The Cutting Room Floor: Lost, Censored & Deleted Bruce Lee Movie Scenes (Article)

[makone]

1st Artport version was the best quality but missing the beginning of James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight. Also it’s the longest cut.

2nd Artport version 2003 special edition is a much tighter (and better imo)edit still missing the beginning of the James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight, unfortunately the quality is not as good it’s washed out and I don’t understand why.

A Warriors journey is the best cut of the footage but the worst quality it does have the beginning of the James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight. 

All three use different takes for certain parts even both Artport versions contain different footage

 

[saltysam]

Artport 2000 Version

 

[saltysam]

Artport 2003 Version

 

[DragonClaws]

 

3 hours ago, makone said:

1st Artport version was the best quality but missing the beginning of James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight. Also it’s the longest cut.

2nd Artport version 2003 special edition is a much tighter (and better imo)edit still missing the beginning of the James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight, unfortunately the quality is not as good it’s washed out and I don’t understand why.

A Warriors journey is the best cut of the footage but the worst quality it does have the beginning of the James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight. 

All three use different takes for certain parts even both Artport versions contain different footage

 

It's a shame that we got a the faded looking 2003 art-port print on the Hong Kong Legends DVD's. Kareem Abdul Jabbar's character is light sensitive, he just has candles on his level. Yet the 2003 art-port release, make's it look like they used sports stadium sized floodlights. On the small Golden Harvest soundstage lighting rig's. The pogoda sequence looked great in the their original release. Why did they go back and change the colour's so much?.

Edited March 22, 2020 by DragonClaws

[saltysam]

I Hope when Criterion release this it's the 2000 footage they use as their base.

 

[makone]

I wish they would acquire the raw materials like Artport did, but I doubt it.

Criterion will have to do something special to beat Shout factories last effort.

[TheKungFuRobber]

9 hours ago, saltysam said:

The 2000 Artport footage looked far better than the 2003 footage . If i get time,i'll post a couple of comparision shots later.

If you do have either I would like to buy a copy off you. I really really want the uncastrated Game of Death in anamorphic widescreen.

[TheKungFuRobber]

6 hours ago, makone said:

1st Artport version was the best quality but missing the beginning of James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight. Also it’s the longest cut.

2nd Artport version 2003 special edition is a much tighter (and better imo)edit still missing the beginning of the James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight, unfortunately the quality is not as good it’s washed out and I don’t understand why.

A Warriors journey is the best cut of the footage but the worst quality it does have the beginning of the James Tien v Dan  Inosanto fight. 

All three use different takes for certain parts even both Artport versions contain different footage

 

I prefer the Bruce Lee in G.O.D edit more. The soundtrack is much better, and the sound effects to me are also better. Also, Dan Inosanto dubs his own voice in Bruce Lee in G.O.D.

[Alan C]

Hey guys,

Although I can't divulge much right now, I will say that a new version of Game of Death will officially be released later this year. This cut will differ significantly from any of the above edits, and the quality of footage will be equal to the first Artport release.

More on all this very soon.

In the interim, stay safe out there. 

Edited March 24, 2020 by Alan C

[saltysam]

16 hours ago, TheKungFuRobber said:

If you do have either I would like to buy a copy off you. I really really want the uncastrated Game of Death in anamorphic widescreen.

i have both- if you want them i'll do you a copy-P.M. me with your address.Don't want money, just postage cost. (assume you are in the States,i'm UK) cheers

[Josh Baker]

I hope Game of Death redux gets the color timing right as the Artport version is too saturated, Bruce's jumpsuit looks almost orange 

On 3/23/2020 at 2:50 PM, Alan C said:

Hey guys,

Although I can't divulge much right now, I will say that a new version of Game of Death will officially be released later this year. This cut will differ significantly from any of the above edits, and the quality of footage will be equal to the first Artport release.

More on all this very soon.

In the interim, stay safe out there. 

I hope Game of Death Redux gets the color timing right, as the Artport version is too saturated and lacks contrast, Bruce's jumpsuit looks almost orange.

I hope the colour timing is more like the 1978 cut. Despite everything else, the Pagoda footage looks like how Tadashi Nishimoto originally photographed it, with stronger blacks and everything.

[leon00]

Enter the Dragon deleted footage.

[CT KID]

Well that deleted footage was interesting, didn't know they had shot footage of Mai Ling fighting the guards and perhaps performing some daredevil moves on a motorcycle? That would have been cool to see!

