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greencapt

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12-Mar-2005
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8-Jul-2015
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Post
#133110
Topic
Murphy's Law...
Time
Quote

Originally posted by: Yoda Is Your Father
You have video display monitors in your school?
Man, it hasn't been THAT long since I left school, has it?


I KNOW its been that long since I've left.... dammit.

I did the morning anouncments as well- spoken over a crackley microphone and played out over crackley mono speakers in each class room. The prep work was done on these technologocal marvels called 'index cards', on which the announcement material was etched using something called a 'pen'.

sigh



(counts gray hairs... at least the ones his wife doesn't pluck out while he's sleeping)
Post
#133055
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
Just wanted to chime in with a quick post before bed. SeriousDuke, a poster who got his copy today after patiently waiting for it, posted this review:

Today I recieved a package in the mail with no return address. It simply said 'greencapt' and my home address. I immediately knew that my copy of Batman & Robin: De-Assified has arrived!

First of all, the cover. The DVD came in a nice keepcase case with a printed up color front, side and back page. The cover looks the same but has DE-ASSIFIED printed in red right beneath the title. At the very bottom it says A GREENCAPT SPECIAL EDITION, also in red. The back is the same as it was on the regular DVD, featuring an extra picture that now covers up the barcode. The picture is of Robin's "ass" with a stamped on BANNED. The back also features a quote that used to say "Consistantly dazzling. Ingenious. Breathtaking."--Michael Medved, New York Post. It now says, "Greencapt's work is consistantly dazzling. Ingenious. Breathtaking."--NOT Michael Medved, New York Post. Following that is a complete write up on the film stating for you to "...sit back, relax and watch it with an open mind..." Congrats on the cover GreenCapt!!!

I did just as the back cover stated, I "...sat back, relaxed and watched it with an open mind..."

Just to clear one thing up, this film is NOT rated PG-13 anymore... no, no, no... it is now rated LA. Yep, that's right you heard me, LA: LESS ASINE! Anyway, the WB logo comes up with the 'chilling' music. The music soon changes to a 'heroic' Batman & Robin type theme. The WB logo freezes and forms into the Bat Emblem as it shatters into a million peices. This reveals-- the camera panning up to the museum window! We don't get the dialogue, "Please, show some mercy!" "MEEEERRRRCCCCYYYYY?" Oh no, Mr. Freeze simply freezes everybody without showing "mercy"! After this whole scene, that features not one batbomb, it cuts to Robin saying, "Did we get him?" Batman shakes his head and it cuts to the opening credits. VERY James Bond-ish!

The movie runs a lot faster in pace and sticks to the main plot. You won't get fidgety anymore! There are NO subplots. No Batman and Robin bickering, and no Alfred is dying. Without these, the movie picks up speed and you WILL NOT loose interest! I myself have seen the original Batman & Robin about 20 times or more (I know... I know... that is way to many times) since it's release. While watching THIS version I picked up ALL of the cuts. There are so many cuts and changes that I can not come close to talking about all.

Another thing GreenCapt does very well is the jumping from scene to scene. Instead of just 'showing' the next scene, he shows how the characters 'got' there. For example Dick Grayson runs in saying, "Freeze has escaped!" We get Batman and Robin racing to the scene in the Batmobile and Redbird! Another example is when Dr. Woodrew is talking to the 'mystery bidder' on the phone(That whole bit is cut by the way. Bane just becomes Bane, none of that bidder or Antonio Diego crap). Before that scene opens up, we get a shot zooming in on the lab that he is in, this shot was used previously in the film, and now used to show where we now are.

Let's put it this way, most one-liners are gone along with an hour of the original film!! There are still some one-liners intact, but only 2 or 3! "Cool Party!" "It's time to feast!" We don't get any Coolio(Ahhhh, mmmaaannn!) Coolio always gets cut from the films.... DD and this.... No derrogitory race and gang scenes and Batman pretty much "approves" Barbara becoming Batgirl. They don't bicker later on about it, "I guess we'll just have to kill her!" Mr. Freeze comes off as more of a man with a cold heart, meaner and less silly. NO McGreggor's Syndrome-- His wife does NOT have it and Alfred does NOT have it, thus the villian doesn't help the hero at the end! The stupid scientists don't come off as well..... stupid and the film ends with Mr. Freeze getting his cell with Poison Ivy and the last line is "....winter has come at last!" *BLACK*. After the credits is a nice little continuation for Bane-- kind of like how a horror film ends with a hand popping out of a grave.

