By Sean Murphy
(with the support of LEGEND fans everywhere)
Let's get the confession out of the way first - I worked behind the scenes, along with Geoff Wright, to supply Charles de Lauzirika with everything that we had amassed while maintaining the LEGEND FAQ. We did this in the hopes of getting a LEGEND Special Edition that a LEGEND fan would be proud to own. I think we succeeded in that goal.
Charlie works as a freelancer for Scott Free, Ridley Scott's production company, and has produced most of Scott's films on DVD. He was in the position to do something great with the LEGEND DVD and luckily we found him to be a kindred spirit. I'd like to thank Universal for undertaking an Ultimate Edition DVD of LEGEND. The fact that they released a two disc special edition of a film is to be commended.
My involvement with LEGEND dates back to the early 90's. I had seen the film on video (the American cut with the Tangerine Dream score) and while in college I decided to revisit the movie as I was a fan of Ridley Scott's other work. What I found was a beautiful looking film with an incoherent fairy tale love story and almost no character development. I was fascinated by what was not there as much as I was by what was still contained in the film. I began to dig deeper and discovered the longer European version of the film with the original Jerry Goldsmith score. While this version was edited more coherently than the American version and Goldsmith's score was a revelation and perfect for the film, I could still tell that a lot was missing. I tracked down various versions of the script and hooked up with Geoff Wright on the Internet and we began to piece together our information to create a LEGEND FAQ around 1993. At the same time Tony Anderson released an essay he had created about LEGEND and the different versions. We got together and merged the documents into what was the first version of the official LEGEND FAQ. Our goal was to raise awareness of the different versions of LEGEND and do what we could to push for a director's cut release of the film.
I contacted Video Watchdog magazine in 1994 to see if they had ever published anything on the different versions of LEGEND. Tim Lucas, the editor and publisher of Video Watchdog, said, "We've never published anything on LEGEND because the European version is the director's cut."
I took a moment to digest this and then said, "No it isn't. The European version is a different cut, and closer to the original vision, but it is not the director's cut." I then proceeded to tell him everything that I had discovered in my research of the film. He asked if I wanted to write an article about LEGEND on spec for Video Watchdog and I jumped at the chance. I hoped that the exposure from the LEGEND FAQ and the Video Watchdog article would increase the chances for a director's cut release of the film. First, however, I had to buckle down and write the article.
As luck would have it my film teacher and head of the Communications Department at Hofstra University, Jerry Delamater, was willing to let me write my article as the final paper for a film class. I worked hard for the class paper, breaking down the American and European versions of LEGEND shot by shot (See the American Version of LEGEND Shot By Shot Breakdown, the European Version of LEGEND Shot By Shot Breakdown and the Television Version of LEGEND Shot By Shot Breakdown), until I had a clear picture of how the two films differed from each other as well as from the various scripts. I wrote my paper, got an A- (if I remember correctly) and continued revising the article for publication in Video Watchdog.
My article, Fairy Dust :Reconstructing LEGEND, was published in the July/August issue of Video Watchdog Magazine (Issue 29) and was thirteen pages long with six pictures. The article contained an in-depth analysis of the American, European, Television, and French Widescreen versions of LEGEND.
I don't know what exactly I hoped would happen after the article came out (maybe that the Director's cut would just magically appear?) but not a whole lot else happened for the rest of the year. Getting an article published was a major step forward as far as I was concerned and, even as the years passed, I always had hope for getting a director's cut of the film released. Geoff and I continued to expand and maintain the LEGEND FAQ.
Our first real hint that there was a possibility of a LEGEND director's cut becoming a reality occurred when Ridley Scott was interviewed on the now defunct Mr. Showbiz Web site on Feburary 1st, 1996. He answered questions live on the Web and was asked about a Director's cut of LEGEND.
Question : Do you think there's a possibility there would ever be a Director's Cut of "Legend" released?
Ridley Scott : "Yes, there was always a regret that because we didn't preview well, we cut out almost a half hour. I'm always passionate about my work and the idea of doing a live-action fairy story, which in a way is like Beauty and the Beast; I loved the Cocteau film. I felt it might work. Now of course there are a lot of films being made live action, such as 101 Dalmatians. And there's been a revival of animation movies, which have become very successful, like The Lion King. I think we were on target at the time to do a film which, in a way, was A) for everybody, and B) really quite different. It was a step away from a period film, a step away from the science-fiction genre. So in that sense, I thought it was quite fresh. But they didn't get it. I doubt there will be a director's cut, but I am curious how it would do if it were released today. "
Luckily, Ridley did not say that he didn't want to do a Director's Cut of LEGEND, just that he doubted it would happen. The fact that he was open to the idea gave us great hope. I remember sitting in my office at work frantically refreshing my web browser to see the questions and answers from Ridley. I had sent the question about LEGEND and was thrilled when he responded. As I think back on this time period now, ten years after the fact, it was an exciting time to be a LEGEND fan. The LEGEND FAQ was growing steadily with information from fans all over the world. I really started to understand that there were a whole lot of other LEGEND fans out there besides us. It was a very cool feeling that would just grow as the years passed.
Universal was well aware of the following for LEGEND as it was one of the most requested films to be given a special edition release. Surprisingly, there was even some progress towards that end. J.M. Kenny (who eventually pulled together the supplements, recorded the commentary and created the documentary for the LEGEND Ultimate Edition DVD) was working for a company late in 1996 that Universal asked to put together a LEGEND Laser Disc. At that point they had only been able to find the American and European cuts of the film and were leaning towards releasing the European version. The fact that this project was happening even slipped out to the public when the THX website posted the following information on their website :
"The latest list of THX Digital Mastering titles, as of December 15, 1996.
THX Digital Mastering Program Coming Attractions
Title: LEGEND
Release Company: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS INC.
Video Format: Laser Disc
Screen Format: Widescreen
Soundtrack Format: Dolby Surround"
You can't imagine how excited we were about this (then again, if you are interested enough to read this article, you probably can). I even called THX to see if I could get any additional information but didn't turn anything up. In the end it didn't matter because we felt like our little website might have been having some sort of impact with Universal. Oh how quickly things change.
The LEGEND Laser Disc information was quickly pulled from the THX website in January. At the time we didn't know what had happened but I think the problem was that Ridley was too busy to dedicate the time and resources needed to work on the film. Universal had apparently approached Ridley several times over the years about the film but his schedule is pretty brutal and nothing could be worked out. The laser disc never saw the light of day and I don't think too much work was ever done on it beyond finding the prints of the film. Publicly, LEGEND was dormant again for another year and, while we kept our chins up at the LEGEND FAQ, I decided to see what more I could do.
In late April I sent a letter to Cinefantastique Magazine to inquire about writing an article about the need for a director's cut of LEGEND. I received an affirmative response in early June and immediately began trying to get in contact with various actors and production people involved with LEGEND. I was able to secure an interview with Alice Playten (Blix), Billy Barty (Screwball), a brief interview with Terry Rawling (LEGEND's film editor) and finally screenwriter William Hjortsberg who I had the pleasure of meeting in person in San Francisco where I lived at the time.