[DragonClaws]

10 hours ago, CT KID said:

Well that deleted footage was interesting, didn't know they had shot footage of Mai Ling fighting the guards

 

Someone posted a series of picture's taken from this scene last year, I just cant recall who it was?.

 

 

18 hours ago, leon00 said:

Enter the Dragon deleted footage.

 

Appreciate you posting these, you can find more re-sized versions of them in the older posts/original article too. Which have all been available in books/magazines and on forums over the year's.

 

Edited April 17, 2020 by DragonClaws

[PandaPawPaw]

Who was that guy in the UK who has the uncut version of The Big Boss? I remember HKL trying to get that footage but nothing came of it (rights issue I think)?

Edited April 17, 2020 by PandaPawPaw

[Pup From The North]

12 hours ago, PandaPawPaw said:

Who was that guy in the UK who has the uncut version of The Big Boss? I remember HKL trying to get that footage but nothing came of it (rights issue I think)?

Steve Kerridge was the man said to have it. He admitted he does not. He also admitted he aided the spread of the rumour if I remember correctly.

[PandaPawPaw]

8 hours ago, Pup From The North said:

Steve Kerridge was the man said to have it. He admitted he does not. He also admitted he aided the spread of the rumour if I remember correctly.

Well that sucks.

[DragonClaws]

 

 

[DragonClaws]

 

It's known that Bruce Lee spent additonal time filming on the Enter The Dragon mirror room set. After the American crew had left Hong Kong, but have any actual pictures been released from this part of the production?.

 

Edited September 17, 2020 by DragonClaws

[Red Lion]

There is always one scene that bugs me in enter the dragon which i believe is missing footage and that is the scene where bruce is fighting the guards just before the nunchuka scene. He hits one of the guards into the prison cell bars and the prisoners grab him. You hear him struggling and then the scene cuts away to some generic prisoner shots and the next shot the guy is lying on the ground and the action starts up again. It just screams censored to me as the scene doesnt flow at all and I've never seen anyone else mention this scene when talking about missing footage. Anyone got any ideas?

[PandaPawPaw]

42 minutes ago, Red Lion said:

There is always one scene that bugs me in enter the dragon which i believe is missing footage and that is the scene where bruce is fighting the guards just before the nunchuka scene. He hits one of the guards into the prison cell bars and the prisoners grab him. You hear him struggling and then the scene cuts away to some generic prisoner shots and the next shot the guy is lying on the ground and the action starts up again. It just screams censored to me as the scene doesnt flow at all and I've never seen anyone else mention this scene when talking about missing footage. Anyone got any ideas?

Yeah that always bothered me too as does the end of the Bolo/Roper fight. Bolo gets kicked in the balls and is hunched over in pain then a shot of Han watching it and then bam Bolo's on the floor.

I think it's down to just bad editing but very shoddy considering the big budget.

[Red Lion]

6 minutes ago, PandaPawPaw said:

Yeah that always bothered me too as does the end of the Bolo/Roper fight. Bolo gets kicked in the balls and is hunched over in pain then a shot of Han watching it and then bam Bolo's on the floor.

I think it's down to just bad editing but very shoddy considering the big budget.

See I would have just put it down to bad editing as well but there are literally no other parts in the film with editing that bad (that i can think of) and the fact we had interviews (think it may have been John Saxon) confirming that the Bolo/Roper fight was cut down and eliminated a second part of that fight. 

[PandaPawPaw]

37 minutes ago, Red Lion said:

See I would have just put it down to bad editing as well but there are literally no other parts in the film with editing that bad (that i can think of) and the fact we had interviews (think it may have been John Saxon) confirming that the Bolo/Roper fight was cut down and eliminated a second part of that fight. 

It makes you wonder what footage Warner Bros have in their vaults.

[Red Lion]

It does indeed.

[DragonClaws]

On 9/19/2020 at 4:27 AM, Red Lion said:

There is always one scene that bugs me in enter the dragon which i believe is missing footage and that is the scene where bruce is fighting the guards just before the nunchuka scene. He hits one of the guards into the prison cell bars and the prisoners grab him. You hear him struggling and then the scene cuts away to some generic prisoner shots and the next shot the guy is lying on the ground and the action starts up again. It just screams censored to me as the scene doesnt flow at all and I've never seen anyone else mention this scene when talking about missing footage. Anyone got any ideas?

 

Click on the link below for my thoughts on this sequence.