The film itself is cut nicely and I only noticed a couple of miniscule things. (1)During the scene where Barbara comes and the doorbell rings and Bruce begins to walk off, it cuts to black for about a second. (2)I could have sworn when Barbara was trying to figure out the password I heard Ivy saying, "Quickly Bane!" (3)When Robin throws the tray at the charity gala, the spinning sound is heard twice. At least it is better than hearing that 'cartoon' type 'fall'. (4)Also, Batman doesn't use a batbomb to blow up Freeze's rocket. It doesn't even blow up at all! Wouldn't it turn Gotham into a "crater" as Freeze suggested??? And, you can still see debris falling to the ground! (5)How did Barbara get a hold of the Batman CD that Alfred made??? (6)Freeze's gun doesn't 'stick' to the top of the dinosaur at the beginning. Those scenes are taken out. But now, we see a pointless scene of a man 'falling' behind Freeze, the man is the fat one that got thrown at the dinosaur to get the gun down. So now Freeze walks over to the dinosaur with no gun, stops at it base, turns around with his gun, and walks back to his van. HUH??? (7)And, there was no point at all to show the Robin signal, however, it DID work on a certain level. These ONLY minor gripes. This would be nice if these were fixed in Version 2.0!

I liked MANY things very much. (1)I really enjoyed the music more this time around. It is edited nicely and never gets choppy. Some think that it would have been better if you used the Elfman theme, I however don't think that is the case. The Goldenthal theme works very well for this piece and gets extremely 'dark' at times. I like it! (2)I liked the fact that there was no stupid bat snow vehichles. Those sucked!!! (3)I loved how Batman & Robin didn't fight. Now when Batman says to Robin, "Pull back, you can't make the jump," on the large arm Robin simply skids out 'knowing' it would be too dangerous. Nicley done!!! I was wondering how you were going to pull that scene off. (4)Less crap, crap as in Bane. (5)To me this film after the "De-Assification" came off as three 'continuing' episodes of The Batman & Robin Adventures/TAS Batman cartoon show! I don't know if it was just me, but it simply would have worked as a cartoon and seems to flow with the show!

People are saying that what you made is still not a good film. "B&R can NEVER be good!" I, however, think this film is great! It replaces my B&R DVD on my DVD shelf and is a perfect substitute for the original B&R film! Don't get Batman & Robin, get Batman & Robin: De-Assified!!!

This film gets a B- from SeriousDuke!!! Batman & Robin is WATCHABLE at last! A dream come true!

Batman & Robin is finally a watchable film! Wickedly fun, and wildly entertaining!

Thank you so much for the copy GreenCapt! I utterly CANNOT wait to see BATMAN FOREVER: DIRECTOR'S CUT- A GREENCAPT SPECIAL EDITION!!!


SeriousDuke's Review at SuperHeroHype.Com
Post
#132668
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
First I'd like to apologize to everyone who PM'd, posted or emailed me over the weekend. I had one of those wife-induced 'less internet, more lawn-mowing weekends'. And I think we all know how THAT goes...

I've been getting reports that the USPS is creeping along a bit slowly getting the edits in the hands of those I've mailed them to so far. Please be patient and don't give up hope. If it makes you feel any better I won an MP3 player in a contest back in April and *still* haven't gotten it. C'est la vie- so much for free stuff! They should be to you soon I hope!

Originally posted by: Wesyeed
Thanks for the Par2 files. And Wow, thanks for this edit. I used to own and watch the original along with the other bat films all the time. Not only was this version tolerable, but I actually found myself enjoying it. You probably already know about the little cutting kinks and the robin signal thing. I myself already knew what was supposed to go down there so it wasn't a bother. I've actually tried a bit at editing old cartoons and know how incredibly difficult this can be. But this is remarkable, a must for anyone dissapointed, or disgusted, by the original. Probably everyone.

Yeah the kinks I know of and for version 2.0 I'm going to try to iron out as many as possible. I figured I'd either stay up many more sleepless nights tweaking or get at least the first version in people's hands. Plus its nice to get feedback from more than just my one friend who encouraged me to do it in the first place.

