What do you think will get trimmed off the IMAX cut of Clones?

Here's the link.

 

Threads like these go far in exposing the mentality of the Star Wars fanatics. People vehemently deny that there will be any cutting of AOTC, and then the press release is excerpted, and people still don't believe -- perhaps calling it forged. What is up with this forum anyway?

 

Nicely said TokyoXtreme.

Some people need to get their heads out of their butts and wake up from their SW dreams. Hear on earth some things have simple reasons for happening. Most Imax theaters reels (the little table that the film sits on while threading through the projector) cannot hold more than 120 min. of film because the film size is 3 times larger than the typical 35mm film. Therefore, if a film is longer than 120 min. it requires an intermission so they can switch the film. This proccess copuld take as long as 20+ min. That would make AOTC total show time close to 3 hours. That means fewer shows and less money for a format that doesn't even draw huge crowds in most places. Cutting the film is more cost effective for both Lucas and IMAX. Plus this isn't a second running in theaters, it is just a speacial engagement to see some of SW in IMAX. If you don't like the idea, don't go see it. You'll have the DVD anyway.

 

I saw Aliens in 70mm at the IMAX in Indianapolis a while ago and, as far as I recall, absolutely nothing was removed. Aliens runs, what, 138 minutes?

 

The link to the official site doesn't say anything about AOTC being cut down to 120 minutes. There's nothing on the official IMAX site that would indicate this either.

 

The link to the official site doesn't say anything about AOTC being cut down to 120 minutes. There's nothing on the official IMAX site that would indicate this either.

I wouldn't imagine they'd go out of their way to advertise this fact considering some of the reactions on this thread.

 

I'm sorry to break it to you guys, but Episode II will be trimmed down to 120 minutes since IMAX film platters can only support film lengths up to 2 hrs.

For those who have seen "Aliens" or "Jurrasic Park," or other films at IMAX, you have only seen specially made prints of these films blown up as to be projected on IMAX screens... These prints are run through slighly modified conventinal projection equipment.

Both Apollo 13 and Attack of the Clones are the first live action movies actually converted to the IMAX 15/70 standard using the IMAX DMR process, which actual allows 35mm images to be projected on IMAX without losing resolution. Unfortunately, their is a price, and that price is running time. Just go to:

http://www.imax.com/apollo13/

Under the News heading in the Press Materials, Production Notes section there is a very lengthy document explaining the conversion of Apollo 13 to IMAX 15/70, and I quote:

"For the purposes of Apollo 13 The IMAX Experience, Howard has achieved a re-edit of the theatrical release more appropriate for the format. ?Because I want as many people to rediscover the movie in the IMAX DMR version as possible, it became a process of re-exploring the movie and keeping in mind the virtues and values of The IMAX Experience. Fortunately, Dan Hanley, who won an Academy Award® as one of the editors of Apollo 13, was available and could devote the time necessary for the IMAX DMR version. We explored variations and possibilities, and in some instances came up with what I thought were better edits of scenes.?

"The educational possibilities of releasing Apollo 13 in the IMAX 15/70 format also necessitated the alteration of the film?s running time. Alternative versions of films are quite common for airlines and network television, but in this specific instance, the need for editing Apollo 13 was unprecedented. At this point in time, due to the enormous size of the IMAX film reels, films cannot play beyond 120 minutes (IMAX films generally run from 30 to 45 minutes in length) without an intermission. Given the fact that educators regularly take their students to IMAX theatres as part of their curriculum, IMAX Corporation, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment felt it appropriate to ensure that Apollo 13 The IMAX Experience become a staple of daytime educational school programming. The slightly shorter length facilitates this type of programming, while staying true to the accuracy and humanity of the original film."

"(IMAX is currently working to upgrade platters for future and longer IMAX DMR releases. Meanwhile, the original version of Apollo 13 remains intact and is available for all in formats such as DVD and VHS.)"

So yes Virginia, AOTC will be re-edited to fit the IMAX format. Really, I don't think it will have that much of an overall effect. You can seriously truncate the end credits, and cut down on the some of the extraneous effects shots in the film, while still maintaining the integrity of the story.

