• Most new users don't bother reading our rules. Here's the one that is ignored almost immediately upon signup: DO NOT ASK FOR FANEDIT LINKS PUBLICLY. First, read the FAQ. Seriously. What you want is there. You can also send a message to the editor. If that doesn't work THEN post in the Trade & Request forum. Anywhere else and it will be deleted and an infraction will be issued.
  • If this is your first time here please read our FAQ and Rules pages. They have some useful information that will get us all off on the right foot, especially our Own the Source rule. If you do not understand any of these rules send a private message to one of our staff for further details.
  • Please read our Rules & Guidelines

True Romance: A Hyperviolent Cut

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118
full


True Romance
A Hyperviolent Cut
by krausfadr

Intent:
The goal is for True Romance to feel like it was made (not just written) by Quentin Tarantino. New elements of the screenplay are incorporated along with a retro, gritty color re-grade and new Tarantin-esque soundtrack and musical scoring. No music/score is borrowed from his other films. Additional blood/gore VFX is the cherry on top of this Hyperviolent Cut. Other edits which used Tarantino's original screenplay seemed to include most/all deleted scene footage which adds new Tony Scott material, including lowbrow penis jokes that does not jive at all with the QT screenplay. Other edits also rearranged scenes at a high level, to give a basic similar arrangement, rather than at a more detailed level. IMO this edit is the truest edit (so far) to the spirit of Tartantino's screenplay.

Released in 1080p with 5.1 channel surround.

“screenplay” below = Tarantino’s screenplay

Changes:
  1. Opening logos replaced with Shaw logo.
  2. Added new, brief opening titles and the quote found at the beginning of the screenplay.
  3. Full color regrade with a vintage, gritty look to fit the new tone.
  4. Removed the Detroit winter opening and all opening credits
  5. Used Tarantino’s nicely crafted non-chronological order.
  6. The Hans Zimmer (“Jamaican Disneyland”) score is changed/replaced throughout.
  7. Replaced the 1980’s Aerosmith and Billy Idol songs.
  8. A new and improved score and new songs throughout give a real Tarantino vibe (no music pulled from his other movies), see more details below.
  9. Re-foleyed some of the punches and gunshots which sounded outdated.
  10. Deleted / extended footage is all upscaled, re-graded, upmixed, cleaned (somewhat), and re-foleyed as needed.
  11. Deleted and extended scenes are incorporated in line with the screenplay, meaning drawn out bits— those that mess up Tarantino’s cool, snappy scene progression— are left on the cutting room floor.
  12. Added extended footage of Drexl discussing oral sex, shooting the fellow drug dealer, and dog.
  13. Samuel L Jackson graces us with one additional MF’er right before he gets blasted.
  14. Did not use extended scene of Drexl kind of dancing around– not in screenplay and looked like an outtake, borderline gag-reel.
  15. Added establishing shots of Hollywood / Los Angeles (screenplay title card doesn’t work well for such a brief scene change).
  16. Ended casting call conversation slightly earlier, they way it’s done in the screenplay.
  17. Trimmed dialogue from Clarence’s father for better transition from the Casting Call scene.
  18. Mob guys punching Clarence’s father re-foleyed.
  19. Coccotti (the mob boss) acts more like he does in the screenplay, with quicker action, less fake chumminess and jokes.
  20. Shooting Clarence’s father re-foleyed.
  21. No subtitles for the Italian mobster repeating what was just spoken in English.
  22. The flashback to Clarence and Alabama first meeting is started off using altered dialogue to better match the screenplay (Dick asks Clarence about how he met Alabama not why is he here).
  23. Removed footage with credits when Alabama arrives outside the movie theater.
  24. Did not use extended theater footage. Alabama’s cheering (though in the screenplay) seemed out of place like she was making fun of the movie (she genuinely liked it in the screenplay). The Jack Black extended footage was not part of the screenplay and felt like cheap sketch comedy.
  25. Added deleted tub scene.
  26. Added extended billboard conversation footage.
  27. Zimmer music removal as Clarence drove to and arrived at Drexel’s house required complete audio rebuild from scratch.
  28. Added new dialogue so Drexl says he's going to make Alabama perform a sex act on him.
  29. New VFX adding extra blood, gore during Drexl’s ultimate demise.
  30. The first time we actually see the cocaine is now handled like the screenplay, complete with new establishing shot of the Safari Inn.
  31. Added extended hotel room scene discussing a buyer for the coke.
  32. Scott had a good transition from the hotel room to the roller coaster. Used it. Tarantino had us going to the zoo which was changed by Scott.
  33. Less banter from Floyd to Virgil to be more like the screenplay. Kept Scott’s end of the scene with Floyd making snide remarks to himself at the end but toned it down.
  34. Rearranged scenes of phone call with Donowitz and more mob guys visiting Floyd to follow the screenplay.
  35. Incorporated the Prayer to St. Francis which is a very Tarantino-ey element of the screenplay.
  36. Recut Alabama preparing for her attack on Virgil so it’s now calculated, not by luck.
  37. Tightened up parts of Alabama’s attack on Virgil.
  38. New VFX so Alabama now blows off Virgil’s head with the shotgun (this is not in the screenplay but I think Tarantino would approve of how this hyperviolence contrasts with the prayer).
  39. The conversations of the cops and then the mobsters (deleted scene) is intercut back and forth similar to the screenplay (had to adjust cut points so as not to make it look like a 5 min long elevator ride).
  40. Removed the extreme peach colored grading when Clarence and Alabama are on the couch outdoors.
  41. Much less banter from the cops discussing the wire strapped to Elliot’s balls. More like the screenplay.
  42. Removed the juvenile penis and masturbation jokes which are not in the screenplay.
  43. Final shootout is recut to tighten up the action and fix ridiculous looking shots such as actors doing seizure like dance moves while being shot.
  44. Final shootout re-scored, required major audio rebuild.
  45. New VFX adding more blood to the final shootout.
  46. New VFX after Clarence is shot, his eye is now gone— he’s left with a smoking crater of an eye socket and is clearly dead.
  47. The Ending… Clarence dies but Scott’s butchered alternate ending is heavily changed, removing Alabama’s weird deadpan narration about Clarence.
  48. Also removed the alternate ending flashbacks, added the song Tarantino has playing on the radio, Alabama isn’t so overtly shown hitchhiking , and it’s very clear now that she has the comic book Clarence gave her.
  49. Removed alternate ending Zimmer music, requiring complete audio rebuild from scratch.
  50. Reduced the heavy peach tint of the alternate ending.
  51. New end credits music.

