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SEE ERIC STOLTZ AS MARTY MCFLY

post #1 of 74
10/12/10 at 2:30pm
Thread Starter 
Back to the Future would've been quite different...

More...
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post #2 of 74
10/12/10 at 2:32pm
Whoa, WHOAH. I as, well hope for a little raw footage. I want to hear his (apparently) humorless delivery. I want to compare.

This footage is like the holy grail for me . . .
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post #3 of 74
10/12/10 at 2:45pm
You can already see the difference in Stoltz' interpretation of the character simply in his body language from the clips in the video featured in the article. Stoltz' Marty seems more somber, like he put too much weight into the character.
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post #4 of 74
10/12/10 at 2:51pm
his overly dark costume doesn't help matters.
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post #5 of 74
10/12/10 at 2:52pm
Excellent point!
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post #6 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:01pm
Yeah. No 'life preserver' down vest. They must have added that in the script as they re-cast.
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post #7 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:04pm
I can't wait to pick up this set. BTTF is one of my 10 favorite films, and I adore both of the sequels. Despite this, I never picked up the DVDs because of the framing fiasco.

And, yeah, I hope there's more Stoltz footage in the set than what's included here.
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post #8 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:22pm
It's great to have new interviews with Spielberg as well. I've never heard him talk about the franchise since they were first released. I guess it would ask for too much in having an Eric Stoltz interview in the doc as well but at least he must've agreed in releasing the footage.
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post #9 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:24pm
Fascinating. Makes me wish I had a Blu-Ray. Almost like watching an alternate universe version of the movie.
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post #10 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by User_32 View Post
but at least he must've agreed in releasing the footage.
...and please make the check out to Eric Stoltz.

Eric's a decent actor who has a career that he should be proud of. He may not have aced the role of Marty but I'm sure that he didn't embarrass himself. It's history, so he really shouldn't be concerned about what the release of this footage would do to his legacy.
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post #11 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:30pm
Is it asking too much to get a joint Michael J. Fox and Eric Stoltz commentary?
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post #12 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Elvis View Post
Is it asking too much to get a joint Michael J. Fox and Eric Stoltz commentary?
I would give up my life savings to see this.
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post #13 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:37pm
Yeah, these might be worth upgrading from DVD to Blu-ray.
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post #14 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:46pm
Everything turned out for the best! The fact that this old footage is raw and untreated doesn't help in making Eric Stoltz come across any 'brighter.' Dour. It probably doesn't help that I had The Social Network soundtrack playing as I watched the clip...

Now... where's my Stuart Townsend footage!?
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post #15 of 74
10/12/10 at 3:58pm
Stoltz looks like he's acting his ass off. INTENSE AND DRAMATIC McFly intrigues me.
I think they've already said that there isn't going to be much Stoltz footage on the bluray, though.
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post #16 of 74
10/12/10 at 4:09pm
I've been waiting for this footage for years!. Can't wait to check it out.

I've always been very curious to see how successful Zemeckis was in getting the exact same shot for each Marty. Based on stills and this footage, everything looks pretty close.
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post #17 of 74
10/12/10 at 4:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
Now... where's my Stuart Townsend footage!?
Where's my James Remar footage???
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post #18 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:13pm
Grim and gritty McFly! Stoltz was a visionary!
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post #19 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:15pm
I'm trying to think, has Stoltz ever been in a comedic role? I mean, he's been dryly funny in stuff (Pulp Fiction comes to mind), but I don't think he's ever done straight up comedy.
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post #20 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
Where's my James Remar footage???
From Aliens, I presume?
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post #21 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
From Aliens, I presume?
Correct. Like Stoltz, it's pretty easy to find pictures of Remar-as-Hicks, but I've yet to find any actual footage. I'll grant you that he only had a couple of days on the set compared to Stoltz and his 5 weeks, but still.
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post #22 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dross View Post
I'm trying to think, has Stoltz ever been in a comedic role? I mean, he's been dryly funny in stuff (Pulp Fiction comes to mind), but I don't think he's ever done straight up comedy.
He was in the romantic comedy Some Kind of Wonderful, and played a lightly comedic character in Say Anything. Otherwise, I can't think of anything.
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post #23 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don S. View Post
He was in the romantic comedy Some Kind of Wonderful, and played a lightly comedic character in Say Anything. Otherwise, I can't think of anything.
Small role but he was one of Spicoli's buds in Fast Times.

