And Even Yet Another New Slideshow

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Now, picking up from where we left off in reply #266, in the actual pilot, it is not Willie whom the revived vampire attacks - it's Kelly. In one of the most amazing sequences ever in any version of DS, and much to Willie's shrieking horror (because all he does the whole time the attack on Kelly takes place is scream), after being revived by Kelly's blood, the vampire suddenly springs into action, attacks, and totally drains Kelly, complete with her eyes rolling back in her head and her face going gaunt as her fluids are sucked dry. But once the vampire is done with Kelly, he turns his attention to Willie. Fade out. End of Act One. And we won't be seeing Willie in the pilot for quite some time - though there was a scene in Executive Producer/Writer Mark Verheiden's script that was never shot that would be coming up before too long. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

And as with yesterday's post, I have some production stills to share to help to better illustrate what's just happened. First off, a lovely photo of creature actor Doug Jones as Barnabas in full dessicated makeup (complete with red eyes and pointy nails):

Then Kelly in all her gaunt prosthetic glory:

Plus for the sequence they also did a bit of SFX magic on Alexis Thorpe, who played Kelly, as demonstrated by one of the SFX techs on himself:

And for a bit of fun, here's a shot of Doug Jones getting the finishing touches of his body makeup applied:

Though I also include that to help to point out, as I'd alluded to after Vicki's train dream, how the train dream demon and the dessicated Barnabas share a similar look (minus the red eyes):

The one thing that is very interesting in the pilot's sequence is that the demon's dress and general look is very similar to the way Barnabas will be seen when his coffin is opened. And so that you won't just have to imagine what he looked like, here are two production photos from the pilot:

Creature actor Doug Jones as the Train Dream Demon.


Vicki, director PJ Hogan, and the Demon.

Mere coincidence? I doubt it! 

[Josette]

Wow!  Those pictures are incredible!!  Again, how do you get all this stuff??

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Research.    Most SFX companies post samples of their work online as examples of what they can do so as to attract future clients. (The companies involved with the Depp/DS film did, and so did the ones involved in the '04 WB pilot.) One simply has to track down the companies' Web sites (the companies' names or at least leads to them are mentioned in all sorts of articles written about the film and the pilot) and then search the sites to see if anything is available. And in the case of creature actor Doug Jones, he's also shared stuff from the pilot on his own Web site.

[DarkLady]

MB, you are amazing! Thanks for such a fun set of pics. I just love the how-they-do-it aspect of these things.

[Gothick]

Wonderful photos!  The one of Vicki with the director and the creature actor (which is scarier to stand next to for a young actress??) reminds me of a candid photo that surfaced during the MPI distro period of Julia and Barnabas with Alex in full werewolf makeup.  And, a little, of my friend Nicky's favorite photo of Vicki being menaced by all the ghouls and horrors of Collinwood... Barnabas, Nicholas, Adam, Cassandra.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

a fun set of pics. I just love the how-they-do-it aspect of these things.

With so few stills publicly available from the pilot, it's really only the behind the scenes productions stills that help to flesh out much of the pilot for those who've never seen it. Thank heavens that at least they're available!


Changing the subject entirely, now that the slideshow has moved on from Kelly, Willie, and their newly liberated friend, here's the next chart to help to illustrate how various scenes were moved around in the pilot. And as you'll see, yet another major character gets an introduction in the current sequence of scenes:

As the current scenes play out in the slideshow, you'll no doubt notice a marked similarity between them and comparable scenes in the pilot for the '91 DS. But as I've mentioned before, in many respects the pilot and particularly the pilot's script have much more in common with the '91 DS than with the original DS.

I'll set up the current scene in the slideshow when I get the chance later today...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The script sets the opening of Act Two thusly:

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

EXT. COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

Except for the security lights, the mansion is dark.

INT. VICTORIA'S BEDROOM - COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

Victoria's in bed, asleep, moonlight shimmering blue across her face. Suddenly, there's a THUMP. Victoria's eyes snap open, disoriented, "maybe I'm dreaming," when

THERE'S ANOTHER THUMP.

Sitting up, Victoria realizes it's coming from behind the closed bathroom door.

It's at that point that Vicki is scripted to deliver today's quote:

Page 21 - Victoria: 'Is someone there?'

And then the script goes on with (including a bit of dialogue that will not be a part of the slideshow):

No answer. After a second, Victoria slides out of bed and crosses toward the bathroom, only to SUDDENLY STOP. She looks down at the carpet as

WATER POOLS AROUND HER BARE FEET,

like the rug is soaked through.

VICTORIA (CONT'D)
(grossed out)
What...?

