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- Buckaroo Banzai: The VHS TV Edition
Buckaroo Banzai: The VHS TV Edition
Updated
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie Title:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1984
Original Running Time:
103
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
60
Time Cut:
56
Time Added:
13
Subtitles Available?
Additional Links:
Brief Synopsis:
The original movie has been re-visualized as long lost VHS recording of a Network television show from 1986. It has been edited into a typical 47 minute length episode with created Opening & Closing Titles and commercial breaks. Authentic commercials from 1986 (of a lower video quality) have been used. The movie has been reframed/cropped as 640x480 with Pan & Scan where needed, and slightly degraded with the use of Gaussian Blur and a VHS tracking overlay to help sell the illusion of VHS.
Intention:
BUCKAROO BANZAI is one of my all-time favourite movies! I honestly think it is PERFECT in all of it's Bonkers Splendor. But I got the idea to create this 1986 tv style edit when fellow editor Jrzag42 was openly discussing his fan edit ideas for BB. The idea of creating a similarly bonkers style tv episode where the audience is just dumped into the middle of an ongoing adventure that would have no conclusion, was a temptation I just could not resist! lol
Other Sources:
Tales of the Gold Monkey
The West Wing
Eddie and the Cruisers
Beauty and the Beast (1987)
This Island Earth
Ghostbuster (1984)
V: The Series (1984)
Man From Atlantis
Monster Squad
The Amazing Captain Nemo
The West Wing
Eddie and the Cruisers
Beauty and the Beast (1987)
This Island Earth
Ghostbuster (1984)
V: The Series (1984)
Man From Atlantis
Monster Squad
The Amazing Captain Nemo
Special Thanks:
So many people supported this project, but in particular I want to again thank Addiesin, for without whom, none of this would have been possible. :)
Release Information:
Digital
Trailer
User reviews
11 reviews
Overall rating
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
10.0(11)
Audio Editing
10.0(11)
Visual Editing
9.6(11)
Narrative
9.8(11)
Enjoyment
9.7(11)
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Overall rating
9.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
6.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
9.0
This actually felt like an actual episode from an Buckaroo Banzai show. The VHS filters and look could be better, but its still a pretty fanedit. Great job in converting the movie into an 1-hour movie.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
C
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
This was awesome! It hits all the plot points, in a convenient, travel-sized 1 hour episode. Honestly, it felt exactly like a TV episode. And the commercials were amazing too.
What a fun experiment, 10/10 would recommend!!
What a fun experiment, 10/10 would recommend!!
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
T
Overall rating
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
9.0
Although from the wrong era and continent, seeing this presentation brought me right back to watching programs recorded on VHS twenty-odd years ago. The style of the film is adapted so well into the new format that you would not know that is started out as a widescreen film, in-fact I think the short format helps in a way to make the story more digestible (not the greatest fan of the original). The only issue is that now I wish there were more episodes!
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
P
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
If i could turn back time.... if I could find a way... I would get Bionic Bob to go back and actually complete a full Buckaroo Banzai TV series. This edit is a pure joy, from start to finish. It's like a big hug of nostalgia for anyone growing up in the 80's like me - the kind of hug that leaves you wanting to tune in for next week's episode.
Initially, I must say that it took me a few minutes to adjust to the nature of this edit. The degrading of the picture, the inconsistencies in the audio levels... I started to get all critical, with my fanediting brain saying, why is the hiss that's been added a bit too loud, why do the commercials sound loud one minute and then quiet the next. Then, I just relaxed and got totally drawn in - after all, the varying quality here is kind of the point of this VHS style edit.
The great thing here is that it's not overdone. I have seen some edits of this kind try far too hard to make it feel "old", or as if it's been sourced from an old VHS tape that's suddenly been discovered, to the point where it just doesn't work. This is not the case here however. Bob has done an excellent balancing job, and by half way through I genuinely felt like I had been transported back to watching TV back in the 80's. That's the ultimate success of this edit. The advert break transitions work a treat, the choice of adverts made me smile (even though most of them I'm not familiar with, as I'm from the UK and we didn't get all these adverts back in the day) and I particularly loved the NBC indents.
As for making Buckaroo Banazai a TV series? It actually works far better than I thought. The idea of landing us half way through a story, and then have no ending as such... it could be seen as a bit much, but you know what? It's brilliant. Indeed, the concept of this whole edit is pure genius in my eyes. It kinda should not work... but it does. It works beautifully.
Scoring this kind of edit is very difficult... perfect 10's across the board for me, as it's not an edit that is trying to obtain the perfect quality... but when you judge it on what it's setting out to achieve, it does it perfectly. All in all, highly recommended for anyone wanting to take a trip back to watching TV in the 80's.... now, if only I could uncover the VHS tape for the next episode.
Initially, I must say that it took me a few minutes to adjust to the nature of this edit. The degrading of the picture, the inconsistencies in the audio levels... I started to get all critical, with my fanediting brain saying, why is the hiss that's been added a bit too loud, why do the commercials sound loud one minute and then quiet the next. Then, I just relaxed and got totally drawn in - after all, the varying quality here is kind of the point of this VHS style edit.
The great thing here is that it's not overdone. I have seen some edits of this kind try far too hard to make it feel "old", or as if it's been sourced from an old VHS tape that's suddenly been discovered, to the point where it just doesn't work. This is not the case here however. Bob has done an excellent balancing job, and by half way through I genuinely felt like I had been transported back to watching TV back in the 80's. That's the ultimate success of this edit. The advert break transitions work a treat, the choice of adverts made me smile (even though most of them I'm not familiar with, as I'm from the UK and we didn't get all these adverts back in the day) and I particularly loved the NBC indents.
As for making Buckaroo Banazai a TV series? It actually works far better than I thought. The idea of landing us half way through a story, and then have no ending as such... it could be seen as a bit much, but you know what? It's brilliant. Indeed, the concept of this whole edit is pure genius in my eyes. It kinda should not work... but it does. It works beautifully.
Scoring this kind of edit is very difficult... perfect 10's across the board for me, as it's not an edit that is trying to obtain the perfect quality... but when you judge it on what it's setting out to achieve, it does it perfectly. All in all, highly recommended for anyone wanting to take a trip back to watching TV in the 80's.... now, if only I could uncover the VHS tape for the next episode.
L
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
This is my first fan edit ever and it is the best ever! The way BionicBob adds ad breaks in between is genius. If I could, I would put this on blu-ray to own forever.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
T