And Now The Return of Another New Slideshow (Sort of) [**Now featuring alternate versions of scenes - see replies #60,#82,#116,#138,#157,#180,#224,#240,#280,#372,#526**]

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Setting up Scene 87, which DC has broken up into Scenes 87A and 87B in his script:

87     INT - GALLERY - NIGHT                            87A        Tracy, Claire, Alex are looking at the half-finished        portrait as Quentin stares at the portrait of        Angelique on the wall. 87     CONTD                                  CONTD     87

And that's when today's quote -

Page 37/Scene 87A - Quentin (O.S.): 'It looks like he was going to add some other people.'

- comes up.

And there's absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because, sadly, even though this scene was shot, it doesn't appear in any version of the film. But one thing that is interesting is that even though the scene isn't indicated as a rewrite in DC's script, his version begins with dialogue for Quentin (the above quote) and Alex (coming up tomorrow) that does not appear in Grayson's script's version of the scene.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Picking up from yesterday with today's quote -

Page 37/Scene 87A - Alex: 'I wonder why he never finished it... yeah, it's amazing, isn't it? So evil here...so prim over there. The double life of Angelique Collins. I wonder what Charles Collins knew that the others didn't.'

-coming up in DC's script. However, as I'd mentioned yesterday, the dialogue for Scene 87 begins differently in Grayson's version of the script. The first lines are given to Alex and his lines appear like this:

ALEX Fascinating.  So evil here ... so prim over there.  The double life of Angelique Collins.

So, along with Quentin being given the lines to open the scene, Alex' original lines are expanded upon in DC's script to bring up more questions. Unfortunately though, when it comes to whether or not there may have been even more differences with what Alex actually says, we'll never know because, as I also said yesterday, even though Scene 87 was shot, as evidenced by the still used in today's graphic -

- it doesn't appear in any version of the film.

And it's also worth pointing out that the end of Scene 87 is different in DC's script in more ways than one. But we'll get into that once we reach that point in the scene...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with Scene 87, we pick up with yesterday's quote, made in response to Alex' musing about Angelique -

Page 37/Scene 87A - Claire: 'Here he goes. Another plot for another book --'

- and then today's quote -

Page 37/Scene 87A - Alex: 'I've been doing some research.'

- comes up, followed in the script by:

QUENTIN What did you find out?

But we'll have to wait until the next installment in the slideshow to find out what Alex has found out - but one interesting thing about what he learned is that it does answer a question posed earlier with regard to something Alex said in Scene 59.

And when it comes to DC's script, he added a couple of notations to this section. One indicates that after Claire's lines the camera would pan to include Quentin (recall that his line, which opens the scene, is designated as being delivered off screen). And the other indicates that after Alex' line Scene 87B is to start, even though DC doesn't break things up into 87B until later in the scene, so who knows? But other than those things there's absolutely no way to know if other changes might have been made because, as has already been mentioned, Scene 87 doesn't appear in any version of the film.

[Gothick]

Another scene I wish had been retained.  I love the whole "Scooby gang" flavor of the dialogue here.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

   Indeed!  But we're all too familiar with DC's belief that when editing a film, the character oriented stuff is the first to go. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Moving on with Scene 87, today's first quote -

Page 37/Scene 87A - Alex: 'The servant-girl legend is just that. And after seeing this, my vote goes to her. She'd make some ghost.'

- comes up, followed in DC's script by:

QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP |----------------------------------- 87B

And that's when today's second quote -

Scene 87B - Claire (O.S.): 'Poor Angelique Collins. He's going to start and she'll have no more secrets.'

- comes up.

So, as I said yesterday, who knows where DC really intended 87B to begin because his script has notations for it beginning in two different places. 

But so far as Alex' dialogue goes, it answers the question of who the "young beautiful servant girl who roams the halls of Collinwood" is: she's apparently no one because the story is simply a legend. Unfortunately that means that Quentin won't be able to hire her after all. 

And blah blah blah, no way to know if other changes, blah blah blah, doesn't appear in any version of the film...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with Scene 87, with Tracy asking in yesterday's quote -

Page 37/Scene 87B - Tracy: 'Do we have to have a ghost, Alex?'

- coming up, followed by the script indicating:

BACK TO SCENE

And that's when today's quote -

Page 37/Scene 87B - Quentin: 'Alex makes up his own legends, anyway. I'm not half as curious about Angelique Collins as I am about Charles. He is quite good, you know.'

- comes up.

And again, blah blah blah, no way to know if other changes, blah blah blah, doesn't appear in any version of the film. Though what will be interesting when it comes to tomorrow's installments in the slideshow, which are taken from DC's script, is that they're very different from how Grayson's script concludes Scene 87. But more on that tomorrow...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Before we get into the way Scene 87 concludes in DC's script, here's how it concludes in Grayson's script, picking up after Quentin's remark that Charles Collins "is quite good":

He looks at the portrait again.                              ALEX                  Is?        They all laugh.

End of scene.

However, picking up at the same point in DC's script we have:

takes               from Alex        He looks at the portrait again.

And following that, DC has handwritten in today's first quote -

Page 37/Scene 87B - Alex: 'He is good?'

- followed by handwriting in today's second quote -

Page 37/Scene 87B - Quentin: 'He was good.'

- followed by handwriting in today's third quote -

Page 37/Scene 87B - Alex: 'He was good.'

End of scene.

