Yet Another New Slideshow

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Today marks the debut of yet another new slideshow: the '91 DS Series 20th Anniversary Year Slideshow. Chances are pretty good that you've already noticed it on the BoardIndex page of the forum.    28 quotes (including several from the restored scenes of the pilot and finale) will be featured from each "hour" of the '91 DS Series, with Midnite and myself alternating hours. I'm up for the first 28 quotes - Midnite's 28 selections from the second half of the pilot will begin on January 29th.

And to make room for this new slideshow, all the previous slideshows have been moved around. No doubt you've already noticed that the Movies Quotes Slideshow is now here atop  the Current Talk board. The Quotes Slideshow for the original DS has moved atop Page 1 of the Robservations board. And the Episode Captions Slideshow can now be found atop all the other pages of the Robservations board.

So, enjoy reliving many of the great moments from the '91 DS Series throughout its 20th Anniversary year.  

[Gothick]

I have to admit I am fascinated with that image of Jean Simmons you've just posted.  I have never seen the "extended" redaction of this episode.  I was never really clear just how "extended" it was--I thought if it was just a couple of fiddly bits here and there, why bother, since I was less than enthused with what I had seen already--but now I am intrigued...

G.

[RachelDrummand]

This is great! Again, thank you guys so much for recognizing the revival in this way.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Oops. Having received quite a few inquiries about today's capture/quote, I now realize it was an oversight on my part not to put it into context for people who may not have seen the extended version of the pilot.    So:

Quote:[spoiler]Ep #1 (Extended) - Elizabeth (to Roger): 'He needs a father'[/spoiler]

Context:[spoiler]After the sequence in the pilot in which Elizabeth cryptically asks Roger when he will realize that the local school will never take David back "after what happened," Liz goes on to explain that David needs a family and a father. The sequence then plays on to reveal some fascinating insights into David and Roger's relationship. But that will come up with tomorrow's capture/quote.  [/spoiler]

And I won't make the mistake again of not putting the extended captures/quotes (there are 6 in all in the first 28) into context. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I have never seen the "extended" redaction of this episode.  I was never really clear just how "extended" it was--I thought if it was just a couple of fiddly bits here and there

There are 7 extended/restored sequences on the MPI tape version of the pilot and most are quite significantly long and significantly character oriented. In the grand DC tradition, it's almost always the character oriented stuff that ends up on the cutting room floor.    But considering that several snippets from those sequences appeared in many of NBC's promos for the show, I've always presumed that the version MPI released was DC's original cut of the pilot (particularly because they are scored) and then NBC asked for some trims so they could add more commercials to the first night of the miniseries (all the better to award Domino's Pizza with more airtime since they were the major sponsor of the miniseries). But that's purely my own theory.

Other sequences were shot for the pilot but not restored on the tape. My theory there is that DC had never included them in his original cut. However, one of them is included on MPI's DS Resurrected tape.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It just dawned on me that if today's extended sequence from the pilot had been included on the DVD set, with the botched aspect ratio (), on the DVD set today's capture would have looked like what's inside the white box:

Sure, one can still see Elizabeth's face - but I greatly prefer the non-scalped version.    (Not that I'm bitter about the DVD transfer. No. Not at all. Nope. Not one bit.)

[Gothick]

This is very fascinating, MB.  Thanks for taking the time to write all this AND demo just how dreadfully bowdlerized the official DVD release of this series was.

Now I really want to see that VHS tape with the extra scenes....

G.

[Gothick]

Golly... Roger's line in today's shot just may be the single most horrifying thing in the episode... and it was CUT!  Typical DC.

I'm fascinated that DC wrote the script as if the classic Laura Collins '67 narrative had just taken place... but no Jason, presumably.

If the previous couple of shots are anything to go by, MB, I'm going to enjoy this series more than I expected to do!

