Finally: The Fly (1986) and The Fly II (1989) Special Editions are coming in Fall of 2005!

Thanks for the update, David. Rest assured that the Fly fans will undoubtedly appreciate your hard work.

Now...could you repeat your latest post in English? All I understood was Cronenberg, Shore, the, soundtrack, and Monkey-Cat.

"All that existed of reel 8B (the monkey-cat sequence) was a dirty dupe of the cut workpicture, presumably created for the screening. As a dupe, there were no edge numbers and the cut workpicture is lost. The image was pretty ugly so we've gone back into the boxes of o-neg and telecined the takes that were used (which we had to figure out by seeing which takes were missing from the dialies rolls) and conformed it to the dupe by eye. I'm actually still doing that now and believe me, it's worse than it sounds.

The other problem was the audio. The dupe reel had a mixed mono track that included very crude sound effects and temp music that a) would be too costly to clear for release and b) frankly didn't work very well and didn't fit the tone of the film. I re-scored it with Howard Shore's music (which Cronenberg thought worked very well, by the way), but then that also meant re-building the entire soundtrack from scratch. I had Fox send me a DME so I could isolate things like the telepod sounds and computer display noises, and the rest is just a lot of laborious sound editing.

It's an enormous amount of work, but in the end it will look and sound better than it ever did. The monkey-cat lives."

Cheers,

David Prior
**********************

I kneel and hail you as "Master", sir. This whole 5-year effort of trying to promote interest in the SE is proving to be soooooooo worth it. Thank you.

Hmmm...so there was temp music for the rough cut? Tim Lucas told me that he didn't recall any, as Howard Shore probably didn't want to be influenced by a temp score when writing his own music. And I would assume that the temp sounds are the same ones heard in the trailer (the baboon teleportation effect).

Speaking of the trailer, the shot of the baboon disappearing doesn't have the animated "lightning" effect that the other teleportations have (the opticals were presumably incomplete at that stage). I wonder if that will be dealt with here (without those effects, the scene would still be incomplete, technically).

And regarding the computer/Telepod sounds...would those be sounds from the other scenes in the finished film inserted here, or were the "final" versions of the sounds in the temp track?

And this is a minor quibble...but having tracked music added into deleted scenes always bugs me a bit. Not to say that I don't absoultely love Howard Shore's score (and of course, several crucial scenes in the *completed* film used tracked cues). Still it'll be interesting to see how this turns out (and if Cronenberg approved the completion of the scene in this fashion, that's good enough for me). Any hints as to what cues are being used, Mr. Prior?

And I must wonder if the segueway into the insect leg amuptation sequence (or the sequence itself, which would presumably take some kind of major restoration), featuring Brundle climbing up the wall and onto the roof, will be included.

Still, the holy grail of this thing---the long-lost monkey-cat---is about to leap out of that Telepod and into the homes of fans everywhere. And that's awesome.

I'm not sure if the temp music was given to Shore as he worked, but it was certainly screened that way. When I saw the L.A. temp screening it was loaded with temp music, as one would expect.

The Monkey-Cat had two temp cues. The first, running from the start of the scene through killing the monkey-cat sounds a lot like The Brood, though I'm not 100% positive about that (yet). The remainder of the sequence is "The Droid" from Alien. As for re-scoring it, from a purist's perspective Greg, I take your point, but the truth is the scene really needs music to work. I take film music extremely seriously and have put a lot of care into building a track from Shore's other Fly music that has the tone and emotion I thought it needed and reflects the choices I think Howard Shore might have made. It's always a delicate thing playing with other people's work like this, and I certainly don't enter into it lightly, but the fact that Cronenberg made a point of singling out how much he liked the re-scoring, and that it made an impact on his decision to allow me to put the scene on the disc at all, I think means I was on the right track.

As for the sound effects, many of the hard effects were missing or clearly temp, such as footsteps, the beating with the pipe sounds, etc. And the sound effects we all associate with The Fly, from the sounds the computer type makes as it wipes onto the screen, to the little crinkly sounds that Brundlefy's skin makes when he moves, were entirely absent from the temp reel. Those have all been added in.

