Vultural

Kaiju FanEdit: Gigan - Ghidorah - Armageddon - by Markus Bruckner
(Kinderarzt Dr. Fröhlich -1972 and Godzilla vs. Gigan - 1972)
AKA - ガイガン-キングギドラ-ハルマゲドン

23-25” short weaving a German family drama with Godzilla.
From the get-go, monsters begin annihilating the world (ie: Tokyo).
In Europe, a doctor and his wife decide now is the perfect time for an Alpine vacation!
The narrative criss crosses mayhem with denial.
Tech stuff: Video = 1280 X 720p PAL. Audio = 126 kbps AAC.

The image is poor throughout, likely the source was equally poor.
The audio goes out of sync, yet there are subtitles*, hooray!
Editing could have been tighter, but this was a student film, so I was forgiving.
The ending should have been shorter, not extending into two minutes of black frame.

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/UNIQUE-KAIJU-FAN-EDIT-GIGAN-GHIDORAH-ARMAGEDDON/id/62510

• Subtitles.
  I have been rather naughty here. I ripped the English subs, then rewrote almost all.
  My version is not very kind to the characters, making them fools.
  My subs (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ACdIClTiiJ85pjr3qLO1dsS1vxiSHWgB)

Hitchhikers - Wayne Workman

Drifters and thumb waving travelers catch a ride … with a catch.
They have to share their stories. Who they are, where they are from, how did they get that way.
Half hour one-off was a proposed pitch for reality series that was never picked up.
Too bad. It is more imaginative and less padded than the majority of cable time wasters.

Several people, myself included, from the FanEdit community helped or advised Wayne while he was crafting this.
Neglify edited the raw footage, many previewed, I wrote up a hundred questions Wayne could ask riders on subsequent episodes.
Everyone offered suggestions. From the small maps, subtitles for the mush-mouthed or road noise, to the female VO narrator (I believe she was Wayne’s girlfriend).
I don’t know how much Wayne spent. It was all his dime, but we were dead certain it would get picked up.
Except it didn’t.
Like I wrote, this show was creative and I think there would have been an audience.
Enough time has passed now, I don’t think Wayne will mind me posting it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8OiICw7iag

Darkman Lives! - MusicEd921

I first saw Darkman as a first run theatrical with an exceedingly rowdy audience.
Shouting at villains, cheering mayhem, really into payback and retribution.
This experience colored my memories, causing me to overlook problems that were more apparent when I bought LD and DVD.
Chief was director Raimi’s misuse of silliness and goofy behavior.
MusicEd921 trimmed the nonsense and more.

Video = 1920 X 1080p. The black n white definitely adds to the 30’s look the editor was striving for. Exteriors were sharp, interiors, especially Darkman’s warehouse laboratory, were soft. Night time saturation was fine. There was one editing quibble I had in a preview, which the editor rectified. Editing is smooth throughout.

Audio - 160 kbps, 2 Channel AAC. No subs. There were music alterations and special effects added. Nicely done. Dialogue is clear. No audio problems that I could hear.

Trims were minimal, yet the overall tone differs greatly.
By design, this edit brings to the fore the pulpy elements. Violence is toned down.
This is a PG, popcorn experience. While violent, it should be OK for older children.
A fun film, though not as dark as before. I think I would have preferred a rougher ride.
Still, if you want action, yet want to avoid obscenities and gore, this is a great choice.

Run Marty Run (Back To The Future) by BlueYoda

Supercharged reworking of “Back To The Future” is imaginative, inventive, best of all - fun!
Marty gets three chances to amend events that will impact his future.
The musical score has been wiped, and replaced with that of “Run Lola Run.”
The narrative structure has been wiped, and replaced with that of “Run Lola Run.”
This is a must-see edit for any aspiring faneditor!
Observe, learn, and broaden your ambitions, fledglings.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark: The Serial by Roger Rmjet

Reworking Raiders Of The Lost Ark into a chapter serial. Appropriate since the Indiana Jones trilogy, particularly the first movie, was a crackling, state of the art homage to vintage Republic and Universal cliffhangers.

