Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
11-04-13, 08:28 AM
#26
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
Supernova (2000). It was directed by Walter Hill, but substantially reshot by Jack Sholder, edited by Francis Ford Coppola and Alan Smithee'd.
11-04-13, 08:29 AM
#27
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
Exorcist III
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist_III
An upcoming book titled The Evolution Of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III: From Concept To Novel To Screen by author Erik Kristopher Myers will purportedly reveal the story behind the film's development, and publish never-before-seen images, the original script, studio notes, various drafts of the story as it has evolved, and interviews with Blatty, Brad Dourif, Mark Kermode, John Carpenter, and many others associated with the film.[5] Myers in an interview said that The Exorcist III "has sort of turned into horror genre’s equivalent of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons, in that it was originally a very classy film that the studio hacked apart and turned into a commercial piece [...] I'm basically trying to chronicle how a film can get away from the author and be transformed into a purely commercial product."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist_III
An upcoming book titled The Evolution Of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III: From Concept To Novel To Screen by author Erik Kristopher Myers will purportedly reveal the story behind the film's development, and publish never-before-seen images, the original script, studio notes, various drafts of the story as it has evolved, and interviews with Blatty, Brad Dourif, Mark Kermode, John Carpenter, and many others associated with the film.[5] Myers in an interview said that The Exorcist III "has sort of turned into horror genre’s equivalent of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons, in that it was originally a very classy film that the studio hacked apart and turned into a commercial piece [...] I'm basically trying to chronicle how a film can get away from the author and be transformed into a purely commercial product."
11-04-13, 08:36 AM
#28
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
Exorcist III
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist_III
An upcoming book titled The Evolution Of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III: From Concept To Novel To Screen by author Erik Kristopher Myers will purportedly reveal the story behind the film's development, and publish never-before-seen images, the original script, studio notes, various drafts of the story as it has evolved, and interviews with Blatty, Brad Dourif, Mark Kermode, John Carpenter, and many others associated with the film.[5] Myers in an interview said that The Exorcist III "has sort of turned into horror genre’s equivalent of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons, in that it was originally a very classy film that the studio hacked apart and turned into a commercial piece [...] I'm basically trying to chronicle how a film can get away from the author and be transformed into a purely commercial product."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist_III
An upcoming book titled The Evolution Of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III: From Concept To Novel To Screen by author Erik Kristopher Myers will purportedly reveal the story behind the film's development, and publish never-before-seen images, the original script, studio notes, various drafts of the story as it has evolved, and interviews with Blatty, Brad Dourif, Mark Kermode, John Carpenter, and many others associated with the film.[5] Myers in an interview said that The Exorcist III "has sort of turned into horror genre’s equivalent of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons, in that it was originally a very classy film that the studio hacked apart and turned into a commercial piece [...] I'm basically trying to chronicle how a film can get away from the author and be transformed into a purely commercial product."
11-04-13, 08:49 AM
#31
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
Director Jim Sheridan clashed with Morgan Creek’s James G. Robinson constantly on the set over the shape of the script and production of the film.[4] Sheridan then tried to take his name off the film after being unhappy with the film and his relationship with Morgan Creek Productions.[5]
Sheridan, Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz disliked the final cut of the film so much that they refused to do press promotion or interviews for it.[6] The trailer, cut by Morgan Creek Productions, came under fire for revealing the main plot twist of the film.[6]
11-04-13, 08:52 AM
#32
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightbreed
Barker's original version ran two-and-a-half hours and Fox asked for almost an hour to be cut prompting editor Richard Marden to leave the project in protest. Nightbreed was cut to two hours and then again to 102 minutes.
