- Messages
- 1,637
- Reaction score
- 1,120
- Trophy Points
- 133
One of Robin William's finest performances, in a film that is very often overlooked, that I do love.
As with my American History X edit, this one also aims to restructure and recut the film, closer to the workprint that is floating around. There wasn't any conflict behind the scenes, but there was a very extended 13-month post-production peroid that the film was being edited, as it was hard to find the right tone with the performance and the portrayal of Sy, the Photo Guy.
This earlier workprint, restructures the film, removing the wraparound story, contains a different prologue with new voiceover, a unqiue structure to Sy's arc, and some deleted material here and there.
The more important changes to this edit are;
- cut wrap around narrative, with Sy recounting the film's events, now the film is strictly linear
- added new prologue with Sy talking about red eyes in photos, predators, and more
- new opening credits, recreated from scratch based on the WP
- cut scene of Nina and Tom having an argument about money, and him working too much
- extended scene with Sy watching The Simpsons (Season 5, Episode 2, Cape Feare) and more of the photos on his wall, showing his years long obsession and its extent
- new sequence of Sy's narration over different photos against a black backdrop, during the flea market scene
- moved Sy searching his photo wall for Nina, him looking through her photos, and having a breakdown in the darkroom to right after she drops off the film, so it's one long sequence instead of being stretched out after he gets fired
- alternate version of Sy on the ground just before Nina drops off Jake's film, he is now looking at Maya and Tom kissing rather than the blank paper, more literal than symbolic, he's reacting to the parasocial relationship he has falling apart rather than being firing and losing the only world he knows
- rearranged footage so now Sy is scratching out Tom from the photo wall before he has his red-eye nghtmare, instead of after
- extended and recut scene of Yoshi coming in and showing Bill, the prints of his daughter
- reattached the wrap-around scene from the original opening (Sy at the police station) to where it was originally at the end of the film
- added scene with Detective Coulson being shown the explicit photos that Sy took, where as in the theatrical cut, it's implied he never took them, and instead only shot photos of his empty hotel room
Here's a more detailed and very long winded changelist
The biggest change for me is the addition of the reveal of the explicit photos he took of Maya and Tom at the end of the film. The theatrical cut implies that Sy only went through the entire experience to shame Tom, instead of documenting it through photos, as it implies the only stills he shot were mundane ones of the inside of his empty hotel room. This wildly changes Sy's arc to add back the scene showing he did take these nude photos. It's super interesting and changes the context of his character and the third act of the film.
The edit is close to being done, if anyone would like to preview this edit, please send me a message!
Theatrical Runtime - 01:35:55
ReWorkedPrint - 01:34:49
As with my American History X edit, this one also aims to restructure and recut the film, closer to the workprint that is floating around. There wasn't any conflict behind the scenes, but there was a very extended 13-month post-production peroid that the film was being edited, as it was hard to find the right tone with the performance and the portrayal of Sy, the Photo Guy.
This earlier workprint, restructures the film, removing the wraparound story, contains a different prologue with new voiceover, a unqiue structure to Sy's arc, and some deleted material here and there.
The more important changes to this edit are;
- cut wrap around narrative, with Sy recounting the film's events, now the film is strictly linear
- added new prologue with Sy talking about red eyes in photos, predators, and more
- new opening credits, recreated from scratch based on the WP
- cut scene of Nina and Tom having an argument about money, and him working too much
- extended scene with Sy watching The Simpsons (Season 5, Episode 2, Cape Feare) and more of the photos on his wall, showing his years long obsession and its extent
- new sequence of Sy's narration over different photos against a black backdrop, during the flea market scene
- moved Sy searching his photo wall for Nina, him looking through her photos, and having a breakdown in the darkroom to right after she drops off the film, so it's one long sequence instead of being stretched out after he gets fired
- alternate version of Sy on the ground just before Nina drops off Jake's film, he is now looking at Maya and Tom kissing rather than the blank paper, more literal than symbolic, he's reacting to the parasocial relationship he has falling apart rather than being firing and losing the only world he knows
- rearranged footage so now Sy is scratching out Tom from the photo wall before he has his red-eye nghtmare, instead of after
- extended and recut scene of Yoshi coming in and showing Bill, the prints of his daughter
- reattached the wrap-around scene from the original opening (Sy at the police station) to where it was originally at the end of the film
- added scene with Detective Coulson being shown the explicit photos that Sy took, where as in the theatrical cut, it's implied he never took them, and instead only shot photos of his empty hotel room
Here's a more detailed and very long winded changelist
- cut wrap around narrative, with Sy recounting the film's events, now the film is strictly linear
- added new prologue with Sy talking about red eyes in photos, predators, and more
- new opening credits, recreated from scratch based on the WP
- rearranged and cut a few shots at Jake's birthday
- shortened shot of Nina grabbing her camera and film
