Paranoia (A Truman Show Fanedit)

Updated
 
9.6 (22)
3844 0 1 0 14

User reviews

22 reviews
 
82%
 
18%
5-7 stars
 
0%
3-5 stars
 
0%
1-3 stars
 
0%
Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.8(22)
Audio Editing
 
9.7(22)
Visual Editing
 
9.4(22)
Narrative
 
9.6(22)
Enjoyment
 
9.5(22)
Back to Listing
22 results - showing 1 - 5
1 2 3 4 5
Ordering
Overall rating
 
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
What a compelling re-structuring this truly is!

I have not re-watched this since it was on the big screen (disc remains shrink wrapped)....and yet this is the story I recall BUT now incredibly more compelling.

I was forewarned about the B&W from having read the reviews, and for the most part I found it was consistently used and when it was not, frankly I forgot to notice since I was so immersed in this.

My only minor quibble I communicated to the editor directly, and it would be churlish of me to dock points or even re-state it hear since it is a minor "preference" observation only...so it's a 10 in that category.

THIS IS WHAT FANEDITs are all about for me...peeling back the layers of the onion to reveal more of what was already there....
EXCELLENT WORK!
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 2 0
Overall rating
 
8.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
8.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
6.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
Such a cool edit. Concept was great and execution was nearly flawless. The B&W scenes were great, but I can't say I was a fan of the “Technicolor-esque filter" on the rest of it. Looked off and distracting. But the concept was brilliant and the narrative was a very creative take on the original. I love edits like this that take something that's already great and present a new spin on it. Highly recommended to fans of the original.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 2 0
Overall rating
 
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
Possibly The Truman Show is one of my favorite Jim Carry films.

Paranoia makes it a totally different film from the original and it is very appreciated. The complete change of the OST is a success, although there are some moments (where the bus stops) when the original music is heard over the top, which is why I lowered it to 9 stars.
The rest is perfect

my congratulations to Paulisdead2221

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0
(Updated: September 14, 2022)
Overall rating
 
9.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
7.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
I like The Truman Show a lot more than I think I should. In fact, I'll even go so far as to say it's one of my favorite movies! The acting performances are wonderful. Jim Carrey's performance as the title character might be his finest. Ed Harris is great as the main villain. Laura Linney and Noah Emmerich are both fun as well as disturbing in their supporting roles. And the plot manages to succeed at being both chilling and inspiring at the same time. A powerful combination that few movies are able to pull off. So being the diehard fan of anything revolving around Truman, it should come as no surprise that I wanted to see this edit the moment I heard of its existence. This edit is very close to being amazing. But there's a problem with it that kicks it down to just very good. This is still worth your time, and my overall advice is "go watch this." But there's one thing this edit could've done differently that would've made it even better. I'll explain what it is in a minute.

First off, there is a lot that I love about this alternate take on The Truman Show. I think the aesthetic gives it a nice crossbreed between David Lynch, Alfred Hitchcock, Darren Aronofsky, and quite a few Twilight Zone episodes. I'm also a huge fan of Vertigo, and it'll come as no surprise that I enjoyed hearing Bernard Herrmann's legendary score throughout this edit. The removal of everything outside the show gives the film a good paranoid thriller feel (similar to movies like The Conversation, for example), and I have to say that quite a few of the static effects freaked me out in all the right ways.

Unfortunately, this edit has a flaw, and it breaks my heart to say it, but my problem is with the color grading. On paper, the combination of color and B&W is a great idea. The fictional town of Seahaven is deserving of this kind of treatment, and it makes sense in a '50's-60's era sort of way. So, what's wrong, you ask? The problem is that the color and B&W cameras are all at random. In the first two scenes, you might think there's a pattern. The tiny, microscopic camera in Truman's bathroom is in B&W, and when he heads out the door, the faraway cameras are in full color. I like that idea, and I wish the rest of the edit stuck with that kind of pattern. But when we get to Truman's office, and there's a hidden camera when he's looking through the magazine, the hidden camera shot is now in full color. My beef with this is the lack of attention to detail. You see, back in the 1950s and 1960s, black and white film was cheaper and more affordable, and while it is true that color film was increasing in popularity at this point, it was still risky to shoot in color. This is why the 1968 horror classic Night of the Living Dead was shot in B&W. This is also why Alfred Hitchcock shot Psycho in B&W as well despite shooting Vertigo and North by Northwest in color a few years back (courtesy of VistaVision, mind you). So if we are going to apply '50's-'60s aesthetics to something like The Truman Show, a director like Christof would probably place the color cameras in safer or less risky places, while B&W cameras would be placed in more dangerous situations (like the button cameras or the cameras on the ocean, for example). This is because B&W cameras would be easier to replace if something bad happened to one of them (and knowing that there are 5000 cameras around from watching the original, Christof would very much be concerned about the costs since those cameras ain't cheap). I know that what I'm suggesting is about as much fun as a root canal for the editor, but having a working knowledge of the differences between B&W and color film is necessary for an edit like this.

It's such a shame too, because if it hadn't been for that mistake, this edit could arguably be one of my favorites. I love The Truman Show, and I love the general idea and philosophy behind this edit. Had the color grading been less distracting, this edit would be a huge winner for me. As it stands, it's still worth watching, and I'm going to recommend this one wholeheartedly anyway. Just be aware that if your camerawork senses tingle a lot, this edit might bother you a little.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0
Overall rating
 
8.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
7.0
Enjoyment
 
5.0
*Disclaimer: Nothing in this review is meant to disparage the editor's immense skill and effort. I appreciate both, regardless of my feelings about the final product.*

I really wish I loved this edit. The concept is genius, and largely well-executed. I sincerely congratulate the editor on the creativity, passion, and technical expertise that obviously went into this edit. Unfortunately, its shortcomings are such that I cannot give my recommendation.

First and foremost, I disagree strongly with the decision to fluctuate between color and grayscale. The intention, as stated by the editor, was to use "a high-contrast black and white filter for 'hidden camera' shots". With all due respect to the editor, I feel this was a bad choice, executed poorly. The decision as to which shots were from a "hidden camera" seemed to be completely arbitrary, if not flat-out nonsensical.

The editor has graciously provided the first ten minutes of this edit on Vimeo, so I'll use some examples from that footage. A little after 6:00, Truman passes a billboard with a hidden camera on it, (the black ball in the top center). The twins speak to Truman, and even push him against the billboard aggressively to ensure they are visible on the hidden camera. But when the viewer's POV switches to that camera's perspective at 6:14, the footage remains in color. Other shots have the exact opposite problem, having been converted to grayscale when it cannot possibly be "hidden camera" footage. For instance, at 9:41, the hidden camera providing the audience's POV seems to be floating invisibly in the empty sky above Truman.

Of course, all of this ignores the issue with the very premise of including conspicuous "hidden camera" footage when the explicit intention of the edit is to remove "all explicit references and evidence to the viewer that Truman is part of an elaborate reality show centered around his life". If the goal is to create mystery behind whether or not Truman's entire life is being filmed, it seems counterintuitive to give the audience that exact information from the outset.

However, I insist upon ending this review on a positive note, and there is much to admire about what the editor has accomplished. On a technical level, the editing was flawless, with the sole and understandable exception of the driving sequence (which the editor was forced to accelerate due to a soundtrack bleed). The "new" score for the film is a delight, and masterfully integrated.

If the editor converted the entire film to grayscale, this would be a far better edit. A few tweaks beyond that, and it could easily become one of the best edits on the site. However, in its present form, this edit is far inferior to the source material.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
No
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0
22 results - showing 1 - 5
1 2 3 4 5