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The Unexpurgated
Twice Upon A Time
- or the CUT STUFF -
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        As we mentioned, Twice Upon A Time  was originally released in a very limited release that featured more adult dialogue.
        Many of us who first saw Twice on cable, saw either the slightly-edited HBO or Showtime versions -- we can also boast that we've seen Twice on the big screen, at a limited special run at an "arts" movie theatre back in 1986.
        But here, based on both what we saw in the theatres and on cable, are the CUT SCENES/DIALOUGE that were removed from Twice -- results from the fallout when Korty and Couturie's professional relationship deteriorated.  (See Behind the Scenes for more info)

         First off, It should probably be noted that the only actor called in to change his dialouge was Marshall Efron (Synomess Botch).  There are a few scenes that were cut out as well, but we'll explain that as we go, no reason to get ahead of ourselves.
        Now, to explain the differences on the REAL original footage, let's start at the beginning, which actually IS the beginning of the footage.  In the opening monologue where Botch is pep-talking the minions, the voice-over originally went as follows (watch the mouth movements and try it for yourself to see how it fits right in):

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         See, a LOT different then what you finally get on the starched video and LD version.  The next change occurs in the bathroom scene.  In the version you've probably seen, Botch is taking a bath and Ibor rolls up to give him a report.  All the dialouge that WAS there is now replaced by Botch 'singing' in the tub.
        What you miss isn't really dirty so much as a bit disgusting.
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Then Ibor shows the scene of Flora, Ralph and Mumford talking in the dump - while Botch watches.
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R A L P H
(on screen)
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F L O R A
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I B O R
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        The dialouge where Botch is calling to Scuzzy is the same until Scuzzy says:
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S C U Z Z Y
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        Goes back to the same until Scuzzy says:
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        The next scene that shows a significant difference is when Ralph and Mumford have released the spring and are chasing it through the frozen Din to the tune of Maureen McDonald singing "Out on my Own".
        For some reason, a good portion where the chase and song plays has been exorcized.
        The scene went into another where Botch is watching the proceedings on Ibor's screen.
        Ralph comes into shot (obviously talking to himself) and mutters:  "Gee, I hope Mr. Botch won't be pissed."
        To which Botch replies:  "Pissed?!  BOY, am I pissed!"
        Ibor then flashes a shot on his screen from some 50's show where a man says: "Well, gosh, they were cute."
         We then see a wide shot of a bowling alley where Rattatooie is rolling up on the ball return (being knocked silly by hitting the other bowling balls).  Botch mutters back at Ibor: "'Cute'? They make me sick!"
        Botch doesn't seem to notice that it's Ratty as he picks him up and bowls him towards his make-shift pins: actually Russian Teddy Bears (Why RUSSIAN teddy bears, I don't know).
        As he bowls, Botch continues talking saying: "It's time to,... Strike!"
     We then pick up to where the other film is, but it, again, had different dialouge.
 
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        Now we go to where the spring has been caught.  Botch is on his bed sharing a snack with Ratty (the scene is the same), but the dialouge is changed again when he enters the Vulture Tower.  The original goes like this:
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        Botch leaves the tower and talks to Ibor in the war-room:
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        Ibor shows Fonzie going 'Hey!'

         The 'altered' version changed the dialouge even up to this point, which lost the point of having Fonzie make his classic line.  The only thing I can figure is that Korty wanted to avoid a possible lawsuit.
            Although it seems to me that if they got the footage approved, why not the line.  The world may never know.

        The film remains the same up the scene where Scuzzbopper finishes his novel.  Botch tosses it out the window and Scuzzy walks, dejectedly, back downstairs.
        The original didn't fade to black as he goes down the stairs, this has been done to cover up the voice-over of Botch muttering the word: "Asshole" towards Scuzzy.

        The next (and last) changed, or in this case, completely CUT scene is where Ralph and the heroes have infiltrated the castle and finally make it to Botch's room (in the skull).  The scene goes as shot up until Scuzzy rolls a bowling ball to Ratty.
        As Ratty chases after it, Botch exclaims "Oh, shit!" and runs into a secret panel followed by Ralph and Mumford.
        Scuzzy runs after them, trying to stop them.  He calls out: "Don't go in there alone!", but it is too late and the secret panel has closed with them inside.  Scuzzy looks at the camera and exclaims: "Oh, no!"

        Well, there you have it.  Maybe it doesn't seem too significant when you read it here, but when you've seen the "complete" version and then compare it to the sanitized commercial version, you feel cheated.
        The footage and language used in the original really isn't that harsh and it really seems a shame that Misters Korty and Courturie got into such a snit over it.
        I guess you'd have to watch them both and judge for yourself.  Me, I take the original, adult version.

 

 

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