spintheblackestcircles.org

SATURDAY 25th MAY

11pm UK
12pm Netherlands
3pm US (PST)
6pm US (EST)

Watch-a-long of my fan edit of Carpenter’s 1981 classic - integrating the 9minute “prologue” bank robbery sequence into the film, to approximate the first cut which they test previewed.

Will post online viewing and d/load link here in due course.

SCOJO
BEZULSQY
BUB
STATIC
INKS

Count me in

Euro zone for me is 12pm. Would still be possible for me. With the caveat that I might fall asleep :-)

Bezulsqy wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2024 8:36 pm Euro zone for me is 12pm. Would still be possible for me. With the caveat that I might fall asleep :-)

Ahh I thought you said you were one hour behind us Bez? My bad.

ScoJo wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2024 8:48 pm

Bezulsqy wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2024 8:36 pm Euro zone for me is 12pm. Would still be possible for me. With the caveat that I might fall asleep :-)

Ahh I thought you said you were one hour behind us Bez? My bad.

I did say that. But I was mistaken :-)

I don't think I have anything going on next saturday so write me in. It's a little close to my cats feeding time which may seem stupid but my elderly cat takes about an hour to eat, he has lots of medicine that we have to make sure he takes and we feed him at 515. So I'll try to jump in if my wife is able to watch him for the last little bit

Have fun, friends. I will be in Baltimore for MDF

deafmetal wrote: ↑Sun May 19, 2024 1:27 am Have fun, friends. I will be in Baltimore for MDF

Wow!

Link: (6.7Gb mp4 file)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PwM-ZY ... p=drivesdk

I am ready… and hope to not fall asleep!

Bezulsqy wrote: ↑Sat May 25, 2024 5:57 pm I am ready… and hope to not fall asleep!

Cool beans Bez. See you in… three hours!

In run up to this, thought I’d post some summing up notes about the fan edit:

- So the preview cut was around 118min (9mins longer) with the introduction of Snake taking place during a bank robbery that goes south. Preview audiences were not so keen on seeing Snake showing compassion, so Carpenter decided to pull it entirely from the cut. Both JC and Kurt Russell agree on the 2007 scene commentary that it was the right decision.

- While putting together the 2007 dvd, a vhs workprint of this cut was provided to the project by Alan Howarth. It had no sfx or music since it was cut out before the final sound mix etc, so sound fx were added and Carpenter scored some new music (ignoring the original ‘Bank Robbery’ cue which has appeared on expanded editions of the OST) so that the full scene could be presented as a dvd extra.

- A later bluray extra is an interview with Joe Unger, who portrayed Snake’s ill fated partner in the robbery sequence. Intercut with the interview are high definition transfers of takes / alt takes of shots from the robbery shoot.

- In re-integrating the prologue back into the film I used the best quality source I could find of the vhs workprint, from the bluray. Then wherever possible I replaced the HD shots/alt takes into the sequence. I took some slight liberties here with the edit, to make it play more smoothly. Also, the raw footage is in true 2.35:1 anamorphic but strangely the vhs workprint is ‘squashed’ and cropped 1.85:1, so I also had to reformat it to 2.35:1 to be able to blend the different elements seemlessly. Lastly I colour graded the workprint, and attempted to match it to the raw takes, once again to create a smoother flow/overall look.

- I decided to reintegrate the original ‘Bank Robbery’ cue somehow. Since the only version of the sequence with sound has new JC cues in some places which i could not remove, and with nothing to cue me into how the original Bank Robbery track was meant to go, I simply found a place for it in the sequence. I personally think it really works, but obviously I’ve taken quite a liberty. However this was never going to be exactly the ‘Preview Version’ since the materials I have to work with already have new sound fx and music, which makes me feel like my own ‘additions’ are ok and in the spirit of really moving the scene along.

- Lastly, I made one other big alteration: according to the workprint, the robbery scene was after the opening titles and introductory narration/graphics. I really felt that it plays better as a true prologue, before the titles, and have cut it into the main film that way.

So there you go. The ‘not quite’ original Preview Version, but in my opinion, a good approximation with what we have.

One more thing!

I have added VHS/era appropriate logos and a 3min 1982 Avco Embassy trailer reel to the start!

I won’t be able to finish it. Will at least try first 30 minutes but I am barely able keeping my eyes open at the moment :-)
Got up at 6:30 and it is almost midnight here…

so, at what moment do we press play

Bez -

Haha….

I have the world clock up, gonna hit play at stroke of the hour

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Hola gents! Play at 6PM EST right?

Been holding off a full watch of this, looking forward to it!

static14 wrote: ↑Sat May 25, 2024 9:57 pmHola gents!

I thought you’d be… taller?!

in two minutes...

1min 30 and counting…

30secs

30s