As far as finishing the teleportation visual effects, I think we'll probably not do that as I don't think it's necessary, and we're not trying to create a "finished" scene that can be edited back into the film. Cronenberg would definately not approve of that.

As some of you may know, Cronenberg was never happy with the leg-amputation scene and he doesn't want it included. I asked him if I could show bits and pieces of it in the context of a documentary while interview subjects refer to it and he was open to that, so we'll see.

Cheers,

David Prior

Keep up the great work David.
Fly on!!!

This title will definitely break my David Prior produced DVD hymn. I’ve never owned one before.

That goes for me as well.

David

Which dvd titles have you produced so far ?

Oscar here is a brief list of DP highlights
Ravenous
Fight Club
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Big Trouble in Little China
Titus
Bad Boys II
Peal Harbor
Panic Room
Blade II
Master and Commander

DP: "I'm not sure if the temp music was given to Shore as he worked, but it was certainly screened that way. When I saw the L.A. temp screening it was loaded with temp music, as one would expect.

The Monkey-Cat had two temp cues. The first, running from the start of the scene through killing the monkey-cat sounds a lot like The Brood, though I'm not 100% positive about that (yet). The remainder of the sequence is "The Droid" from Alien. As for re-scoring it, from a purist's perspective Greg, I take your point, but the truth is the scene really needs music to work. I take film music extremely seriously and have put a lot of care into building a track from Shore's other Fly music that has the tone and emotion I thought it needed and reflects the choices I think Howard Shore might have made. It's always a delicate thing playing with other people's work like this, and I certainly don't enter into it lightly, but the fact that Cronenberg made a point of singling out how much he liked the re-scoring, and that it made an impact on his decision to allow me to put the scene on the disc at all, I think means I was on the right track."
*************

There are two ways to look at something like this. On the one hand, it's nice to keep deleted scenes in historical perspective by showing them as there were at the time they were abandoned. On the other hand, "completing" such scenes by adding tracked music and other effects to make the scenes play better and make them more palatable to general viewers can be a good thing too. (the Star Wars prequel DVDs are a good example of this). As I said, I'm anxious to see how this turns out, and I'm glad such pains are being taken to restore the sequence.

I've always wondered how the scene plays in terms of tone/pace, and I've often thought about how the temp music/sounds (the existence of which have now been confirmed) would affect that. Tim Lucas told me that the scene was his favorite in the film, as it seemed very crazed and "alchemical", with Brundle's exact motivation for the experiment remaining ambiguous (unfortunately, it would seem that this very quality is what led the preview audience to believe that he was being cruel to the animals).
*****************

DP: "As for the sound effects, many of the hard effects were missing or clearly temp, such as footsteps, the beating with the pipe sounds, etc. And the sound effects we all associate with The Fly, from the sounds the computer type makes as it wipes onto the screen, to the little crinkly sounds that Brundlefy's skin makes when he moves, were entirely absent from the temp reel. Those have all been added in."
****************

That's just spiffy. The sound effects in the film are very memorable, and the scene *would* feel very alien without things like the Telepod/computer sounds, Brundle's labored breathing, etc. And I'm sure that new foley sounds and such (for the pipe beating, etc.) will fit in well with the film's sound design.
******************

DP: "As far as finishing the teleportation visual effects, I think we'll probably not do that as I don't think it's necessary, and we're not trying to create a "finished" scene that can be edited back into the film. Cronenberg would definately not approve of that."
*************

Yeah, I can see the reasoning there. Seems to me like the point of the restoration is to give an idea of what the scene *might* have been like had it been completed and left in, not to complete it for some unapproved director's cut (though I wouldn't be surprised if some bootlegger tried to reinsert the deleted material to make a faux "Director's Cut").
**************

DP: "As some of you may know, Cronenberg was never happy with the leg-amputation scene and he doesn't want it included. I asked him if I could show bits and pieces of it in the context of a documentary while interview subjects refer to it and he was open to that, so we'll see."

