Anyone else making their own edit?

[wastedyuthe]

I live in the UK, and so have limited choice of where to buy this film. I am bidding on Ebay at the moment, but it will be the original version, and not the newly released Directors cut. Apparently, a lot of the walking and some silly bits like dancing skeletons are removed in the Directors cut, so without seeing any version of the film yet, this sounds like the better version of the two. So as I cannot purchase the Directors cut from here in the UK, I have decided to get the original one, rip it to the PC, and edit the crappy bits out myself using Windows Movie Maker 2. I have been doing a bit of practice already, by ripping the Spielberg version, and cutting parts of that together, and I even experimented by putting the Richard Burton narration and Jeff Wayne music over the beginning (Oh I am so looking forward to his CG film!!).
Anyway, back to the Hines version, has anyone else decided to make their own edit of the film, and if so what were the results like?

Note: I know the film is supposed to be rubbish before anyone reminds me, but I am mad on WotW and want to experience all versions.

[beecus]

Good luck for the viewing, we all pity you he he he he ;D

Seriously though, my dad is a professional editor and producer so I must admit I was very tempted to try my own edit (with his help of course) but when I sat down to shift through the good and bad I just gave up lol ;D

The best edit would be the erase button he he he he ;D

But I agree it should be viewed, it's not all bad but I think once you've seen it once I doubt you'd want to view it again

[theredweed]

rather you than me, i wont be watching it until there is an edit that cuts the first scene to the last scene out

[e5000]

I made one. Took off two hours. Not only did I edit, but I added homemade effects.
It is far to big to get on to the net, though...

[wastedyuthe]

Three questions, e5000-

How long did it take for you to edit?
What bits did you take out?
Was it worth it?

[SEAN]

Despite its crappiness, its worth watching. Lent it to a mate recently, and she said though she watched it over 2 nights, (due to its length, fnarr!!!), that she souldn't stop watchng it. Also, another mate of mine, her boyfriend is just completing a film himself, so I have offerd to lend it to them for a few hints and tips!!

[EvilNerfherder]

It's something any WoTW fan has to watch.
Seriously.
You know, I actually don't hate it, as I have said before. But it is comical in it's ineptness in many places. Some parts are hilarious. Don't look for horror in this because you will be severely disappointed. Turn your brain off and forget it is meant to be a straight adaption of H.G's book and you may just get through it.
Piana is an absolute comedy star! Watch his performance in some parts, like at the dinner table and when he asks 'What neeeews today?' and tell me he isn't.

[e5000]

wastedyuthe said:

Three questions, e5000-

How long did it take for you to edit?
What bits did you take out?
Was it worth it?

1)It took a few weeks.
2) Alot
3) It was fun while it lasted.

[wastedyuthe]

I might end up with both versions anyway (original + directors) just to be a completist. I know someone in US who can order the directors cut for me beings I can't order it directly. I am interested in what cuts Hines has made, and what improvements were made (I have read some of the textures on buildings and such like are better for one thing, as well as the skeletons not disco dancing anymore). I may watch the original and might think it not worth spending hours re-cutting myself. I'll see.

[tug]

if anybody who hates this film so much has a copy please send it to me as mine sticks and jumps after a hour and a half by this time iv'e had a few JDs and find it easy to watch except for the errors

[wastedyuthe]

Well, it's official- I have just won this version AND the Asylum version on Ebay together for £10.50 !! Can't wait- I could do with a good laugh ;D

[wastedyuthe]

"What bits did you take out?" answer- "Alot"

Thanks for that very descriptive and helpful answer

I have heard the Dead London part of the book is basically non-existant- if piccys of dead London could be found, could they perhaps be edited into the film in the appropriate place? The soundtrack from some other bit of the film could be 'borrowed' for this new scene.

[Thunder Child]

That's right. The entire Dead London is largely left out. You only see the writer walking past a Victorian looking wall ( ;D) and finding a dead woman. He then walks trough some field and forests until he comes across the FM's on primrose Hill. Again, a large field.

It seems that the entire movie was filmed on the same fields and forests. Even scenes that take place in populated areas, or even cities in the novel, take place in a field or forest in the film

Johan

[wastedyuthe]

I am waiting for the Directors cut to come through atm, but from what I have heard the Thunderchild scene is untouched. I might actually remove the whole Thunderchild attack, and just have the trio boarding the ferry and buggering off. After all, the whole scene is nothing like the book at all- where's all the other ferries? Where's all the other people? Where is the dock??

[Thunder Child]

There is no dock in the novel...

[wastedyuthe]

Hmm. I'll have to read that bit again then. One thing I have done is ripped the original to my PC, and experimented with using a sepia effect on the whole film, and you know what? It looks great. The only problem I found was at the begining when you see the planet Mars which moves aside to show Earth- obviously with it all in sepia you can't tell it's Mars. It could easily be the Moon. So I will probably leave the first part in it's original colour until it zooms in on Earth, where it will gradually change to sepia. It looks good with 'old film' effects too, like scratch lines etc, but I don't know if I could sit through the whole film like that. The good thing about this style is the film kind of gets away with having rubbish effects a little more, as they sort of fit in with the old style film. Come to think of it, you could say the same about the acting! Opinions?

[Lensman]

In the novel, there is "a dense swarm of boats chaffering with the people on the beach" as the refugees try to to bribe or claw their way onto anything which will float.

In Pendragon's movie, the Narrator calmly walks down to a coast deserted except for the lone ferry, and calmly offers the ferryman--who is merely puttering around on deck-- an outrageous sum of money for taking the three of them across the channel.

No drama, no tension, no sense of urgency whatsoever in this scene in the film. The ferryman appears to be unaware of the emergency situation, yet acts as if it's perfectly normal for someone to offer him thirty-six pounds for merely taking them across the channel-- about 5% of a rising professional man's salary for an entire year!

Just my opinion, of course-- but in my opinion, this is every bit as bad as the rest of the travesty, which passes for an adapation of the "Thunder Child" chapter from the novel, in this film.

[wastedyuthe]

Thanks for that bit of info to refresh my memory Lensman. Yes the scene doesn't do the Thunderchild part any justice at all, which is why I will cut it to them just asking for a ride- crossfade to them on the ferry- crossfade to next scene. That will be it. No Thunderchild. I'd rather go without than have that embarrasment. I have done a lot of work so far on my edit of the film. Got rid of 5 minutes so far from the first half an hour- not as much as I thought I'd remove. The Ogilvy trapped in shed bit had to go, along with some of the writer buggering off to the train station- things like that. My edit is in it's original colours right until after we zoom in on the Earth- then it goes sepia. This has worked very well so far. There is one bit in Horsell Common where everyone is waiting for the martians to come out of the cylinder, and the filter changed colour from red to blue. Now in my version it is all the same- you cannot tell any difference between shots. This style definately suits the film...

[wastedyuthe]

From my edit...