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Quote:[spoiler]Ep #1 (Extended) - Roger: 'If it would have saved her sanity, I would have left him to die in that burning room.[/spoiler]

Context:[spoiler]After Elizabeth tells Roger that David needs a father, Roger reveals that the previous night he took David for a walk and tried talking to him but David remained silent until he asked if Roger liked him. Once Elizabeth assures him that they'll get to know each other in time, Roger replies he's not so sure. He then says that he'll try to say what he's going to say in such a way as to preserve his dignity but he resents that David is alive. And after begging the Lord's forgiveness, he delivers the quoted line - to which Elizabeth is speechless.[/spoiler]

Actually, there was even more to this scene as shot but presumably DC didn't include it in his original cut so it's not on MPI's tape. The additional material was:

[spoiler]After Roger explains how David had asked if Roger liked him, and before Elizabeth reassures Roger, Roger went on the say: "I went down on my knees and grabbed him and squeezed him as hard as I could. I said, 'David... David, you're my son. I love you. I love you more than anything else in this world." There are tears in Elizabeth's eyes. Roger continues, "And you know what he did? He just pulled away from me and ran off up the beach... and disappeared over the rocks."[/spoiler]

[Gothick]

Wow.  Thanks for all that, MB.  It's really too bad that ALL of this material was cut from the aired episode.  It would have gone far to explain why David behaved as he did towards Vicki.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Thanks for taking the time to...demo just how dreadfully bowdlerized the official DVD release of this series was.

Actually I see that it's worse than I'd even imagined (I've never actually watched the DVDs beyond bits here and there to get the captures that I've posted from them). I noticed that in today's capture for the slideshow Sam's eye was so high that it was probably cut off, and sure enough it is:

Today's capture from the MPI tape:

The same moment on the DVD (I added the black bars at the top and bottom so it would be the same dimension - though unless one has a widescreen TV/monitor, I presume that's the way it plays on regular TVs/monitors).

Willie gets to talk to Sam's nose rather than actually showing that he's looking Sam right in the eye.   

And if that wasn't bad enough, just look at how different the color is on the DVD! And lest anyone think the color on the DVDs is correct, here's a capture from the same moment taken from the VHS tape I made the night the pilot originally aired. As anyone can see, it's virtually identical to the MPI tape version:

(But I'm not bitter about the DVD transfer. Nope.)

[Gothick]

Ugh, that color grading on that DVD is beyond ghastly.

This is really fascinating, MB.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Quote:[spoiler]Ep #1 (Extended)- Joe (to Daphne): 'Here's the boat - we're gonna dock here right now.'[/spoiler]

Context:[spoiler]Joe watches Victoria get into Willie's truck. Willie bids "Loverboy" good night, Vicki waves, and Willie speeds off. Joe stomps back inside the Blue Whale, calling Willie a jerk who needs to learn some manners - especially if he's going to mess with someone crazier than he is. Joe says it time to do some "night fishing" and suddenly slings Daphne over his shoulder and carries her out.  Maggie calls it "just another night at the Blue Whale." Outside Joe spins Daphne around and makes his way to his car. After opening the door to the back seat, he delivers the quoted line as he's placing Daphne on the seat and himself on top of her.[/spoiler]

And once again there was even more to the scene as shot but not included on MPI's tape. The additional material was:

[spoiler]Joe quickly shuts the door behind him. Daphne, laughing, says Joe is crazy. In response he grabs her and plants a hard, smouldering kiss on her. Daphne becomes quiet and more serious, She comments that she thought he had to go. Joe replies that he does but kisses her again, softer and more earnest this time, He then says that it doesn't mean that he wants to. Daphne looks up at him, runs her fingers through his hair, then slowly pulls him back down on her, saying, "That's good..." They kiss, long and steaming this time.[/spoiler]

[Gothick]

MB, was there any footage at all left to establish Joe and Daphen's relationship in the original aired episode, BEFORE she wound up as Barnie-bait?

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

There are really only two brief references to Joe and Daphne's relationship before she's attacked, but they're others talking about them, not Joe and Daphne actually interacting with each other.

The first comes when Willie first arrives at the Blue While and sits at the bar. Daphne tells Willie that Miss Winters is there waiting for him, Willie says maybe he and Miss Winters can get together after he has a drink, Daphne remarks on how "charming" he's behaving (meaning otherwise), to which Willie shouts that Daphne should just sit with her "loverboy" - Joe happens to be at the table with Daphne and Miss Winters.

And the second comes when Daphne is about to leave the Blue Whale after doing Sam's books. Maggie simply remarks that fishermen who have to get up early don't make for a very exciting love life, to which Daphne jokingly replies, "it's the best I can do." They don't even mention Joe by name - and all we have to go by that they are talking about Joe is Willie's previous "loverboy" remark.

My big question is: Is THAT the same car Joe drives in later eps?! 

I don't honestly remember. But if so, I hope he could afford to have some work done on it. I suppose we'll see...