Fanboys Recut: Desecration or Divine Intervention?

Posted by Michelle Graham (michelle@filmschoolrejects.com) on February 23, 2008

For anyone out there who still remembers that there was ever supposed to be a movie called Fanboys, this news will probably come as a shock (as you’re probably really looking forward to seeing it and have read any and all snippets pertaining to the film to sate your appetite until the movie actually hits theatres) but sadly, Cinematical has confirmed it. The much talked-about version of Fanboys, the movie with a heart, the love letter to George Lucas, seems to have disappeared in a puff of celluloid smoke. Rather than a story about friends who would do anything for each other, including breaking into their idol’s home and stealing from him, it appears that there will be a group of mischevious bumblers, who are willing to break in and steal simply because they’re fans, want to see the movie and can’t wait the extra few months to see it on a big screen. Rather than the film’s original director, Kyle Newman, having final control over editing and content, Steve Brill, the illustrious director of Without A Paddle (yes, I’m serious) was put in charge for reshoots, and then went on to recut the entire movie. However, according to Cinematical’s sources, it gets better.

The original cut, the one where the characters have a plausible, logical and heartfelt reason for committing the crime (their friend is dying of cancer and he wants to see Phantom Menace before he dies) was also screened for a test audience, along with the new, spruced up, modernised (re: insertion of nudity and bad language) version. The result of this screening competition was staggering. After chopping out the still beating heart of the film due to supposed concerns about how the plot point of a character having cancer would depress audiences, the recut version scored a massive 2 (yes, that’s TWO) points higher in audience opinion. Rumours abounds as to whether members of the audience may have been plants, sent by the studio to pursuade the rest of the audience to vote for the recut version, but of course, this is nothing but smoke and vapour at the moment.

So there you have it folks. A film that many Star Wars fans have been following since conception may turn out to be a bigger pile of steaming dog pooh than .. Well, lets just say that they didn’t sign up for Without a Paddle 2. If the tone of this piece isn’t clear, this turn of events disgusts me. The movie may still be funny, but if it’s toilet humour or American Pie style, I won’t be buying a ticket. Shame, because the original concept (and probably the original cut) was excellent. A good note to end this with: still no word on a release date for this revamp, it’s nice to know that the studio has such confidence in it.

Sound Off: Do you think it was right to recut Fanboys? Does this make you more or less likely to see the film?

Read more articles by Michelle Graham