An older edit, video quality is not up to current FE standards. Editing is choppy with quick fades and abrupt transitions. Opening credits are excellent with rousing action and adventure and a white steed. Recaps faithful and concise. Closing titles ought to have mirrored the intros with something akin to, “Will Indy survive the …” or “What danger awaits …”

Serials have basic rules and guidelines, though, and those were either ignored or not attempted.
Straight off: Where are chapter ending cliffhangers? Most of the endings here are not compelling. There is no sense of danger, let alone death. Also missing are the bane of serials - the cheats. Fans scream at those, but they are expected and enjoyably irritating.

I readily appreciate and applaud what was attempted here. To me, this is a solid, really solid, rough draft.

Kiernan, Caitlin - Houses Under The Sea

Fat anthology of mostly Lovecraft inspired or derived stories.
A found curio and odd encounter near a shipwreck off Scotland, spurs a geologist to write a letter to one Dr. Watson. Yes! That Dr. Watson.
In “Pickman’s Other Model,” an elusive silent film actress leaves a wake of scandal and blasphemy.
The chance finding of a prehistoric fossil sends a researcher off to the ghost town of Innsmouth.
In the title story, a mass suicide by drowning captures media attention. Briefly. Afterward, a free lance reporter digs into a sketchy history and clues that are invisible because they are conspicuous.
Unfortunately, this collection has, to my mind, some padding in the form of the Providence underworld. The supernatural underbelly of decadent vampires, abducted changelings, short tempered ghouls. These have nothing to do with HPL or the mythos. This is Southern Gothic (reference the Dancy Flammarion yarns) shoe-horned into Rhode Island. Yes, there are fans of these, but I am not part of their numbers. For me, they are akin to Fantasy Island. If you are of similar bent, these disappear midway in the collection.
More satisfaction is found in a quartet of Dandridge stories, set in the creaking house, battered by the sea. The gatekeeper, trapped between worlds, is mangled beyond recognition.
A personal favorite, “The Cats Of River Street,” set in Innsmouth, 1925. Several homes are observed, each with cats, from household members to squatters.
Cats, with whom I have shared my life with for 40+ years, can be friendly, opinionated, indifferent, yet all are highly territorial. As in this grim ode to felines, where the cats hold the line.

I checked Igorleoni’s profile.
He was last here April 2020.
There is some disturbance in the world at present, so he may be busy with “life.”
Send him a PM and chill.
Chances are he will return.
You are aware steFANedit edited a version, as well.
Type “steFANedit Book Shadows” on YouTube for his trailer.

Conan: Man Of War (Conan The Barbarian) by TMBTM

Lo! Just as wide-eyed Spinal Tap acolytes rever Valhalla for the mere existence of Manowar, so too the burgeoning ranks of fanedit viewers ought to worship editor “TMBTM” for this sonic overhaul of the Hyborian Age.
This is mostly a “silent” version of Conan, with music by metal group Manowar replacing most of the dialogue and all of the Poldoris score.
The syncing of music to onscreen action is uncanny.
Riffs roar during mayhem, caress melodic during pensive or thoughtful moments.
Dialogue is at an absolute minimum in this.
More to behold, mortals!

Note - Midway through the film, Conan and Valeria surrender to romantic urges.
While watching I detected the opening strains of Puccini and thought, “Nessun Dorma?”
Sure enough, the opening strains of the famed “Turandot” aria swelled.
Even though I knew that TMBTM had replaced all music with MOW, I asked myself, “Michael Bolton?”
Of course not, it was Manowar delivering a number outside the metal comfort zone, but within their power.
Hark!

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Recut by 15MAF

The original was a film I really wanted to like. Set during 1950’s added several political elements, and explained Indy’s age. Mutt is no Brando, however, and John Hurt shamelessly overacts. The film has an interesting balance of action and humor, and, for lack of a better word, cheesiness.

