Batman Forever 170 Minute Cut

[fighthefutureofhd]

Originally Posted by -JKR-

It wasn't ever a 170 cut, either.

The filmmakers were quoted as soon as in 1995 that they unfortunately had to let go of about half hour of the movie.

I'd have to find the article for the exact quote, though.

Then why does the thread say a 170-minute cut reportedly exists?

[-JKR-]

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

Then why does the thread say a 170-minute cut reportedly exists?

Because it's a thread in a Blu-ray forum quoting an article from ComicBook.com which is based a statement by Kevin Smith's co-host, who got the runtime wrong / mixed things up (as humans tend to do).

Anyway, I very distinctly remember that one article from '95, and I'll make sure to look it up.

[residentgrigo]

Originally Posted by HomerThompson

It’s also never been stated that this was his preferred cut, just an early cut.

Q: I'm wondering if you've seen something. There is an alternate version of the film, known as Batman Forever: Red Book Edition, where an editor with tremendous skills -- nobody knows who, it was done anonymously -- took the deleted scenes, and took the film and put it all back together and made a few little edits here and there to try to create the film that you've talked about wanting to have made over the years, something more serious and a little darker. It's a tremendous accomplishment, and even many people who criticized the theatrical release saw this version and loved it. It won the film many new fans, in other words. Have you seen this unofficial fan-edited Red Book Edition?

JS: No... Can I see it? Is there any way I can thank the editor? You can certainly put a thank you from me, for loving it enough to do that and taking such care!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhug...h=63fb9bbb50d6

Schumacher not being satisfied with what was released in theaters is a tale as long as time and I myself remember talks of an extended DVD release around the time Alien and so on were doing it.

I always had fewer issues with B&R as it was made as a toy commercial from start to finish and none of the know deleted footage changed my opinion on Forever but hearing on Smith´s show yesterday that performances were dubbed over in the theatrical cut brings us back to Studio Squad. No filmmaker would ever sign up for that! The director and original editor are of course dead but at least one of the 3 writers Akiva Goldsman is still around and production notes have to exist. Alien 3 Assembly Cut exists and was made on a limited budget with no input from the director who discredited the whole production and never looked back. Not so here. Schumacher was open for others to give it a crack. There is a 100% chance that a new cut of a Batman film made with a budget of around a million or less would be more profitable than any DCEU film since Shazam in 2019 up to Aquaman 2. Batman 89 to B&R keeps being released after all. A market is proven.

What else is WB supposed to put on Max? More Honey Boo Boo sequels?!? The studio that decided to invest into Gotham Knights can easily put a micro-budget into this or SS 2016 or BoP 2020. A new cut of Forever is clearly hitting the web at some point as too many randos with no NDAs had it passed to them. Hearing how Smith´s "contact" got it is quite the story. The chance to monetize is now or never.

[HomerThompson]

Originally Posted by residentgrigo

Q: I'm wondering if you've seen something. There is an alternate version of the film, known as Batman Forever: Red Book Edition, where an editor with tremendous skills -- nobody knows who, it was done anonymously -- took the deleted scenes, and took the film and put it all back together and made a few little edits here and there to try to create the film that you've talked about wanting to have made over the years, something more serious and a little darker. It's a tremendous accomplishment, and even many people who criticized the theatrical release saw this version and loved it. It won the film many new fans, in other words. Have you seen this unofficial fan-edited Red Book Edition?

JS: No... Can I see it? Is there any way I can thank the editor? You can certainly put a thank you from me, for loving it enough to do that and taking such care!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhug...h=63fb9bbb50d6

Schumacher not being satisfied with what was released in theaters is a tale as long as time and I myself remember talks of an extended DVD release around the time Alien and so on were doing it.

I always had fewer issues with B&R as it was made as a toy commercial from start to finish and none of the know deleted footage changed my opinion on Forever but hearing on Smith´s show yesterday that performances were dubbed over in the theatrical cut brings us back to Studio Squad. No filmmaker would ever sign up for that! The director and original editor are of course dead but at least one of the 3 writers Akiva Goldsman is still around and production notes have to exist. Alien 3 Assembly Cut exists and was made on a limited budget with no input from the director who discredited the whole production and never looked back. Not so here. Schumacher was open for others to give it a crack. There is a 100% chance that a new cut of a Batman film made with a budget of around a million or less would be more profitable than any DCEU film since Shazam in 2019 up to Aquaman 2. Batman 89 to B&R keeps being released after all. A market is proven.

What else is WB supposed to put on Max? More Honey Boo Boo sequels?!? The studio that decided to invest into Gotham Knights can easily put a micro-budget into this or SS 2016 or BoP 2020. A new cut of Forever is clearly hitting the web at some point as too many randos with no NDAs had it passed to them. Hearing how Smith´s "contact" got it is quite the story. The chance to monetize is now or never.

I don’t think Schumacher ever commented that he was disappointed with Batman Forever’s release. In fact, he’s said how proud he was in how successful it was. The quote above is thanking for someone who cares enough about the film, not his disappointment in the released version.

