Just a couple of years ago I read an interview with Joe Dante and he sais that they shot about 3 hours of film for this movie. Does anyone know if the footage has been found or has anyone seen it. It's one of my favourite films.
[ 24. June 2007, 06:26: Message edited by: james Andrews ]
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
Its a great film --and I was lucky enough last year to go to Petaluma and find many of the locations used, like the hill with the tree, the creek where they built the ship, Amanda Peterson's house etc.
The pics will be upcoming in the new locations feature at the site coming later this year.
If you're in the area --go have a look
I would be very interested to see some of that extra stuff he shot too.. I know it was a "troubled" production and they all knew that the 3rd act didn't really work.
Posted by james Andrews (Member # 1425) on :
Wow! You guys are lucky living in America, I'd be doing that too if I lived there. Did you find the lake where the Thunder Road crashes into at the end or the high school? I surprisingly enjoy the last third of the movie. I know alot of people don't though. It's hard to believe that once a movie is completed that they don't place it securely in a vault in Hollywood, I'm sure it has happened to a lot of 80's films. Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
Actually I am lucky enough to live in the UK --but have a cousin in San Francisco
Sadly didn't find the lake, or the high school, but we only had half a day on it... Would like to go back Posted by james Andrews (Member # 1425) on :
Hi, Nick.(I had a feeling you lived here) What was it like there? Did it feel like the film? Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
It was great! We got there and found it on a late autumn afternoon with the sun low and the hill with the tree in particular (& the view that the kids see from it) was totally the same -apart from a "Spielberg" suburb built on the next hill (which when wolfgang flies over it in the bubble is just grass)
...and check this... You could still see where they had filled in the hole they dug where the bubble went in the hill! 20 years later, it's still there!
And the dry riverbed creek where they built the ship is just at the bottom of the hill and the back entrance to wolfgangs house --all there. I'll try and get a piccie or two up on here prior to getting the whole locations thing done later in the year... Posted by james Andrews (Member # 1425) on :
I'll look forward to it, sounds really cool.
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
Posted by james Andrews (Member # 1425) on :
That was great Nick! That view reminds me of the beginning of E.T., you must have a lot of affecion for Explorers to go to that trouble. I do too, I have the soundtrack also, too bad the dvd didn't have more extras though. Were you in a group like in the film as a child?
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
Nick, I'm jealous. That was my # 1 movie location to see for real!
Joe Dante said that he thought the missing scenes would be part of a freeway by now because the film was a flop.
A handful of assorted facts about the production of the film:
The studio moved up the release date and took the film away from Dante even though it wasn't finished.
It was released the weekend of Live Aid in the US.
It's true that the third act was a letdown, but then again, the rest of the film is just brilliant. I still hope for a special edition DVD, but I think it's highly unlikely we'll ever see one.
*Incidentally, the cut scenes are featured in the novelisation by George Gipe, and there are pictures of them in the storybook*
[ 29. June 2007, 06:03: Message edited by: logan5 ]
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
It's funny, because it's only a tree on a hill, but I always really wanted to visit that location (and the dry creek bed) --even in the '80s. I'm glad I'm not alone!
And I was so pleased that it was still exactly the same and not a housing development!
It wasn't easy to find either! Try as I might, there just weren't any details online about that location and even the local film office had no details, so I'll be pleased to give it as another Rewind "exclusive" later in the year
That's interesting stuff Logan, I might have to get hold of the novel and do a summary of those scenes for the site... Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:It wasn't easy to find either! Try as I might, there just weren't any details online about that location and even the local film office had no details, so I'll be pleased to give it as another Rewind "exclusive" later in the year
Do it! Personally, I'd love to know the exact location!
quote:That's interesting stuff Logan, I might have to get hold of the novel and do a summary of those scenes for the site...
Well, in brief, for the benefit of this thread, the main scenes are (in order)...
After Ben has been floating outside Lori's window, she hears him and calls out; she then invites him (and Wolfgang - who she doesn't know is also there) to a party she's throwing. This leads to...
