Update from Miramax below!!

At least some of the versions of “Adventureland” that are currently in playing in theaters are not the cut that director Greg Mottola thought were out there. Apparently, INXS’s “Don’t Change” is supposed to be on all versions of the film during the closing credits. It’s not. In an exchange earlier this morning that just goes to show the power of Twitter, Mottola called this news “really disturbing.”

I saw the movie on March 5 in Kansas City advance of my coverage of the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, where “Adventureland” was showing later that month. As the movie ended, the familiar strains of “Don’t Change” began and I stayed through the entire credits just to hear this song (which I had kind of forgotten even existed) because it brought back so many memories of high school. I even commented to the publicity crew outside of the theater how much I loved the movie ending with that song.

Fast forward to Tuesday March 31. I saw “Adventureland” again in Kansas City (at the Legends Theater) at the official local advance screening, and was really disappointed to hear that the upbeat INXS song has been replaced by the decidedly more downbeat instrumental Yo La Tengo music from the score. I stayed through the closing credits and noticed that “Don’t Change” was still listed, but it was never heard, even though it also appears on the soundtrack.

After the following opening weekend, a friend of mine saw the film in Lawrence, KS (at the Southwind 12) and said, sure enough, he heard Yo La Lengo as well and no INXS. This past weekend, another friend saw the movie at a different theater than I saw it at in Kansas City (AMC Barrywoods), and said the same thing. Yo La Tengo, but no INXS.

Last night I tweeted @MiramaxFilms:

@MiramaxFilms INXS – Don’t Change was on Adventureland’s credits at advance screening, but not now! Anyone know what happened?

I got the reply through a direct message: “That little gem of info will probably come out in @gregmottola’s DVD commentary :-)”

and replied with this: @MiramaxFilms that makes me sad becuz it means the DVD version won’t have it either, huh? such a great way to end the movie….

Not satisifed, I this morning I tweeted to Greg Mottola. Our conversation, starting with my post to Mottola:

@gregmottola In Feb: INXS. Preview screening on opening week & 3 different KC theaters currently showing it: Yo La Tengo’s mellow score

@SceneStealrEric INXS IS on the theatrical cut … unless they showed the wrong print! what music ended the version you saw?!

@gregmottola In Feb: INXS. Preview screening on opening week & 3 different KC theaters currently showing it: Yo La Tengo’s mellow score

@gregmottola I’ve had all my friends reporting to me after they see it. 1 screen in Lawrence, 2 in KC, plus preview screening: all Yo La

@SceneStealrEric that is really disturbing. I have no idea how that happened … i’m going off to explore. thanks, eric

Five minutes later (presumably after seeing my tweets to Mottola), Miramax replied to me again in another direct message:

“Hi Eric – the INXS version of the song is on the DVD/Blu-Ray and theatrical as @gregmottola mentioned. thx for letting us know re: Yo La”

Fifteen minutes later, Mottola decided to do some investigating for himself. On Twitter. He tweeted this:

Twitterers: did anyone else see a version of Adventureland with instrumental music in the credits instead of INXS? If so, where?

theheroworkshop tweeted this response: @gregmottola I saw an advance screening and don’t remember any INXS. I’m Australian – so usually take note of Aussie music.

Mottola again:@theheroworkshop where did you see the screening?

theheroworkshop‘s response: @gregmottola Birmingham, Michigan

A response from another Twitterer yielded the opposite result.

From shivvy, in Florence, KY: @gregmottola Weird! Nope, saw it twice and both times “Don’t Change” blasted through the speakers.

Wow. The power of Twitter. Mottola’s fact-finding mission via Twitter is happening right now.

from moviesponge: @gregmottola -there was no sign of INXS during the credits at the Regal in Brea, CA. BTW, LOVED the movie. 🙂

I, for one, am glad to know that the DVD will contain the INXS song, since I thought it was the perfect way to end the movie. I also hope Mottola gets some answers, since the movie’s been out now for two weeks. He can’t be happy.

What about you? Where did you see “Adventureland” and what song was on the closing credits?

Update: It looks like Miramax is taking steps to rectify the problem after diagnosing it. Nicolette Aizenberg from Miramax says: “INXS cue is on all 35mm prints and Digital-Cinema masters. Issue is it was left off DTS, which is a sound format that comes separately on a DVD. So theaters that utilize DTS as their exclusive sound format (small number relative to release) will not have the INXS song until this weekend when replacement discs are sent out.”