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Huntress : Dead On Arrival - A DCEU Edit of Kate (2021)

Wakeupkeo

Wakeupkeo

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I do LOVE my DCEU, so any chance to add to that franchise is a worthy challenge IMO.
This is an edit of a Netflix movie that was released on Sept 10, 2021. After consulting with Dig, this edit should fall within the rules.

Bad Movies made Less Bad Presents:
  • An edit of Kate (Netflix 2021) that removes all name references, so the movie can be within the DCEU. Sometime after the events in Gotham (Birds of Prey), Huntress resolves to tie up loose ends for the man who trained her from a young age. Things do not go as planned.
From a shallow POV, its a copy of “The Wolverine” (Japan setting) and Logan (Dies at the end, mentors a protégé) but since the script is also a rip off of the 1950s film D.O.A., I lean into that – trying to leave some mystery as long as possible.

Main Changes Planned:
  • Attempt to give the Japanese aspects as much respect as possible.
  • Dialogue tightened throughout to remove as many cringy lines as possible.
  • Shots in fight scenes where Huntress looks anything but badass are removed as much as possible, fight scenes tightened for better intensity and flow.
  • Some scene reordering for more narrative mystery.
In response to some great feedback of earlier drafts of this edit, I plan to add more of Huntress's backstory from BoP to this official IFDB release, and remove the references to "Seasonal" as her call sign.

More info to come!

9bUGjLf.jpg
 
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I quite liked the film as is - the script isn't anything special but IMO it's clearly drawing from Crank with the central plot mcguffin. I'm interested to see how it works when reframed as a BoP follow-up.

Are you keeping the contract killer part of the storyline?
 
That One Guy said:
Are you keeping the contract killer part of the storyline?
Click to expand...
Mostly, but framed as her past during her training by assassins, with the Osaka events happening before BoP. Now she is just back to finish up a job as a favor to her mentor. She's still more of an anti-hero than a real "hero".
 
I'm not very knowledgeable about comic history, but I was doing some research on this edit, I love that part of her mythos is that she crusades to put an end to the crime families. All the violence in this edit is focused on yakuza gangs, so I think this edit ends up working well within the overall idea of Helena Bertinelli, pre New-52. Also that Varrick's agency COULD be Spyral.


Wrapping this edit up now!
Here is the final Cut List:
  • Opening Osaka scene removed, used later as flashbacks
  • Movie opens with Huntress telling Varrick she is done working for him. Dialogue edited to remove Kate name and extra exposition.
  • Bar scene dialogue edited to be a basic hotel bar hookup.
  • Dialogue with Agency during the Huntress agency missions (possibly Spyral) removes “Seasonal” codename for Huntress.
  • First flashback heavily trimmed and mixed with flashback footage from Birds of Prey movie (Now added more flashback footage including the full Bertinelli Massacre and young Varrick's eyes given a slightly blue hue to better match his older eyes)
  • Doctor scene trimmed to remove some exposition and Huntress knocking items off table
  • Huntress hospital escape scene trimmed to remove some of the discussion by the security staff, so Huntress stealing the cop’s gun is more believable. After Effects and Topaz used to remove burned in subtitles of cop dialogue.
  • Dialogue in confrontation with Stephen and wife trimmed heavily to introduce the Kijima Clan first, then mention Sato.
  • Dialogue in Bathroom scene with Stephen’s wife trimmed to remove Boom Boom Lemon mention and their chat about “remembering her”
  • Dialogue with Varrick trimmed to remove her name, and to remove the obvious signs (odd looks) that something is fishy with Varrick.
  • Shots of Huntress sneaking Black Lizard removed.
  • Fight scene at Black Lotus trimmed to keep Huntress as badass as possible, tightening fight sequences for brutality.
  • Club scene trimmed to remove flashback of Ani in the alley with her dead dad.
  • Renji office scene FX to change Kate’s name on one of the screens to a Spyral Dossier on Huntress
  • Huntress and Gang fight in alley trimmed for more badass-ness
  • Dialogue during the attempted execution of Ani trimmed to just be about her mixed heritage.
  • Huntress alley flashback rebuild to focus on Helena losing her brother in the Massacre as a similar helpless child victim
  • Ani and Huntress alley dialogue trimmed to remove some exposition
  • Ani making fun of Boom Boom Lemon at the vending machine removed
  • Ani and Huntress picnic table dialogue trimmed to remove some of Ani fawning over Huntress
  • Jojima fight start trimmed to remove any gunfire that might alert security, Ani shooting Huntress removed
  • Huntress phone call with Varrick dialogue trimmed to remove Helena name and her revealing Kijima’s location
  • Ani and Huntress taxi ride dialogue trimmed
  • Ani and Varrick alley dialogue trimmed to remove Kate name
  • Osaka hit scene moved to alley discussion when Varrick reveals the truth to Ani. Flashback edited to remove shots of Ani’s braces, removing signs this event was more recent.
  • Huntress “head wound recovery flashback” scene rebuilt to focus Ani’s progressing mirroring Huntresses own path toward violence from Varrick’s guidance
  • As he walks up to her, Kijima line that he found Huntress medicine removed, burnt-in subtitle removed with After Effects
  • Huntress getting up from gunshot wound removed
  • Renji and Varrick meeting dialogue has been heavily trimmed to remove some of the most cringy lines and get straight to the point
  • Kijima in limo outright saying “Boom Boom Lemon?” removed
  • During Tower shootout scene, most scenes of Renji and Varrick reacting and planning their defensiveness trimmed. Some tower shootout scenes trimmed and reordered to keeping Huntress as badass as possible
  • Final Huntress/Varrick confrontation dialogue heavily trimmed.
  • Huntress death scene intermixed with end credits, dialogue trimmed and slightly rebuilt to have Huntress’s last line to Ani be “Be someone less angry”
 
