The Gang of Five
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The missing footage.

WeirdRaptor

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I'm sure everyone here is familiar with this story. Spielberg and Lucas thought that the first cut of LBT was too lng and scary for kids (which is utter bull, men) and made Bluth trim it down.

Now, this is just for some fun debate, but: what do you think the extra footage was, and/or what do you hope it was? And how much would you like to see this ideal extra footage?
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." -Gandalf


Petrie.

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Way back in 2001 I had a page online dedicated to this deleted stuff and all sorts of theories, but I no longer have the file since I've gone through a few computers since then.  Malte might still have all that text.


Malte279

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Parts of the missing footage are known. Don Bluth wrote in his toontalk magazine that nineteen fully colored Rex scenes were cut from the movie. Between 8 and 9 minutes were cut. Not all scenes are scary T-Rex scenes though. The original story was that Littlefoot found the Great Valley shortly after his quarrel with Cera, but rather than entering it he turned back to get the other who he knew were on the wrong way. There are some images which prove this scene was actually created. There are two pictures showing Littlefoot at the waterfall above the Great Valley. In one of which he turns back. Neither of these pictures has been in the movie. As for scary sharptooth scenes, one cut scene was even part of the trailer, but not of the movie. You can see Ducky in shallow water pulling faces at somebody who is almost certain to be sharptooth, for suddenly you see a shadow and Ducky looks quite terrified. The scene was most likely cut from the final fight of the sharptooth. Some LBT books published along with the movie include scene which I think may well have been part of the original concept. An example is one book telling that sharptooth lost an eye when he pursued Littlefoot and Cera through the thorny shrub. There is a scene in the movie in which a thorny twig snaps into his face and you can several times see that something doesn't seem to be quite alright with one of sharptooth's eyes. Maybe scenes about this were cut. As Don Bluth had problems to consider Sharptooth (who only obeyed the laws of nature) a villain, he may have attempted to give him some evil quality by pursuing Littlefoot because of revengefulnes.
There was a page (I have the text saved somewhere) claiming in a trustworthy manner that Don Bluth meant the movie to be 35 minutes longer than it is now. He was overruled, so those 35 minutes were never produced. Some LBT books published in 1988 give scenes which may have never been produced (though I can neither prove that they were nor that they weren't) but which may have been part of this 35 minutes concept. There is one scene in which Littlefoot and the others reach an oasis whose water is guarded by bigmouthes while the trees are guarded by domeheads. Neither of them shares with the others and neither is willing to share with the kids (except for the bigmouthes allowing their kinfold, Ducky, to drink). The way it is described in that book that scene seems to have made quite an impression on Cera and helped to cure some of her racism.
Finally there is a scene which was not in the movie, though a picture of it was used in cinema displays in 1988. The scene must take place right after Spike's birth. You can see Ducky, Littlefoot, and Petrie gathered around sleeping Spike. Ducky apparently tries to make him come along luring him with a stick from which some red berries dangle. You can see that very stick in the movie, in the scene after Spike's birth. Another picture of that scene was published on the official land before time page and you could see Spike sleeping while Ducky standing in front of him turned her head to Littlefoot (right behind her), apparently talking to him. Some of the 1988 books suggest that Cera argued against the plan to adopt Spike.


WeirdRaptor

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Interesting. For sure, I think cutting any footage of the T-rex's movites was a bad move on Spielberg and Lucus'es part. I also like the idea of Littlefoot finding the Great Valley beforehand, but turning to help his friends.

Here's to the hope of a Director's Cut someday. *Toasts*
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." -Gandalf


Petrie.

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Quote from: WeirdRaptor,Sep 10 2005 on  07:33 PM
Interesting. For sure, I think cutting any footage of the T-rex's movites was a bad move on Spielberg and Lucus'es part. I also like the idea of Littlefoot finding the Great Valley beforehand, but turning to help his friends.

Here's to the hope of a Director's Cut someday. *Toasts*
There is some conclusive proof that Littlefoot found the valley beforehand--listen to the soundtrack.  In the track "The Rescue/Discovery of the Great Valley" before the action sequence there is a huge orchestral sequence that just grows as if someone has found something amazing, and since this particular arrangement is NOT in the film, there likely was something cut where Littlefoot decided to save his friends instead of staying in the valley.


WeirdRaptor

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I wasn't saying that I didn't that the footage didn't exist, I'm just saying that the idea sounds interesting. Which is why I added, "Here's to the hopes of a LBT: Director's Cut".
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." -Gandalf


Petrie.

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I would suspect that we could get one since since LBT has been able to be a successful franchise but since other impressive Bluth films (namely Secret of NIMH) have surpassed their 20th Anniversary without so much as a decent dvd release, I wonder if the film companies have something against Bluth.  <_<

If LBT doesn't get a special release in either its 20th or 25th anniversary at the latest, I think it never will because lets face it...Bluth and Goldman aren't getting any younger, and neither is the film print that is probably just catching dust in a warehouse somewhere.  :(


Stitch

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Actually, there may be something more in the works.  I was just surfing Wikipedia, and according to their LBT article, there is a theatrical re-release scheduled for 2008.  Hopefully, it's true.


WeirdRaptor

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"An American Tail" has a special edition coming up.
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." -Gandalf