gobbets of first outline

Thanks for the feedback from the US. Anyone else over in the States notice any promotional material for the DVD release? And what's Haven? Sounds mysterious and cultish... Maybe I should join? Someone sent me the sleeves collage, sorry if I've misappropriated someone's handiwork.

Anyway, here are the first and last paragraphs of the original Straightheads outline, which I wrote in November 1999. The Alice and Adam characters were originally named Zoe and Norm. Stas was the original "Sophie" i.e. Heffer's daughter. The purpose of the petrol bath was to remove all traces of gunpowder residue from Zoe's body, as she has shot the Heffer character dead in the final act, after luring him with the promise of sex, then blindfolding him...

"Norm and Zoe are educated, ambitious young people, largely oblivious to anything outside the tiny, brightly-lit, secure capsule which some of us are privileged enough to call “normality”. In underworld parlance, Norm and Zoe are “straightheads”."

"Zoe takes a petrol bath. Stas watches through the crack in the door, then walks in holding a flaming Zippo lighter. She steps into the petrol bath, still holding the lighter.
Stas and Zoe begin to cry. They cry and hug and hold each other until the Zippo flame in Stas’s hand burns out."

As you'll know if you've watched Straightheads / Closure, the end turned out very differently...

Comments

[GADD1960(Marie)]

Gee, Dan, that's real creepy! I had to read that twice before I actually got the full meaning. I have to say that I'm glad to changed that scene! Couldn't have watched the original.

FYI, Haven is a messageboard, primarily for The X-files, but it has a very active Gillian Anderson folder. It's a crazy place, and I say that fondly!;) It's very busy at the moment with the second XF movie being filmed in Vancouver as we speak. But we still on occasion talk about Straightheads and some fans are still to see it, but oh what a treat they are up for!

[ericka]

um, wow. very cool! interesting to see how the characters/story (and you, presumably!) have evolved.

I live in Los Angeles, right in Hollywood, and i have always kept an eye out for anything SH (Closure) I have even religiously checked movie poster/memorabilia stores, as they often can get stills, posters, and the like. Nothing! I have only ever been able to get a Straightheads poster. (I'll be a geek and show you the poster on my wall, i was so excited to get something, anything, that I photographed it upon hanging! - http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j292/bkri1977/G4GA/straightheads.jpg)

As far as Haven, its a fun place, provided you are an X-Files fan. Its a message board, and when SH was released, we all had some great and lively discussions. I wish there was a way for you to read all of those. :)

Keep it coming!!!! script changes, b-rolls, cut scenes, anything. you have some huge SH fans, I can tell you!

[Polly]

No worried about the use of my collage! lol Glad i could be useful!

As for the changes in your script, I would have prefered this ending! The one we got sounded too "cliché" for me, this one is so tragic and powerful. Love it! Aw, I also wanted to say that I'm glad the names were changed, Alice and Adam suit GA & DD better.

And I agree with both of the preceding posts, we want to know more about SH, we're still out there! (especially on Haven! lol) And I would kill for a huge SH poster on my wall!!!

Details please!! :p

[Penny]

Ooh, Dan, I like the sound of this ending - very powerful.

I'd be really curious to hear about some of the other script changes - major or minor - which took place over the years before shooting. I'd be even more curious to hear what you felt about those changes. Was it hard letting go of your initial drafts and allowing other people to become involved in developing the script?

[str8ahead]

Names, names.. nothing accidental there, right Dan? :)

There's something to be said about the irony of how that 'Norm(al) Zoe'(=Life in Greek) turned out for those two Straightheads. What made you rename the characters? If 'Alice'/'Adam'- felt more familiar/easy/ordinary names in order for the audience to connect -and still keep winking at us with the possible connections- I believe it worked. Which reminds me my favorite one: which one of the dual meaning of 'Comfort' did you have in mind, choosing Alice's last name? the obvious one certainly holds great irony, though both are fitting :) and I'm still not convinced, though you mentioned on the commentary how easily 'Crisis' came to be, would you still choose it if it wasn't -as GA mentioned- so very fitting?