I did my best to get in touch with Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Mike Edmonds, who played the part of the fourth goblin Tic who was cut entirely from the film, with no success. I spoke to several people at Rob Bottin's studio (LEGEND's special effects man) and he was interested in doing an interview but it never happened. I also spoke to Jerry Goldsmith's assistant but was told to try back if a director's cut of the film with his music was ever released.
I even heard back from Colleen Benn, the head of Universal Home Video, on my voicemail but all she said was that she had no information and that I'd probably be able to get more from Ridley Scott himself.
In the end, the failure to secure an interview with Ridley Scott was the deal killer. I tried many times to set up an interview but his schedule never allowed for it. By the end of the year I had exhausted most of my leads and without a Ridley Scott interview I didn't have much of an article. I would continue to try and get an interview all the way up until 1999 when I began talking to Charlie, at which point I let it drop as the topic of the article was redundant at that point.
Another year almost slipped by without any LEGEND news when a rumor about a LEGEND DVD surfaced on the web. The Big Picture DVD Review Page[i] posted the following information on October 28th :
"Tonight, we received an e-mail and we're told that the following Universal Studios titles are currently in the works: JAWS and DUNE as widescreen special editions, THE LAST STARFIGHTER, LEGEND and HOWARD THE DUCK (all widescreens). No word on whether LEGEND will contain the European Jerry Goldsmith score or the American Tangerine Dream score. It would be cool if Universal offered both versions of the film on one disc, though!"
We wanted to make our voices heard to get the Director's cut of LEGEND released instead of the European version so we sent letters to Colleen Benn and encouraged LEGEND fans who read the LEGEND FAQ to do the same. Things seemed to be happening on the LEGEND front but no more information would slip out in 1998.All we could do now was wait and see what happened. Or could we possibly do more?
You wouldn't think much was happening on with LEGEND for the entire year as Universal made no official announcement and even denied it was on their schedule. In April, 1999, the Digital Bits website [ii] broke the news that a LEGEND DVD was in the works.
"Well, now that a special edition DVD of Ridley Scott's Alien is well on its way to store shelves, what's next for the director? No less than a Universal Collector's Edition DVD of Legend, starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara and Tim Curry. Preliminary work has just begun on the disc, which should street sometime in the late fall of this year. We'll have more on this as it develops.
A quick follow up on Legend - no word yet on which cut of the film will be used for the DVD. That is currently being discussed."
This information was reinforced by a brief mention of LEGEND found in an article published in the Mercury News in May: [iii]
"An early champion of DVD technology -- with sharper resolution and surround sound -- Scott has helped package director's cuts of ``Thelma & Louise'' and ``Blade Runner.'' Even his roundly panned 1985 fantasy, ``Legend'' with Tom Cruise, will be released shortly on disc with an additional 30 minutes from the European cut."
The DVDFile website[iv] chimed in on July 27th with a bit of a downer :
"Lastly, Legend is still in production, and due to all the various versions, soundtracks, etc., it will take a LONG time! Don't expect it until 2000 for sure. "
Finally, on September 24th, 1999, the Digital Bits website had an online chat with David Shin, Director of Interactive Marketing for Universal Home Video. He was asked about LEGEND and seemed to invalidate all of the rumors.
[Question] I asked a question about Legend...
[David Shin] Legend is currently not on our schedule.
So the rumors said a DVD was in the works but Universal said nothing officially. Would you believe that most of the work done on the LEGEND DVD happened during this year?
Very soon after the news originally broke on the Digital Bits website I was lucky enough to get in touch with Charles de Lauzirika. Charlie produced the ALIEN DVD for Ridley Scott and was gathering information and materials for the LEGEND DVD. I sent him a very long, fanboy e-mail about what we would like to see in a special edition of LEGEND and made sure to let him know that nothing we discussed would go onto the LEGEND FAQ website without his permission. Specifically I stated that, "both Geoff and I want to do everything we can to foster a Director's cut of Legend and we both want to make sure that nothing that we put on the LEGEND FAQ damages that process."
Charlie was given the go-ahead by Ridley Scott to supervise the disc from the Ridley Scott/Scott Free perspective to make sure it was up to the quality that Ridley wanted. Nothing, however, had been officially worked out between Universal and Scott Free at this point.
J.M. Kenny, working successfully for himself at this point, had already been contracted by Universal to put together the LEGEND DVD as the disc's producer. He was gathering supplemental information, working on a documentary, and looking for longer cuts of the film.
As this was the beginning of the LEGEND special edition process for me, I was extremely excited by the possibilities and the positive attitudes of everyone involved.
Charlie was officially brought onto the LEGEND DVD project by Universal in June to work with J.M. His first goal was to help find a longer cut of the film as the only versions verified so far were the American and European.
As luck would have it, the original, extraneous film elements for LEGEND were found that same month at a storage facility called CIC in England. There were 2000 individual pieces of film in all and according to Charlie they seemed to be made up of mostly trims, dailies and audio magnetic tape. There was a good chance that if there was cut footage from LEGEND to be found, this was the place to find it. Unfortunately, just weeks earlier some of the footage was destroyed as no one seemed to see the value in continuing to store it anymore. We'll never know exactly what was contained in that footage. There wasn't enough information contained in the descriptive list of the footage to justify spending additional money to search further.
The detective work continued into July and Garth Thomas, one of the First Assistant Directors on the original film, said that none of the extended cuts of LEGEND were in CIC's vault. Garth, however, knew of a print of the film at Shepperton Studios that he wanted to check out. By the beginning of September things were looking bleak and options were running out. Charlie felt it was possible that any extended print (or prints) might have ended up with an individual and not in one of the known storage vaults used for Ridley's films. If that was the case then trying to find a longer cut was like blindly throwing darts at a dartboard, hoping for a bulls-eye.
Just when things looked their bleakest, the dry spell was broken on September 10th. Charlie wrote in a e-mail that, "A beautiful, pristine, fully mixed and married answer print of a longer cut of LEGEND was screened last night by Garth Thomas, Terry Rawlings and Jimmy Shields at Shepperton Studios. Garth, Terry and Jimmy were all blown away by not only how beautiful the print was, and how powerful the sound mix was -- but also how superior this cut of the film was! They cannot stop raving about this new cut. We're all extremely excited by this, and it's great to see three "Legend" veterans falling all over themselves with glee."
How was this print found? After everyone had been making calls, scouring inventory lists and running around in fear that a longer version of LEGEND was lost, Garth took one last look at Ridley's private vault in London. He found an unmarked print of something that merely had "RSA" written on it (RSA standing for Ridley Scott Associates.) Garth luckily thought, "What the hell?", and rolled a little bit of it out to find a spliced-on Twentieth-Century Fox logo on the front. He rolled out a little bit more, and it was LEGEND! So Garth, Terry and Jimmy proceeded to view the print in Screening Room 7, and the rest is glorious history.
