TREE OF LIFE Secretly Screened In Austin! One Attendee Calls It Malick's Best Since BADLANDS!

Beaks here...

Reason #179 why you should always read the comments to a Vincent Gallo story written by Slashfilm's Russ Fischer: you never know when some anonymous dude will show up and start dishing on Terrence Malick's TREE OF LIFE. I don't quite understand it myself, but, for some reason, Fischer's piece about Gallo's recent scorched-earth interview prompted a knowledgeable fellow named "Stan" to spill the beans about a "secret screening" of Malick's latest film - which occurred somewhere in Austin, Texas presumably over the last week or so. Thus spake "Stan"...

[Malick] screened it to an audience of about thirty, and it’s literally 97% done. Our boss was able to see it, and called it the best film of his since “Badlands.” Emmanuel Lubezki was in attendance, as was some vfx gurus (one of which was my boss). It will not make Cannes. The visual effects aren’t done, but the footage that we’ve worked on is near complete. The reason for the delay in post is because of the amount of detail IMAX 70 MM requires. I can assure you that the results are worth the wait. Our house is referring to [the 70MM IMAX footage] as “Voyage of Time.” I don’t know if it will be a separate documentary. Terrence has made sure that we work on footage without knowing too much of the plot or reason behind it. It’s always about a feeling or an emotion. He is definitely the most interesting director we’ve had the pleasure of working with, and probably the only who’s interacted with the digital artists themselves. He has never settled for results less than immaculate, but is humble and patient about it.

Best since BADLANDS, huh? Where does that leave those of us who consider DAYS OF HEAVEN to be one of the twenty greatest films ever made? As The Playlist noted, we've no idea yet if "Stan" is for real, but this all matches up with little, not-quite-newsworthy bits of information I've heard over the last week. My understanding has always been that VOYAGE OF TIME will be a separate IMAX documentary, but that some of this footage will likely turn up in TREE OF LIFE (which will not be exhibited in IMAX). But since none of my sources are named "Terrence Malick", I refuse to pass this along as anything more than insider murmuring; as ever, we won't have a clue as to what Malick is up to until the film screens for the press - which, it seems, will probably be at Venice and/or Toronto this September. Apparition Films is expected to release TREE OF LIFE sometime this fall.