Cheers,

David Prior
**************

Well, now that the monkey-cat business is pretty much out of the way, I have to wonder about the leg amputation. Although the monkey-cat scene is a major sequence in and of itself, the coda to the scene, the insect leg amputation, seems to be an even more important *character* moment. As I understand it, it was perceived to be *THE* big gross-out/shock moment in script, but had to be scrapped because of the underlit shot (I wasn't aware Cronenberg wasn't happy with the scene. I wonder what his reasoning is. Hmmm....). Indeed, it's a tiny subplot in the finished film that never goes anywhere (we see Stage 2 Brundle holding his side with Tawny as though it aches, then we see Stage 4a Brundle showing off the bulge while wall-crawling, and then we get a glimpse or two of the split-open bulge on Stage 5 Brundle). Although Mr. Prior's comments seem to indicate that it *could* have been included, which means that the sequence had been cut together or could be restored.

Seems to me that many tend to overlook the amputation sequence in favor of the monkey-cat scene (probably because the leg amputation wasn't even included in the rough cut--I think--and thus didn't cause any controversy with preview audiences).

Still, even if the scene won't be included, I think it would be important to acknowledge it in *some* way on the DVD, perhaps by showing individual shots/dailies, still photos, etc. And the scrapped idea of a baglady stumbling across Brundle in the alley after the amputation and getting her face melted would be a nice tidbit, too.

In all my Fly research, I've only ever come across two photos from that sequence: a behind-the-scenes shot of the warehouse facade Goldblum slid down (Cinefex # 28), and a crazed looking Stage 4-b Brundle laying on either the roof or the awning, with his left hand on the bulge (AMC's "The Fly Papers" documentary). *Something* relating to this scene on the DVD would be great.

And I'm also wondering about the post-teleportation Brundle interview (partially seen in the sequel), the shot of Brundle sucking up fluid from Stathis' severed foot with his proboscis, the epilogue(s), and the various other little deleted scenes and moments. Still, it amazes me that Cronenberg has allowed this this much to be included.

I think the cult fascination with The Fly's deleted scenes comes from the fact that, although the theatrical cut works *very* well as is (although Tim Lucas said he felt the movie was only about 65% of what it could have been due to the edits), the deleted scenes contain key character/plot/makeup moments that make the film even richer than it already is. And let's face it...the last third of the film seems a wee bit thin without the monkey-cat/leg amputation material. Although the final cut works very well, it still feels as though something might be missing. Being able to see those missing pieces and seeing who well they work is a real gift. Thanks, Mr. Prior!

Well, we'll see how this all turns out, but so far, this release is really--and I mean *really*--sounding fantastic. Good things *do* come to those who wait!!!!

Marcus

Thanks for the complete list.

I have none so far and would only be interested in SeVen

Ravenous - Phenomenal DVD of a seriously great little cult flick. Got this one for seven bucks.

Fight Club - Still stands as one of the crown jewels of my DVD collection. The 2-disc version is just awesome.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Lots of fun stuff on here. My 15-year-old niece and her friends watch this disc at least twice a month.

Big Trouble in Little China - I still have the original 2-discer, and it's a pure joy.

Titus - Great film. Never spun the extra features.

Bad Boys II - One of the worst sequels I've ever seen. No offense to Mr. Prior, but I simply wouldn't know what the DVD looks like. Nor shall I.

Pearl Harbor - See above.

Panic Room - Don't own the 3-discer yet, but I know the fans love the thing.

Blade II - Damn good DVD.

Master and Commander - Same as Panic Room. I've read some stellar things about this 3-disc package. Gotta pick it up some time.

..and I know that Mr. Prior has worked on more projects than those. The Planet of the Apes (remake) DVD, for example. And, if I'm not mistaken, all three SEs for the Die Hard trilogy.

Stellar professional work aside, one reason I wouldn't mind shaking Dave's hand is this response that he gave during an interview with DVD Answers:

Hi Scott

Thanks for the thorough list.

Looks like I will be getting the Die Hard Trilogy first as I heard only good things about it

Cheers

Oscar

My pleasure, Oscar.