Finding this longer cut of LEGEND was like finding the Holy Grail for us. This was the version of the film that had previewed to a test audience in 1984 and which Ridley had felt very confident about before the screening took place. The screening turned out to be a disaster and the cutting and recutting of LEGEND began at that point. I wish I could express how truly amazing this was for us to finally know that this version still existed. I was able to view the longer version of the film and break down the new footage for Charlie (See the Director's Cut Version of LEGEND Shot By Shot Breakdown).
Of course, the hardest thing about all of this was not being able to share the news with LEGEND fans everywhere. I had to wait for someone else to publish something on the web before I could link to it on the LEGEND FAQ. Although LEGEND was actively in production, Universal was publicly keeping quiet on the subject. I just had to grit my teeth and wait. This was made especially hard when Ridley recorded his commentary and shot an interview for the LEGEND documentary in November. J.M. continued shooting interviews for the documentary before and after the longer cut of LEGEND was found.
We were hoping for a two disc DVD with the Director's cut and the American version but Universal seemed to only want a single disc. Charlie strongly believed in a two disc DVD. Then, just when things seemed to be on a roll and moving forward, everything slowed down.
I continued to keep the LEGEND FAQ up to date with the latest public information while keeping everything that I knew behind the scenes quiet. I wanted nothing more than to tell the world that the DVD was happening, that a longer cut of the film had been found and that we had something really special coming down the line. Finally, on February 16th, 2000 the DVD File website publicly broke the news about the longer cut of LEGEND:
"Another new tidbit has surfaced regarding the hotly-anticipated Legend special edition from Universal. In addition to the new cut of the film, it will feature the Jerry Goldsmith score and not the "Americanized" Tangerine Dream one. No set date for this disc yet, though according to Universal it won't be until the second half of 2000 at the earliest. Can't wait!"
Finally I could share the good news with LEGEND fans everywhere about the longer cut. Unfortunately LEGEND went into a holding pattern at this point as Universal Home Video had the film JAWS on the fast track for DVD and that was dominating most of their attention. LEGEND appeared to be next in line but, as I was to find out, appearances in Hollywood can be very deceiving. Univeral's JAWS Special Edition was reduced from a two disc DVD to a one disc DVD. This did not bode well for a two disc DVD of LEGEND since JAWS had been an incredibly successful film and one would assume it would get a more deluxe treatment.
This ambiguity about the LEGEND Special Edition spilled out into the public eye on March 4th, 2000 when the DVD File website reported about Dave's Studio Day 2000 (Dave's Laser store, sadly no longer with us, held a yearly gathering of people from the different studios to talk about current and upcoming movie releases on laserdisc and DVD) :
"The LEGEND disc seems to be in flux, with the Universal representative indicating there is not a set release date."
Three months later LEGEND fans got what seemed to be their first official confirmation of the LEGEND Special Edition DVD straight from the horse's mouth on June 1st. The information was tacked on to an official Universal DVD Newsletter e-mail about their Erin Brockovich DVD.
PRODUCTION PREVIEW: We are currently working with director Ridley Scott on a special edition DVD of LEGEND. Here is a hint of what is to come . . . our film and music combination has never been seen in the United States. Be sure to check future newsletter issues for more information. I'm not quite sure why Universal chose to announce the LEGEND DVD this way but LEGEND fans were overjoyed with the news. With this information finally out officially from Universal, the floodgates were open and more information began to leak out to various DVD websites. On July 10th the DVD File website posted an article called "Video Software Dealers Association 2000" by Peter M. Bracke and noted :
The Digital Bits website ran an interview with Charlie on August 25th where he discussed Blade Runner, Gladiator and was supposed to discuss LEGEND. The Digital Bits removed the information on LEGEND at Universal's request and posted this in its place : Editor's Note: Universal has promised to provide us with official details on their Legend DVD very soon, so we will be following up on this title in the next week or two. Stay tuned... The entire LEGEND portion of the interview with Charlie was later published in the Widescreen Review Magazine and can be found at the end of this article in Appendix I. The interview is well worth reading. The Digital Bits Website [v] posted the following on September 7th before Universal's official announcement :
"And as we may not be up and running when the announcements happen, look for both Ridley Scott's Legend and Gladiator to be officially revealed by the end of next week. We've already revealed what to expect from Gladiator in our interview with Scott Free DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika. Here's what you can look forward to from Legend - a 2-disc special edition containing both the 89-minute American theatrical version of the film (with music by Tangerine Dream) and the never-before-released, 113-minute Director's cut (featuring the Jerry Goldsmith score). Also on tap will be a great hour-long documentary on the film with new interviews with the cast & crew, a great director's commentary, trailers and more. Both films will be in anamorphic widescreen. The audio on the Director's cut will be Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 (the sound on the American version is TBD). How's that for cool?"
On September 26th, 2000, Universal made an official announcement that the Special Edition LEGEND DVD would be released on November 21st, 2000. You can read the entire press release in Appendix II. The DVD Movie Guide website[vi] posted several "final" menu screens from the LEGEND DVD on September 30th.
Finally in November is, at long last, the LEGEND special edition. Sporting a new cut of the film in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, a new 5.1 mix, a new documentary by J.M. Kenny, who did the way-cool MALLRATS and upcoming DOGMA DVDs and an audio commentary with Director Ridley Scott. Bout time!!! "
Behind the scenes communication on both sides was breaking down and this lead to the LEGEND Collector's Edition being postponed.
On October 18th, 2000 the Digital Bits website[vii] reported the following about the LEGEND DVD delay and helped calm the masses :
"We've been hearing from a LOT of panicked Ridley Scott fans, who have read elsewhere on the Net that Universal's Legend: Collector's Edition has been cancelled. That information is misleading. Here's Universal's official statement on it:
The DVD release of Legend Collectors Edition has been postponed until further notice."
We've been working closely with Universal and the disc's producers on an in-depth story on the Legend DVD, and I can tell you wholeheartedly that it HAS NOT been cancelled. It's just been delayed. I can also tell you that the delay isn't about legal issues. They merely need more time to finish the disc to make it as good as you all want it to be. That MAY (note the emphasis on may) include adding a feature or two, and tweaking the technical aspects of the release. The delay shouldn't be long and there's every reason to believe that the title should be out before the end of the year. So hang tight - Legend is still coming and you're all gonna be the better off for this delay.
Additional information on the delay appeared on the DVDReview website[viii] on October 23rd:
Some information about the delay of Ridley Scott's 'Legend'
We've gotten some further information on the announced delay of Legend: Collector's Edition from Universal Home Video. The delays, according to Matt Kalinowski of Universal Home Video, will allow time for the '...completion of additional bonus materials being developed for the title, as well as some technical issues that needed to be resolved.'
Unfortunately, Mr. Kalinowski was not able to state when the disc's new release date would be.
