First to Die: Information
Original Runtime: 3:01:31
MR Cut Runtime: 1:10:28
Sources: Too Young to Die (1990), Kalifornia (1993)
1920x1080p
h264 encoder
AC3 5.1 Surround Sound
Intentions:
I’ve been watching a whole bunch of 90s movies for research lately and somehow had never seen Too Young to Die before. It’s raw, uncomfortable, and way more emotional than I expected. I’d already been a huge fan of Kalifornia growing up. It’s one of those gritty road thrillers that sticks with you. When I realized both films starred Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt, playing almost identical characters at different points in their lives, it hit me that these could easily be part of the same story.
The more I compared them, the more it felt like Too Young to Die. was the origin story that Kalifornia never admitted to having. Amanda Sue Bradley and Billy Canton could have easily gone on the run, changed their names, and become Adele and Early Grayce. The performances line up, the energy matches, and the tone slides perfectly from exploitation-style tragedy into full-blown grindhouse road horror.
That’s what made me want to combine them, to create a duology that follows the same couple across two timelines. The first film (First to Die) focuses on Amanda’s descent into chaos and her toxic bond with Billy. The second (Waiting to Die) becomes a fractured confession told through memories, lies, and their doomed attempt to escape their past.
For me, this wasn’t about fan-editing for spectacle, it was about connecting the emotional thread between two broken characters and showing how trauma, love, and violence bleed into each other. It’s a study in transformation, not of redemption, but of inevitable decay.
MRDb CHANGE LIST : Coming Soon…
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Thanks for your interest. 😃