And in The Wild Life he was pretty much the 'straight man'.
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post #24 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:35pm
Imagine a -yes!- alternate timeline where the original BTTF was a hit with Stoltz onboard. Would the script-writers have even considered the ridiculous multiple character stuff that Fox did so gamely (and, let's be honest, often so badly) in the sequels? Stoltz as a female McFly? Great Scott indeed.
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post #25 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:51pm
I'm intentionally not watching the Stoltz footage on my computer so that I can see it for the first time on Blu-Ray. What's this framing debacle all about? I own the DVDs but wasn't aware there was an issue with them.
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post #26 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:53pm
Why do I have a bad feeling this is all the footage we will be getting on the set?

And Jesse, when the first run of DVD's came out they weren't presented in the original aspect ratio. If I remember correctly, they were the 4x3 versions with black bars on top and bottom to become 16x9.
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post #27 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:54pm
Jesse, this old link does a good job of visualizing what was wrong with the first release of the DVDs.


Whether or not your DVDs have a problem will depend on when you purchased it.
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post #28 of 74
10/12/10 at 5:58pm
Huh.

Thanks for the info, guys. Much appreciated as always.
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post #29 of 74
10/12/10 at 6:00pm
I never understood how that first release of the DVD was so botched. If it was some minor error, you'd think the framing errors would be consistent, but they definitely weren't.

According to that link I provided, Bob Gale was PISSED.
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post #30 of 74
10/12/10 at 8:18pm
Stoltz is pretty funny as a bartender in Kicking & Screaming. Pretty much a straight comedic performance of the indie 90's kind.
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post #31 of 74
10/12/10 at 8:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
Stoltz is pretty funny as a bartender in Kicking & Screaming. Pretty much a straight comedic performance of the indie 90's kind.
He's also pretty funny in Pulp Fiction, more then a strictly "dry" sense that was mentioned above. That role has some crazy manic energy, especially in the infamous adrenaline shot scene, and Stoltz sells the shit out of it. It's the same kind of manic energy Fox uses for Marty.

Seeing that footage sure is a treat. It is incredibly bizarre, especially since everything else about the shots look pretty much like what we got.
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post #32 of 74
10/12/10 at 8:51pm
The wardrobe is such a terrible choice. It's very 80's, while I think Fox's wardrobe was pretty timeless.
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post #33 of 74
10/12/10 at 8:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dross View Post
The wardrobe is such a terrible choice. It's very 80's, while I think Fox's wardrobe was pretty timeless.
Really? I kinda think the opposite. Fox's stonewashed jeans and suspenders scream 80's. Timeless doesn't really enter into Back to the Future, though. I think it's actually better that it's dated.
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post #34 of 74
10/12/10 at 9:22pm
Fox's wardrobe, like the Delorean, are timeless because the film is beloved and iconic. I think Parker is right. It is very much of the 80s but not in a way that shows like That 80s Show (hahahaha) played it all up to 11. Perhaps something a little closer to the way Zodiac treated the 70s fashions?

"Check out his life-preserver! Dork thinks he's gonna drown!"

EDIT: Of course, I should mention that the first film was actually produced in the 80s unlike Zodiac which was a 'period piece.' For some reason, I completely forgot that. The movie really IS timeless!
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post #35 of 74
10/12/10 at 10:17pm
That footage is mind-blowing.
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post #36 of 74
10/12/10 at 10:31pm
Man, too bad I'd have to buy a blu-ray player to see this. If there's a few whole scenes or even a few minutes of raw footage it'd be absolutely fascinating to see. I mean even now, how often do we get to see stuff like this outside of still frames or pictures?
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post #37 of 74
10/12/10 at 10:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
Jesse, this old link does a good job of visualizing what was wrong with the first release of the DVDs.


Whether or not your DVDs have a problem will depend on when you purchased it.
Are these still even in print? I'm wondering if they still offer the exchange. I got my set as a gift a long time ago, heard about the hubbub, and didn't notice anything wrong. I see now it's one of the fucked ones.
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post #38 of 74
10/12/10 at 10:50pm
Yeah I think that's about all the Stoltz action we'll be getting.
Months ago a Devin article mentioned "three brief snippets" and I think we just saw them.

http://www.chud.com/articles/article...ASE/Page1.html
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post #39 of 74
10/12/10 at 11:04pm
I think Stoltz is a good enough actor to know the difference between comedic and dramatic. Could he have really gotten it so wrong as to play those scenes as heavy as it seems in the face of a director asking for COMEDY?

This is speculation but I think it's possible he got poor direction from Zemeckis and became a scapegoat when the film needed fixing. Little things like the wardrobe changes kind of point to an overhaul of the character as well. There is no life vest joke without the change, no? Again, all fun speculation.