By this point JM had finished the work he had been contracted to do on the DVD and this included the documentary, the Ridley Scott commentary which he recorded and edited and all of the supplements mentioned in the original press release from Universal.
Charlie continued to work on the original supplements as well as new ones including the photo gallery, the Brian Ferry video and the footage from the original opening of the film.
While Charlie was in London at Shepperton studios doing research for the proposed Blade Runner Special Edition DVD on March 26th, he found a videotape with the original opening footage to LEGEND. This was an amazing and totally unexpected find and was, for me, one of the crown jewels of the DVD.
Another uproar occurred in the on-line LEGEND fandom world when Universal apparently cancelled the LEGEND Collector's Edition DVD. Luckily the DVDFile website[ix] posted the following on April 11th :
"More on Legend
Well, good news for Legend fans. Yesterday, a notice was sent out to North American retailers indicating that the currently postponed Legend 2-disc set has been canceled. We heard back from Universal Studios Home Video PR today, and though there is still no new release date for the disc, the title will still be released.
According to a Universal PR spokesperson, and the notice was "badly worded" and was issued due to the fact that Legend is such an active title that they literally have "hundreds of thousands of back orders" and the statement was issued to alert retailers to stop ordering the title until it is officially re-announced. So, it has been canceled on the retail end until a new date is announced, but not permanently discontinued. According to the Universal spokesperson, a new statement may be issued to clarify the situation.
So, when or if you do receive a notice from any retailer you preordered the title from saying it is canceled, don't worry. When it is re-announced, you will be able to preorder it again. By the way, despite odd emails to the contrary, Legend was officially announced and then delayed (just check out the press release.) Stay tuned, the glimpses I've seen of this title look terrific, so I'm crossing my fingers it will be released sometime this year..."
Then the ever reliable Digital Bits Rumor Mill page[x] reported on April 26th that the LEGEND DVD had undergone a name change :
"Universal's Legend: Collector's Edition is now back on track for release later this year, but it might now be a Legend: Ultimate Edition following in the footsteps of The Mummy DVD."
During April and May Charlie looked for LEGEND scripts to include on the DVD and worked with 1k to do the new DVD menus seen below.
Charlie prepared the original opening footage by adding the Goldsmith music for the sequence. He created the supplements for the continuity polaroids and the gallery of Annie Leibowitz photos.
Charlie put on a brave face on September 6th while discussing LEGEND with the DVD File website[xi] for their "Art Of The Special Edition - Charles de Lauzirika" interview :
DF: Alright, now here's the $1,000,000 question I just gotta ask or the readers will hate me. Will Legend ever be released on DVD!? (cue sighs)
CL: No! Never! Honestly, I can't wait for "Legend" to be released, if for no other reason, so I don't have to read another "What's the latest on 'Legend?'" thread every week...but it's nice to know that the film is still very much in demand. At this point, "Legend" is almost done. Just a couple more things need to be finalized, and it's good to go. It's definitely in much better shape now than it was a year ago and I think the wait will definitely be worth it."
The new year began and I really didn't think the LEGEND DVD saga would ever end although I did have hope.
Finally, after over a year of waiting, Universal was moving again on the LEGEND DVD. I was completely overjoyed, but obviously wary until I actually held the DVD in my own hands. On February 13th the Digital Bits website [xii] reported the great news for LEGEND fans everywhere:
Our most reliable sources have checked in with the street date for Universal's long awaited 2-disc DVD Ultimate Edition release of Ridley Scott's Legend. Look for it to hit stores on May 21st. Expect an official announcement soon."
An ad for the LEGEND DVD was published in magazines and on-line on February 27th although there was still no official announcement at this point.
Finally, on March 8th, Universal announced that the official release date for the LEGEND Ultimate Edition DVD was May 21st, 2002 and supplied a list of the specs on the disc. The full press release can be found in Appendix III:
1) Feature commentary with director Ridley Scott
2) Documentary, "Creating a Myth: The Making of Legend"
3) Isolated music score by Tangerine Dream
4) Lost scenes:
Alternate opening:
"Four Goblins"
"The Faerie Dance"
5) Storyboards
Lily and the Unicorns
Jack's Challenge
Downfall of Darkness
6) Photo Galleries
7) Publicity Photographs
8) Production Photographs
9) Continuity Polaroids
10) Bryan Ferry "Is Your Love Strong Enough?" music video
11) Trailers and TV spots
12) DVD-Rom features including the original screenplay
The LEGEND Ultimate Edition DVD menu shots created by 1K (seen earlier) were posted at the Davis DVD website[xiii] on March 14th and fans got a hint of what they are going to experience on the DVD itself.
The first LEGEND DVD reviews started to roll in on April 28th starting with the DVD File website[xiv]. They were overwhelmingly positive although people had issues with the isolated Tangerine Dream score since it was the same as the album and did not include any additional music.
Finally, after several years of struggle, the LEGEND DVD was released on May 21st, 2000!
Was it all worth it? Absolutely. This was a 12 year journey for me and I had a blasst.
I'd like to address some of the issues that various fans have brought up with the DVD.
The cut of the film found on the LEGEND DVD and now known as the Director's cut is the same version that was previewed way back in 1985. No longer versions of the film could be found.
Two issues prevented the inclusion of a Jerry Goldsmith isolated music score even though Universal was willing to include the score at one point : the fact that the original music stems could not be found and, the deal killer itself, legal issues.
The score found on the LEGEND DVD is the same music as is found on the Tangerine Dream LEGEND Soundtrack CD. However there is one cue (the opening titles) that appears on the DVD Isolated Score but does NOT appear on the Varese soundtrack. Universal was unable to find the original music stems needed to produce a "true" isolated score. When given the choice of including the score from the CD or no score at all, Charlie chose the former and I think it was the right decision.
The LEGEND Ultimate DVD see-thru packaging was created by Universal's marketing department.
Tom Cruise and Jerry Goldsmith were approached for the DVD but both declined to participate. Tangerine Dream did want to participate but there were not sufficient funds to fly to Germany to interview the group for the documentary.
There were several digital fixes and one instance of footage being replaced in the 113 minute Director's cut of LEGEND that are not documented anywhere else.
There seems to have been almost no behind the scenes photos of LEGEND shot while the film was being made. Most of the photo images that you'll ever see of the film are taken directly from the film itself. The only other photos out there are the posed ones taken by Annie Leibowiz and presented on the DVD.
The Continuity Polaroids that Charlie discovered in a continuity script were all cut into various shapes and attached to the script and these had to be digitally cleaned by Charlie and made presentable.
The one true mystery presented by the images on the DVD is the inclusion of a shot of Pox standing in front of a large barrel/pot. What sequence of the film was this shot for? Where is this footage? We will probably never know for sure.
I was able to provide copies of the LEGEND scripts, the 411 pages of Story Boards, the behind the scenes "making of" footage (from a videotape of the Leonard Nimoy hosted show called 'Standby : Lights, Camera, Action' I received from a LEGEND fan), and a breakdown the different footage in the director's cut of LEGEND. I was also able to give my time, energy, and love of the film to the production. This has been a truly incredible, fun, sad, exciting, disappoint, enlightening and thrilling experience.