- cut shot of Tom looking at Nina after she leaves his office
- cut Jacob in the car on the way to SavMart
- moved Sy cutting negatives to before Nina pulls up to SavMart
- added longer shot of Sy dismissing Yoshi so he can serve Nina
- cut short exchange about digital vs analogue photography
- added Nina picking up on Sy writing 3 instead of 2 prints, fixing a continuity error in the theatrical cut
- trimmed a few shots during this whole exchange, a matter of frames here and there
- cut shot of Sy watching Nina walk away
- trimmed Sy looking down at Jake as they pick up the prints
- cut shot of Sy at the register
- added scene of Sy walking through the back of house to exit the store
- regraded Sy in the car park, seeing the crack in his window
- moved Sy driving through a tunnel, from after the Yorkins look at photos, to right after he sees the crack
- cut Nina turning off the lights and leaving Jake's room
- moved close up of Sy making noises at his hamster
- cut pan from Sy to the Yorkin photos, preserving the reveal until the big wall of photos
- cut scene of Nina and Tom having an argument about money, and him working too much
- extended scene with Sy watching The Simpsons (Season 5, Episode 2, Cape Feare) and more of the photos on his wall
- moved Sy picking up the plush bear to later in the film
- trimmed shot of the "Amateur Porn Artist" (as played by Jim Rash, the Dean from Community)
- cut shot of Sy after the "Amateur Porn Artist" walks away
- extended take of Sy and Larry the Repair Man
- added moment of Sy zoning out and looking at his employee portrait while talking to Bill in the break room
- shifted around and rescored Sy at the market
- new sequence of Sy's voiceover with different photos against a black backdrop
- cut 2 shots of Sy staring at the Yorkin home
- trimmed shot of Sy's car driving
- moved scene of Sy staring at the photo wall from later in the film to here
- added shot of Sy walking into frame to stare at Jake in a photo
- moved Maya dropping off her film to later, after Sy meets with Nina in the food court
- moved Sy searching his photo wall for Nina, him looking through her photos, and having a breakdown in the darkroom to right after she drops off the film
- moved Sy out the front of his building in his car, to later in the film
- trimmed wide shot of Sy getting the stepladder out
- created new shot by looping a still of the Maya photo
- cut final close up of Sy in the darkroom
- regraded Sy working the silver retention process to something more neutral rather than the green overtones
- moved shot of Sy putting the photo envolope back into the drawer to later
- trimmed 2 shots of Sy's face in the firing scene
- moved Sy picking up the plush bear to after he gets fired, now extended with more angles and shots
- alternate version of Sy on the ground just before Nina drops off Jake's film, he is now looking at Maya and Tom kissing rather than the blank paper, more literal than symbolic, he's reacting to the parasocial relationship he has falling apart rather than being firing and losing the only world he knows
- trimmed a few shots when Nina talks to Sy while dropping off the film
- moved Sy putting the photo envolope away until after he cries looking at Jake's photos
- added alternate line from Sy to Yoshi about leaving for the last time
- cut Sy walking out the backdoor of the Savmart
- cut reaction shot of Nina in the car noticing someone parked behind her as she finds the Maya/Tom photo
- cut shot of Sy watching the Yorkins have dinner
- moved Sy out the front of his building in his car, to replace a generic establishing shot, just before he starts scratching out Tom's face on the photo wall
- rearranged footage so now Sy is scratching out Tom before he has his red-eye nghtmare, instead of after
- cut from Sy's camera lens to him walking into SavMart after being fired
- added shot of Bill helping a customer and seeing Sy walking in
- extended and recut scene of Yoshi coming in and showing Bill, the prints of his daughter
- added shot of the detectives looking at Sy's employee photo in the breakroom
- recut and rearranged the cops in Sy's apartment, and the scratched face reveal
- cut Nina inviting the cops into the house
- cut extravagant camera move of Sy in the hotel lobby in half
- cut shot of the elevator floor counter
- cut a few shots of Sy and Tom in the hotel room just before he starts taking photos of them
- cut one instance of Sy yelling at Maya just before throwing the towel at her
- cut Sy having a small sad moment of weakness before taking a photo
- cut the last moment in Maya and Tom's hotel room, as he grabs her
- trimmed shot of Sy leaning against his hotel door
- rescored Sy back in his hotel room as he washes his face
- cut 1/2 face washes from Sy
- cut Sy drying his face, the fade in and out of black, and then the shot of the ceiling he stares at
- added scene with the police rolling up to the hotel
- trim shot of the detectives in Sy's hotel room, as he escapes elsewhere
- trimmed shot of Sy entering the kitchen, as he comes through the doors immediately on the J cut
- reattached the wrap-around scene from the original opening (Sy at the police station) to where it was originally at the end of the film
- added scene with Detective Coulson being shown the explicit photos that Sy took, where as in the theatrical cut, it's implied he never took them, and instead only shot photos of his empty hotel room
- added new prologue with Sy talking about red eyes in photos, predators, and more
- new opening credits, recreated from scratch based on the WP
- rearranged and cut a few shots at Jake's birthday
- shortened shot of Nina grabbing her camera and film
- cut shot of Tom looking at Nina after she leaves his office
- cut Jacob in the car on the way to SavMart
- moved Sy cutting negatives to before Nina pulls up to SavMart
- added longer shot of Sy dismissing Yoshi so he can serve Nina