.....According to Barker, the studio did not promote it well with posters that misinterpreted the content. When he saw the way they were selling Nightbreed, he "freaked out and said, 'What you doing? This isn't the movie, and was given all kinds of excuses ... 'Well, there isn't time to change it, we have to release it now'". The head of marketing at Morgan Creek never watched all the way through because it "disgusted and distressed" him, according to Barker. The studio did not understand it, it had no movie stars, it was violent, and it had elements of fantasy and horror which they saw as a weakness while Barker saw it as a strength. They ended up marketing Nightbreed as a slasher film with television teasers that were confusing and did not represent it.
11-04-13, 09:04 AM
#34
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
It seems to be a thing with Morgan Creek CEO James Robinson and horror movies specifically. Dream House was another one:
Director Jim Sheridan clashed with Morgan Creek’s James G. Robinson constantly on the set over the shape of the script and production of the film.[4] Sheridan then tried to take his name off the film after being unhappy with the film and his relationship with Morgan Creek Productions.[5]
Sheridan, Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz disliked the final cut of the film so much that they refused to do press promotion or interviews for it.[6] The trailer, cut by Morgan Creek Productions, came under fire for revealing the main plot twist of the film.[6]
Director Jim Sheridan clashed with Morgan Creek’s James G. Robinson constantly on the set over the shape of the script and production of the film.[4] Sheridan then tried to take his name off the film after being unhappy with the film and his relationship with Morgan Creek Productions.[5]
Sheridan, Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz disliked the final cut of the film so much that they refused to do press promotion or interviews for it.[6] The trailer, cut by Morgan Creek Productions, came under fire for revealing the main plot twist of the film.[6]
11-04-13, 09:31 AM
#36
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
Doh. Totally missed that, but to be fair it doesn't quite fit in with the others on your list. 
I knew it. I was almost positive Sanders was removed from one but couldn't recall which and nothing on IMDB stood out when I was looking last night.
I knew it. I was almost positive Sanders was removed from one but couldn't recall which and nothing on IMDB stood out when I was looking last night.
11-04-13, 10:09 AM
#37
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
At first, the film was going to be titled American Dog, and was written and directed by Chris Sanders. Eventually, Sanders was removed from the project and replaced by Chris Williams and Byron Howard.[2] The film's previous plot told the story of a dog named Henry, a famous TV star, who one day finds himself stranded in the Nevada desert with a testy, one-eyed cat and an oversized, radioactive rabbit who are themselves searching for new homes, all the while believing he is still on television. In 2006, after becoming Chief Creative Officer at Disney, John Lasseter along with other directors from Pixar and Disney viewed a couple of early cuts of the film and gave Chris Sanders notes on how to improve the story. According to Lasseter, Chris Sanders was replaced because Sanders resisted the changes that Lasseter and the other directors had suggested. Lasseter was quoted as saying "Chris Sanders is extremely talented, but he couldn't take it to the place it had to be."[3] After Sanders left and the original title was removed, the animation team was told to complete the filming just 18 months instead of the usual four years that is normally required to produce a computer-animated feature.[4] On June 8, 2007, Disney announced that the film, now under its current name, would be released on November 21, 2008 in Disney Digital 3-D.
11-04-13, 10:21 AM
#38
Moderator
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
The unifying theme for almost all these films is that they're terrible. Not sure if that's because they were taken way fromt he directors...or if they were taken away because of that and weren't salvageable.
11-04-13, 10:40 AM
#40
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
You are correct, Morgan Creek & 20th Century Fox.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightbreed
Barker's original version ran two-and-a-half hours and Fox asked for almost an hour to be cut prompting editor Richard Marden to leave the project in protest. Nightbreed was cut to two hours and then again to 102 minutes.
.....According to Barker, the studio did not promote it well with posters that misinterpreted the content. When he saw the way they were selling Nightbreed, he "freaked out and said, 'What you doing? This isn't the movie, and was given all kinds of excuses ... 'Well, there isn't time to change it, we have to release it now'". The head of marketing at Morgan Creek never watched all the way through because it "disgusted and distressed" him, according to Barker. The studio did not understand it, it had no movie stars, it was violent, and it had elements of fantasy and horror which they saw as a weakness while Barker saw it as a strength. They ended up marketing Nightbreed as a slasher film with television teasers that were confusing and did not represent it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightbreed
Barker's original version ran two-and-a-half hours and Fox asked for almost an hour to be cut prompting editor Richard Marden to leave the project in protest. Nightbreed was cut to two hours and then again to 102 minutes.
