LEGEND: US theatrical or Directors cut? by chrisisall

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LEGEND: US theatrical or Directors cut?

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Monday, April 11, 2005 06:33
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Saturday, April 9, 2005 7:37 AM

The dvd of Legend has both the US theatrical release and the newer Directors cut. One is lean and mean with a Tangerine Dream soundtrack, the other full and flowing with a wonderful Jerry Goldsmith score. I assume that many of us Browncoats own or at least have seen both versions, so I ask:
Which version do you prefer and why?

The fanciful Chrisisall

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Saturday, April 9, 2005 9:14 AM

GREENFAERIE

I like the directors cut waaaaay better. It was after I saw it that I realized how hokey the theatrical version seemed. Tangering Dream makes good music, but this sort of electronic music just doesn't fit with the genre so well.

Also, there were a lot of scenes I thought should not have been cut!

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Saturday, April 9, 2005 9:54 AM

REGINAROADIE

Obviously the director's cut. Not only does it have a better soundtrack (the Tangerine Dream score dates the movie horribly), but it just feels better. It's more like the fairytale fantasy done Ridley Scott way that it intended to be. Plus, there's a big difference when it comes to the use of the devil character. In the directors cut, you don't see him until he steps out of the mirror, which is one of the best character entrances in the last twenty five years of movies. You only hear him or see bits of him. But in the theatrical cut, he's immediately there in like the second shot, which makes the mirror entrance less grand. And there's that horrible imposition of him over the ending which would hint to a sequel.

Go directors cut.

"NO HAI ES BANDAI. THERE IS....NO.....BAND. AND YET....WE HEAR A BAND."

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Saturday, April 9, 2005 5:08 PM

CHRISISALL

Okay, here's where I give my opinion.(don't shoot me)
I like the theatrical cut better 'cause of the Tangerine Dream score, mostly. I think the Directors cut is actually a better version, but I grew up on the other one. I also think some of the dialogue in the Directors cut is trying to flesh out characters that are basically one dimensional, anyway.
Jerry Goldsmith is my favourite composer, but his score is just a little too tame in Legend (for me).
I do absolutly love the song Lilly sings in the meadow, though.
Again, I am torn, just as with Blade Runner. Nostalga, I reckon, colors my view.

Thanks for the posts, people.

I also like Han to shoot first in Star Wars!

The ruled by nostalga Chrisisall

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Saturday, April 9, 2005 6:05 PM

NEEDLESEYE

I have the DVDs but I still haven't had a chance to watch it with the original score. I love this movie as is but I never understood why they chose Tangerine Dream, don't care for 'em.
I have watched the extras on the DVD though.
The original set that burned was sooo incredible.
I guess I need to put this on my watch list.

Oh, and only Tim Curry could have played Darkness, he just rocks.

I always wanted Lily's black dress for prom.

Keeper of Jayne's goggles. 8)

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Sunday, April 10, 2005 6:37 AM

CHRISISALL

Needleseye, if you're not so fond of Tangerine Dream, I think you'll LOVE the Directors cut- the Goldsmith score is much more classical, more timeless. I happen to be a TD fan, so...

Post back when you've seen it, okay?

P.S. how about those kicks Jack nails those goblins(or whatever) in the face with in the 'kitchen' fight? Good swordplay with Darkness, too, huh?

The Curry is cool Chrisisall

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Sunday, April 10, 2005 6:43 AM

DESANGRO

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
The dvd of Legend has both the US theatrical release and the newer Directors cut. One is lean and mean with a Tangerine Dream soundtrack, the other full and flowing with a wonderful Jerry Goldsmith score. I assume that many of us Browncoats own or at least have seen both versions, so I ask:
Which version do you prefer and why?

The fanciful Chrisisall

Ah, Legend. One of my favorites.

