CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
All sounds more than fine, my friend! I look forward to this and any such hypothetical extended cut. No complaints here, just whetted appetite. 🙂
As for the extended cut, I don’t care too much how unrefined said deleted scenes may appear; I’m willing to suspend my disbelief. 😉
Note: Justy put together a clip of the full scene (of the deleted “Church Ruins Search” scene, with said scene put back in), and it is NICE. He may be able to send it to you, whether or not you wanted to use the actual file he’d made or using it as a reference for editing. As I recall, he had to crop it a tad, but it works beautifully! I have it, if he doesn’t. So let me know!
M.I.K.E.
‘DEMONS FIVE’, 5000+ words. Excellent! I’ll get on it.
Thanks! Now then, as a participant I intend to take this project with the utmost seriousness, and therefore would appreciate some kind of guarentee that my piece will make the cut — barring, of course, that I should waste everyone’s time and turn in a) nothing, b) something unfinished, not grammar/spell-checked, or, something resembling “not the assignment”.
So, given that I intend to give this 200%, what kind of guarentee might you offer me and my colleagues involved here? I appreciate your offer to pay us, but just as importantly, well, can we have your word on this?
I’m sorry, I’ve been burned before, and it’s never fun, please understand. Thanks, Ben. 🙂
Respectfully,
M.I.K.E.
Hat has every right to do this fan edit. He’s NOT seeking a cent (or peso!), after all. 🙂
Hat, the update — thank you, man. I’m ever excited and anxious for this…in time. 😉
Now then — stuff:
1)The credits should be either “The Dominion” (however the design/credits style). 🙂 Or, leave as is: “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist” (however the design/credits style). Either way. Please — thanks. 😀
2) Were you able to edit in any/all of the deleted scenes (found in the “special features” of the DVD)? Deleted scenes, to me, should be the primary reason to have a fan edit at all, assuming you, the editor, appreciates those scenes as well as other fans (such as me) might/do. 😀 No pressure. Just interested to see what, if anything, you have planned for these 6 scenes. Some are more interesting than others, so to have any make it in would be cool; the more the merrier! 😉
3)I can imagine what a nightmare the “nightmare #2” scene may have been to pull off. Glad you deemed it best to not include it, intriguing as a concept it was.
Thanks for all the HARD WORK, no matter your editorial decisions. Can’t say it enough: Thanks!
M.I.K.E.
Ps.Wish I had the means to do a fan edit of my own. This film is just ripe for such. What fun… Sigh.
Ben,
In case you haven’t read my e-mail I just sent you…
What’s the page count you’re looking for for submissions? I believe I can certainly make this deadline! And, if I may, I’ll be writing on either ‘Elsewhere’ or ‘Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing’; haven’t decided which.
Thanks!
M.I.K.E.
Ben, I offer my encouragement for you and all involved on this project there on the main page (as a comment). But I would also like to request coverage of Blatty’s Elsewhere short story, in case it’s in fact a different beast than Neverwhere.
Thank you, good luck, and God bless.
M.I.K.E.
Valid points, all. Thank you.
And now my new thoughts…
The Exorcist series IS a saga; that is, the Friedkin, Blatty and Schrader entries. Despite the studio-sanctioned flaws and peculularities of the GOOD sequel and GOOD prequel, this trilogy (in my opinion) still tells a satisfying saga of good versus evil, what Blatty and Friedkin wanted all along (to show evil. And good.)
Unofficially the saga is really just the Friedkin original and Schrader prequel; a duo of films. They compliment one another more than even Legion does the 1973 film. Legion is the wildcard; it can be included, but isn’t missed too much; Dominion has more heart, even without Jason Miller or another “original” back in a role. Heart = care for the characters.
I guess no sequel is needed, and the fewer the better. But it’s too late; we have sequels. And all in all, the cream rises to the top, the drek drops to the bottom (with Legion left somewhere in between, in limbo).
Incidentally, it seems to me that Saw’s the Jigsaw studied at the same Career Killer school as Legion’s Gemini. The two are masters of… evil. Fine performances from Tobin Bell and Brad Dourif. Too bad Dourif couldn’t return for another two Exorcist sequels.
So ends my ramblings musings and opinions *. Feel free to comment. 🙂
M.I.K.E.
* Future edits are not out of the question. I typed this quite hastily, And the 24 hours has gone on for two many days; that is, this whole week has been one long day… without sleep!
Hatty, it’s great editing and interesting in concept… but what I’d had in mind all along should be easier and more effective.
More effective because it would give the audience more than two seconds to recognize just what is happening — Merrin has morphed into his future self walking toward the Vatican, something only us Exorcist fans would know, but even at a couple seconds it’s not too easy to recognize; it’s distracting.
So, my alternative: DON’T have the “morph”, but rather have the final seconds of footage from Dominion cut right to the full “Vatican walk” scene where Merrin walks left across the screen and then forward to the Vatican — just after he walks away from Bession and the cafe.
Please try it. I trust it shall work better. 🙂
Sincerely,
M.I.K.E.
Maybe the quality’s bad, but the way the bad effects of Dominion SERVE that story, this fan cut could also be SERVED with such scenes of exposition. Follow? 🙂
So, all in all, the fan cut would tell a better story, the goal of any film.
M.I.K.E.
Thank you for sharing those, Hatter. 🙂
Interestingly, they’ve prevented pirating of The Heretic DVD (as well as the “prequels” DVD), and so perhaps we should credit them for a public service (keeping THe Heretic and The Beginning from spreading any further!). 😛
M.I.K.E.
Hatter,
Please do try to include the “expanded ending”; I mean, if I/we can forgive bad computer effects elsewhere in the film, then given the story-value such a scene has for an Exorcist prequel film, it’s a keeper. I’m not particularly in love with the scene on its own and with the bad greenscrene effect, but I believe it would ADD to this fan cut of yours. I really do. 🙂
Incidentally, so would each of the 6 deleted scenes found on the DVD, so PLEASE see what you can do.
The more “new footage”, the better. The more, the merrier!
M.I.K.E.
Hatter, fantastic work on those first 6 minutes! I anxiously await the final product.
And I thank you for wanting to include the walk-to-Vatican scene from E:TB. I think it’s entirely appropriate. Thank you.
Incidentally, wouldn’t it be neat (cool) if Morgan Creek got a hold of a copy of your work here and decided to put out a similar “proper” cut of their own (hopefullly with Schrader’s involvement)? That may never happen, so I’m thankful you’re doing what you can here, Hat.
I have every confidence in you and this undertaking of yours.
M.I.K.E.
The later you make it, Hat, the more of an opportunity and reason to go back and age Merrin here, maybe making his hair greyer. Just a thought.
But yearwise, I’d say, keep it at 1947. Since the film is what it is, and features the costumes and specific historical fiction it does, there’s a reason they chose 1947. Everything is period-specific. This is not the late 50s or early 60s. Thus… 1947, says I. 🙂
M.I.K.E.
A still or several frames exist in the original then-still-titled EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING trailer found on copies of the Aussie version of the Harlin film’s DVD.
M.I.K.E.