.....According to Barker, the studio did not promote it well with posters that misinterpreted the content. When he saw the way they were selling Nightbreed, he "freaked out and said, 'What you doing? This isn't the movie, and was given all kinds of excuses ... 'Well, there isn't time to change it, we have to release it now'". The head of marketing at Morgan Creek never watched all the way through because it "disgusted and distressed" him, according to Barker. The studio did not understand it, it had no movie stars, it was violent, and it had elements of fantasy and horror which they saw as a weakness while Barker saw it as a strength. They ended up marketing Nightbreed as a slasher film with television teasers that were confusing and did not represent it.
Spoiler:
11-04-13, 11:03 AM
#41
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
Wasn't Dune and The Big Red One taken away from David Lynch and Samuel Fuller respectively?
11-04-13, 11:09 AM
#42
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
And studios don't typically take a film away to make it better, they do so in order to make it more marketable. Thus things like adding a "happy ending" to Blade Runner and Brazil. Or, the film's gone over budget and the studio/completion bond company wants to cut their losses and just release what they have.
11-04-13, 11:25 AM
#43
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(film)#Editing
It sounds like Fuller was pulled of The Big Red One though:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/f...testament.html
Whatever the length, Lorimar thought it was a problem: not epic enough for its length. They took the editing away from Fuller. They hired a composer to write a score without talking to Fuller. And Fuller had to go out and put a brave face on selling the remains of his movie.
11-04-13, 12:28 PM
#45
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
Ironically, I think the movie "Directed by Alan Smithee" by Arthur Hiller was a case. He claims to have made a movie that was a satire of Hollywood's system and they re-cut it into a screwy comedy.
11-04-13, 01:32 PM
#46
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
11-05-13, 10:20 AM
#47
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director
What about Kenneth Longergan's Margaret? Or Erich Von Stroheim's Greed? Or Heaven's Gate, if you believe Cimino's story.
Not really. Some of these films are actually quite good. Ratatouille is brilliant, Blade Runner is widely regarded as a masterpiece, and certainly most of Welles films are pretty well regarded.
That's what I thought about the "assembly cut" of Alien 3. It's still an interesting mess, it's just longer.
Or because the director wants a degree of creative control that the producers don't want to give him, such as Donner's Superman II.
I've always wondered why Lynch never worked on a DC of Dune, the TC is almost unintelligent if you haven't read the novel.
Richard Schickel worked on a restored version a number of years ago, don't know how it turned out, never saw it. I actually think the theatrical cut of The Big Red One that I saw was pretty good.
That's all very well, but I'm more interested in the DC of Exorcist III. Although hey, they said the Nightbreed DC would never happen.
And studios don't typically take a film away to make it better, they do so in order to make it more marketable. Thus things like adding a "happy ending" to Blade Runner and Brazil. Or, the film's gone over budget and the studio/completion bond company wants to cut their losses and just release what they have.
Whatever the length, Lorimar thought it was a problem: not epic enough for its length. They took the editing away from Fuller. They hired a composer to write a score without talking to Fuller. And Fuller had to go out and put a brave face on selling the remains of his movie.
This is about to change. I am not sure if its taken place already, but there is a screening of Nightbreed: The Cabal cut with Clive Barker in attendance at the Egyptian Theater in LA. He has been working on a new version with additional scenes from the movie that were found in a vault somewhere in recent years. Probably get a re-release next year as a Directors Cut on Blu-ray.
11-05-13, 10:31 AM
#48
11-05-13, 11:06 AM
#50
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Movies "Taken Away" from the Director