It's a tough call as to which I prefer. I'm an American and I saw the American version first, so there I'm somewhat prejudiced. I'm a fan of 80's music, so I love the Tangerine Dream score. However, I also enjoy the Jerry Goldsmith score as well. Both are equally good, IMHO; they just work differently.

As for the Director's Cut versus the Theatrical version, again, it is a tough call to make. There are certain things-- such as the addition of a half-second's worth of transition footage when Lili sees Darkness coming out of the mirror (she sees the hand coming through and steps back) that helps a given scene flow a little better. I enjoyed hearing Mia Sara sing in the Director's Cut.

But-- in a certain sense I prefer the Theatrical version over the Director's cut. The opening scenes with Darkness, to me, worked better in the Theatrical edition. I liked it because of the visuals: the little winged demon cavorting in the foreground while the cooks torture someone; Darkness listening to the screams, while the heaped platters of black food ooze with corruption. To me it was a far more striking, interesting visual than the shots of the chair and the fire and the foggy floor, since we see those images again later on in the film.

Plus, Darkness's opening speech in the Director's Cut about 'I am the Lord of Darkness. . . sunshine is my destroyer' doesn't make as much sense as his opening words in the Theatrical edition: why would he be stating facts about himself, to himself? The answer is that it is put in solely for the audience's benefit. This same information is repeated later on when he tells Lili the same facts. At least there, it makes more sense.

I like Jack's confrontation with Meg Mucklebones more in the U.S. Theatrical edition, simply because I didn't care for the way Jack deliberately misleads Meg in the Theatrical Edition. It's a purely personal matter, but the way that Jack distracts and manipulates her felt out of character for him. I prefered him to be honest and frightened, rather than tricksy and frightened.

Another thing I liked about the Theatrical Edition-- it seemed as though the unicorn stallion came to Lili, allowing her to touch him, because he wanted to, rather than what is implied in the Director's Cut, which is that the unicorn is charmed by Lili's singing and is therefore induced, or perhaps bewitched, to come to her.

(I did, however, like that the Director's Cut played up Lili's personal faults a bit more then the Theatrical cut.)

And the ending of the Theatrical edition makes a lot more sense then the Director's cut, in that in the U.S. version we see Gump restoring the alicorn, and we seen the male unicorn rising with the dawn. These, to me, are simply beautiful shots, and the 'Loved by the Sun' song works wonderfully there. The Director's Cut leaves these key moments out, and so the unicorns just reappear at the very end, with no explanation as to howthe alicorn was restored.

Do I hate the Director's Cut? Not at all! I'm glad Scott made it, and I'm even more glad that he included both versions of the film on the DVD set. The overall experience of Legend, to me, requires both versions because each has something that completes and compliments the other. They're like two sides of the same coin. Which side you prefer is up to you.

(In fact, if I had one serious complaint to make about the Legend DVD set, it would be the horrendously cheap packaging! The plastic is so brittle and thin, and it can be smudged and scratched very easily; it would have looked nicer if the makers had gone for packaging with stiff, sturdy cardboard, ala the first two Harry Potter movies and the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions.)

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Sunday, April 10, 2005 9:00 AM

CHRISISALL

Whoah, DeSangro, a most eloquent and insightful post! You hit the nail on the head for me- especially about when Lilly touches the unicorn!!!
Also when Jack drops down from the tree in front of Lilly near the beginning- it just sounds SO amazing with Tangering Dream's 'FOOM' as he lands!
I don't know why people seem to think the TD music seems dated? Eighties music is so easy to spot, yet the TD score, even if electronic sounding at times, doesn't sound like Blondie or Pet Shop Boys or Thomas Dolby or any of that. When TD did movies (like Firestarter) they left that rock stuff behind and did real soundtracks!

Anyway, thanks for the definitive pro theatrical post.

Funky with the faeries Chrisisall

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Sunday, April 10, 2005 10:50 AM

DESANGRO

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Whoah, DeSangro, a most eloquent and insightful post! You hit the nail on the head for me- especially about when Lilly touches the unicorn!!!

