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Original title: You Only Live Twice
Fanedit title: You Only Live Twice - The LS Cut
Studios: Eon Productions, United Artists
Faneditor: Last Survivor
Originally released: 1967
Fanedit release: March 2021
Original running time: 117 minutes approx
Fanedit running time: 108 minutes approx
Cut time: 9 minutes cut
Started edit: November 2021
Finished edit: March 2022
Synopsis and Purpose of Edit:
You Only Live Twice - the film where Bond becomes Japanese. Hmmm, I've always struggled with that one. There's loads to enjoy in what was supposed to be Connery's swan song as 007, but it's also a film which has not aged particularly well, primarily because of the awkward plot line which sees Bond literally undergo a cosmetic procedure to look Japanese. It never really worked back in the 60's, but now it just comes across as uncomfortable and insulting in some ways.
On the plus side however, this is a gorgeous looking film, with incredible production design and a proper travelogue feel to it.
Intention… To remove the plotline of Bond becoming Japanese. Now, he just trains as a ninja and takes a Japanese wife so that he can be more convincing in his undercover attempts to continue his mission to uncover the Spectre base. Have also trimmed back and altered various other scenes, some for pacing reasons, others because some of the jokes haven't aged that well. The emphasis here is on moving the plot forward, whilst maintaining the travelogue nature of the film.
Cutlist:
- As Bond chase Aki on foot and falls through the trap door to meet Tanaka, have removed the couple of poor rear projection shots
- Trimmed scene of Tanaka and Bond bathing and being looked after by many Japanese ladies – kept the dialogue relevant to the plot, but dialogue about Japanese men coming before women and Japanese women being fascinated by Bond’s hairy body have gone
- When Aki takes over massaging Bond, ended the scene when she says “no-one will disturb you tonight”, thereby removing the line “I think very much I will enjoy serving under you”
- Altered scene where Bond poses as a buyer and meets Osato, a Spectre agent. In the original version, Osato’s secretary Helga Brandt gives Bond a glass of champagne whilst Osato comments on Bond needing to quit smoking, as they’re very bad for his chest. This is purely to set up a gag where Brandt serves Bond his drink, and she says “Mr Osato believes in a very health chest”, to which Bond looks at her chest and says “really?”. In the fanedit version, Brandt no longer serves Bond a drink and we can just get on with the plot without a pretty terrible joke.
- After Tanaka’s men literally pick up Osato’s henchmen who are pursuing Bond and Aki in a car chase, with a giant helicopter magnet, have trimmed sequence so we don’t see the car dropped into the ocean – reason for this is that somehow we are meant to believe that this is being filmed so Bond can see it live on a small TV monitor in his car.
- Removed some poor rear projection shots as Brandt attempts to kill Bond by jumping out of the free diving plane and leaving him seemingly trapped inside.
- Entire sequence where Bond is supposed to undergo a transformation to make him look Japanese and then get married has been very substantially trimmed. The transformation is now not mentioned or seen, and the wedding is not seen as it purely a charade so Bond can remain undercover. Now, we just see Bond train as a Ninja and take a wife (Kissy) to enable him to go the island .. time to move the story forward! Plus, Aki lives in this cut.
- Removed shot of Kissy being shot at by the helicopter. By this point we know she’s gone back to get Tanaka and his men to attack Blofeld’s Volcanic base, and it just feels a little superfluous
- Removed a couple of the volcanic eruption shots due to poor compositing. This leaves just the one shot of the volcano erupting after Bond, Kissy, Tanaka and his men have escaped
- Removed the awkward jump cuts timed with the music, as we see Bond and Kissy in the dingy.
- Replaced the reprise of Nancy Sinatra singing the theme, with an instrumental version.
- Extended credits to include fanedit credits and some stills/posters from the movie
- Trimmed scene of Tanaka and Bond bathing and being looked after by many Japanese ladies – kept the dialogue relevant to the plot, but dialogue about Japanese men coming before women and Japanese women being fascinated by Bond’s hairy body have gone
- When Aki takes over massaging Bond, ended the scene when she says “no-one will disturb you tonight”, thereby removing the line “I think very much I will enjoy serving under you”
- Altered scene where Bond poses as a buyer and meets Osato, a Spectre agent. In the original version, Osato’s secretary Helga Brandt gives Bond a glass of champagne whilst Osato comments on Bond needing to quit smoking, as they’re very bad for his chest. This is purely to set up a gag where Brandt serves Bond his drink, and she says “Mr Osato believes in a very health chest”, to which Bond looks at her chest and says “really?”. In the fanedit version, Brandt no longer serves Bond a drink and we can just get on with the plot without a pretty terrible joke.
- After Tanaka’s men literally pick up Osato’s henchmen who are pursuing Bond and Aki in a car chase, with a giant helicopter magnet, have trimmed sequence so we don’t see the car dropped into the ocean – reason for this is that somehow we are meant to believe that this is being filmed so Bond can see it live on a small TV monitor in his car.
- Removed some poor rear projection shots as Brandt attempts to kill Bond by jumping out of the free diving plane and leaving him seemingly trapped inside.
- Entire sequence where Bond is supposed to undergo a transformation to make him look Japanese and then get married has been very substantially trimmed. The transformation is now not mentioned or seen, and the wedding is not seen as it purely a charade so Bond can remain undercover. Now, we just see Bond train as a Ninja and take a wife (Kissy) to enable him to go the island .. time to move the story forward! Plus, Aki lives in this cut.
- Removed shot of Kissy being shot at by the helicopter. By this point we know she’s gone back to get Tanaka and his men to attack Blofeld’s Volcanic base, and it just feels a little superfluous
- Removed a couple of the volcanic eruption shots due to poor compositing. This leaves just the one shot of the volcano erupting after Bond, Kissy, Tanaka and his men have escaped
- Removed the awkward jump cuts timed with the music, as we see Bond and Kissy in the dingy.
- Replaced the reprise of Nancy Sinatra singing the theme, with an instrumental version.
- Extended credits to include fanedit credits and some stills/posters from the movie
Special Features:
Audio Commentary
Technical Details:
16:9 Anamorphic. MP4 .
AAC Stereo.
Software used: Vegas Pro 16, Vocal Remover, iZotope RX-7 Audio Editor, DVD Fab, Yamb
Special Thanks:
Sophie Welch
BionicBob
TM2YC
DwightFry
Toodles
and everyone who has shown an interest in the edit on the forum