Music is such an important aspect of Tarantino’s work. Here are the new songs by scene:

  • Drexl, Floyd and a few other pillars of the Detroit cocaine industry discuss the historical impact of the white man on cunnilingus:
    "The Pimp" by Scarface replaces the goofy-assed song by the Skinny Boys-- a rap group even worse than the Fat Boys that only old white men ever put into movies

  • New establishing shots of Hollywood / Los Angeles:
    "Trouble / Guitar Man" by Elvis Presley

  • Clarence departs from his dad's trailer:
    "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed replaces Hans Zimmer Score

  • Clarence and Alabama on the interstate in Los Angeles:
    "A Man Without Love" by Engelbert Humperdinck replaces late 80's Aerosmith

  • Clarence and Alabama Driving with Dick:
    "I Love You Mary Jane" by Sonic Youth & Cypress Hill replaces late 80's Aerosmith

  • Date at the diner:
    "You Belong To Me" by Gene Vincent and “Green Dreams” by Christophe replace "In Dreams" by John Waite (a solo artist that people listen to even less than his real band, Bad English)

  • In the comic shop:
    “It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube

  • In the comic shop and then the bedroom:
    "Try Me" by James Brown replaces "Wounded Bird" by Charles & Eddie (another one of Tony Scott's one-hit wonders from England)

  • During bathtub deleted scene:
    “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin (from screenplay)

  • Tattoo Parlor:
    “Sealed With a Kiss” replaces Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”, completely changing the vibe

  • Clarence in his car outside Drexl’s house:
    Theme Song to The Street Fighter

  • Alabama’s final attack on Virgil
    “The Prayer of St. Francis” by Frank Dumin