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So cool! Can't wait to rediscover this edit! Love the idea of retconning the agency to Agent 37 Spyral. The long time DC fan that I am is boiling with impatience!
 
Hmmm. This has me thinking...
I'm don't know if this would be worth it to the comic fans like you, but the female radio voice that speaks to her might be able to be removed completely...

Which would leave room for the possibility to add new dialogue to make it Spyral-specific.

Does anyone know of tv shows or movies that have the Spyral agency in it that might have some ideas? Is it worth it for one more easter egg for only the serious comic fans?
 
Unfortunately no, Spyral didn't appear in any DC related media so far, as I'm aware. But I can think of something, the woman giving instructions to Huntress during her missions may be Agent Zero's daughter, Headmistress (Kathy Kane), also known as the first Batwoman. Adding "Agent Zero:" for a reinterpretation of the character, before her lines in the subtitles can be a cool and easy easter egg.
 
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SPYRAL is fairly new to the DCU. Unlike MARVEL which has had SHIELD since the 1960s, DC has never had a consistent long term spy agency. OSS, ARGUS, CHECKMATE, D.E.O., SHADE, and on and on. It seems with every change of the editorial guard or line wide reboot, a new agency appears.
 
bionicbob said:
SPYRAL is fairly new to the DCU. Unlike MARVEL which has had SHIELD since the 1960s, DC has never had a consistent long term spy agency. OSS, ARGUS, CHECKMATE, D.E.O., SHADE, and on and on. It seems with every change of the editorial guard or line wide reboot, a new agency appears.
Click to expand...

The only consistent one is ARGUS, isn't Checkmate just a branch of the Task Force X program under ARGUS and not a distinctive agency of her own? I heard of them, but I'm not familiar with their stories.
 
DirtyCop1036 said:
The only consistent one is ARGUS, isn't Checkmate just a branch of the Task Force X program under ARGUS and not a distinctive agency of her own? I heard of them, but I'm not familiar with their stories.
Click to expand...
Technically, CHECKMATE and TASK FORCE X, predate ARGUS.

ARGUS was created in 2012.

Both Checkmate and Task Force X were post-COIE creations, post-Legends, circa '87 or 88??? Originally separate rival agencies.

But yes, I think post-Nu52, all these agencies have been put under the umbrella of Argus. But DC's continuity has been in chaotic flux for the past decade, so I really have no idea what everything's present status is... lol
 
Golden Age, Silver Age, Post-Crisis, Infinite Crisis, New 52, Rebirth...and probably more reboots to come 😅

I don't know if DC loves its fans or hates them.
 
