Catchfire (1990) May 2026

The 1990 film Catchfire (also known as Backtrack ) stands as one of the most legendary "car crashes" in Hollywood history—a film so disowned by its director, , that he famously sued to have his name removed, leaving it credited to the industry’s pseudonym for failure, Alan Smithee . The "Alan Smithee" Fiasco The production was a collision of egos and corporate panic.

: Hopper was so incensed by the re-editing and the removal of his original score that he sued the company. He later claimed they replaced his nuanced work with a "big love score" that destroyed the film's meaning. Catchfire (1990)

: A 116-minute version titled Backtrack was eventually released on cable and home video, restoring some of Hopper's footage and his director's credit. Cast and Plot: A Surrealist's Rolodex The 1990 film Catchfire (also known as Backtrack

Despite its troubled birth, the film features an almost inexplicable gathering of talent. The story follows Anne Benton (), a conceptual artist who witnesses a mob hit and goes on the run. He later claimed they replaced his nuanced work

: Vestron Pictures, facing bankruptcy, took the 180-minute rough cut from Hopper and hacked it down to a 99-minute theatrical version.