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Info: TV edits of John Carpenter's 80s flicks

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 (Edited)

It is well documented that Halloween, Halloween II, and The Thing have alternative TV scenes, but not much is discussed about his other films.

For instance, when I was traveling a few years back, I saw Prince of Darkness on TNT (IIRC).  It had extended shots, which included extra book passages on the Brotherhood of Sleep.   These scenes aren’t on the R1 or Momentum R2 DVDs.  I didn’t watch the entire film, but IMDB lists a few other differences.

In addition, Mitch/Old Biff’s defunct site listed The Fog TV version.  I have been unable to find any info on the differences between that and the film version.

I’d be interested to find out if there are an extended or alternative scenes for John Carpenter’s other films.

I hope The Thing and Prince of Darkness TV versions are preserved as well.

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I'm pretty sure that someone here has a TV version of The Thing. It's a pretty well known TV edit. The TV edit for Halloween was released on laserdisc if I remember correctly, and the new scenes were reinserted in the Extended Edition DVD. Although, I'm not sure about the others; however, someone may have a copy.

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I've just PM'd Echo3 about the Thing t.v edit, as that thread seems to have ended without result over three years ago, and it looks like he hasn't been online for a couple of years either.

The Thing has to be my all time favourite sci-fi horror so I would love to see this edit however bad it is.

 

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I have seen The Thing on TV when I was a kid.  Parts of it made it to the bonus material on the DVD, but I am curious about the entire edit.

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What I recall about the tv cut of The Thing is the really superfluous narration by Donald Moffat, (or a sound alike?) and the scene tacked onto the ending. (Which destroys any ambiguity about whether they've stopped the alien or not.) Is the scene Starlog magazine once printed a photo of reinstated? Kurt Russel's character was playing an electronic chess game, (in reality a dressed up Apple II) and having a conversation with a blow up doll.

I'm surprised Carpenter didn't ask to have his name removed from this version the way David Lynch invoked an alias for the extended tv cut of Dune. A preservation would be nice either way.

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Where were you in '77?

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The Aluminum Falcon said:

I'm pretty sure that someone here has a TV version of The Thing. It's a pretty well known TV edit. The TV edit for Halloween was released on laserdisc if I remember correctly, and the new scenes were reinserted in the Extended Edition DVD. Although, I'm not sure about the others; however, someone may have a copy.

The tv cut was on the Criterion Laserdisc. Sort of. The full frame tv scenes were included on the CAV version, the theatrical cut proper being letterboxed.

Criterion only had access to a tv broadcast master tape. The actual extended film footage was thought to be lost at the time, IIRC.

You literally had to program your LD player to play those scenes where they go into the film, and repeat the process for each side! I did it at least once back in the day. Darn kids and their seamless branching DVD's have it so easy today. ;)

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Where were you in '77?

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SilverWook said:

The Aluminum Falcon said:

I'm pretty sure that someone here has a TV version of The Thing. It's a pretty well known TV edit. The TV edit for Halloween was released on laserdisc if I remember correctly, and the new scenes were reinserted in the Extended Edition DVD. Although, I'm not sure about the others; however, someone may have a copy.

The tv cut was on the Criterion Laserdisc. Sort of. The full frame tv scenes were included on the CAV version, the theatrical cut proper being letterboxed.

Criterion only had access to a tv broadcast master tape. The actual extended film footage was thought to be lost at the time, IIRC.

You literally had to program your LD player to play those scenes where they go into the film, and repeat the process for each side! I did it at least once back in the day. Darn kids and their seamless branching DVD's have it so easy today. ;)

Wow! You learn something every day! I never knew that Criterion put out a release with the TV scenes on them. Does anyone have this laserdisc? One should be able to make a reconstruction of the TV cut with these scenes.

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Isn't the Anchor Bay extended edition the tv cut in widescreen?

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Where were you in '77?

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 (Edited)

Wait a second...are you talking about Halloween? That tv cut is definitely on a Criterion laserdisc and DVD. However, the Thing, to my knowledge, has never had an extended DVD release by Anchor Bay.

EDIT: I just read over the past few posts, including mine, and realized that you're talking about Halloween, not the Thing. However, I must point out something. The Extended Edition DVD is not the TV cut. It simply has the extra scenes shot for the TV cut edited back in. It contains the "gorier" theatrical version footage rather than the tamer version shot for TV. Although, a laserdisc of Halloween (probably the Criterion) does have the tamer footage and the extra scenes.

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There's no need to apologize for the confusion; I should have just read the posts more carefully. That's interesting about the TV cut being released on VHS though. However, according to IMDB (which is admittedly not completely reliable), the TV Cut had 12 minutes of tamer footage (in addition to the added scenes), which was released on a laserdisc (NOT necessarily the Criterion). Part of the tamer footage was used for the opening of Halloween II. I was able to watch Halloween 1 and 2 on AMC in October and unfortunately they no longer show the 1980's TV Cuts but just censored versions (no added scenes, just blanked out dialogue during profanity, etc.).

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That does seem unusual! Why on earth is it 1:85 since Halloween is 2:35? It seems very unusual for them to crop it like that in 1981.

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SilverWook said:

Kurt Russel's character was playing an electronic chess game, (in reality a dressed up Apple II) and having a conversation with a blow up doll.

I don't remember the blow up doll from the TV as it's been too long, but remember the added dog ending.

 

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I have not been on here very often, but recently started checking in, after I heard about Harmy's DVDs.

 

i still have the TV edit of Thing, recorded on VHS from sometime in the early 2000's, i think from TBS or TNT.

 

edit: the tape was at my mother's in storage.  she found it and is sending it to me.

 

Once I get it, I can record it to DVD-R, then encode with handbrake.  after that ill have to send it to someone who knows how to share these things.

 

 

aka nostromo777 on myspleen

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Wow. That TV edit should prove interesting Echo3. Hope someone on the forum can upload it as a torrent or to megaupload. My internet connection is not the best myself, so I can't do it.

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Sounds great.  It's pretty easy to share.  Let me know if you need help when the time comes.  Cheers.

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I received the VHS tape today.  I should be able to get it transferred to DVD-R tomorrow, ill be making an mkv version as well... ill try to upload some brief clips for preview as well.

I have some small online file sharing, but no bandwidth to allow lots of shares. 

 

If i make a 1 gig or so version, Im sure I can share with someone who can upload to a better file sharing website.

aka nostromo777 on myspleen

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Transferring to DVD as we speak.  I watched the first few minutes.   The narration is very jarring if you're used to the theatrical cut.

I also noticed a few different musical cues.

Its recorded from TBS, with a "SUPERSTATION" logo in the lower right.  I was recorded in November 2002.  The recording is in SP mode.

The DVD will be mono sound due to my VCR, but I doubt the broadcast was originally stereo, anyway.  It sounds pretty muffled.

I can edit out commercials, and create  an MKV version. Ill post screen caps soon. 

 

 

aka nostromo777 on myspleen

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Thanks for the update.

On a related note on the new French The Thing DVD this "lost" trailer is a hidden feature.  Not sure if it's on any other releases.

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couple screenshots

Photobucket

 

Photobucket

 

Photobucket

 

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the alternate ending is the same as the one here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xu2cFljkPw

the audio has a voiceover saying "who knows what has come from the galaxy? Who knows what evil lurks in the skies, beyond God?  Watch those around you, for who knows what today, tonight, or tomorrow may bring?"

 

 

 

 

aka nostromo777 on myspleen

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Thanks, Lacerated.

aka nostromo777 on myspleen