It's fascinating how much cooler batman is as a quiet, hard-hitting soldier rather than what he was before. Even more fascinating, no scratch that, un-fudging believable, is that Robin works since he's a team mate and not a competitor, and that's one of the things that sucked about the original version. too much bickering between them and I'm so glad it got chopped out.

Those were two of my big goals. In my mind Bats is the quiet intellectual type. The 'hero-quips' should be left to the kids like Robin. They actually work for his character. And teamwork was a big, big factor. In the original 'B&R' the least in control of his surroundings person was Batman. By this time in the series (ie Robin having basically grown into Nightwing) the tow should exhibit an extreme level of teamwork. Not, IMO, just Bruce bitching that Dick needs more training and then questioning himself. In fact I feel two of the factors that held the first four films back were 1) Batman constantly questioning himself. That works maybe once but then he should get over it and 2) Rotating-door 'love interests'. Just because the studio wants a big-name female in the film they shouldn't work the story around one. As Short-Round once said- 'No time for love, Dr. Jones!'.

Begrudgingly, I do miss some parts of the original cut for some strange reason. Bruce and Alfred's scenes together were my fav bits from the original.


Honestly they mostly stood out in my mind as well but for reasons outlined elsewhere I couldn't justify their inclusion. And TRUST me... I'v heard that before. I have a theory that because those scenes were the closest to the spirit of Batman people overlooked the story inadequacies the contrived subplots offered. This will continue to be the point that I'm most whipped over I'm sure. Maaaaaaaayyyyybbbbeeeee I'll look for a way.... maybe.

I gotta say I missed bane's involvement in the rest of the story too. He just dropped out of it after breaking freeze from arkham asylum. Now how he was used was stupid to begin with so perhaps its best he was left out of the rest.


Did you watch through the end credits?

I'm really in awe of what I just watched. It's given me a little more respect for Clooney's batman and O'donnell's robin. I think both were well cast anyway, but as we saw, they unfortunately were trapped inside a sinking ship. Now I know it didn't have to.

Thanks for sharing this look past the ass with us.


Head-wobbles aside I think Clooney did a capable turn as the Caped Crusader. And even Arnie I think really wasn't all that bad as that version of Freeze (though I gotta love TAS Freeze!).

Thank you so much for the comments and I look forward to hearing from others as they get theirs this week!

GC
Post
#132645
Topic
Info Wanted: Best way to do reviews for the OT Preservations?
Time
Originally posted by: RichKS

We will not be paying much heed to the sound quality since I can't stand surround sound. I have analogue stereo and a bass speaker, that's all. Surround freaks me out so I don't waste money on something I don't like.




That seriously gave me a grin this morning! I don't think I ever 'met' anyone who was freaked out by surround sound before. That's so cool! I wonder if there's a scientific term for it yet? If not I want to be the one to name it.

I call it.... dolbydigiphobia!

Post
#131984
Topic
Info &amp; For Sale: Action Figure Collecting
Time
Quote

Originally posted by: Bossk
I could have had the blue Snaggletooth when I was young. However, with regard to the other four, I had gotten into G.I. Joe by then so I never bought them. I never bought most of the POTF run of figures. What I have gotten of them are ones that I bought when I started "collecting" in the mid 90s. Bought all but those four.


LOL- I switched to Joe just about the same time Bossk. What kind of condition are you looking for them in though?
Post
#131774
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
Originally posted by: SammyTheBull
By the way, I don't suppose anyone saw the Superman II RIC anywhere in any group?


I wonder if that's the version Rikter has? Anyone know? Looks pretty damn sweet though. Man, they never should have finished that without Donner!

EDIT:

Here's the .nzb link if anyone wants it... lemme know if there's any problem with it.
http://rapidshare.de/files/4123280/msgid_1362051_Batman___Robin__1997___Greencapt__De-Assified__Cut_.nzb.html

EDIT 2:

LOL-
From the Google Spanish to English translation of a forum I found:
"Ladies, horsemen, unicornios and others... It seems to be that a handful of fans has done what it seemed
impossible. They have taken Batman and Robin and they have published it, does not stop to turn it a good
film (as usually she says herself, God makes miracles but she does not clean cars), but in a film "less
worse". Reason why it seems have eliminated the subplot of "Alfred dies", all the phrases chorras of
the film, the bat-card of credit, means itches between Batman and Robin, the unnecessary gilipolleces of Mr.
Fri'o, and yes, oh yes, FINALLY SOMEBODY HAS ELIMINATED the FIRST PLANES OF ASSES. They have called to the film "Batman & Robin: Of-assified ".
That for that is not handled with the English, I believe that can be translated like "Batman and Robin: desculificado ".
Post
#131773
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
Originally posted by: Neilneil72
No worries Greencapt. Look forward to seeing it real soon. Thanks.