The missing LEGEND interview with Charlie did eventually make it into print two months later in December in the Widescreen Review Magazine[xv]. Charlie did not know this was going to appear in print and Universal was not too happy that it did. What follows is the missing interview.
"WSR Hunt: Moving on, as most of our readers know by now, you've been working on a Collector's Edition version of Ridley Scott's Legend for Universal. When did you become involved with the project? Was it at Ridley's behest?
Lauzirika: Well, Legend had been popping up at Scott Free for the last several years. Every once in a while, Universal would fax over a proposal to Ridley for a Collector's Edition, and this is going back to when it was only planned for LaserDisc, before DVD was even around. And every time, Ridley was too busy with other things to really get as involved as he'd like to be. What really changed things, I think, was the advent of DVD. We were wrapping things up on Alien when, once again, Universal contacted Scott Free for Legend. Apparently, Legend is their most-requested title for the Special Edition treatment, which is pretty amazing considering some of the huge titles Universal has in their catalog. So this time, it seemed like the right thing to do. And because of the Alien experience, I think Ridley just figured I would continue on with Legend. So I did.
WSR Hunt: What are some of the things you and the studio plan to include on the disc?
Lauzirika: Actually, it's going to be a two-disc set, which will be Universal's first. Obviously, the whole thing is based around the never-before-released Director's Cut of the film. But we'll also have the U.S. Theatrical cut for fans of that version, and also for comparison-sort of like what Criterion did with Brazil. Ridley's recorded a brand new director's commentary track for the DVD release. And there's an all-new documentary on Legend, produced by J.M. Kenny, which turned out great. I think it's about 50 minutes, and it features interviews with most of the key cast and crew members on the film. I've really got to hand it to J.M. for tracking all of these people down, all over the world. It's also got a lot of rare behind-the-scenes footage. Aside from that, we have a nice list of supplements we're working on for Legend. J.M. and I have literally spent months dreaming up the ultimate Legend DVD, hoping to make it something that appeals to the various factions of Legend fans out there, and hopefully brings in all-new fans as well.
WSR Hunt: Let's talk about the film itself. Legend "lore" describes the existence of a number of different cuts of the film. I know that you worked for a long time to find a particular, never-before-seen cut for this new DVD. What don't you describe the tremendous effort you went to track it down.
Lauzirika: The Director's Cut was a nightmare to track down. In doing research on this, I had been in contact with a certifiable Legend fanatic named Sean Murphy, who runs the Legend FAQ along with Geoff Wright, and based in part on his info, and a lot of background from Legend editor, Terry Rawlings, I realized that we were looking for one of three cuts. There had been a 140 minute workprint, followed by a 125-minute answer print, which was then physically cut down to the 113-minute Director's Cut, which Ridley considers "the perfect cut"...or so the story goes. A version of this 113-minute cut had been screened for a test audience by the studio, so I figured that it had to have been in L.A. at some point.
I contacted Universal's vault in England, and they sent me an inventory list of everything they had on Legend. It turned out to be a list of what seemed like thousands of picture and sound elements, but no alternate versions of the film. So then I started talking to Garth Thomas, who has worked with Ridley forever, and was an A.D. on Legend. From that point on, we split the search. Garth, who's located in the U.K., searched around London while I searched around L.A. Universal didn't seem to know where any alternate cuts of the film could be, so we hoped that someone close to the production might have one of them. And of course, Terry Rawlings gave me some great leads, but we still couldn't find it.
Weeks and months passed. Universal began wondering what was going on, and I was seriously looking at the lousy proposition that the best we could do for the Legend DVD would be to include the existing 95minute European cut, with the Jerry Goldsmith score, and maybe the 89-minute U.S. cut, with Tangerine Dream's music. But then, just when things seemed darkest, I got word that Garth had found something interesting in England. Apparently, he had been kicking around a vault when he came across a print of something that had been simply marked "RSA," which is the name of Ridley's commercial company. There was no other identifying information, so Garth figured, 'What the hell?' and took a look at it. And it turned out to be a print of Legend. So Garth held a little private screening of this print at Shepperton, and I think he was pleasantly shocked to discover that, not only was it the missing 113-minute Director's Cut, but it was also a pristine answer print, fully mixed. So obviously, we were all pretty ecstatic. Garth made a quick one-light transfer to tape so that we could all check it out. I gave a copy to Ridley and made one for myself, and we watched it over the weekend. And this cut of the film is really great. I think even Ridley was surprised, because he hadn't seen it in about 15 years.
So I told J.M. and Universal that things were looking up, and then we went about the task of trying to have the print shipped here to the States safely. Keep in mind it was, to our knowledge, the only print of this cut in existence. But then I found out a few weeks later from Jeff Cava at Universal that there was this beautiful print of the same 113-minute Director's Cut right here in L.A. And it seemed to be in even better shape than the one in England. So this whole ordeal ended up with the damn thing being virtually in our own backyard. Long story short, Ridley's print is safe and sound in England, and the print we're using for the DVD is the one that turned up here-that's currently with Universal. But it was a little scary there for a while. Credit really needs to be given to Garth Thomas for breaking the case. And I should also thank Sean Murphy, Geoff Wright, and Paul MacLean for all of their support.
WSR Hunt: So tell us about this 113-minute cut. What makes it different from the theatrical versions we've seen before?
Lauzirika : The biggest plus of this version is that what originally felt like a compromised, incomplete film now feels more whole and satisfying. Many scenes in the film are extended ... the existing scenes are fleshed out more and allowed to breathe. Jack and Lily have a stronger relationship in this cut, for example. There's just more character development in general. You get to hear more about Lily's background, there's more with Meg Mucklebones - moments that were abridged or chopped up in the other versions make sense now. This cut we're using contains about 24 minutes of extra footage.
The really cool thing, I think, is that Jerry Goldsmith's score just works like gangbusters in this cut-even more so than in the shorter European version. And, as I mentioned, the print itself looks great. Some weeks back, I got to see the new transfer of this Director's Cut and, considering the age of the source material, it's really beautiful. The colors are incredibly vibrant. It really just pops off the screen. And as for audio, it will have a 5.1 Dolby Digital track, along with a 5.1 DTS track.
WSR Hunt: So Legend will be a two-disc set, with two versions of the film, both scores, lots of extras ... the fans should be very happy. When can fans expect to see Legend released?
Lauzirika : If all goes well, it should be out in mid-to-late November [2000]. Hopefully, in time for the holidays ... which is actually kind of funny to me. Last year, I sent out a Legend themed Christmas cards to some friends which said "Coming Soon." Little did I know it would take a whole other year ... [laughs]
Of course the DVD would not be released for another year and a half.
NEVER-BEFORE-AVAILABLE: DIRECTOR'S CUT WITH ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK!
