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John Wick: Point Blank Cut (By TM2YC)

TM2YC

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xwick.jpg


One of my favourite film sub-genres is the "One man/woman unstoppable vengeance/quest" movie. Films like the 'Lone Wolf & Cub' series, 'Kill Bill, 'Payback', 'Point Blank', 'Road to Perdition' and 'Taken'. No matter how many henchmen the baddie sends against them the (anti)hero cannot be stopped until they've got their "MacGuffin".

One of the most recent additions to this genre is Keanu Reeves' 'John Wick'. Directed by two Hollywood stuntmen the action is understandably some of the best ever filmed. But watching it again, it takes way too long to get that electric action.

So I'm working on a streamlined "Get to the action" edit I'm calling 'John Wick: Point Blank Cut'.

Poster:



(Click ^ to see full-res image)

Apart from trimming for pace, I'll probably do some re-grading here and there to remove excessive tints. I'm very much working on this shot-by-shot and scene-by-scene rather than with a set plan (So feel free to post ideas). I do need to sit down and work out a detailed list of all the Russian subtitles needed before I go much further.

I'll have some test footage soon but here is a cutlist of what has been done so far (It now takes Wick 14 minutes to start his quest, rather than 20)...

00.00.00 - Added FE.org and TM2YC titles
00.01.16 - Removed original 3.5 minute flash-forward/hospital-backstory opening (Now opens on funeral)
00.01.33 - Removed 27 second long shot of Marcus watching John
00.01.53 - Removed "Are you sure?" and "Don't blame yourself" dialogue as delivery was a bit flat
00.02.34 - Inserted shot of John backing out in his car and removed wake crossfade
00.02.40 - Brought forward "muscle car therapy" sequence, so his suicidal thoughts come before the puppy gift from his wife (Regraded to look like dusk rather than dawn)
00.04.06 - Removed 14 seconds of John signing for a delivery
00.06.51 - Removed 12 second sequence of John watching Puppy sh*tting on the lawn
00.09.15 - Added "Everything's got a price, bitch." subtitle
00.09.19 - Added "Not this bitch." subtitle
00.09.22 - Added "Who does this guy think he is? subtitle
00.09.40 - Removed fade-up from black
00.09.46 - Removed John asking puppy if it needs to go out, we just cut to John going downstairs after puppy
00.11.12 - Removed a minute of alarm-clock going off, John scrubbing floor, flashbacks, few seconds of dog burial and the first scene at Aurelio's
00.13.19 - Removed Aurelio holding the gun to his own head (It felt overplayed)
00.13.47 - Removed 5 second shot of John thinking
 

TM2YC

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Here are the first 4 minutes...


(Password: fanedit.org)

The grade is still a work-in-progress and I've just slightly recut the transition between the funeral and the car but it's mostly how the edit will start.

- Flashforward/Flashback intro removed
- "muscle car therapy" sequence brought forwards before dead wife's "intervention"
- various other trims for time and pace
 

Gaith

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Ah, but can you do anything about the fact that the climax is this total badass repeatedly punching a senior citizen in the rain? Maybe the Vogons blow Earth up? ;)
 

TM2YC

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I tried adding some "classic" film soundfx (Gun and punch) in this trimmed scene...


(Password: fanedit.org)

Plus I tried the high-contrast black 'n' white look, just to see. Both make this film feel a little closer to the age of the genre it pays homage to. Editing wise, I've taken out Leguizamo over acting and holding the gun to his own head. Some additional tension music is worked in too.
 

TM2YC

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Feedback needed on this 40second clip please...


(Password: fanedit.org)

- Removed long walk across roof and down stairs to tighten pacing
- Rescored the moment
- Added phone "hang" soundfx to hopefully sound sorta like another part of the synth score
- Added phone-off soundfx

I think all that works? But the thing I really want feedback on, is that I removed Vigo's blackly-comic whispered "Oh" at around 00.21 (I felt it undercut the seriousness of the threat). To me it now just looks like he is breathing in and out. Can you tell a tiny word of dialogue is missing if you didn't know?

Thanks.
 

thecuddlyninja

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I watched the video first and everything looked good. I didn't notice anything off with the changes even after a rewatch.
 

Gatos

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Looks good, it's not very obvious that he's saying a word and I agree it looks like he is taking a long exhale.

Have you firmly decided on the black and white?
 

TM2YC

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Thanks for the feedback y'all.

Gatos said:
Have you firmly decided on the black and white?

It's either a virtually one-click black 'n' white, or an in-depth time-consuming regrade for this entire movie. I really would like it look kinda 60s/70s and it's pretty damn far from that in the original grade. So no I haven't decided.
 

Hubunkey

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Have you considered maybe adding some grain/aging to the B&W to make it look more aged?
 

TM2YC

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JJE-187 said:
Have you considered maybe adding some grain/aging to the B&W to make it look more aged?

I already did add quite a bit.
 

ThrowgnCpr

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yes, there is plenty of grain there. It's on the high end of still looking very natural. I wouldn't add anymore. The b&w looks quite good, if a tad dark.
 

