The 13th Warrior. I want a Director's Cut! (1 Viewer)

[Scott Weinberg]

I kinda dig this movie even though it's a mess.

It was well-known as a troubled project. McTiernan had to bail on it to start production on The Thomas Crown Affair so novelist/director Michael Crichton took over. (Eaters of the Dead, the title of the Crichton book on which the film was based, would have been a much cooler title, too!)

Oddly enough The Thomas Crown Affair managed to beat this one to the multiplexes! And The 13th Warrior was basically ignored by moviegoers.

Graeme Revell's long-standing score was one of the things jettisoned after some disastrous test screenings, and his music was replaced by a mediocre Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack.

Though I think the theatrical version is an entertaining and somewhat underrated flick, I'd love to see what McTiernan could do given free rein on a Director's Cut. The test audiences could have been spot-on in their assessment that the original version was crap but I for one would love to see a restored version.

After all was said and done, the flick cost about $105 million and grossed under $35m domestic. Perhaps a big SE DVD could make Disney some coin back?

What are the chances? Would anyone else be interested or am I alone on this one?

 

[Dennis Pagoulatos]

cricket cricket cricket...

I'd love to see that...this movie is a guilty pleasure of mine. And even though it is a mess in many respects, it's damned cool in so many others! I say bring on the Director's Cut SE!

-Dennis

 

[todd stone]

One of my favorite movies. Underappreciated

 

[Seth Paxton]

Not unlike Oscar this is another film that I don't feel very guilty about liking at all, despite the fact that it seems to be disliked in general.

I didn't think it had all that many faults and had at the very least a Conan the Barbarian similarity and charm. Certain in an era where FnF2 or Scooby-Doo can earn over $100m easy I don't see why people think 13th Warrior offered less in entertainment.

I will say that as I recall the campaign focused on Banderas and his "outsider" role in the group, rather than the almost mystical warrior tale and the action. It ended up selling like a hokey star-vehicle rather than a pretty entertaining popcorn action film with some creepy mood.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

I don't mind admitting that I really enjoy this film as well and I don't feel guilty about it at all.

 

[JeremySt]

I rememberabout 2 years(!!!) before this movie hit theaters, seeing the preview in theaters. "from the director of DIE HARD, and the Author of JURASSIC PARK..... EATERS OF THE DEAD."

I nearly fell of my chair with glee. I remember thinking at the time, "holy s#%#, that will be the coolest movie ever."

My friends and I kept wondering what hapened to it as months ticked by, becasue we all thought it looked awesome. When it finally came to theaters, I wasnt surprised to see a title change. That was my first hint that this movie had been.... altered. After we saw it, my comment was that, "I bet disney or Crichton didnt like what McTiernan delivered, so they took it away from him."

I felt the movie just reeked of re-tooling in post production. I could see glimpses of that McTiernan style that I loved so much in Die Hard, Red October, and Predator.

Its a mess, and one I would mind seeing cleaned up, but its never gonna happen.

 

[Walter Feddern]

This is one of my favourites too. Would be amazing if they could do a SE version.

Anyone know how the DVD sales have been of this? Seems to be quite a number of fans of it.

 

[MickeS]

This is a really good action movie, IMO. There is a great sense of mystery and adventure in it, as well as some mild elements of horror. It also had a cool way of showing how Banderas' character gradually started to learn the tribe's language, for some reason I remember those scenes very well.

tI didn't feel to me like it needed a whole lot of retooling... it told its story in a fast pace yet managed to not feel forced. A director's cut could be interesting, but I don't think there's that much to improve upon.

I remember Lisa Schwarzbaum in EW gave this movie an A-, I think she was the only critic who liked it.

 

[Craig S]

I liked this one as well, although I remember thinking as I watched it that it was obvious it had been gutted in the cutting room.

I haven't bought the current DVD in the hope that someday a longer cut would be released.

Hell, in this post-LotR/Gladiator world, Disney could probably do a theatrical release of a longer cut (retitled Eaters of The Dead) with a new campaign and make some serious bank. I'd be willing to bet 90% of moviegoers out there would never recognize the film as having been released before!

 

[MickeS]

You're probably right, actually.

 

[Richard_D_Ramirez]

Lo, there do I see my father.
Lo, there do I see my mother, my sisters, and my brothers.
Lo, there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning.
Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live.... forever.

I liked this film! Of course, I'm a fan of viking flicks (When are they releasing the Lee Majors flick The Norsemen on DVD?). And I liked the Goldsmith score too!

8^B

 

[Sean*O]

I always liked this movie. I would love to see a Dir. cut.

 

[Seth Paxton]

I'd be willing to bet 90% of moviegoers out there would never recognize the film as having been released before!

What, like Red Dragon.

 

[Steve Christou]

Hmmm... naah it's the first dvd I got that I contemplated using as a coaster
and I don't think a director's cut could possibly improve this turkey. But for some weird unexplainable reason truly awful movies end up as cult favorites.

I'm a fan of Hudson Hawk which was and probably still is regarded as one of the worst films in history, its a miracle Bruce Willis career survived that, Ed Wood would have cringed if he saw it, but I like it a lot. And I'm sure even [whispers] Battlefield Earth has a fanatical cult following too, brrrr.

How did the director of Die Hard, Predator and Hunt for Red October go on to make crap like the Rollerball remake and 13th Warrior? How the mighty have fallen.


ps. Jerry Goldsmith's score is easily the best thing about this rubbish.

 

[Michael Warner]

Even with hundreds of DVDs sitting on the shelf "The 13th Warrior" still gets watched every other month or so. While I agree that there was some obviously heavy-handed editing and last-minute reworking I still enjoy the atmosphere and the supporting cast who all seem to relish getting to ham it up on a good old-fashioned Viking movie.

 

[Markus Lidstrom]

And I'm sure even [whispers] Battlefield Earth has a fanatical cult following too, brrrr.

Umm, I'm pretty sure it does.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

I don't dislike it to the degree that Steve does, and I do think that an alternate cut could improve upon it, but I definitly agree with him on Goldsmith's score. It's not one of his landmark scores, but it's very effective.

I'm not sure I like Eaters of the Dead as the title though...

 

[MickeS]

That is the title of the book by Michael Crichton that the movie is based on, and I think it's a much cooler title. "The 13th Warrior" is just too bland and generic in comparison.

EDIT: Oops, saw that Scott wrote the same thing in the beginning of his first post in this thread. Well, it's worth repeating.

 

[Matt Pelham]

It's great to see so many other fans out there. I love this flick and would definitely purchase a director's cut or just a good SE if it were to be released.

 

[JohnRice]

Dammit Scott!!!


I saw this a few years ago, without reading anything about it, and thought is was a complete and utter mess. Now I think I need to take one of my freebie rentals down the street to Blockbuster tonight and give it a second spin.



If it still sucks, I'm kicking your ass.



Now I'm warming up the HT, taking a shower (I just mowed the lawn and spread a diazanon barrier around the house because some ants recently invaded) and heading over to find if it is in stock.