The first Die Hard DVD contains one of the best featurettes for those trying to wean people off of their Fullframe/P&S viewing habits. (I believe it's called "Why Letterbox?")

Let's just say I helped more than a few people 'see the light' using this DVD.

What I loved about it is that it went the extra mile. It didn't just deal with, "hey, when it's panned and scanned, you're missing a bunch of the picture." It actually dealt with things like composition of the frame and how there's meaning behind having certain subjects placed in a certain area of the frame frame and their relationship with other subjects placed in another area of the frame that is all lost when broken up into two shots (or not having the other subject(s) seen at all.

Yeah, I have the Die Hard Five-Star set, and it's great. I can't tell you pleased I am to have such talent applied to The Fly...

I'm just thrilled by what I've been reading in this thread, and forgive me for asking a question that probably has been answered already (but I can't seem to find it): do we have even a rough estimate as to when this disc will be released?

Well, as you "may" have noticed, our pal Jerome from Paris said that the 2-disc SE had been announced by Fox in France with a May 13 release date. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen, and no Region 1 release date/specs have been given (altough Mr. Prior has been *very* generous in giving us the inside scoop on how this is shaping up).

In case you didn't notice, "2004" is in the title of this thread, so it's been a long wait. My guess is sometime in spring/summer. Mr. Prior is still working on this thing (and Fox generously gave him additional time to perfect it), so who knows when the work will even be done.

A few reflections on the past (and the future)...

As I've said, I've always felt a strange connection to The Fly, even before I actually saw the film. When I did see it, I was stunned. I had been building up towards that first viewing, reading everything I could about the film, and I became more and more excited. And yet, despite this pre-view "hype", the film *still* exceeded my expectations. I was amazed. I was saddened. I was thrilled. Here was one of those rare movie that "clicked" with me on every single level: the story, the effects, the visuals, the music, the acting, the dialogue, etc. I "got" the movie. Or maybe *it* got *me*...

After that, I became even more interested in researching the film. I saw a pic of the monkey-cat in Men, Makeup and Monsters, and read about the monkey-cat, butterfly baby, and Stage 4-b makeup in Fangoria # 58 (which I found at a comic book shop). After that, my singular goal was to get a Special Edition DVD of The Fly made. I *had* to get commentary from Cronenberg. I *had* to see that deleted material.

And why am I so obsessed with the deleted material? Perhaps it's the desire to see that which has remained totally unavailable and inaccessable for years and years, to see the unseeable. But really, even though the theatrical cut works very, very well (and there are pros/cons for both the theatrical cut and the original vision), just being able to see *more* of about these people and their story is what I think my true motivation has been.

Now, I have many other hobbies. I love comic books. I love Star Trek. I love Star Wars. I love The Terminator and Die Hard and Spinal Tap and the Blues Brothers and so on and so on and so on. But whereas most of those properties have legions of devoted fans to "protect" them and see justice done, it seemed to me that The Fly was in dire need of champions and patrons. People to fight for the movie and spread the word on how much this gem deserved special treatment. And I found those people, and we've been trying to promote interest in this thing for years. I, personally, have done some crazy things, some desperate things, some great things just to get one more voice into the group. Just one more here, one more there.

In the span of the five years since I first saw the film, I've acquired numerous items (the one-sheet poster, the press kit, various informational magazines like Fangoria, Starlog, and Cinefex, the script, etc.) in my quest to learn as much as I could about the film. I've scoured the Internet for reviews, images, and articles. I've gone about as far as anyone can go without having access to the Fox archives, and I've used this knowledge to try and educate and excite people about the film and the Special Edition. Not to say I'm not totally obsessed with this film. Just very dedicated.

There have been times when I've gotten tired of waiting, and have put The Fly on the back burner, focused on other things. There have been times where a glimmer of hope has been squashed by bad news (the rumors of a 2003--then 2004 DVD being squashed, Cronenberg saying he wouldn't particpate without a new transfer, etc.). But I've always kept the faith.

And now...

