Saturday, November 14, 2009
It works!
Many have commented, in tones varying from polite disagreement to total outrage to childish insults, that the first ten minutes of UP are untouchable and make the movie and that it left them in tears and is all they remember of the movie and such.
In general, my idea went over like a lead balloon...
But the comments actually make my point.
First, it is not the ten minutes, it is actually Chapter 3, "Married Life", about 4:20 in duration, starting at 7 minutes in.
The material before that chapter is quite sufficient to set up the movie, and with Chapter 3 eliminated, what follows is vastly more interesting. And funny. And the storyline flows quite easily from the end of 2 to the start of 4.
Second, I probably worded things a bit unclearly while trying to make my point, so let me state that it always was my intent to move, rather than remove Chapter 3.
And there is a perfect place to do it! This puts it at a much more workable point in the story for a segment of such power, so that it adds to the continuity rather than completely stops it and overwhelms everything after it.
If you don't want to actually make an edited copy, which can be a pain in the butt without an a lot of computer power, you can 'fake' it using the controls on your DVD player.
When the movie gets to the end of Chapter 2, where Carl as a child with an adventure-broken arm in a cast, looks out his bedroom window at the disappearing Ellie: as soon as he delivers his line, "Wow," hit next: that should take you to Chapter 4.
Continue to enjoy the movie.
At the point where Carl has landed the house at Paradise Falls, having broken Russell's heart, and goes into the house, as soon as he is firmly seated in his chair, use the prev button repeatedly to return to Chapter 3: at the end of 3, when Carl walks back into his house, alone, with balloon, return to the Paradise Falls house scene at the point you left.
The time marker for the exact new location of Chapter three is 1:11:03.5
Try it.
Friday, November 13, 2009
I saw at Wal-mart yesterday that UP! is now available on DVD. It will be the first of the Pixars that I didn't buy. Though Nemo was close. And Cars disappointed on the small screen- not really a great story, but the scenery on the big screen was breathtaking!
Last night, however, much to my delight, I figured out how to make UP! into a decent movie!!! There is about a ten minute bit in the beginning showing Carl's whole history with his wife? Just remove it. Totally. Will improve the movie quantitatively! Maybe stick it in somewhere else, but maybe not... That part is great in and of itself, but it is totally counter-productive there. In fact, it is a much better movie than the rest of the movie! Totally different pacing and feel and after it, the rest of the movie is slow and dull and irrelevant.
Of course, this still can't help the unbelievably pathetic scenic visuals that have no excuse after what was done in Cars.
But I am excited enough about this that I might go buy a copy afterall. To do my own edit.
