Shattered Hopes (film by Ric Osuna & Katco)

[Dan the Damned]

I'm sure we're to blame somehow...

[Shawn]

I'm sure we're to blame somehow...

duh.

[sherbetbizarre]

Talk about taking a public dump then fleeing the scene...

Ok guys....let me tell you how close we are to being done! Your director hasn't had a real vacation in years. Today, I finished my passport renewal and I am looking at airfare to Australia! As soon as we wrap P3, I am on vacation! Motivation to get this baby wrapped!

[Dan the Damned]

If he's not taking a vacation until Part III wraps, seems a waste to renew his passport now. Those things only last 10 years, ya know...

[msmart112]

What's with the game show host persona?

Egomania.

It's especially pathetic...

Okay guys....there is a second set of DeFeo crime scene photos. True or false?

...when he's already given the answer...

There was a second, unofficial set of crime scene photos taken that night that have some very interesting angles of the house and capture pictures of police personnel processing the scene.

[Brendan72]

Today, I finished my passport renewal and I am looking at airfare to Australia!

Just what this country needs ...

[Dan the Damned]

At long last, we have a functioning, full rough cut of Part II. Very, very pleased....2:57 run time, which is much longer than I anticipated, but the pacing is intense. Over the next weeks, we'll be finalizing....but suffice to say, you're going to be seeing this in under 60 days!

No we won't. There's no way he will get this out in 60 days. That's June 15th. Nope. Won't happen. Just like how he promised back in December that Part Three would be released today. He continues to give himself deadlines that he just can't keep. After years of doing this, you'd think he'd have a more realistic timetable...

[Shawn]

Today, I finished my passport renewal and I am looking at airfare to Australia!

Just what this country needs ...

Im guessing that his arrival is going to be nothing like Abba's......

[sherbetbizarre]

At long last, we have a functioning, full rough cut of Part II. Very, very pleased....2:57 run time, which is much longer than I anticipated, but the pacing is intense. Over the next weeks, we'll be finalizing....but suffice to say, you're going to be seeing this in under 60 days!

No we won't. There's no way he will get this out in 60 days. That's June 15th. Nope. Won't happen. Just like how he promised back in December that Part Three would be released today. He continues to give himself deadlines that he just can't keep. After years of doing this, you'd think he'd have a more realistic timetable...

I don't think I've ever seen a show or movie where the pacing is "intense" for three solid hours...


This will either be epic or give people huge headaches.

[Shawn]

At long last, we have a functioning, full rough cut of Part II. Very, very pleased....2:57 run time, which is much longer than I anticipated, but the pacing is intense. Over the next weeks, we'll be finalizing....but suffice to say, you're going to be seeing this in under 60 days!

No we won't. There's no way he will get this out in 60 days. That's June 15th. Nope. Won't happen. Just like how he promised back in December that Part Three would be released today. He continues to give himself deadlines that he just can't keep. After years of doing this, you'd think he'd have a more realistic timetable...

I don't think I've ever seen a show or movie where the pacing is "intense" for three solid hours...


This will either be epic or give people huge headaches.

Oh come on Sherb. Really. kill bill part two was epic, and gave huge headaches. That's why it was so intense. Unfortunately for Ryan, he is no Quentin Quarantino, nor ever will be.

[sherbetbizarre]

Ah, but at least the Kill Bill movies had moments of calm. This sounds like it will be a non-stop barrage of mayhem!

But at least it won't be a full 3 hours...

Over the next two weeks, we're paying a visit to the "cutting room." For two solid weeks, we'll review the film over and over, and slice and dice the unnecessary fat.

I hope he's not just talking about himself when he says "we" - as this obviously needs a fresh pair of eyes, but he always attributes any editing decisions to himself alone.

[Shawn]

Ryan broke the mold dude. first ever situation where the freakin producer thinks he is more important than the subject. Not even Rob Zombie will put himself in a credited role, much less the lions share of his dialogue.

Geraldine is not nearly as embarrassing as his role was(in his tardi~io~mentary). By a long shot.

[sherbetbizarre]

On the interview you just linked to Ryan promises Part II will come 60 days after Part I, and then Part III will come 60 days after Part II. So I guess we're looking at this timeframe now:

Part I - Dec 16, 2011
Part II - Feb 16, 2012
Part III - April 16, 2012

However:

Ripping through Part II. Expect to hear about a release date by mid-May, but suffice to say....it won't be long now!

GoonieNick must have blue balls by now...

[Dan the Damned]

And mid-May is only when we hear about a release date -- not when the DVD gets released.

Will this come out before mid-June (as promised the other week)?

Will his fans living in California (all 8 of them) be able to buy a copy since this won't be sold via Amazon?

Will Part II contain more exciting recreations of Ric Osuna taking a telephone call?

[sherbetbizarre]

Lol, hopefully Part III will feature Ric (played by Ric Osuna) receiving a call from Ryan (played by Ryan Katzenbach) saying he'd like to publish his book.

Twice the excitement!

[sherbetbizarre]

How a "filmmaker" rolls...

Okay, friends and fans....got a solid cut of P2 standing at 2:48 in runtime. I want to hear your feedback....too long? Or, do you think running time matters if the story is there? After hearing your replies, I will share my feelings from the filmmakers POV.....so.......tell me what you think!