Maybe someone can pull up his audio commentary and find where he says he was disappointed in the final movie?

That said, I’d like to see this. It would be fun. But let’s not kid ourselves that this version is his “directors cut” or anything.

Now, Batman & Robin, he dislikes lol

https://twitter.com/billyapatterson/...630465?lang=en

[BloodshotUSA]

I remember the comic book of the movie was a lot darker than the movie itself. The comic opened with Two Face escaping jail. He murdered a prison guard, suspended him in the air with his arms out like a crucifix pose and wrote "the Bat must die" in the guards blood.

[-JKR-]

Originally Posted by BloodshotUSA

I remember the comic book of the movie was a lot darker than the movie itself. The comic opened with Two Face escaping jail. He murdered a prison guard, suspended him in the air with his arms out like a crucifix pose and wrote "the Bat must die" in the guards blood.

That's not what happens exactly in either version (including the comic).

The guard is just suspended. It is not implied in the comic that he's dead, nor do the arms form any crucifix.

It, along with other deleted scenes, have been released in 2005 and are available on every home video release since then as bonus material.

Here's the alternate opening, for example:

Batman Forever [Deleted Scene] | Harvey Dent escape (opening scene) - YouTube

Still, it would be interesting to see the movie how it was originally cut together, including the alternate takes, etc., and how it flowed and came off in that version. I'd actually be satisfied if the worprint that Kevin Smith got his hands on was released or leaked, without any extra work.

P.S.: People who live in Jersey have the chance to see the workprint at Kevin Smith's theater.

https://pursuenews.com/kevin-smith-t...ugust-details/

[Mikezilla3k]

So anyone catch the "Schumacher Cut" in theaters here?

[LOTRRules]

Originally Posted by Mikezilla3k

So anyone catch the "Schumacher Cut" in theaters here?

I bought tickets to the July 1st showing. I'll let everybody know what my thoughts are.

[Mikezilla3k]

Originally Posted by LOTRRules

I bought tickets to the July 1st showing. I'll let everybody know what my thoughts are.

Awesome, make sure to note how it's different to a lot of the "Schumacher" fanedits out there

[dallywhitty]

FYI: Epic Film Guys discuss the workprint (and break down the many differences between it and the theatrical cut) on the latest episode of their podcast.

[-JKR-]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

FYI: Epic Film Guys discuss the workprint (and break down the many differences between it and the theatrical cut) on the latest episode of their podcast.

Sounds good. Especially the additional Bruce Wayne bits (such as the unreleased one with his employees while entering Wayne Enterprises) and the longer cut of the scene where Dick punches Batman, after the gang fight.

[dallywhitty]

Epic Film Guys have another episode out and it's with the guy who actually gave Kevin Smith the workprint in the first place. It's kind of a funny listen because he's openly pissed off with Kevin Smith for talking about it, lmao. He also claims that this is 100% Schumacher's preferred cut of the film, though he's unwilling to confirm how he knows (my guess is that he's spoken to screenwriter Akiva Goldsman).

[Doc Samson]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Epic Film Guys have another episode out and it's with the guy who actually gave Kevin Smith the workprint in the first place. It's kind of a funny listen because he's openly pissed off with Kevin Smith for talking about it, lmao. He also claims that this is 100% Schumacher's preferred cut of the film, though he's unwilling to confirm how he knows (my guess is that he's spoken to screenwriter Akiva Goldsman).

The guy who was talking to Kevin Smith on Fatman Beyond was pissed about it? That's so bizarre. He had a full dialog with Kevin about it for like 30 mins.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Epic Film Guys have another episode out and it's with the guy who actually gave Kevin Smith the workprint in the first place. It's kind of a funny listen because he's openly pissed off with Kevin Smith for talking about it, lmao. He also claims that this is 100% Schumacher's preferred cut of the film, though he's unwilling to confirm how he knows (my guess is that he's spoken to screenwriter Akiva Goldsman).

He talked about something to Kevin Smith and didn’t make him sign an NDA and is surprised he talked? Has he met Kevin Smith?

[MovinRightAlong]

So, any chance of this getting an official release? Most of us are pretty much done buying this cycle of films, I'm probably not dipping into 8k. But an alternate cut would be an instant buy for many of us.

[Member-866753]

Originally Posted by MovinRightAlong

So, any chance of this getting an official release? Most of us are pretty much done buying this cycle of films, I'm probably not dipping into 8k. But an alternate cut would be an instant buy for many of us.

Warner has done it twice already with Donner's Superman II and the highly volatile Snyder cut.

This will eventually get a release.

[ben6543]

Not related to the Schumacher cut itself but Todd Mcfarlane is doing a Batman Forever wave for his DC Multiverse toyline. The BAF(Build A Figure) is the giant bat from that deleted scene

[BluBonnet]

[BluTheTethered]

I hope they will cut the scene in which Batman smiles as a boy.

[MattJ1991]

Warner Bros. Spend the 1 Million, please. I'll see this new cut in theatres and I'll buy the 4K. I am not alone.