to be greatly abridged.

Back to the discussion of Straight Outta Compton. There's an article in today's Washington Post that contrasts both films, at least briefly.

Article in today's Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/08/20/how-straight-outta-compton-fails-its-audience/

“Love & Mercy” was animated by director Bill Pohlad and writers Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner’s insight that even geniuses have to put in the work to make great art. Watching the sweat equity that Wilson put into “Pet Sounds” illuminated the tension between the Beach Boys themselves and between Wilson and his father (Bill Camp) in a way that none of the discussions about money in “Straight Outta Compton” really serve to do. And while suggesting in “Straight Outta Compton” that every track on the iconic album (and many that followed) arrived in the world fully formed may imply that Dre in particular is a genius, it also makes the whole process of making music seem a little boring.

The immediate answer is that "Straight Outta Compton" opened in nearly 2,800 theaters. By comparison, "Love & Mercy" opened in less than 500 theaters and at the most, a few weeks later, peaked at just under 800 theaters. The footprint of SOC out of the gate was much larger, obviously, so that's the main reason.

There are probably more nuanced reasons for the box office prowess of SOC. It is something of a topical film, even if the subject matter is fairly specific. Also, frankly, the general audience for L&M is dwindling. Half of L&M is focused on events that happened nearly 50 years ago. That likely feels like ancient history to 18-24 year old moviegoers.

Another possible reason for the gigantic difference in box office numbers quite possibly are because of the very different type of films they are. SOC is a much more straight forward studio biopic. L&M is an intimate indie film.

What do you think a more mainstream film about The Beach Boys, not just Brian, would have done numbers wise? To me, part of the charm of L&M is that isn't a paint-by-numbers biopic Luke "Walk the Line" or "Ray". Frankly, had L&M been more standard fare I'm not sure it would have had the same impact on me personally.

Is Brian related to Orson Welles?

According to this website, he is. I'm just curious if anyone of you with a much greater depth of knowledge about such things might know. I'm now VERY curious about this.

http://famouskin.com/famous_kin_chart.php?name=38242+orson+welles&kin=40427+brian+wilson&via=6474

Family Relationship of: Orson Welles (Radio, Stage, and Movie Actor)

9th cousin 2 times removed to Brian Wilson (Founding Member of The Beach Boys)

The L&M website has been revised.

http://www.loveandmercyfilm.com

And Brian's website now has the standard PR details about the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital release of the film too.

http://www.brianwilson.com

Exciting times!

Very much so, Debbie KL!

I had started to perhaps lose hope that we would be seeing a soundtrack and was elated that it did indeed finally materialize. The presentation is terrific, the sequencing is well thought out. Some of the score is a bit out of sequence with the film but, it works as a whole album of music to call to mind specific moments in the film.

What is not present could be lamented and I certainly wish more had been included. That said, what is included is splendid and a nice companion to the Blu-ray/DVD release coming in a few short weeks.

Surf's Up is an odd exclusion especially since Paul Dano sang it in the film.

I was wondering about this myself and agree. The only thing I can think of is maybe there isn't a full take of Paul Dano singing and playing that song. That scene is sandwiched between two others. And, IIRC, "Surf's Up" morphs into "The Elements: Fire".

Was kind of hoping that maybe one of the deleted scenes is a full take of "Surf's Up". Fingers crossed.

Yep, sorry. BD = Blu-ray.  Just throwing slang around without any caution.

When the BD hits in September, I'll "roll my own" for those two tracks.

The Mike Love isolated vocal line from "Til I Die" is very beautiful. Listening to it right now as a matter of fact.

What sucks is most people still have no idea this film was even made and released. So many things about it are top notch.

It really is a shame. This weekend another biopic is opening and getting raves, albeit not on the same level of L&M. It's probably going to make a pile of money, probably 2 or 3 times the total gross of L&M in just the opening weekend.

It is what it is. I'm just pleased that L&M was conceived and executed so artfully and tastefully, befitting its subject.

There are some slight alterations to some of the Atticus Ross tracks. Almost immediately I noticed that the line "you're grass and I'm a power mower" is absent from "Black Hole". And there is some slight editing on "The Bedroom Montage". The Four Freshmen "Day By Day" isn't nearly as audible as it is in the film.

However, these aren't quibbles - merely observations. Overall the presentation is very well done and I'm pleased as punch to have it. I know it's silly but I'm still going to buy a physical copy in September.