LEGEND
Ridley Scott's Masterpiece Is Reborn on Dual-Disc Release!
Universal City, California, September 26, 2000 -- On November 21, Universal Studios Home Video will release director Ridley Scott's Legend in all its stunning, visionary glory, on DVD. This 2-disc Legend Collector's Edition contains both the never-before-released, 113-minute Director's Cut - with its extraordinary original soundtrack by Oscar¨-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith intact - and the version that was released theatrically in the United States. Pre-order close is October 16.
Priced at $34.98 S.R.P, the Widescreen Legend Collector's Edition is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination. In addition to offering both the U.S. theatrical version (soundtrack by Tangerine Dream) and the restored Director's Cut (soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith), Universal's first-ever dual disc DVD boasts extensive bonus materials including "Creating a Myth: Memories of Legend" - a fascinating documentary featuring interviews about the making of Legend with director Ridley Scott, writer William Hjortsberg, producer Arnon Milchan, make-up wizard Rob Bottin (The Howling), actors Mia Sara, Tim Curry, Alice Playten, Robert Picardo, and many more talented individuals, both in front of and behind the camera. It provides a candid look at the trials and tribulations that accompanied the creation of this spectacular epic.
Additional bonus materials include Feature Commentary with Ridley Scott, Storyboards, "The Faerie Dance" with music and storyboards depicting the lost scene, Production Notes, Cast and Filmmaker Biographies, Theatrical Trailer and DVD-ROM features including the original Screenplay.
A classic fantasy-adventure about the eternal struggle between good and evil, Legend features a stellar cast. Box-office idol Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible I and II, Jerry McGuire, The Firm, Far and Away) stars as Jack, a mortal with a pure heart who lives in solitude and harmony with the magical folk and animals of the forest. Mia Sara (Timecop, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) is Lili, a beautiful princess who loves Jack with all her heart. Lending his unique brand of menace and magnetism is Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as the Lord of Darkness, who seeks to seduce the princess, kill the last unicorn and plunge the world into eternal night.
Resurrecting a 'Legend'
Like so many of Ridley Scott's films, Legend has attained the level of cult status enjoyed by a only a select group of motion pictures. With the advent of the Internet, it has spun a whole new "web" of enchantment among fans. But along with devotion, there has also been a terrific sense of "what might have been." What these fans want most is to see Legend the way Ridley Scott originally envisioned it. "Producer Arnon Milchan says, "If I knew about movies what I know today, I probably would have convinced Ridley to fight for his original cut, which I felt was more true to his vision."
Former MCA/Universal executive Sid Sheinberg explains: "The picture was originally produced with two companies being involved, one having the foreign rights, and the other the domestic rights. Obviously, for reasons I don't now remember, there was a decision made to go in two different directions." The result was two radically different versions: a European cut with the Jerry Goldsmith score and a reported running time of 94 minutes and a less complex U.S. cut, aimed at a more "youthful," rock 'n' roll-oriented audience, which ran 89 minutes and replaced the original Goldsmith score with a new one by Tangerine Dream.
The initial cut of the film ran over two hours long. In retropect, Scott himself accepts much of the blame for altering the film, particularly with regard to the score: "I got totally paranoid," he reveals. "I started to hack away at the movie. A gentleman at Universal literally tried to physically stop me. As opposed to him saying, 'We've got to cut this film,' it was me....I figured that maybe we'd been too adventurous with our expectations of a full-blown fairy story, and therefore, maybe the combination of the score and the visual was actually too sweet. So, with only three weeks to redo a score, I went to Berlin and did the score with Tangerine Dream. In three weeks they did an incredible job, but it was completely different. It was a driving, more modern way to go, and given what they did in the time, I thought they did a fantastic job. On reflection, it was the wrong thing to do, and the first score [by Jerry Goldsmith] was what it should be, which is what we've got on this disc."
One of the world's finest composers, Goldsmith was honored with an Academy Award(tm) for his scoring of The Omen. Some of his other masterworks include scores for The Mummy, L.A. Confidential, Malice, Alien, Planet of the Apes, Patton and over a hundred more. And now, at last, one of his finest scores ever will finally be heard on the Legend Collector's Edition.
The Ultimate Fairy Tale
Appropriately, Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Thelma and Louise), the director of Legend, has himself achieved no less than legendary status. Prior to Legend, his fourth film, Scott had already directed The Duellists, Bladerunner and Alien, each of which is very stylized. Before moving on to what he refers to as "modern" films with normal people in modern, normal situations, he says, "I wanted to get off my chest this notion of a fairy story."
Legend was the culmination of almost four years of research and preparation. Early on, Scott contacted novelist William Hjortsberg to discuss the possibility of his writing a screenplay: "I want to do a classic fairy tale, and I want to have unicorns in it - fastest steed on earth - and I want the villain to be called 'Darkness.'" Together they discussed the basic story elements involving a young hermit who becomes a hero when he battles the evil Lord of Darkness, rescues a beautiful princess and frees the world from an icy winter curse. Scott recalls that Hjortsberg "went away and came back with a first draft which I thought was generally magnificent."
"One of the things that I think is extraordinary about Legend," notes Tim Curry ("Darkness"), "is that it's much closer to Grimm's Fairy Tales, to the kind of primal, psychological things that disturb children, which fairy tales were clearly intended to address...there's some really gritty, dark, bad stuff in there, the same way that there is in life. And fairy tales were invented to prepare children for the horrors that they might encounter."
The script was "so beautiful," reflects actress Mia Sara ("Lili"). "Never before nor since have I ever read anything that had that kind of impact on me." But it was almost too good. Editor Terry Rawlings remembers: "The Hjortsberg screenplay I thought was absolutely incredible, but I thought, 'I don't know how they're going to film it because it would be costing a fortune. We had this room with storyboards, so you'd wander the room looking at the script as well as reading it, and you'd think, well, that's a million dollars, that's a million, that's another million..." The final story took three years and 15 script revisions before it was completed. Principal shooting began on March 26th, 1984.
Forest of Enchantment
The centerpiece of Legend is its remarkable forest. Ridley Scott had originally intended to shoot on location and scouted out Yosemite as a potential site. But the canopy formed by the immense trees blotted out much of the sunlight. "I would have had to put a scaffolding rig in the trees the size of a football field to light the picture," he says. So, at Pinewood Studios in London, production designer Assheton Gorton set about creating a forest whose beauty would rival any natural work of art.
Gorton's sets, all of which started life as original sketches and models, are among the most elaborate ever built for a motion picture and were constructed on six of Pinewood's huge soundstages. Inside the world's largest soundstage - originally built to house a submarine set for the James Bond picture The Spy Who Loved Me - the vast, mystical forest came to life with giant trees, gnarled and sinister; an undulating mossy floor with hills and dells, meandering wooded paths, delightful forest glades and babbling streams; a sun-gilded amphitheater and a cliff-edged pond with bluebells and blossoms. It took 50 craftsmen 14 weeks to build. For the winter scenes, 1,500 icicles were added. Varying in length from one foot to eight feet, they were made of resin and hot wax to achieve the proper texture. The special effects team, under supervisor Nick Allder, also supplied tons of artificial snow in the process of "winterizing" the forest set.
