Pretty Woman? Seriously....what was I thinking????- Page 2

[Pgenre]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 6:57pm

Ah, I see, Jordan. Fascinating! You still lose 1/2 to 2/3 of the image because it is pan & scan versus 2:35:1 or whatever aspect ratio it was filmed in, but Garry Marshall isn't known for his breathtaking cinematographers/DPs so I guess you're not missing much.

I always find these TV edit/alternate take situations quite riveting. My favorite is PULP FICTION, a film generally destroyed by censorship on basic cable, which loses so much running time because of the language and such edited out that there is an entire scene that is only in the TV version to fill up the time left by the cut material. It is a long interview sequence in which Uma is videotaping Travolta in B&W and asks him a series of questions (Beatles/Elvis is the only question that made it into the final cut, I believe). I always watch this part of PULP if I catch it at the right time on TV. The uncut IFC version, of course, does not contain this scene. This is the only film I can think of off the top of my head that has a significant addition to the film not available in any other version (the scene isn't even on the DVD except as an Easter Egg).

Can anyone think of other examples of these alternate shot/takes/scenes for the TV version of a movie that they particularly enjoy?

P

[blueroses]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 7:25pm

I just remember how much fun it was to watch SCARFACE, of all movies, on network TV. (WPIX at the time) There were bleeps throughout the entire thing! If language is a concern, why choose to air SCARFACE?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 7:28pm

PRETTY WOMAN is 1.85:1 so not a whole lot is lost, even though 1% loss is too still too much.

Another one I know that uses alternate takes is OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE. I wish more movies still did this instead of the ridiculous dubbing and cutting that's done to fit into the networks schedule.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 9:19pm

Actually, P, I watched Pretty Woman on Lifetime because it was on before Project Runway, so relax. Besides, its not like its a good film where quality of picture or dialogue even matters. What I realized last night was that it didn't hold up well over time.

I think the Sex & The City reshot scenes are pretty interesting on TBS. As a fan of the show who can quote most episodes, I find it interesting. I like some of the additional scenes when Halloween is shown on TV.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 10:38pm

I just finished the script. Man, that's a completely different movie. It's got much more of a Leaving Las Vegas vibe.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 11:11pm

Quiet a few years ago (circa 1997) I bought a VHS copy of Outrageous Fortune. As I watching it I knew something was off, but it took me about half an hour to figure it out. Somehow the version I bought was the sanitized airline version. I had to go back and return it and say I was returning it because there was no swearing in it!

I remember the tv version of National Lampoon's Vacation had reshot scenes in it, too. Instead of saying "Hey, f___ your momma" the pimp in East Saint Louis says, "What do I look like? Christopher Columbo?"

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 11:13pm

How funny, I didn't know they actually released the edited OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE! I need to find that!

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 1/16/10 at 1:12am

Clearly I misspoke that she killed herself in the original script, but it was in one of the versions, though never filmed. I'll post it if I can find it. Thanks, Phyl, for your own search.

As regards to movies being bowdlerized by television, I always found it interesting in Blazing Saddles that "n!gger" was bleeped, but "f@ggot" stayed.

Nothing tops channel 11 in nyc, years ago, when they cut the ending of Brazil. They ended the film with the angel/girlfriend flying down to save Pryce from the torturer/executioner, making that a happy ending too.