Thursday, March 28, 2024

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A Discussion With The Editor Of The ‘Super Mario Bros: The Movie’ Extended Cut

Super Mario Brothers Extended Cut

For many years people have had very divided opinions on Super Mario Bros: The Movie (1993). Many people consider it utter trash, some believe it is “so bad it’s good,” then there are people like me. People who love Mac And Me, Baywatch Nights, and Spookies. We love Super Mario Bros for what it is; something unlike anything you have ever seen before or since.

The movie was infamous for the issues the cast and crew faced, not to mention the constant script revisions. The good people over at Super Mario Bros The Movie Archive (SMBMovie) explain the production problems better than I can, so check them out over at their site when you get a chance. Their love for the movie made “this” all possible.

What is “this” you wonder? I am glad you asked.

It has been known for years there were different cuts of the film. There were many deleted scenes and takes that went unused. In 2019, the Super Mario Bros Movie Archive got their hands on a one-of-a-kind VHS Super Mario Bros: The Movie workprint (rough cut) from the filming of the movie featuring plenty of extra scenes the public only knew about in passing. The workprint VHS footage was restored and released online. You can see it right now in its entirety here. This cut is just over two hours long and features 20 minutes of additional and extended scenes.

Mario And Luigi escape while Goombas dance
Source: SMBMovie VHS V 1.0

I had the pleasure of discussing this cut of the film with the man who put together this incredible edit: Garret Gilchrist, an immensely talented individual behind the restoration of the Richard Williams unfinished “The Thief And The Cobbler” animated film, known as “The Thief And The Cobbler: Recobbled.

Gilcrist was gracious enough to chat with me about the making of this version 1.0 edit and I look forward to sharing more of that discussion with everyone in the coming weeks as I have a chance to digest this release. Keep in mind when watching the release that this is nowhere near a “final” release but is more of a take on what could be improved upon later in a more official capacity.

Here is a bit of what we discussed and the insights he shared with me about the film.

The workprint differs significantly from the finished film in that the scenes and the story are given more time to be realized and contextualize rather than cut from one frenetic action sequence to the next with little exposition:

 I do think the workprint is a better film, and that this extended cut is a better film. The difference is subtle. I think if you really hate the original film, if it’s a hate watch for you, this won’t change your mind because it’s the same film at the end of the day. But I think the issue is that people think it’s just this batshit crazy bonkers film. I think they don’t understand it or think there’s no way to understand it. And with this version, which is 20 minutes longer, you can understand it better. There’s all these little extra moments in scenes which make the scene work for me.

The Marios argue with the Scapellis in the Super Mario Bros: The Movie The Extended Cut
Source: SMBMovie VHS V 1.0

One of my favorite aspects of the original movie was the duo of Iggy and Spike, the Koopa cousins who go from bumbling idiots to geniuses and end up helping the Marios overthrow King Koopa. In this version, they are given a lot more to do and even get their own revolutionary rap segment.

I’d heard about this rap that Iggy and Spike do which is just as dumb as you’d hope it would be. I got a new appreciation for those characters doing this, because there’s a lot more of Iggy and Spike in this version, and they change a lot over the course of the movie.

One thing you notice in this cut is that Koopa isn’t paying attention to anything but himself, and he lets Iggy and Spike and Lena and Daisy get away from him. He totally loses his grip because he doesn’t care. Iggy and Spike are the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the side characters who get shuffled around like pawns, and then they get sick of that. and Fisher Stevens does kind of go for it, he gets some good lines.

Iggy and spike rap about injustice in the Super Mario Bros: The Movie The Extended Cut
Source: SMBMovie VHS V 1.0

Fisher Stevens, who plays Iggy, has had a lengthy career in Hollywood and is probably best known for his lovable (albeit poorly aged) performance as Ben in Short Circuit 1 & 2.

[On the Koopa Cousins showing up early in the film] I thought I would dislike Iggy and Spike, and someone must have because they’re cut way down in the theatrical cut. There’s a ton of extra, entire scenes with them here. And you grow to like them, I think, because you understand them.

“The idea that Iggy and spike went through a wormhole to a parallel world and have been kidnapping random girls for months just because they have “two arms and two legs” is pretty wild. It’s an odd film. That’s something which probably worked better in another draft of the script.

Their story is likely the most affected by this release. It is fitting though, as both actors had significant input during filming on their characters and the script. This is likely why they have such a loyal following among Super Mario Bros movie fans.

There is simply so much to unpack here, and I hope to bring more tidbits of information on how this was made soon!

Check out the full release here and let us know what you think of this exciting new edition of a childhood favorite in the comments below!

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