The forest was but one of several major sets designed by Gorton. Another is the gigantic kitchen at the bottom of the Dark Lord's subterranean castle. Constructed on a mammoth scale and populated with giant demon cooks, it appears even bigger against the tiny bodies of elves, pixies and leprechauns who appear throughout the film. The castle's great hall is another spectacular set, which includes the huge and menacing Throne of Darkness. Among its other features: ominous jet-black columns, 25 feet high and nine feet in diameter; a gigantic black marble banquet table, and a massive fireplace adorned with fantastic sculptures.
Synopsis
There can be no good without evil...
No love without hate...
No heaven without hell...
No light without darkness.
Once, long ago, before there was such a thing as time, the world was shrouded in darkness. Then came the splendor of light, bringing life and love into the Universe, and the Lord of Darkness retreated deep into the shadows of the earth, plotting his return to power...by banishing light forever.
In this classic fantasy/adventure, pure good and foulest evil will soon battle to the death. Set amid a timeless mythical forest inhabited by fairies, goblins and other magical folk is the story of Jack, a forest dweller who lives in solitude and harmony with the animals of the wood...including Unicorns, who are key to keeping light alive and evil at bay. Chosen by fate to undertake a heroic quest, Jack must brave a host of terrors to not only save his true love - a beautiful princess named Lili - from the clutches of the demonic Lord of Darkness, but also rescue a captive unicorn...or the world will be plunged into a never-ending ice age where the dawn never comes and evil reigns supreme.
CAST & FILMMAKERS
Producer: Arnon Milchan
Co-Producer: Tim Hampton
Screenwriter: William Hjortsberg
Director of Photography: Alex Thomson
Special Make-Up Effects: Rob Bottin
Editor: Terry Rawlings
Original Music by: Jerry Goldsmith (Director's Cut); Tangerine Dream (US version)
Production Designer: Assheton Gorton
Cast: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent, Alice Playten, Billy Barty, Cork Hubbert, Robert Picardo
DVD
Street Date: November 21, 2000 Order Close: October 16, 2000
Selection Number: #20566
Running Time: Disc 1 (Director's Cut): 1 hour, 53 minutes
Disc 2 (US Theatrical Version): 1 hour, 29 minutes
Suggested Retail Price: $34.98
Rating: PG (Director's Cut not rated)
Number of Layers: 2
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Language / Audio: English Dolby 5.1 Surround/Dolby Surround DTS 5.1 Surround, English Captions, Spanish & French Subtitles
Bonus Material: "Creating a Myth: Memories of Legend," a documentary featuring candid interviews about the making of Legend with director Ridley Scott, writer William Hjortsberg, producer Arnon Milchan, make-up wizard Rob Bottin, Mia Sara, Tim Curry; and more cast and crew; Feature Commentary with Ridley Scott, Storyboards, "The Faerie Dance" with music and storyboards depicting the lost scene, Original Screenplay, DVD Newsletter, Recommendations, Production Notes, Cast and Filmmaker Biographies, Theatrical Trailer, DVD-ROM features.
# # #
Copyright©2000 Universal Studios
FIRST TIME EVER ON DVD!
LEGEND ULTIMATE EDITION
FEATURING THE NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN DIRECTOR,S CUT!
Universal City, California, March 8, 2002 " On May 21, Universal Studios Home Video will release director Ridley Scott's masterpiece, Legend, in all its stunning, visionary glory, as a dual-disc DVD release. Priced at $24.98 SRP, the Legend Ultimate Edition stars Tom Cruise and includes both the never-before-released, 113-minute Director's Cut " with its extraordinary original soundtrack by Oscar¨-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith" and the version that was released theatrically in the United States. Legend is also available on VHS (feature only) for $9.98. Order close for both VHS and DVD is April 16.
Legend Ultimate Edition DVD is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination and boasts an impressive array of bonus features, most never available to the public:
1) Feature commentary with director Ridley Scott
2) Documentary, "Creating a Myth: The Making of Legend"
3) Isolated music score by Tangerine Dream
4) Lost scenes:
Alternate opening: "Four Goblins"
"The Faerie Dance"
5) Storyboards
Lily and the Unicorns
Jack's Challenge
Downfall of Darkness
6) Photo Galleries
7) Publicity Photographs
8) Production Photographs
9) Continuity Polaroids
10) Bryan Ferry "Is Your Love Strong Enough?" music video
11) Trailers and TV spots
12) DVD-Rom features including the original screenplay
A classic fantasy-adventure about the eternal struggle between good and evil, Legend features a stellar cast. Box-office idol Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible I and II, Vanilla Sky, Eyes Wide Shut) stars as Jack, a mortal with a pure heart who lives in solitude and harmony with the magical folk and animals of the forest. Mia Sara (Timecop, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) is Lili, a beautiful princess who loves Jack with all her heart. Lending his unique brand of menace and magnetism is Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Charlie's Angels) as the Lord of Darkness, who seeks to seduce the princess, kill the last unicorn and plunge the world into eternal night.
Resurrecting a Legend.
Like so many of Ridley Scott's films, Legend has attained the level of cult status enjoyed by only a select group of motion pictures. With the advent of the Internet, it has spun a whole new "web" of enchantment among fans. But along with devotion, there has also been a terrific sense of "what might have been." What these fans want most is to see Legend the way Ridley Scott originally envisioned it. "Producer Arnon Milchan says, "If I knew about movies what I know today, I probably would have convinced Ridley to fight for his original cut, which I felt was more true to his vision."
Because the picture was originally produced with two companies being involved, one having the foreign rights, and the other the domestic, there was a decision made to go in two different directions. The result was two radically different versions: a European cut with the Jerry Goldsmith score and a reported running time of 94 minutes and a "less complex" U.S. cut, aimed at a more youthful, rock n, roll-oriented audience, which ran 89 minutes and replaced the original Goldsmith score with an alternate score by Tangerine Dream.
The initial cut of the film ran over two hours long. In retrospect, Scott himself accepts much of the blame for altering the film, particularly with regard to the score: "I got totally paranoid," he reveals. "I started to hack away at the movie. A gentleman at Universal literally tried to physically stop me. As opposed to him saying, We've got to cut this film,, it was me....I figured that maybe we'd been too adventurous with our expectations of a full-blown fairy story, and therefore, maybe the combination of the score and the visual was actually too sweet. So, with only three weeks to redo a score, I went to Berlin and did the score with Tangerine Dream. In three weeks they did an incredible job, but it was completely different. It was a driving, more modern way to go, and given what they did in the time, I thought they did a fantastic job. On reflection, it was the wrong thing to do, and the first score [by Jerry Goldsmith] was what it should be, which is what we've got on this disc."
