QUOTE (KurganX @ Jan 11 2006, 11:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yes, you are imagining things. I saw the movie twice in the theaters close together (when I was 21) and I never saw such scenes. You're probably inserting them in your mind via the Episode I Insider's Guide and other places you've seen those stills and descriptions posted. The widescreen Region 1 DVD (which I bought used in late 2001/early 2002) includes the Greedo scene in the deleted scenes section, but it was never in the theatrical version shown to the public. Either scene probably could have been done without blue-screening so I don't doubt that they were ever filmed, just not released to the home market and certainly not shown to the public, except in terms of screenplay/novel entries and publicity stills.
And, I hate to admit this, but I also saw a bootleg VCD of TPM back before the official DVD came out (it didn't come to DVD until 2001), from the theatrical showing (I think it was opening night as there's cheering and stuff during the opening crawl) that a friend showed me back in the day, and none of those "deleted scenes" were featured anywhere in it, and the camera only cut once when the guy changed batteries/tapes halfway through the movie (it wouldn't have missed either scene).
Were you at some early test screening for LucasFilm? Unless you were, I'd chalk this up to over-active imagination, just like the people who think they saw Biggs and Luke talking at Tosche Station in the theater in 1977. Sorry!
And, I hate to admit this, but I also saw a bootleg VCD of TPM back before the official DVD came out (it didn't come to DVD until 2001), from the theatrical showing (I think it was opening night as there's cheering and stuff during the opening crawl) that a friend showed me back in the day, and none of those "deleted scenes" were featured anywhere in it, and the camera only cut once when the guy changed batteries/tapes halfway through the movie (it wouldn't have missed either scene).
Were you at some early test screening for LucasFilm? Unless you were, I'd chalk this up to over-active imagination, just like the people who think they saw Biggs and Luke talking at Tosche Station in the theater in 1977. Sorry!
PS: The first Batman movie was great for atmosphere (copied in many aspects in "Dick Tracy"). But the treatment of Batman I really like was Batman: the Animated Series (and the movie version, Mask of the Phantasm. the Batman & Robin and Batman/Superman spinoffs were not quite as good, but fairly close, if a little more light-hearted in tone).
Honestly I don't see what's so great about Batman Begins. Sure, it was more "serious" than the Batman sequels especially part 3 and on, but still. Take away the fact that he's Batman and it's just another generic action/revenge movie. Ninjas? A scarecrow? Ugh, it's like a low budget movie-of-the-week that shows the car exploding from three different angles and the tough cop being thrown off the case. Don't get me wrong, it had a few cool moments (which escape me at the moment), but most of it was just "oh you know here's this bit and here's this bit, etc where it all came to be"). As far as establishing a hero it felt too much like a combination of the Matrix ("Free your mind, Neo, I mean Bruce") and Spider-Man (ah, now I just need to tweak my suit a bit to make it perfect, and work on this identity thing and my private life.. except now I'm a rich dork instead of a pimply faced poor dork).
Granted, BB was highly anticipated and it had a lot of starpower behind it. I didn't see it on the big screen (rented the widescreen DVD only recently to watch in fact) so perhaps that made it suffer somewhat. But little of the movie was spent on Batman, and more just on Bruce Wayne. There's very little of the kind of stuff that you see Batman doing like detective work and cool martial arts action and more focus on brooding and intrigue. I don't know if these are valid criticisms, it's just that I was expecting something a lot more action packed and gothic than what I got, considering all the hoopla. Not a bad film, but not nearly as memorable as the first (which, while good is not so amazing that it's a must-own for me. I admit I own a few Batman comic books, but for me the epitome of Batman will always be the animated series, the best on-screen adaption I've seen). Perhaps a comic-book movie needs to be somewhat more over the top and corny in order to stick with me?
This post has been edited by KurganX: 12 January 2006 - 12:11 AM