A later scene at the party. All the kids are talking about the UFO scare at the drive-in. Steve Jackson is there boasting about his experience. Wolfgang tries to submarine Ben's affection for Lori by saying that he can read lips and that he can tell she likes Steve Jackson (this is in response to Ben wanting to tell her about the flight). Ben decides to talk to her. Wolfgang advises Darren the logical way to pick up girls, Darren starts out following Wolfgang’s advice, then dumps it and gets slapped. Seeing the right moment, Ben takes Lori aside to talk to her. When alone, he gives her a ring with a martian rock in it, and then he tries to kiss her. She says she likes him but not that way. The boys walk home and argue. Ben is upset because of Lori, and because the guys don't want to fly again. *There is a photo of both the kiss and the argument in the storybook. There is also a photo of the kiss and Ben giving Lori the ring with a martian rock in the Starlog Explorer's Movie Magazine*
In a later scene when the boys are going up for the final flight, they are surprised by Wolfgang’s brother who is playing in the Thunder Road wearing a mask. He won't leave, so Darren has to threaten to beat him up. *Photo of Ludwig and Darren at the Thunder Road in the storybook*
A final omitted scene has the boys (after the last flight), now changed and more mature, being threatened by Steve Jackson, who takes the "Stuff that dreams are made of" gift and drops it on the ground. It breaks and releases a green gas that dissolves his clothes. He has to run out of school naked with everyone laughing at him (this scene shows that the aliens were having a joke at their expense, by giving them a gift that would make Wolfgang’s dream - mentioned earlier in the film - come true). *Photo of Ben, Lori and the guys all smirking together at school (after Steve has run away) in the storybook. There is also the same shot, a shot of Lori leaning on Ben's shoulder and saying something to him, and one of Ben standing behind a metal bar with his arm around Lori saying something to her, all from the same scene in the Starlog Explorer's Movie Magazine*
There are a lot more little bits involving family and stuff throughout the book (especially Ben and Darren's), and the final dream sequence is longer (beginning in Ben's house), but apart from that, the key omitted scenes are as above. They're good ones! It's a shame they had to go!
As a footnote, the original trailer for the film has the boys walking together in a tunnel at school (you also glimpse this in Darren's dream-machine sequence). They're never actually seen doing this in the film, and I think it was meant to be later footage of them at school after the final flight.
That wasn't very brief was it? Never mind!
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
Thanks a lot -- Thats really interesting stuff Logan Do you mind if I post it on the Explorers page at the site for other Explorers fans to enjoy? Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
Just while I think of it, I wanted to get people's opinions on something. Having had most of my locations hard work robbed over the years by other sites (including the IMDb), I've been trying to think of a way to help stem the flow of the copy/paste brigade who systematically strip the info for their own sites...
Some sites make people pay to view the locations info (that they've stolen from the Rewind!) but I don't like that at all... I was wondering whether some scheme whereby people have to be registered to view the addresses or Lat/Long and there was some sort of "points" scheme whereby they get credits for submitting pics / info and redeem those credits to view the actual location addresses etc. The idea is that people who rob never want to contribute anything, they just want to turn up and copy/paste all the info, so that if theres anything in their way, they'll give up..
I know it doesn't sound ideal, but what do people think and has anyone got any suggestions?
Thanks! Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:Thanks a lot -- Thats really interesting stuff Logan. Do you mind if I post it on the Explorers page at the site for other Explorers fans to enjoy?
Sure thing, post away! As soon as I replace my old scanner I'll upload the pictures to go with the scenes.
quote:I was wondering whether some scheme whereby people have to be registered to view the addresses or Lat/Long and there was some sort of "points" scheme whereby they get credits for submitting pics / info and redeem those credits to view the actual location addresses etc.
It wouldn't be so bad if people that copied stuff from around the internet always cited their sources (and asked first). But of course, that doesn't always happen. Registration would be a must if you're trying to keep stuff from leaping to other sites, but it wouldn't stop copying - only make it a little more awkward. I think you might have to use a 'points' system if you don't want your efforts being poached by the less diligent. It would either have to be something like that, or simply accepting that things are going to be copied every now and then Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
It is very annoying when people just copy stuff --and not just for me, but for the people who actually spend their time to go out and find these places and then send the info in... One minute they're credited for the discovery (which is how it should be) and then the next minute its all round the web (including the IMDb) with no mention of their hard work.
No one minds so much when its just an enthusiastic fan of the movie, but some people are realising that there's money in robbing...
True story: On my big Karate Kid locations page, which you might have seen, some guy read the page visited the locations, took some pictures then made his own replica of the page, copied much of the words and passed it off as his own work... I wrote to him and he claimed the rewind had merely copied it all off other sites anyway! (he felt he could back up this claim with links to sites now showing those addresses -including the IMDb which had hoovered them all up). He's now making a nice bit of beer money charging people something like $5 to view the page... -Internet piracy, surely? And you can't copyright *facts* (like locations information/addresses) so there's nothing anyone can do
My ultimate plan is to, with the help of visitors to the sites, give every movie something approaching that sort of page, but unless I think about it from the beginning, I can see the content "pirates" will ruin the idea, so I am very interested in what ideas people have to make it work..
