Faneditor: Wraith   Fanedit Type: FanMix Fanedit Release Date: 1st May 2012 Fanedit Runtime: 2h:38m:0s Time Cut: 0h:25m:0s Time Added: 0h:8m:0s Franchise: The Thing Genre: Horror • Mystery • Sci-Fi Original Title: The Thing (1982)   The Thing (2011)    Original Release Date: 1st January 1982 Original Runtime: 1h:48m:0s
Wraith has produced a a PULP FICTION style interweaving of the the 1982 and 2011 versions of The Thing into a single cohesive story which switches the action back and forth between the 2 movies without ruining either the tension or build up. Careful trims to the 2011 (T11) version remove a few overly CGI shots and keep the reveals less explicit until the 1982 version (T82) does its Thing. From there each film loses about a third of its material; but the progression is almost undetectable and the final running time is 2h39min, a very respectable length and consistent with many big blockbusters but is NEVER bloated. Tightened dialogue throughout keeps the pace but NO required exposition is lost. Some crap lines from the T11 are also removed and numerous score enhancements made not just to tie the two together, but to bring the T11 more in tonal line with T82 (not that it was ever that bad). The score enhancements were taken from the 2011 complete score re-recording which is of outstanding quality, and contains un-used cues by Ennio Morricone and John Carpenter some sections which appear in this edit for the first time. Some sequences were re-ordered and individual shots also re-ordered in places for flow, pace, transition and dramatic effect. Finally, a DVD Commentary has been produced and this will also be available in time in HD.
Intentions:
To bring both movies of The Thing together in an original manner.
Change List:
- Custom opening
- Old 80s Universal Logo used
- New title credits over T82 opening music
- Title reveal is custom animated in the font of the original titles.
- Segues to same caption as T82 but re-rendered for full match to preceding titles in the original font (which is ALBERTUS for those that are interested)
- Opens on T82 original opening shot but then cuts to a closing helicopter shot from T11 which has been optically flipped for continuity (this was in fact the very last scene altered coz I just could not get happy with it and dropped in 2 more shots for a re-render to then remove one of the 2…to settle on what you have... dear lord this takes forever)
- This continues with a deleted scene from T11 which is an extended version of the T11 theatrical closing
- Extensive Audio work to ensure the music continuity and last minute changes including revised opening music “gods and Monsters” from T11
- The deleted scene from T11 has the shots of the frozen corpse removed for a better reveal later in the T82 original position.
- The extended T11 husky chase continues and then seamlessly switches to the T82 version
- The new opening shot with two flopped shots from T82 for the Helicopter arrival and departure include adding in the sun and lens flares and revised contrast, gamma and colour timing.
- Chase then continues as per T82 but is shortened in a few places for pacing and overall running time with a re-working from the area where the two helicopter shots were taken from.
- Shots of the Norwegian shooting the husky are replaced with T11 close-ups
- Gun shots from the T82 version are replaced with the T11 and some gun flash work is added.
- Establishing scenes from the T82 (table tennis etc) are deleted for dramatic flow since they interrupt the Husky chase.
- Macs scene in the hut playing chase is relocated to later in the edit again to sustain the drama of the revised opening with some trimming for timing but no dialogue loss... overlapping audio to visuals...
- The shooting of the Norwegian is trimmed since the fall always felt awkward and is now more immediate.
- Some post shooting shots are trimmed.
- The closing shots of Clarke with the Husky and Mac and the team are overlaid with the score from T11 in order to effect a seamless transition to our first full switch to T11.
- Caption “3 Days Ago” is added over the T11 footage of the Helicopter approaching the Norwegian camp, Thule.
- Original T11 opening on the ice flow and Snowcat fall into crevace is deleted.
- T11 sequence where Kate is hired to join the team is deleted. We don’t need the introductions here. They are all repeated later and in a less patronising and in a less obviously exposition manner.
- The flight to Thule is trimmed significantly to remove the idle banter which seemed slightly forced and out of place.
- The shots of the helicopter itself needed reworking over the audio in order for the sequence to work and after landing Some intros take place including under the ice at the dig site.
- T11 continues unchanged for a couple of minutes until they the team take Kate to the survivor where the word “good” is removed from the XXX and the shots re-ordered.