TM2YC

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ThrowgnCpr said:
plenty of grain... I wouldn't add anymore. The b&w looks quite good, if a tad dark.

Yep, totally.

Here are another couple of clips. The first is a 31second new version of the last phone call clip...


(Password: fanedit.org)

I decided to remove Vigo walking off the roof entirely and it just now cuts straight to Losef arriving. I released the scene of Vigo walking down just showed him looking worried, which I felt was conveyed by the look on his face anyway (Not to mention the next scene where he outlines why he's worried). I also removed my re-scoring so it's a little more subtle music wise IMO.

The second is a 3minute scene which I've heavily edited down removing about 1.5minutes with many small cuts...


(Password: fanedit.org)

Hopefully it doesn't feel heavily edited and achieves the same message as the full scene e.g. This is who Wick is/was and why he is somebody to fear.

By the way, the Russian subs are not present in the original film, so I just guessed what they were from the context of the scene (I don't speak Russian).
 

Plissken1138

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Got to admit, I've seen Wick only once so details escape me but as a big fan of Boorman's Point Blank I was immediately drawn when I saw the thread title. Love the poster nod to Walker :)  Now I'm split between watching Wick again and maybe chime in a suggestion here or waiting for finished fanedit and watching it with fresh eyes.  BTW, it's Iosef, capital I not L.
 

TK251

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Is this almost done? Would love to see it or a workprint
 

TM2YC

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TK251 said:
Is this almost done?

Nope. I'm sure I'll take another crack at this sometime though.
 

TM2YC

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I'm not really sure what I'm going to work on next... but I've been editing some more of this project today.

Mostly I've been trying to come up with a better translation for the Russian lullaby Viggo sings before JW kicks ass for the first time. I'm almost sure the English translation in the original version of the movie is total boll**ks. My researches indicate it's based on the lullaby "Bayu Bayushki Bayu" about a wolf stealing your children. I've composed a form of words that fits the pattern in the movie and conveys the gist of the original poem.

"Hush, little one, sleep... safely in your bed."
"Hush, little one, sleep... or the wolf will come."
"Hush, little one, sleep... or the wolf will come."
"Hush, little one, sleep... and drag you to the woods."

If any Russian speakers are interested. This is the original scene...


It would be nice to release this in the next month ahead of the sequel. :)
 

TM2YC

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I've been working on this some more and it's already under 90 minutes (12 minutes removed so far) and I'm not even halfway into the cut. So this really is going to be a fast-paced action cut of the movie! :) 

I'm strongly leaning toward it being black'n'white at the moment. Every shot instantly looks like Citizen Kane with Glocks, when I turn the filter on :D .
 

Nic

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TM2YC said:
I'm not really sure what I'm going to work on next... but I've been editing some more of this project today.

Mostly I've been trying to come up with a better translation for the Russian lullaby Viggo sings before JW kicks ass for the first time. I'm almost sure the English translation in the original version of the movie is total boll**ks. My researches indicate it's based on the lullaby "Bayu Bayushki Bayu" about a wolf stealing your children. I've composed a form of words that fits the pattern in the movie and conveys the gist of the original poem.

"Hush, little one, sleep... safely in your bed."
"Hush, little one, sleep... or the wolf will come."
"Hush, little one, sleep... or the wolf will come."
"Hush, little one, sleep... and drag you to the woods."

If any Russian speakers are interested. This is the original scene...


It would be nice to release this in the next month ahead of the sequel. :)

Nice to see this pop back up. I'm all for making the translation of the lullaby more accurate. It kinda bugged me that Vigo calls John "the boogeyman" when in the scene prior he tells his son "Wick's not the boogeyman. He's the guy you hire when you wanna KILL the F*&#in' Boogeyman!" ;)
 

TK251

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TM2YC said:
I've been working on this some more and it's already under 90 minutes (12 minutes removed so far) and I'm not even halfway into the cut. So this really is going to be a fast-paced action cut of the movie! :) 

I'm strongly leaning toward it being black'n'white at the moment. Every shot instantly looks like Citizen Kane with Glocks, when I turn the filter on :D .

How bout two cuts a black white and then a color.
 

TM2YC

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Nic said:
It kinda bugged me that Vigo calls John "the boogeyman" when in the scene prior he tells his son "Wick's not the boogeyman. He's the guy you hire when you wanna KILL the F*&#in' Boogeyman!" ;)

To be exact, Vigo says other people call John "Babayka/Bogeyman" but that he "Wasn't exactly the Bogeyman. He's the guy... etc" which is a different spin on the line. Like "They call him The Dragon but he's more like the Dragon-Slayer", or "They call him The Demon but he's more like the Demon-Hunter". e.g. Wick is even worse than his name/reputation suggests ;) .

It sounds fine to me but Vigo's line could be removable if I wanted to. A few others refer to John as "Bogeyman" if I recall later in the movie.

TK251 said:
How bout two cuts a black white and then a color.

Maybe.
 
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