Re: Castaway

["Harrison Shinn" <Jerjerrod@NAKED2THEworldnet.att.net>]

Castaway was indeed released properly in theatres in 1987.  I saw it four times during it's two week run at several theatres in San Diego where I lived at the time.  I still have my ticket stubs as well as newspaper clippings of the movie section showing the artwork and where it was playing.  I actually got the soundtrack on vinyl about three months before the film was even released in America.  I initially went to see the film only because Kate had written and performed the main title song, but fell in love with the film and went back three more times during it's official, albeit, limited run.  I remember wanting the film version of "Be kind to my mistakes" so badly that I edited the album version (which runs 3:33) down to the same length as the film version (I still have that cassette, and it sounds great).  The soundtrack was never released on compact disc in English speaking territories and I keep hoping beyond hope that one day it will be released.  I think it's funny now that I have the edited version on CD ("This Woman's Work" UK CD Single/ "Aspects of The Sensual World" US CD Single/"This Woman's Work Box Set") that I'm now pining for the full length soundtrack album version.  In fact, in 1990 when I first purchased my DAT player, I made a copy of the whole album and have fallen in love with the album version.  The score by Stanley Meyers is magnificent as well.

I also own a VHS copy of the film.  It was released on Warner Home Video, Inc. in 1988 in the US.  Catalog Number 37064, Color, 118 minutes.  VHS hi-fi Dolby Surround.  The front has a picture of Amanda Donohoe and Oliver Reed standing face to face, which blends into the silhouette shot of a nude Amanda about to bend back and fall onto the sand in front of a glorious sunset.  I special ordered this back in 1990 from Suncoast and paid $14.95.  The sound and picture quality are excellent.  I've since been looking for the film on laserdisc since I know it was also released by Warner Home Video as well, priced at $34.95, but to no avail.  I know the laserdisc is out of print, not so sure on the status of the videocassette.  My only real bitch about this is that the film is cropped and since it didn't do so well, a letterboxed remaster is highly unlikely.

hs

Karen Newcombe wrote in article:

According to the Gaffaweb Dictionary at
"Castaway" is a 1987 film directed by Nicholas Roeg, starring Oliver Reed and Amanda Donohoe.  It's based upon the autobiographical book "Castaway" by Lucy Irvine, in which a middle-aged man places an advertisement in a London paper for a woman (Irvine herself) to spend a year with him on a desert island.

Be warned that even the person who wrote that Dictionary entry has never
seen the film although he did own the soundtrack album; the film was never
properly released in the United States, and to my knowledge had *one*
screening in a theatre in New York City.  This is moderately surprising
because the original book actually did fairly well over here!  I'm not
aware of a US video release, but given Roeg's cult popularity it's much
more likely that the film will turn up on cable television on some
arts-oriented channel.

"Castaway" is easily available on video in the U.S.  I rented it at the corner video store and have seen it at several others around town.  I
lucked into a vinyl copy of the soundtrack a few years ago, and also could
swear I saw a CD version around the record bins in perhaps '91/'92 or
thereabouts.  Never bought one for which I kick myself.