‘Black Water Transit’ Still Never Coming Out
Tribeca Film, the distribution arm of the Tribeca Film Festival, has announced that Tony Kaye‘s typically controversial “Detachment,” which debuted at this year’s festival to a mixed response, will have a multi-city theatrical engagement complemented by a VOD and digital distribution release.
The film, the famously antagonistic Kaye’s third released feature after “American History X” and epic abortion documentary “Lake of Fire,” was marred during its Tribeca premiere by a bizarre introduction by Kaye that saw him playing an acoustic guitar while “Detachment” star Adrien Brody muttered “I don’t care,” resulting in a befuddled audience response. In our initial review of the movie, which plays with the typical “teacher in a bad school” genre worn well by things like “Blackboard Jungle” and “Dangerous Minds,” we charitably dubbed it a “fascinating mess.”
While this type of low key, multi-platform release isn’t much of a surprise (the movie has a strong supporting cast that includes Christina Hendricks, Marcia Gay Harden, Tim Blake Nelson and James Caan), it’s still sort of amazing that “Detachment” will see the light of day before “Black Water Transit,” a New Orleans-set thriller Kaye filmed with Lawrence Fishburne and Karl Urban way back in 2008. (After being screened in Cannes in May of 2009 the film has been embroiled in legal woes, with one producer deeming the film “unreleasable.”) Although, honestly, the words “Tony Kaye” and “unreleased movie” go hand in hand – this is the guy that made Marlon Brando so mad (over a documentary Kaye was working on called “Lying for a Living” about acting classes) that he left the director a voice message that said, “I’m in your house and I’m going to kill you.”
“Detachment is a singular experience. Tony Kaye combines a range of filmmaking techniques, terrific ensemble acting and a wonderful lead performance by Adrien Brody,” said Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises in a press release about the acquisition. “The film truly demands to be seen; we look forward to bringing it to a wider audience through Tribeca Film.”
So congratulations, Tony Kaye – you might be a nightmare to work with, but at least you’re movie is coming to theaters! And iTunes! And your cable box! That’s got to count for something, right?