However, considering that today the slideshow has a "cut, trimmed, or changed" graphic, you've probably already figured out that pretty much none of that happens exactly that way in the pilot. For one, during the exterior shot of Collinwood the creepy sound of some night bird can be heard. And for two, both bits of Vicki's dialogue were dropped (the first thing she'll say will be tomorrow's quote). And along with the initial thumping there's the sound of trickling water - and the latter is what attracts her to the bathroom after she wakes. And the bathroom scene is what will be dealt with tomorrow...

[Gothick]

MB, you've got me in suspense!  another scene I don't recall at all from my viewing.

I recall hearing talk of certain scenes that were scripted but apparently cut involving Our Favorite Witch... I wonder whether there will be time to fit discussion of this in.  At the rate you're going, I'm not sure you're going to get to the end of the episode by New Year's Eve!

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Before we even began the slideshow we paced out the pilot, mapped out a schedule assigning specific parts to every month of the year, and we've been following that schedule precisely. Trust us, everything about the pilot will be adequately covered by December 31st. 

As for dropped scenes, there are still several to come up in the script (a couple this month alone), but there aren't any dropped scenes involving Angelique. She has only two scenes in the script and both appear in the pilot.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Next scene up:

INT. VICTORIA'S BATHROOM - COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

The door opens and Victoria enters the dark bathroom, SPLASHING on the tiles, floor shimmering with a sheen of water. Victoria reaches for the light switch, but the

LIGHTS ARE DEAD.

There's only the blue moonlight through a side window, and from the curtain-shrouded claw-tub, the SOUND of RUNNING WATER.

Careful on the slippery floor, Victoria slowly crosses toward the tub, the rushing water growing LOUDER as she approaches. Concerned, she reaches the tub and grabs the

SHOWER CURTAIN,

hesitating for an instant, then suddenly jerking it back. Moonlight falls across the water, revealing a

LITTLE BOY (9) LYING UNDERWATER,

motionless, eyes wide open, fully-clothed. Victoria stares in disbelief.

And it's at that point that Vicki delivers today's quote -

Page 22 - Victoria: 'David?'

- though in the pilot Vicki gasps first and then her delivery is more like "David!"

[Gothick]

[spoiler]Maybe I'm hallucinating, but I remember reading about a leaked version of the script in which Angelique materialized at the Blue Whale and indulged herself in wreaking some catty havoc and/or quizzing another character about the current personnel at the Great House.  Perhaps that was one of the fabricated leaks, or simply disinformation.  Anyhow it sounds as if this isn't on the radar for coming attractions in this thread.[/spoiler]

cheers, G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

You may not be hallucinating because I now recall that supposed scenes from the script were put up on the BarnabasUndead Web site, however, the WB quickly had them taken down because it turned out they were not from the script. Some were supposedly completely bogus, some others were scenes written simply for the purposes of casting, while some others were scenes that may have actually been included in eps had the pilot gone to series. I didn't see any of that sort of stuff before it was so quickly taken down, but you may have caught it. However, at least one of the casting scenes was posted or summarized elsewhere, and I do have some of that stuff stored around here somewhere. I'll try to dig it up when I get the chance.

[Nicky]

Goth, you may be thinking of a scene from the third issue of Dynamite's defunct DS series -- wherein Angelique goes from 18th century statue to 20th century, pink miniskirted hotsy totsy, torturing Carolyn and sparring with Julia at the Blue Whale.

[Gothick]

Hahaha.  You're reminding me why that comic wound up in my recycling bin about five seconds after I finished reading it.

No, this was the BarnabasUndead material.  I'd forgotten about that site but MB helpfully jogged my memory. 

I don't remember making a copy of it because I wasn't all that interested at the time.  It would be interesting to re-read since the discussion here is going into such detail about this thwarted project.

One wonders whether a plot outline for season 1 was ever generated.  I would presume so since they were pitching it and spending so much money...

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The scene with today's quote picks up in the script with:

Stunned, hyperventilating, Victoria doesn't know what to do. She's about to reach down for the boy when

HE BURSTS UP FROM THE WATER, SCREAMING!

Terrified, Victoria slips and falls, SLAMMING her head against the tub. As she struggles,.DAVID climbs out of the tub and starts across the bathroom. But when he realizes Victoria's been hurt, he stops... and begins to GIGGLE, his expression weird and malevolent.

VICTORIA (CONT'D)
David....?

And it's at that point that today's quote from David -

Page 22 - David: 'I hope you die!'

- comes up.

And the reason that it's David's quote that comes up in the slideshow and not Vicki's second questioning if it's David is because that bit from Vicki was dropped from the pilot.

Also, I'm not so sure that Vicki slips and hits her head in the pilot. She might. But at any rate David doesn't giggle before he tells Vicki that he hopes she dies.