One of the world's finest composers, Goldsmith was honored with an Academy Award for his scoring of The Omen. Some of his other masterworks include scores for The Mummy, L.A. Confidential, Malice, Alien, Planet of the Apes, Patton and over a hundred more. And now, at last, one of his finest scores ever will finally be heard on the Legend Ultimate Edition.
The Ultimate Fairy Tale
Appropriately, Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Thelma and Louise), the director of Legend, has himself achieved no less than legendary status. Prior to Legend, his fourth film, Scott had already directed The Duellists, Bladerunner and Alien, each of which is very stylized. Before moving on to what he refers to as "modern" films with normal people in modern, normal situations, he says, "I wanted to get off my chest this notion of a fairy story."
Legend was the culmination of almost four years of research and preparation. Early on, Scott contacted novelist William Hjortsberg to discuss the possibility of his writing a screenplay: "I want to do a classic fairy tale, and I want to have unicorns in it " fastest steed on earth " and I want the villain to be called Darkness.," Together they discussed the basic story elements involving a young hermit who becomes a hero when he battles the evil Lord of Darkness, rescues a beautiful princess and frees the world from an icy winter curse. Scott recalls that Hjortsberg "went away and came back with a first draft which I thought was generally magnificent."
"One of the things that I think is extraordinary about Legend," notes Tim Curry (who plays "Darkness"), "is that it's much closer to Grimm's Fairy Tales, to the kind of primal, psychological things that disturb children, which fairy tales were clearly intended to address...there's some really gritty, dark, bad stuff in there, the same way that there is in life. And fairy tales were invented to prepare children for the horrors that they might encounter."
The script was "so beautiful," reflects actress Mia Sara ("Lili"). "Never before nor since have I ever read anything that had that kind of impact on me." But it was almost too good. Editor Terry Rawlings remembers: "The Hjortsberg screenplay I thought was absolutely incredible, but I thought, I don't know how they're going to film it because it would be costing a fortune. We had this room with storyboards, so you'd wander the room looking at the script as well as reading it, and you'd think, well, that's a million dollars, that's a million, that's another million..." The final screenplay took three years and 15 script revisions before it was completed. Principal shooting began on March 26th, 1984.
Forest of Enchantment
The centerpiece of Legend is its remarkable forest. Ridley Scott had originally intended to shoot on location and scouted out Yosemite as a potential site. But the canopy formed by the immense trees blotted out much of the sunlight. "I would have had to put a scaffolding rig in the trees the size of a football field to light the picture," he says. So, at Pinewood Studios in London, production designer Assheton Gorton set about creating a forest whose beauty would rival any natural work of art.
Gorton's sets, all of which started life as original sketches and models, are among the most elaborate ever built for a motion picture and were constructed on six of Pinewood's huge soundstages. Inside the world's largest soundstage " originally built to house a submarine set for the James Bond picture The Spy Who Loved Me " the vast, mystical forest came to life with giant trees, gnarled and sinister; an undulating mossy floor with hills and dells, meandering wooded paths, delightful forest glades and babbling streams; a sun-gilded amphitheater and a cliff-edged pond with bluebells and blossoms. It took 50 craftsmen 14 weeks to build. For the winter scenes, 1,500 icicles were added. Varying in length from one foot to eight feet, they were made of resin and hot wax to achieve the proper texture. The special effects team, under supervisor Nick Allder, also supplied tons of artificial snow in the process of "winterizing" the forest set.
The forest was but one of several major sets designed by Gorton. Another is the gigantic kitchen at the bottom of the Dark Lord's subterranean castle. Constructed on a mammoth scale and populated with giant demon cooks, it appears even bigger against the tiny bodies of elves, pixies and leprechauns who appear throughout the film. The castle's great hall is another spectacular set, which includes the huge and menacing Throne of Darkness. Among its other features: ominous jet-black columns, 25 feet high and nine feet in diameter; a gigantic black marble banquet table, and a massive fireplace adorned with fantastic sculptures.
Synopsis
There can be no good without evil...
No love without hate...
No heaven without hell...
No light without darkness.
Once, long ago, before there was such a thing as time, the world was shrouded in darkness. Then came the splendor of light, bringing life and love into the Universe, and the Lord of Darkness retreated deep into the shadows of the earth, plotting his return to power...by banishing light forever.
In this classic fantasy/adventure, pure good and foulest evil will soon battle to the death. Set amid a timeless mythical forest inhabited by fairies, goblins and other magical folk is the story of Jack, a forest dweller who lives in solitude and harmony with the animals of the wood...including Unicorns, who are key to keeping light alive and evil at bay. Chosen by fate to undertake a heroic quest, Jack must brave a host of terrors to not only save his true love " a beautiful princess named Lili " from the clutches of the demonic Lord of Darkness, but also rescue a captive unicorn...or the world will be plunged into a never-ending ice age where the dawn never comes and evil reigns supreme.
CAST & FILMMAKERS
Producer: Arnon Milchan
Co-Producer: Tim Hampton
Screenwriter: William Hjortsberg
Director of Photography: Alex Thomson
Special Make-Up Effects: Rob Bottin
Editor: Terry Rawlings
Original Music by: Jerry Goldsmith (Director,s Cut); Tangerine Dream (US version)
Production Designer: Assheton Gorton
Cast: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent, Alice Playten, Billy Barty,Cork Hubbert, Robert Picardo
DVD
Street Date: May 21, 2002
Order Close: April 16, 2002
Selection Number: #21775
Copyright: © 2002 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Running Time:
Disc 1 (Director,s Cut): 1 hour, 54 minutes
Disc 2 (US Theatrical Version): 1 hour, 30 minutes
Suggested Retail Price: $24.98
Rating: PG (Director's Cut not rated)
Number of Layers: 2
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Language / Audio:
Disc 1 (Director,s Cut): English 5.1 Surround, English DTS, Spanish & French Subtitles, English Captions
Disc 2 (US Theatrical Version): English Dolby Surround, Spanish & French Subtitles, English Captions
Bonus Material:
Disc 1 (Director,s Cut): Feature commentary with Director Ridley Scott
Disc 2 (US Theatrical Version): "Creating a Myth: The Making of Legend," Isolated Music Score by Tangerine Dream, Lost Scenes, Storyboards, Trailers and TV Spots, Photo Galleries, Publicity Photos, Production Photos, Continuity Polaroids, Brian Ferry "Is your Love Strong Enough?" Music Video, Production Notes, Cast & Filmmaker Bios, DVD-Rom
[iii] "`Alien' director heard 'em scream, saw 'em faint" By Glenn Lovell, Mercury News Entertainment Writer, May 28th, 1999. The full article was originally found on http://www.mercurynews.com.
[iv] http://www.dvdfile.com, the news item was called "A look at Universal, MGM, more Bond and the Status Report"
[xv] Widescreen Review Magazine, December, 2000, Volume 9, Number 9, Issue 44, Pages 106-111. Bill Hunt graciously gave his permission to include this interview here.