- cut short exchange about digital vs analogue photography
- added Nina picking up on Sy writing 3 instead of 2 prints, fixing a continuity error in the theatrical cut
- trimmed a few shots during this whole exchange, a matter of frames here and there
- cut shot of Sy watching Nina walk away
- trimmed Sy looking down at Jake as they pick up the prints
- cut shot of Sy at the register
- added scene of Sy walking through the back of house to exit the store
- regraded Sy in the car park, seeing the crack in his window
- moved Sy driving through a tunnel, from after the Yorkins look at photos, to right after he sees the crack
- cut Nina turning off the lights and leaving Jake's room
- moved close up of Sy making noises at his hamster
- cut pan from Sy to the Yorkin photos, preserving the reveal until the big wall of photos
- cut scene of Nina and Tom having an argument about money, and him working too much
- extended scene with Sy watching The Simpsons (Season 5, Episode 2, Cape Feare) and more of the photos on his wall
- moved Sy picking up the plush bear to later in the film
- trimmed shot of the "Amateur Porn Artist" (as played by Jim Rash, the Dean from Community)
- cut shot of Sy after the "Amateur Porn Artist" walks away
- extended take of Sy and Larry the Repair Man
- added moment of Sy zoning out and looking at his employee portrait while talking to Bill in the break room
- shifted around and rescored Sy at the market
- new sequence of Sy's voiceover with different photos against a black backdrop
- cut 2 shots of Sy staring at the Yorkin home
- trimmed shot of Sy's car driving
- moved scene of Sy staring at the photo wall from later in the film to here
- added shot of Sy walking into frame to stare at Jake in a photo
- moved Maya dropping off her film to later, after Sy meets with Nina in the food court
- moved Sy searching his photo wall for Nina, him looking through her photos, and having a breakdown in the darkroom to right after she drops off the film
- moved Sy out the front of his building in his car, to later in the film
- trimmed wide shot of Sy getting the stepladder out
- created new shot by looping a still of the Maya photo
- cut final close up of Sy in the darkroom
- regraded Sy working the silver retention process to something more neutral rather than the green overtones
- moved shot of Sy putting the photo envolope back into the drawer to later
- trimmed 2 shots of Sy's face in the firing scene
- moved Sy picking up the plush bear to after he gets fired, now extended with more angles and shots
- alternate version of Sy on the ground just before Nina drops off Jake's film, he is now looking at Maya and Tom kissing rather than the blank paper, more literal than symbolic, he's reacting to the parasocial relationship he has falling apart rather than being firing and losing the only world he knows
- trimmed a few shots when Nina talks to Sy while dropping off the film
- moved Sy putting the photo envolope away until after he cries looking at Jake's photos
- added alternate line from Sy to Yoshi about leaving for the last time
- cut Sy walking out the backdoor of the Savmart
- cut reaction shot of Nina in the car noticing someone parked behind her as she finds the Maya/Tom photo
- cut shot of Sy watching the Yorkins have dinner
- moved Sy out the front of his building in his car, to replace a generic establishing shot, just before he starts scratching out Tom's face on the photo wall
- rearranged footage so now Sy is scratching out Tom before he has his red-eye nghtmare, instead of after
- cut from Sy's camera lens to him walking into SavMart after being fired
- added shot of Bill helping a customer and seeing Sy walking in
- extended and recut scene of Yoshi coming in and showing Bill, the prints of his daughter
- added shot of the detectives looking at Sy's employee photo in the breakroom
- recut and rearranged the cops in Sy's apartment, and the scratched face reveal
- cut Nina inviting the cops into the house
- cut extravagant camera move of Sy in the hotel lobby in half
- cut shot of the elevator floor counter
- cut a few shots of Sy and Tom in the hotel room just before he starts taking photos of them
- cut one instance of Sy yelling at Maya just before throwing the towel at her
- cut Sy having a small sad moment of weakness before taking a photo
- cut the last moment in Maya and Tom's hotel room, as he grabs her
- trimmed shot of Sy leaning against his hotel door
- rescored Sy back in his hotel room as he washes his face
- cut 1/2 face washes from Sy
- cut Sy drying his face, the fade in and out of black, and then the shot of the ceiling he stares at
- added scene with the police rolling up to the hotel
- trim shot of the detectives in Sy's hotel room, as he escapes elsewhere
- trimmed shot of Sy entering the kitchen, as he comes through the doors immediately on the J cut
- reattached the wrap-around scene from the original opening (Sy at the police station) to where it was originally at the end of the film
- added scene with Detective Coulson being shown the explicit photos that Sy took, where as in the theatrical cut, it's implied he never took them, and instead only shot photos of his empty hotel room
The biggest change for me is the addition of the reveal of the explicit photos he took of Maya and Tom at the end of the film. The theatrical cut implies that Sy only went through the entire experience to shame Tom, instead of documenting it through photos, as it implies the only stills he shot were mundane ones of the inside of his empty hotel room. This wildly changes Sy's arc to add back the scene showing he did take these nude photos. It's super interesting and changes the context of his character and the third act of the film.
The edit is close to being done, if anyone would like to preview this edit, please send me a message!
Theatrical Runtime - 01:35:55
ReWorkedPrint - 01:34:49
Last edited:
