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ADigitalMan

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Join date
26-Sep-2004
Last activity
7-Nov-2025
Posts
2,947
Web Site
https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalMan-jc3xy

Post History

Post
#265230
Topic
***The ADigitalMan non-Star Wars DVD Info and Feedback Thread***
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/265230/action/topic#265230
Time
Not per se, but these things always have a way of escaping. As always, please have the originals and don't pay/charge for the re-edit.

I just watched Superman Redeemed straight through on my TV for the first time tonight and I'm VERY pleased with the end result. It really does work -- the wheat separated from the chaff, so to speak. I'm loving Hackman's performance more than ever because it isn't so bogged down in the morass that surrounded it. Anybody notice how much Lenny was like Jar Jar? I've given him the same treatment too.

Some info: This is only Single Layer, and it didn't even fill up one of those. It's 1 hour 32 minutes with credits, and doesn't need to be a minute longer. Here's the "About" menu from the Redeemed disc:
2006 was billed by Warner Bros. as "The Year of Superman." We were given a new film that was respectful to Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve. We got the Donner Cut of Superman II. And we got one of the coolest DVD boxed sets to date. Unfortunately, Superman III and IV still suck. While they do have their good moments, they are mostly painful to watch. Superman III has been described as a bad concept produced well, and Superman IV has been described as a good concept produced horribly.

I watched them this year for the first time since I was a kid and came up with a crazy concept: Could these two be edited into one film with most of the lousy parts removed? That became my challenge. After completing the Hybrid Cut of Superman II, I vowed to do this next.

Using elements from all four movies (including some esoteric deleted stuff), I was able to cobble together a new narrative around Clark's return to Smallville, and Superman's Quest For Peace. While it's still not perfect, it's certainly enjoyable (at least to me) and the cringeworthy elements have been minimalized. I hope you enjoy this crazy little project, and hope it redeems the legacy of Christopher Reeve for you, as it has for me.
Post
#265112
Topic
***The ADigitalMan non-Star Wars DVD Info and Feedback Thread***
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/265112/action/topic#265112
Time
First post has been updated with this:

Superman II: The Hybrid Cut
Yep, like half the planet, I've done my own re-edit of Superman II using the parts I like best.

After years of petitioning, begging and pleading, fans of Superman got what they asked for. In November of 2006, the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II finally became a reality. But it turned out the Holy Grail really was just a plain ol' cup. Sadly, Donner's Cut was so focused on removing the elements of Lester's film that they failed to acknowledge the genuine contributions Lester did make to the Superman II. Most notably, a coherent ending, not recycled from what ultimately climaxed the first film, original intent or not. Imperfect though it was, the Donner Cut did give fans what they wanted most: The long lost footage of Brando, and all the original scenes with the cast we grew to know and love, in context for the most part. In some ways, it is superior, and in others, it is inferior to the Lester Cut. The ideal cut lies somewhere in between. Thus, this fan edit merely tries to make the best story out of all the elements. Specifically to my edit:

1) Alternate version of "Planet Krypton" cue by John Williams opens the film.
2) Non kills the guard, Zod Breaks the crystal and the rings come down. Cut to:
3) Brando asking the council to pronounce judgment.
4) As Phantom Zone speeds away, Krypton Explodes and Alexander Salkind credit speeds out of this. Credits are from Donner Cut.
5) Zoom into earth cuts to the tail-fire of the XK-101 Rocket with Supes chasing it.
6) Lots of bad CGI removed. Rocket Explodes, shattering Phantom Zone from Lester Cut but with "FREE!" mixed in. Fade out as Villains fly to the moon.
7) Fade in on Metropolis Street vendor, then cut to Perry reading the paper.
8) Lois Jumps. Bad eye-beam shots removed. Awning was always open.
9) Extended Prison sequence
10) Moon, with "curl" discussion back at Mission Control. Hairdryer line cut.
11) Donner's getaway.
12) Tour of the honeymoon suite.
13) Heading North
14) Falls rescue is a hybrid of the two cuts, with Lois noticing Clark's absence reinstated.
15) Donner's version of Lex in the fortress
16) Pink Bear scene, trimmed down.
17) Heading South
18) Non picks up the snake, but only ponders it.
19) Superman takes Lois to the fortress, picks up flowers and dinner.
20) Ursa arm wrestles.
21) Dinner. No sex with Lois while super-powered. No Kryptonite condoms in this story.
22) Brando depowers Superman. Nookie afterward.
23) Donner cut for a long long time, until ...
24) "Care to step outside?"
25) Donner cut Metropolis battle and Fortress
26) Arctic Police, Smallville line removed (with a fantastic musical edit behind this whole scene)
27) Fortress NOT destroyed. Cut straight to the kiss.
28) Tearful farewell on terrace
29) Memory Kiss
30) Elevator Bully
31) Diner Bully
32) Flag Flying High, end credits.
*) Plus, I've included a bonus slideshow of "Mr. Thau, Please Create In CGI Villains Rule The World Scene?" images by yours truly.

Superman Redeemed
This project of pure insanity presents a hybrid cut of Superman III and IV, with elements of all four films worked in. I had the crazy concept for this film after watching them for the first time since I was a kid. Though they're both miserably wretched to watch, they do have some fantastic elements in them. III had the great stuff with Lana in Smallville, plus the classic good vs. evil Superman battle. IV had a great concept with Superman trying to disarm the world and Lex trying to capitalize on it, but the FX were miserable, the action sequences were misguided, Lenny was annoying, and the whole Lacy plot was nothing but superfluous padding. It would have been a great movie of the week in the early 80s at best.

Was there enough salvagable material in these two, and could it be constructed into a working plot? I wasn't even sure going into it, but I thought so. When I realized that the Paris sequence from Lester's SII could be the lynchpin of the story, it all fell into place. The end result is surprisingly coherent and entertaining. Some bad FX still remain, and a couple of disjointed cuts were inescapable, but it's better than sitting through those two films in their entirety ever again. Just as the character of Superman is redeemed in the junkyard, so do these two junky films get redeemed, leaving a more fitting legacy for Christopher Reeve. Hence the name: Superman Redeemed.

I could detail the edit, but I think I'll let it speak for itself. A few notes though:
1) A healthy dose of the STM Original Soundtrack helps to patch scenes together and punch others up.
2) Lenny doesn't bust out Lex, Miss Tessmacher does while Otis looks on, dumbfounded. It was great to put these characters into this film. Thank you Donner Cut Deleted Scenes!
3) Brando is heard.
4) Darth Editous is the coolest guy on this board. One key shot still had Richard Pryor in it, which I was prepared to accept after my slipshod attempts at digital character removal. Then DE offered to fix this and presented the result in less than a day. As Clark would best say it: "Golly, what a swell guy!" Check out this page to see what awesomeness he produced.
Post
#265045
Topic
Superman II - The Booshman Cut (Released)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/265045/action/topic#265045
Time
Originally posted by: Batman Beyond
Now, I say this is a good re-edit. Only thing that remains, is for one guy to take the best stuff from SIII and IV and make the ultimate re-edit of III, marking a TRILOGY of Chistopher Reeve's Superman films. The Paris hostage takeout and the amnesia kiss can very well be used in that ultimate III.

What do you say?

I say I'm muxing this today. Have you been looking over my shoulder?
Post
#264893
Topic
***The "Darth Editous" Episode IV DVD Info and Feedback Thread*** - a partially "de-specialed" DVD
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/264893/action/topic#264893
Time
Good heavens! How'd you do it so quickly? I must've spent an hour on one second worth of film which turned out to be garbage.

It looks astounding too! Just beautiful! As with any time I ask for your help, I can't thank you enough in the end. Folks following this thread should compare those two clips and note the timeframe in which Editous pulled this off.
Post
#264887
Topic
***The "Darth Editous" Episode IV DVD Info and Feedback Thread*** - a partially "de-specialed" DVD
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/264887/action/topic#264887
Time
We thought it was the bitrate at the time, but it turned out it was the pulldown flag. The new segment had been encoded as 23.xxx w/o the pulldown flag, while the surrounding clips had the flag, which Womble interprets as 29.xxx. I've mixed bitrates for some time since with no problem, so long as the maximum doesn't exceed the maximum allowed.

SW had 9800 bitrates on the video and the most I could get in TMPGEnc was 8000 anyway, so I couldn't break the ceiling if I wanted to. All the Supermans have their video at 7500, incidentally. Any clips I've done for the purposes of FX have been at 7999 or 8000 which has worked fine.
Post
#264707
Topic
The personal hygiene thread
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/264707/action/topic#264707
Time
I'm well now. Swallowing feels different and it still pulls when I yawn, but otherwise I'm 100%. Looking back, the only thing I wish that had been done differently was somebody (like, ya know, my frappin' DOCTOR) letting me know in advance just how bad the pain would be. He said I'd have a really bad sore throat. I've had really bad sore throats before so I wasn't really prepared. What he should have said was "It will feel like you have been shot in the throat" as that is the best analogy I could think of.

Knowing a thing going into it can help you prepare for it. The procedure was definitely necessary, as in my post-op the doctor noted how bad my tonsils actually were when he got them out. In his words, they were "very enlarged and particularly nasty." I probably should've gotten them out about six years ago when the problem started getting out of hand.

That said, here's what to expect if you go through the procedure:

* Don't underestimate the pain.

* Percocet (Oxycodone) is the doctors' pain reliever of choice, but those really screwed with my mind. Plus, they're loaded with acetaminophen, so you can only take so much without damaging your liver. I wish they would have prescribed oxycontin instead so I could have just been doped up on a 12-hour opiate instead of a 4-hour one. Because I had problems, they switched me to Tylenol 3. Great, more acetaminophen and less opiates. They were about as effective as M&M's, hence all my bitching. T3s did keep me calmer than the Percs, but the pain itself was pretty damned bad on them.

* Invest in a good blender that will puree anything. You'll be blending all your meals, even soup, for about 2 weeks. I lost only about five pounds, whereas the norm is 10-20. Because I blended meals and kept eating throughout all the pain, I did keep my energy from totally bombing out. I was able early on to eat scrambled eggs mixed with very soupy grits, and this was VERY good for boosting my energy in the day. Say goodbye to cereals and toast for at least two weeks. Say goodbye to crispy stuff like tortillas and baguettes for a good month.

* Contrary to popular belief, stay away from ice cream and dairy. In the beginning, I was living on Ensure and yogurt for the nutrient value. Unfortunately, dairy causes your phegm to overproduce. I had to quit dairy cold turkey around day 4, and then reintroduced about 1/2 can of an Ensure in the morning around day 8 to get some quick nutrients into my system, but that was it. If you can handle cold foods, try popsicles and chocolate sorbet. The latter is like ice cream without any of the dairy. Jello is also very easy to eat or drink and coats the stomach prior to a dosage of pain meds.

* Push fluids like there's no tomorrow. I couldn't stand the taste of just about anything, including Gatorade, which I forced down routinely to keep my electrolytes in balance. Because I couldn't stand hot or cold very well, I mostly drank lukewarm water, about 16 oz. per hour all day. I kept a large sports bottle full of it while I sat around watching movies in my drug-induced haze.

* Don't spit, swallow. In addition to being great advice for your wife/girlfriend, it's important advice for recovering. When my phlegm was in overdrive, I got into the habit of spitting constantly, because it didn't like swallowing did. Unfortunately, this will not retrain your throat, it will cause you to dehydrate, and it will also stink up your entire living area.

* You'll be sleep deprived. Most of the time I couldn't sleep because of the pain. When I did get to sleep, I would awake within an hour soaked in some foul drool that tasted and smelled like bile. I burned through 2-3 pajama tops a night before realizing I could get decent rest by sleeping upright with a towel wrapped around my neck and torso to catch this mess.

* Plan to be off work two weeks, not just one. You'll be sleep deprived, foul-breathed, and generally miserable, so there is no purpose in bringing that into the workplace or any other public place for that matter.

* Communicate this to everybody who you live with. It is major surgery and you'll be an invalid for two weeks (longer if you're over 40). People need to understand that and help you through it. You shouldn't be driving, lifting, exercising, doing chores, watching the kids, working, going out, or anything like until the scabs slough off your throat. Then you'll suddenly be just fine. Some healing continues afterwards, but you'll largely be able to resume normal life when the scabs come off, which kinda happens in waves. Oh, and the smell gets worse when that happens. Then it goes away. No amount of oral hygiene will change that.

Expect all this going into it, and your surprises will be few. I only wish somebody had set these expectations for me going in.
Post
#264692
Topic
***The "Darth Editous" Episode IV DVD Info and Feedback Thread*** - a partially "de-specialed" DVD
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/264692/action/topic#264692
Time
DE, a bit off topic, but I'm trying to figure out how to do a digital character erasure like you did with the annoying robots in Mos Eisley but on a different film. I saved each frame in the shot as a .tga and manually removed the character in Photoshop for about 30 frames, but there was a definite shimmy in the video where the alignment wasn't exact on each frame. What do you suggest?

Here is the shot I'm trying to correct, trying to delete Richard Pryor from it.

Any suggestions?
Post
#264121
Topic
ADigitalMan's Guide to MPEG2/AC3 Editing
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/264121/action/topic#264121
Time
The audio has to be calculated, since you're overlapping frames. Fortunately if you clip the audio right after a crossfade you can see it.

I'm just now getting into using Vegas for this. For the first time a couple of days ago I came up with a process for this:

1) Export just the two shots you want to crossfade to an M2V file.
2) Load the clip into VirtualDubMod and save as an uncompressed AVI.
3) Open the AVI in Vegas and do what you want with it. Save as another AVI.
4) Encode back to M2V using TMPGEnc.
5) Load the new M2V into your Womble project.

The results are GORGEOUS. I'll likely do this from now on, and will use this method to do the wipes in SW whenever they eventually happen in Hi-Def.