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  1. #11
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    Past Tense - Batman Fights Robots Part I


    [An earlier version of this PT was originally posted on August 6th, 2014 on JoBlo's "DVD, Blu-Ray & Home Theater Discussion" forum.]

    It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. Or care it's a crappy movie; "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins"...



    The motion picture opened on May 21st, 2009. It was made with a budget of $200,000,000 (estimated) and grossed over $125 million during its U.S. theatrical run; counting foreign receipts it made $371,353,001. The film opened number two at the box office, the following week it dropped to number three.

    The feature opened against "Monsters Vs. Aliens", "Angels & Demons", "Star Trek" and "Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian".

    In terms of this entry, I'm going to be talking about the Director's Cut. I can't say much on the original release since I only own the Target exclusive.

    The Blu-Ray edition had a slipcover, DVD didn't. Do not know what other inserts came with the BD version. The DVD (and Blu-Ray) came with instructions for the Digital Copy (expired December 1st, 2010). The DVD is utterly bare bones minus the mentioned Digital Copy; not even the film's trailer is included. Shame!

    - - -

    This is a four parter PT!

    And four store exclusives...



    Best Buy had two and an offer. The first was mostly available as a pre-order, a prequel comic book - regular sized.

    Pre-ordered "Terminator Salvation" on DVD for five dollars you can get the comic on street; December 1st, 2009. I didn't lay any cash, just asked if I could have this.

    Pays to be polite.

    Comic is twenty-six page and is part one of a larger graphic novel, "Terminator Salvation Movie Prequel: Sand In The Gears"; published by IDW. Written by Dara Naraghi with pencil by Alan Robinson.

    Too bad it's not a self-contained story. The comic was not near the DVDs. It was on the end of the isle racks. And unless you were looking for it, you would miss. I almost didn't find it, thought they sold out.



    The second was a limited edition skull case, not chrome, but bruised metal (painted plastic); Blu-Ray only (image from fellow enthusiast). Exclusive sold for $34.99 on street. This was very much like their exclusive face case for "Watchmen: 2 Disc Digital Copy Special Edition - Director's Cut", Rorschach's head (released July 21st, 2009).

    Man, I would've bought that if it were for DVD. The skull case was nice.

    A last bit, a store offered; "Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series" DVD (CGI animated prequel to the film; featuring Moon Bloodgood reprising her role as Blair Williams) for free with "Terminator Salvation" video game purchase, $19.99. Machinima streeted on November 3rd, 2009 and was selling on December 1st for $4.99, separately.



    Future Shop, the former Canadian sister store of Best Buy offered an exclusive steelbook case for the two disc Blu-Ray (image from fellow enthusiast); one disc on each side. I believe, the same street. Price is unknown, sorry.

    This was a three disc set.

    The third disc was a Digital Copy on physical disc. The only insert was the DC instruction; expired on December 1st, 2010.

    DC disc came in a CD envelope inside the steelbook.



    Last is Target which had the substantial DVD exclusive, times two; a bonus disc and the Director's Cut. The regular DVD is theatrical only.

    This came with a non-embossed foil cardboard slipcover that is mostly identical to the wraparound; difference is banner on top - it reads: "2-Disc Special Edition".

    If this didn't exist, I wouldn't have bought the movie. I hate this stupid studio policy of fracking over DVD buyers on extras.



    Set sold on street for $22.99. The bonus disc has a run time of 30:33 minutes. It has five featurettes, only one of which is on Blu-Ray, "Reforging The Future"; the rest are exclusive to the format.

    Curious? The Director's Cut is three minutes longer (at 118 minutes); various pieces, like a graphic screwdriver piercing into one of Williams' would be rapists and a silhouette of her breast.

    Cut from the film was some thirty to forty minutes. We may get that better release to coincide with the next Terminator film. Warner Home Video you better release that on DVD as special edition - you owe us.

    More on that much later down. And THE answer, 'why?'

    This is gonna have a crap load of spoilers - bring toilet paper.

    - - - - - - - - - -

    Rant.

    It's a fu˘king bullet. It ties into the fascism of fandom. Where it's like... 'No. No. NO!' This is the way it's shaped and you carve down and then you fire it into your skull. And that is the way you enjoy this; violently and with brain matter splattered all over the walls - THAT IS THE ONLY FU˘KING WAY!
    - Bret

    Oh god. Where to begin?

    I'm covering perceived discontinuities and real ones. I'm not defending the movie - get that. This is a crappy film, made by people driven by egos, there's no getting around that. What I'm doing is painting a clearer image. Some of it did make sense and followed continuity.

    Lets start with behind-the-scenes shenanigan.

    First is actor Christian Bale. Yeah, but not that one.

    Bale was excited about another Terminator being made - he wanted to play John Connor. He got the role and didn't like his part. In this film, John is a secondary character to Marcus Wright (played by Sam Worthington). He demanded script changes making Connor more important. Did he NOT read before agreeing? The story was altered for him.

    Yes an argument can be made that Writer's Guild strike hurt the movie, surely didn't help. It happened during production, lost access to the writers to fix plot holes and character depths. The studio was locked in May 21st date and were not changing the opening for a better film. Factors. I'll give you that. But not the main reason - at least for me; forcing to change the entire film structure to suit his ego is the main culprit. And yes, I'm looking at you too Halle Berry; different franchise.

    The films original ending got leaked online while in production, fans were outraged. So the ended was scrapped, never filmed. A new one was slapped together.

    The original finale?

    John dies from his injuries at the SkyNet facility. The resistance decides that John has become too important. He lead a successful single man assault into the machine site and rescued a ton of prisoners. Add to the the fact that resistance command (in the submarine) are all dead. He becomes their new leader. The problem - he's dead.

    They decide that his image is to important for survivors to lose hope. The remainder of Marcus' skin is stripped off. John's flesh is opened and put onto the cyborg; Marcus becomes John Connor! The end.

    Adding to that there were considerable reshoots made after principal photography. This become a train wreck.

    The most famous mess was Bale himself, his on set recorded tirade.

    By some chance you were living under a rock...

    The tongue lashing occurred in July of 2008. Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut was adjusting lights during a shooting scene - Bale doing dialog with co-star Bryce Dallas Howard, not heard on the tape. The recording was kept and sent by the studio executives (The Halcyon Company) to their insurers as evidence should Bale walk out of their production. It really was that bad. He went ballistic and at one point had to held back from beating Hurlbut.

    Lets be real; Bale has a history of violence including hitting his mom - no charges were pressed.

    Bale continued working after the tantrum as did the cinematographer who was NOT fired. On February 2nd, 2009 the recording appeared on TMZ and went viral nearly immediately afterwards. Bale's tirade soon became fodder for DJs who created various remixes of the condemnation. It is unknown who leaked the recording.

    A remix by RevoLucian was done in less than 12 hours by the Los Angeles DJ and is the best of the lot. Catchy and funny with some vocals by Barbara Streisand. The Bale recording was also featured in an episode of "Family Guy", "Ocean's Three And A Half" (aired February 15, 2009). Peter Griffin (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) was on set during the attack and interacted with Bale; it's not shown, just a two reel tape recorder playing on screen. It was funny.
    Last edited by JohnIan101; 07-15-2019 at 05:43 AM.

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