...and now it looks like that faith is *finally* paying off. At last. And someone who is just as devoted as I is in charge of the project. It's incredible. I've often feared that a half-hearted Special Edition might just be thrown out there to appease the die-hard minority or to promote the upcoming Fly re-remake (if that project ever comes to fruition). Nope. It looks like we're getting a bona-fide *Special* Edition, one that celebrates the film and will provide new information and thrills. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Have you noticed how excited I am yet? I tend to get long-winded about this stuff, but I love doing it!

The Fly has given me a lot. It opened me up to horror, it was my gateway drug for Cronenberg's films, and it's been this lovely little treasure that I've never stopped enjoying. Some people don't get it. They either don't understand it or can't take the gory effects. It pleases me to know that there are others out there like myself who understand just what this film is and why it's special.

It's been a blast, and it will doubtless continue to be as more info about the DVD comes in. Mr. Prior has been very generous in this thread, giving us lovely little morsels of inside info. I hope he keeps it up!


I mean, we've got confirmed Cronenberg commentary, interviews, and (at least) the monkey-cat scene. The only other things I could hope for are:

1. The other deleted scenes (...or at least bits and pieced of them, or still photos...*some* kind of acknowledgement!)

2. Heavy coverage of the design and execution of the makeup and creature effects (intervews, featurettes, photo galleries, etc.) I mean, then won an *Oscar* for pity's sake!

3. Photo galleries covering the Telepods, sets, storyboards, etc. (Who doesn't love rare photos?). Maybe even the original Pogue script, just for fun.

4. The original EPK materials (Included on the double feature Fly DVDs in every region *except* for Region 1, a fact I won't let anyone forget!)

5. Trailer(s), tv spots. (Was there more than the one trailer seen on the double feature DVD?)

6. Spiffy menus/packaging.


Considering the work/time that's gone into this thing so far, and what we *know* for a fact will be included, I'd say this is gonna be a great DVD, one that will scratch an itch I've had for a long time. Rock on, Mr. Prior. And be afraid. Be very afraid.

Does anyone know if the SE will have DTS ?

I am feeling very peppy right now. Greg K, your entire crusade alongside Jacob to get The Fly - platinum status treatment on DVD allows me to hold out hope on another title which by the way will go unmentioned. Hint, hint.:b

this is really greg's project.. I just pointed him in the right direction.

JACOB

Well either way I'm inspired none the less.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. And Jacob got his Conan the Destroyer SE, The Fly SE is on its way, so I think anything is possible, Marcus. Just stay determined, educate the people, and have faith.

let's hope this new SE DVD will include the 16X9 widescreen trailer of the movie, only available for now on the 2 disc DVD of big trouble in little china (as a hidden feature), and not the full screen trailer found on the fly dvd.

Wait a sec. I knew that the trailer was on the Big Trouble DVD (which I still have yet to get), but it's in 16:9?

The trailer on the Fly double feature DVD has a standard 4:3 (1.33:1) image. Is the BTILC version a matted 1.85:1 (16:9)? Is it a different print?


And no one seems to know if there was a teaser trailer, or if the one currently available was the only one.

I hate to call Jerome out on the carpet for this, but I've just checked my THE FLY/THE FLY II DVD and my second disc from my BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA: Special Edition DVD and the trailer for THE FLY featured on both is absolutely identical in every way--both from the same print, with the exact same flickers and areas of print damage, and both featured only in 1.33:1 non-letterboxed, non-anamorphic full-frame format.

Thanks for the info. However, Jerome does hail from France, and it's possible that the French version is the way he says it is. Or not. Hmmm.

i am talking about the r1 dvd of big trouble and I am positive : the trailer is anamorphic but there is only one way to see it that way.

It has been discussed here : http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...97#post2356097

and this is true, it is anamorphic

widescreen screenshots from the anamorphic trailer, found on the r1 dvd of Big Trouble.

fullscreen screenshots from the trailer, found on the r2 dvd of The Fly.

Have you guys seen the latest update in the Rumor Mill on The Digital Bits?

Some encouraging stuff

Jerome, how weird...thanks for clarifying this issue but, just to clarify, you can only access these anamorphic images by using a DVD-ROM for access, not through a standard DVD player, right?