My DVD orders from Amazon arrived yesterday. One of the orders is this one, Payback - Straight Up: The Director's Cut.
The reason why I bought this DVD is because:
1 - I love the story of the theatrical one, but often feel it falls a bit short.
2 - Mel Gibson
3 - Brian Helgeland (Though I cannot forgive him for The Punisher)
4 - I know how 2 and 3 tried to convince the studios not to destroy the original story of Payback.
5 - Richard Donner mentors Helgeland
When the production wrapped for this film and entered into the post production stage, the studios decided to take the film and re-cut it. Not only that, they filmed a new third act and ending.
The studio also removed certain scenes because they had deemed it "too violent against women".
From a small, honest, low budget, 70s looking crime film, it became a big budget, explosive, wide audience friendly, a little bit silly, film.
Helgeland was very upset. And I can totally understand him.
Here's my references to what I mean.
1 - Yes, Payback is one of references to Fallen in terms of the colors. Notice how the color is the same? I colored it that way because it has lost its substance. So why not stylize it, just like Payback?
2 - Jane is supposed to be the small, true film that I want to tell the story to. Fallen became the result of making it more commercial. (Yes, I'm more mainstream aiming now, but I wasn't then.)
3 - Father, another film, totally lost its meaning when scenes are cut.
So I am very glad that the studio finally gave Helgeland a chance to release his version.
Brian Helgeland, I salute you. You're next in my list with Michael Mann, Joe Carnahan, Johnny To, Chris Nolan and several others.
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