Any ideas on your next project, by the way? As Jett at BOF mentioned, "Batman Returns : De-Bizarrified" maybe??


Poor Jett has taken more flak over that comment alone! LOL.

He and several other people really want me to tackle 'Batman Forever' next. I probably will unless some other bad movie inspiration comes up.
Post
#131732
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
Thanks for the comments CC and segaflip-

Many valid points there CC and I agree for the most part. There are some awkward moments that were destined to be there.

Bane should have been a strong enough (no pun intended) character to build a whole film around instead of throwing him in, likewise a Batgirl (I say 'a' because we all know that character *wasn't* Batgirl ). Oh and btw- did your catch the Bane bit after the credits? Its funny because I envisioned sort of a psuedo-story going on during this version of the film- including the set-up for Bane to appear in a 'sequel'.

Most of Batgirl's stuff stunk so again in 'story-in-my-head' mode I pictured that Batman, much more intelligent than Schumacher or the script gave him credit for, *knew* that Barbara was up to something and you even can (hopefully) get the impression that Bruce and Alfred baited her.

I fully admit the 'Robin-signal' makes no sense in the edit, but god help me I couldn't bring myself to put more Bane in the film! And regretfully Bane and Ivy are joined at the hip in the film.

As to the transitions, yes in the 'version' I was trying to stay as true as possible to the other 3 films in the series. My friend BatmanMD (who is obviously too good to post here anymore ) also liked the idea of more wipes, etc. I know, as stated before, that I'm going to do a version 2.0 eventually (audio commentary, etc) and I very well may re-visit severla of these points. I don't know about other editors but there is always the temptation to keep re-doing and re-doing the work. This works well to a point but eventually one will end up like George Lucas and tweaking and tweaking... a bad thing IMHO.
Post
#131677
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
Originally posted by: Wesyeed
I finally figured out this newsgroups thing and now it's on it's way to my hard drive as I type. I can't wait to see it!


Awesome Wesyeed!!! Be sure to let us know what you think.

And on that note, a general thoughts:

I hope that when people receive their copies and watch the edit that you'll share your comments and criticisms here. This is by means intended to be some sort of self-congratulatory thread. I know- and hope- that people will like some parts of the edit as well as dislike some parts and I'd like to hear both sides. The ebb and flow of info like that just makes one strive to be better the next time around!
Post
#131654
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
Originally posted by: mydogbuddy
Why be sorry for my Mom?

What I'm saying is that because of some enlightenment and Begins she loves it even more. She has seen it 3 times with me. I'm going for # 10 this weekend. (2 months from tomorrow til DVD)


D'oh! I didn't get that your mom had converted to 'Begins' after seeing it. Thinking she was still hooked on BF and B&R I just meant 'sorry' that she hadn't stepped into a wider Batman world yet- but now I understand she has!
Post
#131691
Topic
Magnoliafag and Dickter
Time
Quote

Originally posted by: tlbauerle
Quote

Originally posted by: greencapt
Sweet! Two trains of thought leave two different cities at the same time....

As for the MagFan/K Smith comparison- there's not too many ways even the most creative 'fan-editor' can make pacing and dialogue choices. Oh they *can* be made, but unlike the original edit job you don't have the luxury of multiple takes and extra shots so I don't see that you can really draw an easy parallel.




Thanks...I'm not a moron...I realize there isn't access to raw daily footage.

The subtitled dialogue is what I'm referring to. Most of it is pretty terrible and could use a lot of rewrites. It certainly wasn't written by a "writer"... some of it looks like reject dialogue from cable access.


No harm meant tbauerle and I certainly did not mean to insinuate that you were a moron.