On the other hand, I really cannot see where Howrad cuts Apollo 13... every scene in that film is impotant to the story, or at the very least, character developement. That film will be an enormous challange to cut down from 140 mins to 120.


Yancy

 

What do you think will get trimmed off the IMAX cut of Clones?

...All SW fans outside the U.S. and Canada...

 

For those still in doubt...

a link to a story run in the Sunday NY Times:

here

Here is an excerpt:

On Nov. 1 a new Imax version of "Star Wars: Episode II ? Attack of the Clones" will open for a limited release...

... There are some drawbacks, too. Imax projectors can accommodate movies of two hours or less. So a film like "Apollo 13," which is longer than two hours, must be trimmed. Mr. Howard cut his from 2 hours and 19 minutes to just under 2 hours...

...This does not mean that Imax will be averse to showing films longer than two hours in the future, Mr. Wechsler said. Even three- or four-hour epics could be included, provided that an intermission is built into the program or adjustments are made to the projection equipment to allow longer running times.

I am very interested to see what Lucas decides to cut. Who knows- it could make for a tighter film.

 

Here are some easy cuts in my mind:

1) Cleigg Lars' speech at Shmi's funeral!

2) The middle of the Anakin/Padme romance montage. Once they start rolling around together in the fields after talking politics, cut to the fireplace! The "Sound of Music" homage, riding of the shaak, and floating fruit sequency at the dinner table are pretty unnecessary. (Although, the "negotiations with lightsabers" line pays off later.)

3) Anakin's nightmare. Anakin and Padme discuss it the next morning anyway.

After these few cuts, I do not see easy choices. Perhaps they'll cut some special effects establishing shots, shorten scenes by removing redundant or less than necessary dialog, and shorten action sequences such as the monsters in the arena and the droid factory. In some ways, a shorter edit could force the editor to tighten up the movie and improve the overall story-telling. At the same time, there will definitely be some things missed.

I can't help but think about my experience of watching the recently released director's cut of "Amadeus". This is has long been one of my all-time favorite films and I was super-excited as a fan to get to experience an edit that was 20 minutes longer. It was a strange experience, though. There were times when I definitely understood why cuts had originally been made--less than crucial subplots, less than stellar performances, and some redundant plot points. On the other hand, there were a few extra scenes (or previously cut portions of scenes) that shed so much light on other scenes or bits of storytelling. It was an interesting experience. In the end, I was left wanting an edit of the movie that is somewhere between the original and the director's cut. (I might be tempted to make a "Phantom Edit" of "Amadeus" for myself on Final Cut Pro 3 once I get the soon-to-be-released Director's Cut DVD.)

"Attack of the Clones" at IMAX will be the same type of experience, but opposite. I know the "long version" quite well and will be watching a shortened version for the first time. It will be fun to see what cuts I like/don't like/don't even notice. "Attack of the Clones" on IMAX will an interesting experience in terms of sound, scale, and overall editorial storytelling...and I can't wait!

 

totally sucks, i felt that the film was cut too much to begin with.

and i am far from someone who thought that atoc should have been 3 hours in length, but it really did seem choppy in the original release.

i do belive that this development totally twists my knob.

 

I think most of the cuts should involve some of the overly long action sequences.

1) The Courscant chase is verrry long (some 11 minutes), and could easily be trimmed down to some 5-6 minutes.

2) The droid factory battle could be cut by at least a minute. While Padme is stuck in the barrel there are three "false starts" where it looks like she's going to be turned into molten metal... why not cut that down to one false start???

3) Trim down some of the arena, and some of the final battle... you could at least lose 3-4 minutes.

4) Truncated credits... and viola' you make up the missing time without screwing around with the plot.

Besides you have to take into account the IMAX format. Anywhere you sit you are right on top of the screen. As a result, it is not particularly well suited to films involving quick cuts, and rapid fire shots of one after another.

Movies with sequences like that are very disorienting on the IMAX screen, due to the sheer size of the images you're watching.