Fox is better but Stoltz isn't that incapable of comedy is he? I doubt it. Can't wait to see more.
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post #40 of 74
10/12/10 at 11:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexus-7 View Post
Are these still even in print? I'm wondering if they still offer the exchange. I got my set as a gift a long time ago, heard about the hubbub, and didn't notice anything wrong. I see now it's one of the fucked ones.
No idea. I tried looking online and called a number that used to be the hotline for the exchange program. I got the number of Iron Gym or something. Not sure if I heard it wrong. It certainly had nothing to do with Back to the Future. I'm thinking it's too late. Heheh.

EDIT: Q, I don't think it was an issue of Stoltz not knowing the difference between comedic and dramatic. I think it's exactly as Zemeckis and Gale have said. The vibe just wasn't right. Comedy isn't just one thing, after all. And didn't Zemeckis and Gale originally want Michael J. Fox to begin with? They figured it wasn't possible with his Family Ties schedule but eventually fought through it once they got Fox on board.

I was having a similar conversation with a friend about the recasting of Aragorn in LOTR. If Stuart Townsend wasn't working out to the point that Jackson replaced him after they started shooting, how was it that nobody realized it wasn't working out before then? Just one of those things that happens, I guess.
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post #41 of 74
10/12/10 at 11:20pm
Nooj, I can't wait to see more of the footage. So far, each of the reactions we're getting in these very tiny clips are really heavy. Beyond just "wrong vibe" stuff. Seeing more footage (especially stuff with dialog) will reveal if it's just the wrong vibe or if it's poor direction. If it's still coming off uber-heavy I'll be inclined to believe Zemeckis directed the wrong film for the first five weeks.

Right now, I'm just having fun with it and loving that the footage is finally going to come out.
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post #42 of 74
10/12/10 at 11:24pm
I hope we get more footage. From this little snippet it seems clear that it would have been a very different movie with Stoltz in the lead. I love BTTF and I also love Stoltz. However in these tiny clips I get the vibe from Stoltz's McFly that he is about to kill himself or someone else.
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post #43 of 74
10/12/10 at 11:31pm
That is if there IS anymore than what we've just seen, hehehe. I wouldn't be surprised if that's all there was. It'd be a shame.

As for the reactions to the footage, I don't think it's completely fair to judge the tone/mood of these strictly based on the mere seconds we see of Stoltz. As I mentioned before, the footage is raw and untreated. It doesn't look all that chipper to begin with. And as is often the case with rough footage, it's also darker than the final product would likely be. Then there's the fact that we're not watching this footage in a vacuum. We have bright memories of Michael J. Fox to directly compare it to. Then there's the somewhat somber music of this special feature and interview audio of Zemeckis, Gale, and Spielberg saying how it wasn't working.

Clearly, Stoltz wasn't right for the material, but all this stuff just makes him seem ridiculously dour. Who knows? Perhaps Zemeckis misdirected him on purpose as a gambit to get Michael J. Fox!

I really do hope we see more footage to get a better sense of Stoltz performance.
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post #44 of 74
10/13/10 at 12:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
I'm thinking it's too late. Heheh.
Haha yeah me too. I don't watch them that often anyway.
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post #45 of 74
10/13/10 at 12:28am
You keep telling yourself that, Nexus... Meanwhile, the fact that you have a flawed version of a film will grow into a scab your mind won't be able to stop picking at!!

The fixed version can be found pretty cheap.

Then you'll get it and never touch it again. But the scab will be gone... for now...
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post #46 of 74
10/13/10 at 12:33am
You're probably right, as I've got a hankerin' to watch it again right now, now that it's sitting on my couch. Taunting me.
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post #47 of 74
10/13/10 at 12:42am
Just get the blu's in a couple of weeks...
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post #48 of 74
10/13/10 at 12:43am
Nexus don't truck with no blu-rays...
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post #49 of 74
10/13/10 at 12:45am
Stoltz looks like he sits in his room at night crying to The Cure. I can't even imagine what he'd look like in the 1955 scenes or the big number at the end. There's no personality or likability here.
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post #50 of 74
10/13/10 at 1:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameron Hughes View Post
Stoltz looks like he sits in his room at night crying to The Cure. I can't even imagine what he'd look like in the 1955 scenes or the big number at the end. There's no personality or likability here.
To be fair to Stolz, some of you are reading WAY too far into how he played these scenes based on about 4 total seconds of footage.
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