And again, blah blah blah, no way to know if other changes, blah blah blah, doesn't appear in any version of the film. Though if anyone is wondering what portrait is referred to in Grayson's version, recall that back in the initial description of the scene it's explained that "Quentin stares at the portrait of Angelique on the wall." Who knows which portrait is being referred to when Quentin takes it from Alex in DC's version? And who knew Alex is even holding a portrait because that fact is never introduced in DC's version of the scene. And there's no indication of any laughing at the end in DC's version.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

There are two slightly different ways that Scene 88 is setup, depending on whose script one is reading. Grayson's sets things up thusly, beginning at the bottom of page 37:

CUT TO: 88     INT - DINING ROOM - NIGHT - GROUP SHOT           88        Seen from the corridor as the CAMERA TRUCKS TOWARD        THEM.  They have finished dinner and are on their        coffee. 88     CONTD                                  CONTD    88

Whereas in DC's script he has handwritten at the top of page 38:

INT. CORRIDOR NIGHT  - TRUCKING         Camera truck toward dining         room - they have finished dinner 88     CONTD                                  CONTD    88

And in both cases that's when today's quote -

Page 38/Scene 88 - Alex (gesturing to Claire): 'Will you look at that dress? Gregory strikes again! He must think we're the manor folk -- honey, remember, we're broke.'

- comes up in the script.

And so far as anything being different with the dialogue, the descriptions, and the directions, as can be seen in this first capture -

- at first we simply see Claire, and this is where quite a bit of possibly improvised dialogue begins with Claire stating "I'm glad I'm not driving" - and as the camera pans to show Tracy and Alex, the next capture shows that as Tracy takes a sip of her wine -

- Alex makes his way toward Claire while he asks "All right, sweetheart, some wine?" - to which Claire responds "Just a touch", Alex repeats "Just a touch", and Tracy laughs as the camera, as can be seen in this next capture -

- has been moving in to reveal all four of them  - and after Alex asks "Now who would have thought we would have been here two years ago?", Claire replies "I would have" as -

she raises her hand in the air and looks to the heavens and then toward Tracy with a smile - to which Alex replies "You would, huh?" - and then Quentin remarks "Makes life interesting" - and after that what Alex actually says as -

- he takes Claire's dress in hand, as can be seen in today's capture, is "Will you take a look at this thing? Gregory strikes again!" - and as Claire basically ignores him, I love how she simply reaches for her wine glass -

-which is apparently more important to her, as Alex continues with "He must think we're the manor folk -- honey, remember, we are broke" - and after he says that he bends down to kiss the top of Claire's head -

- and then he follows that off screen with "A little more wine for the gentleman", meaning Quentin - to which Quentin mouths "Thank you" and audibly replies "A little wine" - and then when Carlotta enters the room, Alex says "Well, hello, Carlotta - how are you?" - to which at first she barely registers a reaction other than -

- looking none too pleased with him - but then I love how she manages to -

- come up with a slight smile.

End of improvising, but the scene certainly goes on...

And the handwritten opening description in DC's script makes no mention of the group being on their coffee - though, of course, they're actually drinking wine in the film. But apparently DC didn't care what they were drinking, only that they'd finished dinner. 

[Gothick]

Ooh, Alex got the Carlotta death glare!  But only for a brief moment.  So he failed to turn to stone.

I suddenly want a TV show called "Cooking with Carlotta."  "Resist adding more old bay seasoning at this point... IF you can."

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I suddenly want a TV show called "Cooking with Carlotta."  "Resist adding more old bay seasoning at this point... IF you can."

   Love it!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with Scene 88:

Quentin looks TOWARD CAMERA as if it were Carlotta,        who just entered the room.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 38/Scene 88 - Quentin: 'What's that?'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

CARLOTTA        Having just ENTERED the room, she holds a gift-        wrapped package.                              TRACY O.S.                  It's our surprise.        WIDEN as Carlotta crosses to Quentin and gives him        the package.                              QUENTIN                  What is it?        He starts to rip the paper.

And as far as anything different in the dialogue goes, both of Quentin's lines are delivered exactly as written, but Tracy actually says "That's your surprise", which would seem to make more sense.

And as far as anything different with the descriptions and directions go, we don't actually see Quentin look toward camera as if it were Carlotta who entered the room because, as was already obvious with the last two captures in reply #188, we see Carlotta enter the room, and the camera shot remains at that angle - and before Quentin notices the package, he actually reaches for something on the table and begins to chew it before he asks what it is that Carlotta has - and after Tracy answers off screen that it's a surprise, without the indicated widening of the frame, Carlotta then moves from where she's been standing on screen all along and hands the package to Quentin as Alex sits and pours himself some wine - and Quentin doesn't so much as rip the paper as he lifts the top off the box.

And when it comes to DC's script, he has a notation between Quentin asking "What's that?" and Carlotta's scripted entrance -

QUENTIN            What's that? INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT  CARLOTTA

- but as can be seen, he doesn't consider it a new scene - and in the film things are no longer shot through the dining room doorway but in the actual dining room beginning with Alex saying "A little more wine for the gentleman", as could be seen in reply #188's captures of Carlotta's entrance into the room.

And when it comes to Grayson's script, she has a notation for the point in the script where Carlotta enters (which just so happens to be in the same place that DC has his notation), but for the life of me I can't really decipher all of her handwriting. See if you can:

[Uncle Roger]

Let's see. I read it as Specific change around others. Taut tense unbending.

How does that sound to you, MB?

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Actually, that sounds perfect and makes me wonder why I didn't see it myself?    It was mostly the "specific" that was giving me trouble.

Thanks! 

[Uncle Roger]

My years of having to decipher extremely creative penmanship from my OTB career sometimes pays off in unexpected ways.