Thanks.

Quote:
I don't know why people seem to think the TD music seems dated? Eighties music is so easy to spot, yet the TD score, even if electronic sounding at times, doesn't sound like Blondie or Pet Shop Boys or Thomas Dolby or any of that. When TD did movies (like Firestarter) they left that rock stuff behind and did real soundtracks!

Anyway, thanks for the definitive pro theatrical post.

Funky with the faeries Chrisisall

I love 80's music and 80's movies, so I have no problem if the score sounds 'dated'. It does sound like an 80's-style electronic score in many places (and the rock music at the end is very 80's), but if you listen to the TD score closely it has some very interesting influences in it-- there's distinct themes for the characters and the overall sound is very electic and exotic. The TD music for the scene where Lili dances with the black dress works well, IMHO; it has a deceptively innocent, simplistic sound to it, rather like music that you'd hear at a carnivale, but the spooky cha-cha-cha beat underlying it gives it a darker edge...

Again, the TD score may be 'dated'; the movie itself certainly isn't. The fanbase for it is still out there and is, I hope, growing with the release of the DVD set.

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Sunday, April 10, 2005 12:31 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
I love 80's music and 80's movies, so I have no problem if the score sounds 'dated'.

Let's see...eighties movies+ music=
Legend
Blade Runner
Highlander
Robocop
Die Hard
Aliens
Back to the Future
Somewhere in Time
Outland
and, of course...Airwolf

These are what the eighties meant to me, and got 'em all on dvd.

Any other 80's films w/great music I left out, DeSangro?
(how old are you, anyhow?)

The 4x10+5 Chrisisall

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Sunday, April 10, 2005 2:56 PM

OPPYH

The Theatrical version is the only one I watch. I like the Director's cut with a few of the extra scenes, but the more cynical, less magical ending is a letdown. It's a fairytale, it should have a happy ending.
Nothing against the Jerry Goldsmith score, I happen to like it, but the Tangerine dream score just fits better. And the fact that the theatrical version doesn't have a DTS audio track really bummed me out.
Legend will always be my favorite fantasy movie. I will never understand why Tom Cruise has regarded this movie as an embaressment in his career. This is probably the most atmospheric film ever created. If someone made Legend today the actors would never even see a physical prop, and acted in front of a blue screen, with all kinds of computer generateed effects. Not that I hate computer generated backgrounds, but when overused, it becomes a cartoon, and the live action seems less important. Lord of the Rings rocked, but some of the more computery scenes just kind of detracted from the overall experience. Legend was the last of it's kind, but Willow wasn't bad either.

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Sunday, April 10, 2005 3:34 PM

CHRISISALL

Well said indeed, Oppyh! I agree with you whole heartedly! When it came out, I thought, well, if they're not gonna do LOTR, at least we have Legend. Now that LOTR is here, I can only say Legend seems more magical.

The Jack in the Chrisisall

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Monday, April 11, 2005 5:41 AM

BLACKOUTNIGHTS

Don't forget Highlander with the Queen soundtrack.

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Monday, April 11, 2005 5:49 AM

CHRISISALL

Wow, can't believe I left that out!
I fixed my post to include it, thanks!

...anyway, which version of Legend suits you, BlackoutNights?

There can only be one Chrisisall

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Monday, April 11, 2005 6:02 AM

BLACKOUTNIGHTS

I haven't seen the director's cut...even so, without seeing it I'd have to go with it. I couldn't stand the original version because of its campiness when it first came out...which is weird because I loved Lady Hawke at first. Recently rewatched it and now wonder what I ever saw in that flick. The story was all right, especially for a date, but Gawd what a bad soundtrack.

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Monday, April 11, 2005 6:33 AM

CHRISISALL

I still love Ladyhawke, but despise the soundtrack!
Would love to see a special edition with a real score (or even NO score).

You can see the music Chrisisall

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