I can understand what you're saying about the subtitles... but maybe a *really* clever writer was trying to mirror the 'cable access' level dialogue that Lucas had already written: "I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything’s soft... and smooth..."
Post
#131655
Topic
Magnoliafag and Dickter
Time
Sweet! Two trains of thought leave two different cities at the same time....

As for the MagFan/K Smith comparison- there's not too many ways even the most creative 'fan-editor' can make pacing and dialogue choices. Oh they *can* be made, but unlike the original edit job you don't have the luxury of multiple takes and extra shots so I don't see that you can really draw an easy parallel.

As for Brosnan (as I'm a big Bond fan!) I liked him but the on-again, off-again negotiations over the current film were crap and my guess is:

1) The studio wanted Brosnan back as despite hit-or-miss scripts for the last few films he always delivered well. I could always believe him as Bond and just from economic sense it pays for the studios to not take a chance on something 'new' (as much as it galls me to say that).

2) Bros was kind of a dick about the whole thing. His contract was up and he essentially made the producers beg him to play the part again all the while working on his other films; when those films were not overly successful Bros would start teasing the media saying that he would go back to Bond again. The studio tried to push back with the Ledger and Jackman rumors but I feel that they still wanted Brosnan back. Then again they also have a franchise to keep alive and a film to make which I believe led to their current stance of 'thanks, but no thanks Bros'.

It annoys me the righteous indignation that Brosnan seems to be putting on right now after being dumped. That's what he gets for being a tease, IMHO.
Post
#131575
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
Originally posted by: ThatArtGuy
By the way, I finally found it. *rolls eyes* I hate beta versions of newsgroup programs.

Before I was going out with my then future wife, I found "The Killing Joke" and "Batman: Year One" in her book collection.
I found a good one.


THAT, my friend, is a keeper!

(of course, to my taste, she'd also have some Sandman in there too... )
Post
#131547
Topic
<strong>The Official Greencapt 'Batman &amp; Robin: De-Assified' Edit thread</strong> (Released)
Time
Several people at several places have asked me why in the world I chose to cut out the 'Alfred dying' subplot. I thought I'd give some insight.

That has been a subject of debate between not only myself and the friend who suggested the edit, but also on many of the forums. Gough is a good actor and brought a lot to the role and to the film in general.

Perhaps its the storyteller in me, but the points about that subplot that stuck in my craw were:

1) I for some reason really dislike convienent plot elements that are inherent in bad movies. Essentially the plot suggests that the only way Batman could have saved Alfred was the random encounter and timing with Freeze. Too many things relied on that randomness. There's nothing wrong with subplots that intersect, like say if either it had been established in the previous film that Alfred was ill or that at some point Bruce had to make a choice between saving a loved one and defeating a criminal. In the latter case depth would have been added to Bruce's character- instead IMHO it plays like "Der, its a good thing Freeze is such a good doctor and scientist because I'm duh Batman and I don't know nothing..."

Which leads me to my next point on it:

2) Due to SO many characters being introduced in the film Batman essentially becomes a bit player and ends up looking like a dork. Almost every 'discovery' or 'deduction' he makes in B & R was either blatantly obvious OR due to someone else randomly being on hand. Now I don't know about YOU but I like my Dark Knight to have some brains. In another forum I made the following observation:

"Having recently watched the film about 100 times in a row (god help me!) Bruce 'expertly' puts together the clues from about 3 scenes in the film. In fact you could if you want set his detective work in a song, to the tune of the classic kid's song 'Frère Jacques':

Where is Alfred,
Where is Alfred,
Cough, cough, cough
Cough, cough, cough
The old man must be dying,
The old man must be dying,
He has Aids
He has Aids.

OK, I'm being a bit cheeky but how did Barbara figure it out (and for that matter figure *anything* out) before Bruce? Of course that reminds me of one of the other wonderful detective moments in the film- Bruce 'deducing' where Barbara went to school.... by reading the patch on her jacket! What a wizard!

Batman was SUCH an afterthought to the film! He hardly does anything worthwhile... well, at least in the theatrical cut."

and finally...

3) Whereas Gough played his scenes as he had before in previous films, classy and slighty humourously in the manner Alfred should be, Clooney (who I still think had potential) played those same scenes- to my eyes- like his gay lover was dying. Now, no homophobia intended there but I think that was misdirection from the director instead of actors tapping into the heart of the character they portrayed.