Yes! This is the comic info I need! Make sense there's not a lot of history as I have been researching but info is a bit lacking.

I like the idea of Agent Zero but since it might seem too close to the top for Varrick to betray them. But referencing her might be fun.

If I only add a subtitle name to the radio voice, its no big deal. But if I replace the voice, I might have to use a "Siri-like" automated voice or my own LOL
 
DirtyCop1036 said:
Golden Age, Silver Age, Post-Crisis, Infinite Crisis, New 52, Rebirth...and probably more reboots to come 😅

I don't know if DC loves its fans or hates them.
Click to expand...

I am not sure the current DC Management even thinks about longtime fans anymore. The seem more concerned with chasing whatever is "popular" to generate immediate short term sales bumps, rather than considering what is good for the long term brand, the readership and their stable of iconic characters.

Ever since long time DC president Jenette Kahn retired in 2002, DC has lacked strong consistent leadership with long term creative vision.
The continual behind the scenes editorial tug of war between Geoff Johns and Dan Didio -- Johns, a storyteller with a love of DC History and Didio, who sole mission was Sales, Sales, Sales -- generated a rollercoaster decade of quality stories.
But with the entry of Jim Lee into the hierarchy, and eventual firing/departure of both Didio and Johns, DC has lumbered, stumbled and staggered from one reboot after another and another, chasing a dwindling readership with "EVENTS" rather than Good Stories.
Of course, the buy out of DC by AT&T (and now Discovery) did not help matters, as the budget for DC Comics was slashed and the majority of experienced (ie, expensive) Editors and Writers were let go.

Oops, I think this may have turned into a Rant? LOL

My apologies to @Wakeupkeo for hijacking the thread. 🤪
 
bionicbob said:
I am not sure the current DC Management even thinks about longtime fans anymore. The seem more concerned with chasing whatever is "popular" to generate immediate short term sales bumps, rather than considering what is good for the long term brand, the readership and their stable of iconic characters.

Ever since long time DC president Jenette Kahn retired in 2002, DC has lacked strong consistent leadership with long term creative vision.
The continual behind the scenes editorial tug of war between Geoff Johns and Dan Didio -- Johns, a storyteller with a love of DC History and Didio, who sole mission was Sales, Sales, Sales -- generated a rollercoaster decade of quality stories.
But with the entry of Jim Lee into the hierarchy, and eventual firing/departure of both Didio and Johns, DC has lumbered, stumbled and staggered from one reboot after another and another, chasing a dwindling readership with "EVENTS" rather than Good Stories.
Of course, the buy out of DC by AT&T (and now Discovery) did not help matters, as the budget for DC Comics was slashed and the majority of experienced (ie, expensive) Editors and Writers were let go.

Oops, I think this may have turned into a Rant? LOL

My apologies to @Wakeupkeo for hijacking the thread. 🤪
Click to expand...

True, wasn't aware of all these details, but the way they recently trashed Watchmen and the Joker mythos with these godawful Doomsday Clock and Three Jokers stories proves that the ship is sinking with no one knowing how to maneuver it.
 
Love all this @bionicbob and @DirtyCop1036 !!

Okay, how's this for an easter egg? Here's the original scene with Renji's info on "Kate Watkins" on the screens.

qyz41Pk.jpg


Originally I have just removed her name. But I can do better. Using the best of what little Spyral graphics has ever been revealed, I am pulling the Spyral Name Typograhic logo, and the circle Web with the eye.
s-l400.jpg


to create a custom Spyral Dossier for Huntress that might have been given to Renji from Varrick.

T6O35AC.jpg
 
Holy Cow look at that! Well that's just top-tier easter egg you made!

I gave a first look at v2, must say that the flashback scenes work wonderfully. Also like how you managed to make the eyes of the actor who play Varrick in BoP blue, small details are everything.
 
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Nice TBM! I know wo both had this idea when the movie first came out, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and maybe any ideas to improve it or add more easter eggs.

I just finished v2.07 with the new dossier, I'll PM you the link!
 
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