  • Clarence and Alabama on the gross couch, outside near the airport
    “Tampico” by Stan Kenton & June Christy

  • Clarence and crew driving to the drug deal:
    “Little Sister” by Elvis Presley

  • Clarence and crew arriving at the Embassador hotel for the drug deal:
    “How I Could Just Kill A Man” by Cypress Hill

  • At end of the final shootout
    “Spanish Eyes” by Engelbert Humperdinck

  • Radio after Alabama has made her getaway in the car:
    “Little Arrows” by Leapy Lee

  • End Credits:
    “There’s No Other” by The Crystals
    Theme Song to The Street Fighter (1974)

–Hans Krausfadr
 
Last edited:

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118
A clip showing music replacement. Late 80's Aerosmith removed. Cool retro vibes added...

Also did/doing some audio and video restoration work (made Alabama's dialogue here more audible and began cleaning dirt and dust from the deleted scene footage).

 

Moe_Syzlak

Well-known member
Messages
3,453
Reaction score
1,163
Trophy Points
118
I was somewhat obsessed with this movie when it came out. I’ve always like it more than Reservoir Dogs, despite acknowledging the flaws of Scott’s tendencies for excess. This sounds like a great project. I’m very familiar with the movie but I also haven’t seen it in more than a decade now. Looking forward to checking it out.
 

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118
despite acknowledging the flaws of Scott’s tendencies for excess.
Tony Scott tried to make many dramatic scenes like a Michael Bay movie minus the CGI. Like a little guy that drives a monster truck.
 

Silver Screen Samurai

Well-known member
Messages
237
Reaction score
395
Trophy Points
78
Hey, this actually sounds like a really cool edit! I don't think any previous edit of this film has actually tried to re-integrate QT's musical choices, so this is quite exciting. Slightly curious, thought I'd ask... do you have any intention of re-integrating the original "Natural Born Killers" subplot?

In case you have no idea what I'm talking about (understandably most wouldn't), in the first script it was originally a much larger plot point that Clarence is an aspiring filmmaker and is writing a screenplay. As a matter of fact, get this... the screenplay he was writing was the script for "Natural Born Killers."

That's right, that film was originally a story-within-a-story. Essentially, whenever Clarence would sit down to write, we would cut to the story he's writing (being "Natural Born Killers"). This ended up making the script 500 pages long, to the point no studio wanted to produce it, more or less forcing Tarantino to split it into two different films and sell their scripts separately. I've always been curious to see a fan-edit that re-integrates them back into one film, as originally intended.

Totally okay if you're not doing this, by the way, just curious.
I look forward to whatever exciting choices you make with this edit.
 

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118
@Silver Screen Samurai hello! I am aware that Natural Born Killers and True Romance used to be one huge story that was split off into two. My edit will use only the True Romance plotlines. Your idea is interesting but I would think a lot of non-existant dialogue would be needed to make something like that happen.
 

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118

Here I'm integrating deleted Wiseguy footage back in as written in the Tarantino version of the screenplay. He intercut scenes back and forth between the cops and the mobsters discussions, making it more interesting.

I have enhanced and re-graded the Wiseguy footage as well as added extensive foley (footsteps, ambience, etc.) to make it feel like a fully completed scene. I still will clean some the more egregious dirt and scratches out by hand if necessary unless I can find a good tool for this (maybe the app Neat Video).
 
Last edited:

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118

In the Tarantino screenplay, Alabama recites the peace prayer of Saint Francis. An early prototype of Samuel L Jackson's bible recitation in Pulp Fiction. It's kind of like her theme.

In this scene a retro musical rendition of the prayer is incorporated since in Scott's version of the movie, she never recites it. Alabama has her Tarantino theme.

Also I have re-edited this fight sequence to make Alabama more calculating and savage. Virgil (the mobster) no longer has a ridiculuous amount of time to shoot Alabama before she sets him on fire. If you look close at his eyes in the moment before he is sprayed with the flaming aqua-net, they are now already red and irritated from the shampoo Alabama rubbed in his face.

EDIT: I swear Patricia Arquette should have won as Oscar for this scene.

EDIT 2: Working on some subtle VFX so she actually blows his head away with the shotgun.
 