The look of 15MAF’s edit is breathtaking, especially some of the darker sequences. There are more details in this version than are in my DVD.
The sound is a dynamic 5.1 AC3. Although the score often threatens to overwhelm other elements, the dialogue is clear throughout. There was a point during the temple escape where I cocked my head at the music, the sound mix seemed noticeably altered.

The adventure romp has numerous trims here and there. Some I caught, more were later, often quite later. The jungle chase is every way better. That is me. I have less patience with endless fighting and running, which I generally fast forward through. Those are studio padding in lieu of a proper script. Anyway, 15MAF’s edit is intelligent and coherent.

This is my Indy film, next in line after Raiders. The previous sequels, not so much.

The elephant. This is a big ass file. 14 GB. That size will place beyond the reach of members who have limited bandwidth. For me, much as I like this edit – and I do – I cannot burn to DVD. It’s too large. Hopefully, a smaller encode will one day be available. Just a suggestion.

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Kingdom-of-the-Crystal-Skull-Non-Paternal-Cut-by-15MaF/id/62361

Phillips, Thomas - In This Glass House

The construction of this Zagava book itself is, in itself, highly unusual.
Pages darkening from white to black as the story progresses.
And yes, the story of a stain that corrupts and taints grows bleak.
Parts of this seem eerily prescient, even though nations across the globe have been electing / installing “strong men” to solve their problems.
Should provide unsettled thoughts during these uncertain times.

Not quite a Necro, but close.

Has anyone seen or heard any recent updates of Mr Esmail’s new series, set in the BSG world?

Flash Gordon: Savior of the Earth Edition (Flash Gordon) by havok1977

Flash Gordon was one of a fistful of films that emerged after the Star Wars phenomena. Many were rushed Hollywood SciFi scripts (Black Hole, Meteor, Saturn 3, Battle Beyond The Stars). Flash took a different course, spoof over story. Camp more than special effects. The result was a mixed bag.
Havok1977 removed much of the stupidity, making this a sleeker, less dumb version.
This edit is more intelligent than the original. The overall story remains childrens fare, but this child has a brain.
He also heavily tweaked the original color design. More on that.

I did notice omissions, such as the football sequence, and the cut was abrupt. The red color shift was noticeable for the whole film. Struck me as a mistake, especially for Earth parts. Also, in the original film, the Mongo world was a glittering, technicolor extravaganza. Here, monochrome ruled.

Acting splits between non-Americans who seriously seem to be having fun with the story, and Yanks who are clumsy and amateurish.
In my book, Jason Williams, playing Gordon back in 1974, was less wooden than Sam Jones.
Von Sydow is an unforgettable Ming.
Havok’s version was a fun romp, delivering on the promise of what the original ought to have been.
By all means, fans should hunt this down.

Blue Skies on Mars: A Total Recall Fanedit (Total Recall) by Jorge

Count me as a fan of the original. Saw it theatrically a couple times, defended it in arguments.
Bought the VHS, later the Laserdisc, finally the DVD in a round tin resembling Mars.
Total Recall is, to me, the last great Arnold vehicle. I have liked little of his work since.

To be honest, someone unfamiliar with Total Recall will get lost with Jorge’s edit.
A lot was cut, and the linear narrative is a choppy mess.
Plot points bounce back and forth, and I never got a feel for Kuato’s group, the Agency motivations, or why Hauser-Quaid bothered going to Rekall or Mars for that matter.

Black n white sequences (all on Mars?) were well rendered.
The color palate (on Earth?) was harsh - perhaps by design. Very 70’s looking.

I appreciated all the thought and work that went into Blue Skies On Mars.
Total Recall remains my go-to, however, though this has its points.

Darth Dougal said:

I love that movie. Has anyone ever made a fan edit with improved vfx that you know of? (Ducks for cover). Yes, I know that’s not inkeeping with the spirit of the forum but some tasteful improvements wouldn’t go amiss.

I’m pretty sure Havok made a version.
I’ll search through my reviews.

Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:

Vultural said:
I disabled Cortana,

How did you do that? I thought they made it impervious.

I did that last December when my Win 7 (than Vista) and my wife’s Slax (then XP) both crashed.
I believe I tweaked the registry of the Win 10 (I do not recommend anyone messing about in their registry).
With Edge, I downed a program that snuffs it every time it launches.
To be honest, the Win 10 is on a dual boot, that runs Ubuntu 99% of the time.

I was unaware that Win 7 Pro was still being updated.
That bears investigation.

My main computer is Win 7, and I don’t plan to leave any time soon.
The second computer is dual boot with Win 10 and Ubuntu. Disclosure: it is low RAM.
The Ubuntu works flawlessly and I have had few issues with the distro I use.
Any time I have to use the Win 10 side, it’s a real resource hog.
I disabled Cortana, blocked Edge, did a few other tweaks.
Usually I let it run 15", until the CPU settles down, then it’s OK enough.
My wife runs Slax (Linux) on her unit.

Dig around a little and see if Brooklyn College (where you hope to attend, yes?) offers placement programs.
I have a relative who attended Syracuse, and the school helped with internships, career counseling, meet and greets.
Those initial contacts were invaluable, and my relative has been working in Hollywood steadily for several years now.
A friend’s child went to Emerson (Boston) and they also boasted a strong placement record.
Tuition costs are tremendous. A diploma alone is not enough, you want post graduate assistance.

Levy, Shawn - Ready, Steady, Go!

Swinging London and the Invention of Cool.
The rise, exhilarating peak, and demise of Swinging London, circa 1960 - 68
To be frank, however, the blazing time you want to visit in your Tardis is 1962 - 66.
Music, movies, fashion, photography, art galleries are key areas.
I was fairly steeped in music of the British Invasion, cinema I had caught up with later.
Fashion, not really, though my wife is very knowledgeable.
That’s the thing, you roll from sphere to sphere, in fairly chronological time.
Levy does a great job focusing on key movers and shakers. Illuminated, sometimes dissected.
This is a period fondly recalled, though few, extremely few, swirled in the hot nucleus.
Meritocracy and class distinctions meant 99%, as now, never had admittance.
Addictive history with a surprising amount of blunt interviews. Little glossing over.
Smashing.

Easy Beat
Pop Goes Beat

The Shadow Strikes! (The Shadow 1994) by BionicBob

The 1994 pulp flick receives an overhaul, courtesy Fanedit.
Silliness and bad jokes are excised, and the look is rendered black and white.
Instead of a lame imitation, the film is now dark homage to 30s action films.

The movie remains marred by poor script and bad direction, but Alec Baldwin is great, flashing more charisma than Zane (The Phantom), Campbell (The Rocketeer), and Beatty (Dick Tracy), as studios tried to cash in on nostalgia during the mid 90s.
Baldwin and Penelope Miller also sparked undeniable chemistry, perhaps not romantic, but they definitely worked as a couple.

Unfortunately, the original movie was undermined by poor writing and sloppy direction. The Shadow seemed aimed at eight year olds, circa 1950s. The narrative was gauzed in fuzzy, misplaced nostalgia. No one bought in, not adults, not teens, not children.
Bionic Bob has done a remarkable job, raising the enjoyment level. The black and white sheen is perfect, not only with the foggy Manhattan set design, but with attire. Gowns and tuxedos resemble Nick & Nora Charles’ wardrobe. Plus, the retro gizmos look pretty cool.

The sound mix is a dynamic, often aggressive, two channel LPCM. Too loud during action sequences, too quiet with dialogue. I ended up using headphones. I hate suggesting this, especially as a music geek, but I think normalized audio might have worked here.

The black and white seems inconsistent. Pristine sharp in some scenes, soft focus in others, and scratchy and dirty in others. I didn’t mind, but every time a scratch appeared I noticed.