A whopping three replies, all saying "keep it long!" (which is no surprise at all) and he's got his answer.

He should be test-screening it like he did Part I... but that would lead to a room full of bored, embarrassed patrons again, which his ego cannot face (and whose suggestions he appeared to ignore anyway!)

This is exactly the feedback I want to hear....what YOU, as students and enthusiasts of thid case want to hear! Now....here is a specific question....I am going to let you make the decision....

Right now....as we speak....I am at a point in the film where Peggy Giambra is describing each member of the jury. I love the detail, but it feels like it interrupts pacing. Is this important to you, to hear about the makeup of the jury? I am going to leave this decision on your hands! You....the fans....get to make the call! Cut it...keep it? You tell me!

Obviously he "wants to hear" this, as he has absolutely no idea how to edit a "film" and it's a lot easier keeping everything in.

So instead of hiring someone with experience, he asks the Facebook fans if it's ok to ruin the pacing of his own movie.

I've heard it all now...

[kathyM]

Oh my God Sherb! I was just going to post here that whole student quote.

What is that about? Somebody sure has a big ego. He calls his followers students? Like he is the teacher who knows all? I would call his followers uninformed as to what he really is and how little he really knows.

That kung fu guy Carradine comes to mind. Didnt he used to call someone little grasshopper or something like that? So Ryan is going to teach his followers all? Jeez!

[Dan the Damned]

Ryan, here's some advice for you. When you get to material that makes you wonder "should I cut this" then the answer should be a resounding YES. It should be cut. Cut and either left on the cutting room floor or included as a DVD bonus feature (not part of the main film). If you still are running long, then check your ego and lose all the BS with you and Ric playing detective and just concentrate on the case. We don't need to see a gripping recreation of how Ric met Geraldine (unless you plan on making the case that Geraldine is real -- at which point you'll need to turn this into a 4-part trilogy).

You're welcome.

[sherbetbizarre]

In contrast I saw "Marley" at the cinema today, which tells Bob Marley's ENTIRE LIFE story in 2 hours 24 minutes...

I'm sure there was a lot of great stuff the director had to lose, but if you want it to find an audience, what can you do?

[scipio-USMC]

Ryan, here's some advice for you. When you get to material that makes you wonder "should I cut this" then the answer should be a resounding YES. It should be cut. Cut and either left on the cutting room floor or included as a DVD bonus feature (not part of the main film). If you still are running long, then check your ego and lose all the BS with you and Ric playing detective and just concentrate on the case. We don't need to see a gripping recreation of how Ric met Geraldine (unless you plan on making the case that Geraldine is real -- at which point you'll need to turn this into a 4-part trilogy).

You're welcome.

You mean feigning playing detective. If they actually played detective they surely would have tried to contact the Davidge parents to try to confirm claims of moving to Florida and Dawn wanting to come and would have discovered their obituaries which revealed the father died in Amityville even before the period of time when he supposedly was trasnferred to Florida and the mother moved to Florida at the end of 1975. Moreover they would have discovered that William Davidge graduated from Amityville Memorial High School in June 1975 so can't have been in Florida in 1973 or 1974.

Then again maybe they did discover such but ignored it the same way they chose to ignore that all of ROn's friends recanted their claims about Geraldine, ignore that Nonnewitz said Gerladine was not around until 1985 and even ignore all the objective evidence proving Geraldine was married to Pisani and living with Pisani in upstate NY at all relevant times. Their stupidity is only exceeded by their dishonesty.

[sherbetbizarre]

Well, guys, 28 comments or so later, you made the decision. It stays. And no more will I worry about runtime, and instead, will focus on pacing. Only the clips that offend pace will be removed and relegated to Bonus Feature status. Peg's info is good, and succinct, as it pertains to the jury, and it paints the never before seen debate and fight that took place during deliberation. To compare Peg's minute or two analysis of the jury to Judge Stark's 12 minute jury instructions, I think we can all agree that Judge Stark's instructions are a bonus feature and not part and parcel of the film itself. You guys have been a tremendous help, and, frankly, it's a hell of a lot of fun to include you all in this process. A bit unconventional to ask editing advice, but, hell, what about this film, so far (a 7-hour documentary in total) has been conventional. We are making this film for you, so your contribution to us counts!

I have obsessed over how much face time I have in Part II.....I hate being in my own film with a passion. But, as you will see in P2, there is a great deal of explanation that takes place as to the materials we found. I am feeling more secure now that you will come along for the journey to our conclusions, and that feels great as a filmmaker! Stand by guys....P2 is going to really take you for one hell of a ride into aspects of this case you never knew!

A friend of mine says yesterday, when we were discussing Part II: "...the brave, bold filmmaker is second guessing his runtime? Give me a break. You know what you are doing, so do it. If you didn't CBS News wouldn't have invested their airtime....Maxim wouldn't have sent you out to 2 million people, and the :) love :) AG's office would have dismissed you. But, they, and 3,000 fans on Facebook have followed what you're doing. And what you do defies convention, so screw making your story fit in some tidy runtime. Deliver it. Build it, and they will come.". Now, how can I argue with that?

Really? Maxim, the ailing mag busy shedding it's staff pulls 2 million readers?

A bit unconventional to ask editing advice, but, hell, what about this film, so far (a 7-hour documentary in total) has been conventional.

True that, as truth and honesty were the out the window before a single frame was shot...