Blair Witch 2 - Artisan Removal Edit & Berlinger Extended

[Deleted]

I've thought about that unused scene. Patricia must have been playing herself (as the woman who played Mary Brown in the film The Blair Witch Project) Because if that wasn't the case, they were breaking their own universe they created where BWP was "just a movie".

[Paxtn]

someone claiming to have a bunch of unreleased footage for BWP and or BW2 made a post with that picture on reddit recently, they deleted their account and said they would upload all of it in two months. I'll keep my eye out there but I'm not remaining hopeful. I would love to have that scene in, or at least see how it played out. You're probably right about her playing her real life self.

www.reddit.com/r/BlairWitch/comments/wir1fu/book_of_shadows_mary_brown_deleted_scene/?sort=new

[Paxtn]

streamable.com/ksnnvy

restored the entire hospital scene with upscaled footage for the Artisan removal edit.
It's still work in progress and low quality but this will be the most raw cut bringing the edit as close as possible to the original.

[Paxtn]

Trailer for the edit

[Deleted]

Hey nice trailer man!

*I'm walking backwards now.. I don't wanna fuck up the cameras before we leave*

[Deleted]

Okay, now I'm a bit confused, so forgive me.

Your first one was the 'Berlinger Extended Cut'.. and now this one is an alternate 'Berlinger Cut', just shorter because of Artisan removal?

Since the first one still contained Artisan tampering, then can the first one really be considered a 'Berlinger Cut' after all?

[Paxtn]

That's right. I've left one part with custom footage in, where Erika speaks to Kim about being marked. (right before kim goes to the store with jeff's van) Only to fill the long gap of gore scenes being removed. It has the newer directors cut style intro with Heather, all asylum shots are gone and I've restored deleted scenes like the Parr Ruins walk up shots. I would consider this the very 'raw' cut, meaning it does use the lower quality directors cut scenes for Eileen Treacle in the hospital too. So the idea is, we have the 'extended berlinger cut' with all asylum scenes in place, custom Coffin Rock murder scene (after credits) etc. Then we have the 'artisan removal cut' which takes it as close as possible to Berlingers Directors Cut, whilst sacrificing some quality jumps for the deleted scenes being restored and stuff - this is why I call it a more 'raw' viewing experience.

[Paxtn]

Aug 12, 2022 15:21:17 GMT -6 @entity said:

Okay, now I'm a bit confused, so forgive me.

Your first one was the 'Berlinger Extended Cut'.. and now this one is an alternate 'Berlinger Cut', just shorter because of Artisan removal?

Since the first one still contained Artisan tampering, then can the first one really be considered a 'Berlinger Cut' after all?

It can, because it's still in the same format as Berlinger intended. The 'extended' parts are just 'the asylum scenes, the added in footage from trailers, restored witchy / owl scene with Tristen, and the custom scene after credits)

[Paxtn]

I will update the main post in this thread with the differences between the two edits. I'll make it a bit more easy for people to understand and remove the change log clutter into smaller notes. Everything is still work in progress, I plan to release a test viewing edit you can sample at some stage.

[Deleted]

I still can't say that I fully understand.

[Paxtn]

Well you'll just have to watch it. lol

[Paxtn]

Still my favourite Blair Witch movie! I only find it being improved upon, rather than fixing something so poor.

[Deleted]

Aug 13, 2022 7:14:23 GMT -6 Paxtn said:

Still my favourite Blair Witch movie!

[Paxtn]

streamable.com/ugtxs6

here is the entire walk up to the parr ruins restored, how it will appear in the Artisan removal edit.

[Deleted]

I would place the Kim/Tristen scene directly after Kim says "Jesus", and then keep the new footage sandwiched together right after the Kim/Tristen scene with no black fade outs until they reach the ruins dead ahead.

I would also skip the Frank Sinatra version altogether. It just doesn't properly set the mood for the mission.

[Paxtn]

thanks for the input. I've swapped them around.

There will be two versions for the intro / outro music again don't worry.

[Paxtn]

more improvements on the upscaled footage.

[Paxtn]

@entity , what are you thoughts on this hanging scene frame fix workaround? streamable.com/k31ri9

[Deleted]

Watching it I just can't figure out why she's twirling in a circle and then suddenly swinging back and forth and then suddenly twirling in a circle again.

[Paxtn]

Aug 14, 2022 11:04:57 GMT -6 @entity said:

Watching it I just can't figure out why she's twirling in a circle and then suddenly swinging back and forth and then suddenly twirling in a circle again.

that's just how it is by default, blame the people who made the film. the only change here is the sudden cut to Kim's face to split the frame jump / loss

[Paxtn]

I would like to have this f***ing scene fixed in the viewers eye though. What do you suggest for change?

[Deleted]

Well I did it myself once and it turned out fine. I simply removed the back and forth swinging motion. Her hanging sequence ended up shorter but it looked good to me.