- On the zoom into the creature in the ice in T11 the scene cuts back to T82 at the time when doc is stitching up the wound.
- The shots here are re-ordered, dialogue slightly trimmed in order for the continuity to work and so as to make the “are we at war with Norway” comment work, which in its original order did not when the comment was so far from the original shooting.
- This is resolved by seeing the corpse BEFORE Nials makes the comment, but this necessitated trimming the roller-skating or the comment was TOO delayed.
- Sequence is reworked in a number of areas and Macs’ chess game is placed here.
- The “el cap-i-tan” comment is reworked over a shot of the autopsy table
- Macs chess game is trimmed but only for running time…all dialogues and joke is retained to ensure character development. Some shots re-sequenced since cutting from “el cap-i-tan” comment to Mac getting the ice out of the ice bucket was too harsh a cut. This now cuts to the video screen of the chess game.
- Next few minutes including Macs chopper flight to Thule base and the discoveries there is untouched, unenhanced.
- Once Mac and Doc leave the Theule base and go outside and discover the Thing Corpse, it cuts to the Norwegian camp to the pre excavation discussion. Here the remaining introductions are made.
- A caption is not used here since the cast are significantly different that it should be clear that we are following an earlier timeline as previously highlighted. treat your audience as if they have brains. Memento did not need captions... (though it used B&W to telegraph the timeline…I’m using beards).
- T11 camp discussion on extracting The Thing is unchanged but cuts directly to the block being brought to Theule with the night scene looking at stars being deleted.
- The 1st score enchantment occurs here at 0:27:39 and was The Main Theme for 19 sec from the 2011 complete score re-recording but at the last minute I changed this to the more mysterious “solitude ” for 28 sec. Music also tells a story and it was too soon to include the DUMDUM DUMDUMDUM. I had located a much neater place.
- The Scene discussing the block has some dialogue removed regarding “conditions being unpredictable”…silly…its a dead thing in ice (we think).
- The 2nd score enhancement over the conversation occurs over the dialogue trims at 28:52:27 adding in 1min and 10sec of “The Wait”.
- The celebration scenes that follow are unchanged but the outdoor material is removed.
- The first deleted scene is added in here where the discussion about “one call to the government takes place.
- The addition of this scene required background sound work to anchor it to the “party”.
- The 3rd score enhancement occurs at 0:34:14 adding in “The Shape” for 1min 21sec.
- The 4th enhancement is at 36 min and 2 sec, and is the only piece from the T11 score. It is in fact the opening piece called God’s Country. It was the moment in the 2011 film I thought OH…this might be ok. I used this a the first reveal on the Husky…of the DUMDUMDUM DUM DUM DUM…(apart from the films opening). The piece is represented here in its entirety and begins in the previous scene when The Thing escapes the ice.
- This continues to the thing escaping the block but then cuts back to T82 from the first autopsy scene.
- The TV rec room material that follows is removed but the next 6min up to the end of the thing being revealed for the first time is unchanged. This is the second longest unbroken stretch of material and it would be criminal to try to improve on it. It can’t be done.
- Having now revealed the thing in the T82, we move back to T11 and the hunt for the thing from the ice block. This sequence is shortened in a few places and the extent of the thing is hidden by selective trimming of excessive CGI.
- This continues to the T11 autopsy with the removal of the “amniotic sac” reference
- The 4th score enhancement occurs at 0:56:21 with 33 sec of “Despair” added in.
- The T11 autopsy cuts to the T82 briefing on their autopsy findings
- 5th score enhancement at 0:57:16 adding in 3min 52 sec of “Humanity” over the segue of the closing moments of T11 autopsy and T82 briefing that follows by Doc.
- This continues with the rec room Mac briefing trimmed and the “voodoo bullshit” line from Chiles is moved to the end of the scene with a reworking of a number of shots to Keep Chiles correctly located for continuity.
- the 6th score enhancement begins at 1:04:10 and is actually the same music used in this scene, namely “humanity” but it is replaced with a longer cue of 2min 39 sec which permits its use to tie into the next switch to T11.
- This music overlay keeps the tone of Kate examining the samples consistent, though the scene again contains dialogue trims removing silly dialogue.