Thanks for reading! Posted by Gigawatt? (Member # 4796) on :
Sadly I don't think you could ever prevent people from stealing the information. The best thing would be to make it as difficult as possible with registration etc. As you've pointed out the people who steal info tend to be very lazy opting to just cut and paste rather than to disguise their crime by rewriting it. If they had to jump through a few hoops it might just put them off.
There are plenty of 80s movie sites out there but I like to visit this one because it's the best presented, easiest to use and has had a lot of thought and effort put into it. If you could do the same with the locations section then (I would hope) people would still visit this site to get locations info even if others had ripped it off. Why would anyone want a text list from IMDB if they could visit this site and get photos, maps etc?
Hope you do go through with this as I think it could be great.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:He's now making a nice bit of beer money charging people something like $5 to view the page... [Frown] -Internet piracy, surely? And you can't copyright *facts* (like locations information/addresses) so there's nothing anyone can do
Ah... as soon as someone charges to look at something they stop being a true fan. It certainly is piracy, but there's precious little that can be done about it. I think the 'points' system is about the only way you're going to be able to offer any kind of protection for your stuff, and even then it won't save it from being nabbed in the long run. As for the IMDB, that's a real dustbin of trivia - some of it wrong - most of it submitted by people who either got the info from the features on a DVD, or just poached it from a site like this.
I think you might just have to go with your instincts on this, and do what you think is the best thing for yourself or the site. You know when you’re a true fan of something, and if anyone poaches things that came from your hard work and dedication, then they’re nothing more than a thief.
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
quote:Originally posted by james Andrews: That was great Nick! That view reminds me of the beginning of E.T., you must have a lot of affecion for Explorers to go to that trouble. I do too, I have the soundtrack also, too bad the dvd didn't have more extras though. Were you in a group like in the film as a child?
Ooops! Sorry James, I forgot to answer your post!
The view was a bit like that now you come to mention it, but I bet it would look better at night! I think its public land, so maybe we should hold an 80s appreciation party there when they give airline tickets away for free
I grew up in the countryside and, of course, movies like that (and Stand by Me etc) do remind me a bit of those days, but mainly I just love the first act of that movie and the 'vibe' of it all... I just always wanted to find that tree! Sad but true
On that same trip we found several previously unseen "Lost Boys" locations and I was really looking forward to revealing them to the world but someone has recently beaten me to it
quote:I grew up in the countryside and, of course, movies like that (and Stand by Me etc) do remind me a bit of those days, but mainly I just love the first act of that movie and the 'vibe' of it all... I just always wanted to find that tree! Sad but true [Wink]
Ah, the unbeatable first act of Explorers. It managed to capture the feeling of childhood imagination and young love better than anything Spielberg ever did. Even the tagline; "The adventure begins in your own back yard" was just what a kid wanted to hear. Shame about the third act though. Still, half a film of sheer brilliance is better than most films ever manage.
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
I agree Logan --and what a great tagline... If only it were true more often Posted by P.S. It's Paul.... (Member # 1022) on :
quote:Originally posted by Nick: My ultimate plan is to, with the help of visitors to the sites, give every movie something approaching that sort of page, but unless I think about it from the beginning, I can see the content "pirates" will ruin the idea, so I am very interested in what ideas people have to make it work..
It has some handy tricks about disabling right clicking to rip images, some code that prevents selecting text for copy/paste, and a neat one for hiding source code.
It won't prevent someone stealing the facts, but at least they would be forced to type it all out, which may well lead them to think it's not worth the effort.
Paul
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
Yeah, I use some of those at the moment --and will continue on the normal pages (even though I regularly get anonymous messages from the "pirates" goading about how easy they are to circumvent and that they've happily stolen all the stuff... honestly its sometimes like a war zone on the web!), but with locations, its so sensitive that with *some* of the hard-found locations stuff, it seems that to stop it, we're gonna actually have to stop miscreants even reading it! Posted by P.S. It's Paul.... (Member # 1022) on :
So perhaps some kind of questionnaire that people complete on sign-up would be appropriate? You know, like the one you need to fill in before they let you into the US?
1. Are you now, or have you ever been, a miscreant?
2. Are your purposes for accessing this website and its contents nefarious in any way?
3. I will / will not (delete as applicable) be stealing content from this site for my own commercial and financial gain.
4. Despite protestations to the contrary, I do not live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
That should do it..... Posted by The Wizard (Member # 533) on :
Perhaps a whole new strategy should be employed...
The first rule of Locations Club is, you do not talk about Locations Club.
The second rule of Locations Club is, you DO NOT talk about Locations Club.
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
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