A good example is the recent re-release of "Beauty and the Beast". Most of the film was fine, but you could tell during some of the more action packed moments (the wolves attacking Belle's father, and the big fight at the Beast's castle), the audience was not reacting too well to it.

Some people actually got up from their seats, and afterwards we heard a number of people complain about this problem.

Consequently, I think Lucas would be better served toning down some of the action scenes.

Yancy

 

totally sucks, i felt that the film was cut too much to begin with.

I agree. I can't think of any superfluous material off hand myself.

 

dude, if anything, why would they cut down the coruscant scene?
that should be one of the reasons for going to imax-it's gonna look great.

it's funny how some parts were edited, the stuff that should have been cut was long, and the parts the continuity lapses were on account of too many cuts.

I could see how maybe a bit of the arena sequence or the maybe a few seconds from each scene could add up without butchering and already oddly edidted movie.

 

What do you think will get trimmed off the IMAX cut of Clones?

Most of the Naboo scenes





*Runs away*

 

The most upsetting thing for me would be if Lucas trimmed any of the action scenes at all. The Coruscant chase will be one of the most exciting scenes to watch on the IMAX screen, and should not be touched. I feel like Lucas already compromised, big time, with the action scenes. Just about every action sequence in AOTC was shortened for the theatrical release.

For this IMAX release, Lucas should compromise with some of the dialogue scenes. As much as we hate to see them go, we need our spectacle and razzle-dazzle up on that screen. I'm sure careful consideration has gone into what could get cut, but man, what a wait it's going to be to find out.

 

LUH-3417, again the reason I think the chase will be cut a little is that:

1) The fast-paced nature of the scene, and the rapid-fire editing is not conducive to an IMAX movie-going experience. There's a reason why IMAX has a disclaimer/warning before every screening about the disorientation and naseua some people have during IMAX presentations.

2) There's a lot of extraneous "oooohhh" "ahhhh" shots during the chase, and it's a long sequence. Most of the "slower" character/plot development scenes are really short (almost too short in some instances) as it is.

Yancy

Yancy

 

oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do.


because my friend didnt see it when it was first released, we told him to come see it with us when november 1st comes around.

i feel that with the cutting it will be less of a star wars movie and more of a dazzling piece of eye candy than ever before.

oh well.

 

Hey, I want disorientation and naseua. Bring it on. Well. here's hoping, by some miracle, he doesn't touch the action scenes.

Gallandro, you've got a good point about how brief some of the characterization scenes are as it is. Anakin riding the Shaak could go, the meeting with Queen Jamillia, but it's hard to come up with others, without losing key elements of the plot.

 

Okay, I agree with Anakin riding the Shaak (but not the stuff before it), but the Jamilla scene needs to stay because it establishes the fact that she's going to stay on the island retreat, and that it belongs to her family. Otherwise, they land on Naboo, then BAM! There on some island, and we have no clue where they're at.

Even though the Shaak scene could go, I doubt it will, because the first shot of Padme coming over the hill with the waterfalls in the background is just the kind of shot you would want in an IMAX movie. It's a fairly long establishing shot, and most of the cutting in the scene is mild.

Yancy

 

Is Lucas messing with the whole movie, musically? Perhaps, Lucas is looking to cut whole scenes because just trimming snippets here and there off scenes may present a big problem, musically. I don't know, it boggles the mind really.

 

If I were Lucas I would leave in as much action as possible. Also all the great vistas in the film should be left in.

To me, the visual spectacle of it all would be the whole point in going to see it on IMAX.

 

I agree.

 

Here's what we can trim out:

1. Theater promo ads


2. The "Concessions are available in the lobby" ads (duh)


3. Previews for upcoming crappy movies


4. Those ^&@!#$(*%! Fandango commercials


5. Coke or Pepsi ads (depending on the theater)

I've timed some of that stuff at pretty close to 23 minutes before.

 

I hear ya, Hama-Ryu Kinnebi. Being forced to sit through all those commercials is a major buzz-kill, and it's getting way out of hand.