Last edited:

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118
WARNING: THIS CLIP CONTAINS ADDED GRAPHIC VIOLENCE


Now Virgil gets his head blown off. I hope the added hyper-violence contrasted with the prayer song would make Tarantino proud.
 

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118

VFX that makes Drexl’s bullet to the crotch more severe. Rough cut.
 
Last edited:

revstevens

Well-known member
Faneditor
Messages
95
Reaction score
13
Trophy Points
18
WARNING: THIS CLIP CONTAINS ADDED GRAPHIC VIOLENCE


Now Virgil gets his head blown off. I hope the added hyper-violence contrasted with the prayer song would make Tarantino proud.
I liked this quite a bit. Nice work.
 

Dawnrazor

Well-known member
Faneditor
Messages
548
Reaction score
381
Trophy Points
73

In the Tarantino screenplay, Alabama recites the peace prayer of Saint Francis. An early prototype of Samuel L Jackson's bible recitation in Pulp Fiction. It's kind of like her theme.

In this scene a retro musical rendition of the prayer is incorporated since in Scott's version of the movie, she never recites it. Alabama has here Tarantino theme.

Also I have re-edited this fight sequence to make Alabama more calculating and savage. Virgil (the mobster) no longer has a ridiculuous amount of time to shoot Alabama before she sets him on fire. If you look close at his eyes in the moment before he is sprayed with the flaming aqua-net, they are now already red and irritated from the shampoo Alabama rubbed in his face.

EDIT: I swear Patricia Arquette should have won as Oscar for this scene.

EDIT 2: Working on some subtle VFX so she actually blows his head away with the shotgun.
Well done! the music fits very well (very Tarantino) but I think it's too loud. I would lower the music a little bit.
Otherwise it's great
 

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118
@Dawnrazor thanks for the feedback. I’m going to have nightmares of the Zimmer score from this thing.
 

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118
VFX Test. Clarence gravely wounded (go to Youtube site to see HQ if it looks fuzzy here).

 

Kal-El

Well-known member
Messages
4,331
Reaction score
17
Trophy Points
43
This sounds extremely promising. True Romance is one of my favourite 'Tarantino' films.
Alabama being pummeled to shit always takes a toll on me, by the time you get there she's become so likeable.
Fantastic film, I'll never get tired of watching it. I absolutely ADORE the Zimmer score (as repetitive as it may be) but I'm very, very interested in hearing the new soundtrack choices. I mean, Elvis Presley in True Romance? It's so obvious, why didn't they think of it?
 

krausfadr

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
686
Reaction score
1,011
Trophy Points
118
Elvis! I know! Even the opening rockabilly song was not Elvis! I mean if they can afford to pay Dennis Hopper they can license one Elvis song, right? lol.

As far as the Zimmer score goes, I never really noticed it until I listened to it critically. It seems the idea was to have a stark contrast between the tone of the visuals (violence) and of the music (fairytales). Perfect for what Scott wanted to accomplish.
 

Kal-El

Well-known member
Messages
4,331
Reaction score
17
Trophy Points
43
The first time I saw True Romance I related to Clarence a lot, mainly because he's such a film buff (in that sense I suppose we all do), and seeing him come across Alabama seemed like such a ridiculous 'never-gonna-happen' fairytale but somehow they both radiate their own brand of innocence and everything they say and do works so damn well. I'm really, really amped to see your cut! :)
 

Adabisi

Well-known member
Faneditor
Messages
1,004
Reaction score
122
Trophy Points
73
Review left at IFDB:

I'm a big fan of True Romance and this edit is brilliant. There have been a few 'Tarantino Cuts' over the years to varying degrees of success, but this leaves them all in the dust. I daresay this is the definitive cut of the movie. It's one thing to slap in the deleted scenes and reorder them according to the script, but to have that keen eye to know what to leave in and out to improve the narrative is next level. Then you've got an improved soundtrack, amazing additional VFX and properly done 5.1 audio mix.... there's nothing more you could want from this, other than a full length commentary track. Fans of the original should absolutely watch, non-fans should watch just for the masterclass in fanediting. Well done.
 
Top Bottom