Aside from those quibbles, BB’s The Shadow Strikes! is a classy improvement, easily recommended.

Flash Gordon: Ming Strikes Back! (Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe) by Billy Batson

Yes, kids, and you thought Emperor Ming was no more! Ha! The would be ruler of the universe attacks Earth again! This time with mysterious purple dust that kills people dead. Luckily for the sake of humankind, Flash and Doctor Zarkov still know a thing about fighting evil.

The 12 chapter cliffhanger runs three and a half hours, Billy has cut this to a little over two hours.

Video - 640 X 480p AVC. My player did a nice job improving this, but it cannot compensate for what is, at best, a mediocre print. Editing is solid. All intros and recaps, gone. Several transitions seem abrupt, perhaps those just before the “NEXT WEEK!” banner launches. Much as I dislike fade to black, that might have solved that.

Audio - 128 kbps AAC 2 Channel stereo. Specs may indicate stereo, but this is mono.

I have not watched the original serial lately, and had forgotten just how much action this boasts. Being a Universal production, this is not on a par with the Republic cliffhangers, but the production values were first rate back then.
Anyway, this edit really moves, though it gets jumpy at times, as Flash and Zarkov dash from one crisis to another across Mongo.

In 1966, Universal Television recut the serial into the hour and a half “Purple Death From Outer Space.”
Avoid that, Billy’s edit is far superior! That said, serials were never meant to be binged. Recaps and previews can exhaust even the most patient. Billy’s version, I watched over two nights which is what I would suggest.

Hard Target: Ultimate Cut by Commodore Schmidlapp

Nice fan tweak from Commodore Schmidlapp of a guilty pleasure of mine.
He used sources from domestic US release, as well as the harder international cut, and the VHS “Sneak Peek” workprint.
Made a couple of music changes as well.
The result seemed much closer to Woo’s final stage of Hong Kong output.

Plot involves an out of work veteran / seaman / drifter hiring on to help young girl find her lost daddy in New Orleans. Then it steams into Most Dangerous Game territory.
Several scenes seemed little more than echoes from Hard Boiled.
One of Van Damme’s better roles, with Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo outstanding as baddies.
Wilford Brimley as cajun uncle is a poster boy of imbecile acting.

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Hard-Target-Ultimate-Cut/id/15253

Head Cheese (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation) by steFANedit

Ha ha ha. Though still listed, this gem remains “banned” at the all-inclusive joint.

Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger give career defining performances in Kim Henkel’s directorial highpoint, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. The film is an odd mix of slasher gore, unfunny comedy, and incredibly broad over-acting. steFAN degraded the film into a VHS. To heighten the effect of “found video” he added a couple POV porn shots, as well as the end snip of Motel Hell.

Video - Looks like crap, by design, so great work steFAN. This is ugly looking and the 4 X 3 aspect ratio does not help this one bit. No, sir.

As for the POV porn, it did not add to the edit. It enhanced the concept of a found VHS tape, but the oral opener was a tactical error. Had steFAN slipped the footage on at the end, after static, cable preachers and info-mercials, it might have worked. Straight from the get-go? No. Some folks have no problems watching heads decapitated, women set on fire, or news reporters shot to death. Those very same souls often get bent outta shape over what they perceive as immoral.

Audio - Pretty good, although Heather the unkillable (AKA - Too Dumb To Die) is really hard to understand. Otherwise, Matthew’s hollers and Renée screams had me lower the volume, and the man-in-black (Mr Devil, maybe?) had me dial up the decibels. No subs.

Narrative - First off, adding that Motel Hell finale proved riveting. Forced me to dig though my guy films to rewatch another classic. Anyhoo, this edit neither hurts nor improves what is already a head buried in armpit story. The flow drags for stretches, then screeches incessantly. Grinds on your nerves after awhile until you start wishing - kill 'em all. You have all these twisted souls, forced to kill, who don’t enjoy killing? Blah blah blah. Strikes me that Mr Devil can’t get good help. loser with a small-cap L.

Enjoyment - Not really. The VHS effect is overdone. No matter how hard everyone tries, the yarn is a bore. The idea of creating a VHS is novel, but could have been executed better. I like steFAN’s edits, but ofttimes he labors on these without seeking ongoing feedback. Well placed advice might have turned this into a FanEdit Of The Month instead of Banned.

Listen, this is a ballsy edit, and I applaud steFAN for seasoning this with hardcore. The fact that they were not incorporated into the story proper hurt approval chances, I suspect. Still, plenty of hombres ought to hanker after this. You folks, go ride it down. You might even see relatives during the naughty bits. Such are the stuff of dreams.

Bukowski, Charles - South Of No North

Stories culled from the Los Angeles Free Press and Doug Blazek’s “Ole.”
The narrator recollects growing up poor, living rough. Childhood, poignant, bleak, overlaid with an adult wonder of how everyone survived.
Companions drift in and out, fellow discards, clutching bent pipedreams.
Women stroll into the Life’s bar, give, take. When the gauge hits empty, they hit the breeze.
The sex stories are pretty funny. Sex itself can be funny, unless you’re one of those types who view the mortal coil oh so seriously.
Chinaski visits the doctor for various ailments. The doc, an ex-Nazi, treats him, yet wails about his own problems.
Chinaski sees a fellow starving poet. Only this guy is about climb out of the ditch. This story seems eerily prophetic.
Two honchos of a roller derby league take an over-eager achiever to task.
(The roller derby awakened an old memory. Years ago, for four months, in a period of sheer lunacy, I dated a jammer. That didn’t go so well.)
Sour luck, bad choices, narrow chances, liars, drunks, the crooked game.
These are timeless stories, always timeless.
Don’t believe it? Go on, be pleased with yourself. It won’t last. It never does.
Then, when you’re staring at your empty hands, these essays will resonate.

Alien-Ate (Alien: Resurrection) by TMBTM

One of the earliest fanedits I ever viewed.
Like many, I disliked the original.
The edit is tighter, less haphazard than the Jeunet film.
Audio is solid and well focused. Nice incorporation of video materials from AVP.
Was enjoying this up until the final act, until the Ripley business, which I found, and still find, ridiculous.
As far as the Alien franchise goes, neither Resurrection nor Alien-Ate are films I return to.
Hey, and a shout out! Thank you TMBTM for your “Making Of” extra.
That is helpful and generous to those contemplating their own edits.

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Super 8 Digest by Dr. Sapirstein

Brilliant concept by the dependable doctor, crafting a showreel of big moments.
Plus, he has generously given viewers the choice between an HD restoration and a scruffy 8mm print.
Since both are only 17’, greedy souls can watch the whole shebang in one sitting.

Video - 720 X 480p MPEG. 4 X 3 ratio. Wonderful choices here and superb editing. The HD is wonderful, though for me the 8mm is too scratchy and fuzzy. Too much damage, though I realize many find charm there.

Audio - 448 kbps AC3. 2 Channel. The major numbers are here and the sound - again, the HD - just pops. Crank and sing along! Dialogue is clear, especially diction clinic Charles Gray.

Narrative - It’s amazing how well this works. The essence holds together into a hot short. My brother and I had a Super 8 projector and used to buy 200’ movie reels. Fifteen minute soundless assemblages of whatever movie, usually sold by Blackhawk. While faithful to those old reels, this is actually superior to any of those I owned as far as storytelling and sound!

Enjoyment - For five or six years, I watched “Rocky Horror” to death. Even when I tapered off, from weekly to monthly to every other month, it would seem excessive to outsiders. Then I flat quit cold, and did not view it for five years - ten years - more.
Sapirstein’s short is a perfect encapsulation of the show. Faithful (though I do miss Eddie). and ideal if you want to return and relive “some” of the jollies but not 100 minutes of them.