- The 7th enhancement is again “humanity” overlaid while Kate discovers the filings from 1:06:49 for 1min 42sec.
- The helicopter attack is trimmed so as not to reveal the creature again too early and removal of what I thought was one of only 3 really poorly executed CGI wipes in the movie.
- major scene reworking follows with the post chopper crash discussion which now starts with the discussion about outside help.
- Kate discovering the shower clean is deleted since she tells everyone. It also means that there is a possibility she is lying.
- The comments about the radio being broken are relocated to the middle of the scene to increase the pace of the tension and plug a large silence.
- The failed radio calls are deleted sinc its just too much like the T82 otherwise
- Kate’s briefing to the team is trimmed for superfluous dialogue.
- The comment about “yelling fire” is removed as is “wanting the information” and “there’s more” to tone down the immature comments and some of Kate’s’ over the top drama.
- Kate saying “the thing is still here” is removed since it is stated later round the fire.
- This segues back to T82 with Blair doing the computer analysis. This removes the “cell simulation” since we now already know it imitates people, but I have retained the “global population” thread to further add to Blair’s paranoia.
- The scenes with Mac outside discussing are re-worked.
- The scene with Fuchs and the thing dripping and taking over Bennings plus some shots here and there are all re-worked for timing and pace.
- 9th score enhancement at this point is two sections from “Burn it” starting at 1:15:53 and totalling 2 min with a 13 sec mix from different section of that track.
- The end of the Bennings burn is reworked to remove some dialogue and timing.
- 10th score enhancement at 1:19:42 is “Despair” for 1 min 42 sec and this covers the segue back to T11
- The scene with Kate speaking to the Norwegian lady is removed and this picks up with dialogue looking for keys.
- The scene of the Thing Reveal is trimmed for having the second of the overly CGI shots I disliked.
- The run up of Lars and the torching of the Lady Thing is considerable tighter removing the unnecessary delay and pondering at the door. This required some reordering of shots and audio.
- This is the next deleted scene restored to the edit which contains some extra money shots.
- The runs in to the second deleted scene from T11 where they put out the fire and torch Karl
- This deleted scene require colour timing to warm up the beginning and end of the scenes where they were with putting out a fire or torching Karl to keep the colour continuity consistent.
- This deleted KARL TORCHED scene was trimmed at the end to not make the rubber stuntman suit too obvious.
- Kate round the fire discussion has dialogue removed.
- 11th Score enhancement at 1:28:51 “Wait” for 37 sec added
- Preparation and discussion of possible blood test completely removed. In order to repeat what is done in T82 and to jump to the filings sequence later.
- The Americans return and dialogue is trimmed in a few places.
- 12th Score enhancement at 1:30:11 “Sterilization” for 1min 13sec
- Segues to T82. All references to their blood test plan are also removed since Macs preamble later explains how he things his version will work
- Mac on tape recorder leaving a message to any rescuers is removed.
- Continue with Mac outside deliberately fooling the viewer for a moment about where we are.
- Trimmed sequence from exterior to interior running in to find Blair going nuts.
- The extra discovery of Mac’s shirt is removed
- Mac’s visit to Blair removed
- 13ths score enhancement at 1:47:50 is “Main Theme-Desolation” for 4min 31 sec
- This ties the next segue to T11 which begins with the filings examination.
- The walkover to the American is removed for timing.
- Hard cut to T82 at beginning of the blood test
- 14th Enhancement is the track “Fuchs” for 53sec over the next segue to T11
- The next ten minutes contain to more deleted scenes / scene extensions and some trims to chasing and walking to again keep the pace fair and overall timing as close to 2hrs 30min as possible.
- The entire sequence at the spaceship with the thing trying to escape etc is deleted.
- The action cuts directly after the torching of the thing outside the camp to Kate and the American getting in the snow cat. This needed some warming up on the colour timing for continuity
- This scene then faded into T82 for the finale with some deletions of the run up of Chiles looking out the windows.
- 15th and Final score enhancement at 2:18:45 for 49 sec “Antarctica”
- Laying of charges is trimmed and T82 plays out as in theatres…the longest untouched section at 9min 17sec.
- New caption added at the final fadeout
- Custom titles over the T82 audio.
- Both titles then run parallel
- Final segue to fanedit logo