Originally the gore sequence in there made her opposing motions much less noticeable.

[Paxtn]

main post has been updated with version 1 of the Artisan removal edit for viewing.

[Deleted]

My feedback for whittling out a v2:

1. Nine months later? Wouldn't it be more like four months later?

2. It's nice to see the added hiking footage.

3. Hospital Eileen almost feels like Tristen is experiencing an interdimensional shift or something. Looks good.

4. Stephen finally has a cool moment telling the story of the Coffin Rock massacre.

5. I'm still liking the footage that plays over Erica's voice about being touched by a witch. It appears she had previously put together a little book of shadows on the Blair legend and Jeff's tour group plans.

6. Still liking Tristen saying something's here!
I don't know why, but she looks really hot in that moment.

7. I would place Tristen's crazy bedroom scene BEFORE the bridge collapse. Seriously. In my opinion, those two scenes have always been in the wrong order.

8. Jeff's hallway walk looks absolutely amazing. Good work there!

9. Still cool to see the night footage on the monitor.

10. I still can't stand suddenly seeing credit text. That moment can easily be removed by cutting from 1:14:40 to 1:15:00

11. 1:12:38 to 1:12:43 should still be removed.

12. Still liking the new credits music.

13. The tiny snippet after the normal credit roll is interesting, but I still prefer your coffee cup massacre TV roll (but that goes against the point of this edit, so I digress)

..

So overall this cut shows nothing of Jeff's previous mental health dilemma, and nothing of their tour group massacre. It seems fine without those things.

But personally, the only thing I never liked in Jeff's asylum flashbacks was when they were force feeding him along with the funny farm music.

And the only thing I didn't like about the tour group massacre was seeing flashes of it throughout the film, but I never minded it once they hung Tristen because it explains where they headed with their knives in the night footage (but Stephen's interrogation later makes it clear anyway)

[Paxtn]

Thanks, this is really great feedback overall and some solid suggestions. One thing I had in mind that would be rather cool is using the cut asylum footage during the credits black screen roll. Since the edit takes out the flashback shots entirely they could be used to give the viewer 'a look into Jeff's future, him being sent to the loony bin'. Rather than having Jeff recently released, we see the result of his imprisonment, sentenced to a mental hospital for his 'crazy' side of the story which in court wouldn't stand. If you were to ask Berlinger where Jeff went after BW2, he would most likely say electric chair or the loony bin lol. Though I worry about making changes like that which would take it further from being as close to the directors cut as possible.

As for the numbered feedback.

2. Agreed, more scenes of the group friendly with one another is welcoming. The dialogue is also very fitting. The walk up to the Parr Ruins shot with Erica leading in is great, also great to have the "It's supposed to be where they found Heather's footage" line in its correct place. The camera also naturally pans into the ruins just to Jeff's right in the following scene near perfectly, and that's not my editing there... It just works.

3. That entire scene is so different from the music, the dialogue and how Eileen doesn't fade out when walking backwards. That reminds me - I need to make her not fade out on the bridge shot later on too, she was never meant to do that. The only time something like the owl or Eileen was supposed to disappear was when they blinked and opened their eyes to nothing. The gradual fade outs was an Artisan thing, they really did her dirty.

4. That footage is perfect for a quick shot to hide the studio editing, the bleeding and quick camera pan is awesome and it feels right.

5. I slightly changed this footage for this edit. My idea for it was that either Kim was having one of her visions of Erica doing wiccan crap whilst processing what Erica is saying, or it simply exists to show the viewer some quick story telling from Erica's point of view. When I changed this footage I removed more of the books footage and replaced it with different shots to suit the dialogue better, since there is no mention of the 'Book of shadows' in this edit, we simply call this Blair Witch 2 as it was meant to be. I wanted to take focus off that book in the scene for this reason.

6. Agreed. I can potentially put in another shot of her here where she says "I think you should come over here". There is unused footage of the group here briefly responding to her which didn't make v1 of the edit. I would like to have that scene fully restored since I have the scenes, though they are quite poor quality.

8. This scene is also one of my favourites now. Thanks!

9. Definitely something we would of seen in the directors cut. Did Jeff really film in 16:9 aspect ratio?? the monitors they have are 4:3 aspect ratio, yet the playback footage is enlarged for the viewer in the theatrical cut and it makes no sense. swapping that footage back to 4:3 aspect ratio was a must.

10. It has never bothered me personally that much but I have had others point it out too. I will take a look at improving that scene eventually.

11. I could maybe move it to the final shot right before showing Dina Napoli news reporter. I think it would actually work there and the problem will be solved once and for all, without ditching the footage.

12. Cool, this will remain this way until I get around to uploading the alternate Sinatra Witchcraft version, which will also have the theatrical credit music.

13. I found that recently on an ancient VHS trailer for the movie, no mention of the film being 'Book of Shadows' only Blair Witch 2.