[str8ahead]

(talking about accidental, I wasn't supposed to click 'post' yet! LOL)

Hmm,Haven..Haven is the mysterious and cultish place where people come up with theories like 'A Crisis in the Normal Life/ves of two Straightheads' (sorry, couldn't resist lmao) and discuss about it while waiting for you to comfirm it LOL. A major fanbase home where everything X-files, everything GA/+her projects gets analysed and discussed to death. As on every fansbased boards you'll witness from the most *silly* (we know it people, we might as well admit it) up to the most interesting and serious discussions/information. Our online home for most of us, a crazy place is correct. So, you've been warned dear Dan *devilish smile ;)*

[Bogusia X]

Hi Dan!!
I`m happy for new update and new layout too!
I rather prefer Alice and Adam names...Norm and Zoe sound a little bit strange so I think that was good you have changed them LOL. I`m also happy about Polish accent in Straightheads. I watch your movie with the commentary so many times and always when I hear your words about your Polish friend and his dog my heard beats like a drum :D
I would like to know why you have changed the ending? And what happen with Norm in the alternative one?
I`m looking farward your next message :D
Greetings from Poland,
Bogusia

[Alan]

Hi Dan!

I'm enjoying the new layout for Straightblog. Very good.

And thanks for supplying the last paragraph from the original 1999 conclusion to Straightheads! It certainly made for very interesting reading! The Straightheads conclusion that never was! And the different character names came as a shock too. I couldn't imagine them as Zoe, Norm, and Stas now! Far too used to Alice, Adam, & Sophie now.

Look forward to your next update, Dan! Take care!

- Alan.

[~Leslie- NL, Canada]

wow, what a different ending! I prefer the one you chose, but I liked reading what you originally wrote. Thanks for not forgetting us. :D

~Les

[becks]

Hey! Just stumbled across this blog as I just finished watching Straightheads about 10 minutes ago! I'm in Australia, saw GA on the cover and thought I'd have to see it. Nice to heard her with the original english accent. Loved the movie, especially the scenes in the woods. Such a contrast to Alice's glass and chrome apartment! Unfortunately there're no extras on the Aus dvd; not even director or actor voiceovers. Only a trailer which seems a moot point since I have the movie!

[Ian Kennedy]

I hope you'll feel like sharing more material and comment with the many fans of this movie here. Believe me, there are a lot of people out there who can't get enough of this movie and it would be terrific to see some more stills or even further deleted scenes from the movie here at some point. My own personal wish is to see some stills of the lovely Gillian from some of the sexier moments of the movie- never before has she been so provocative, sensual and downright sexy as she is in the first 15 minutes of this film....

[Bogusia]

Hi Dan!
It`s me again!
I`m writting to let you know something more about Polish edition of your movie. I bought it (but it`s a rental version so it was expensive). I have to say that Polish translation sucks very much and the reader is awful :/
Polish edition is distributed by Monolith company and they are always making great editions full of bonus materials, but not this time :( Polish fans can only watch trailer, but it`s better than nothing :D
But we have got GORGEOUS menu!! I love it very much!! I even made a few caps of it to show you how it looks like!!
Main menu http://img5.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=69152_gilvts01004tnwv51_122_955lo.jpg
Chapter http://img180.imagevenue.com/view.php?image=69157_gilvts01005tnbz72_122_204lo.jpg
http://img149.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=69158_gilvts01008tnst23_122_921lo.jpg
Language http://img150.imagevenue.com/view.php?image=69135_gilvts01004tnji5_122_1043lo.jpg

Incredible, isn`t it?? I hope you like it! I love it very much!!!!

I also find out that fans will have chance to buy your movie since 16 April. I think that this edition will be the same as the rental one, but the price will be lower for sure!!

OK, that`s all from me! We all looking forward your next message
Greetings from Poland,
Bogusia

[GADD1960]

The reviews keep pouring in! And most of them are positive. Here is one : http://filmcriticsunited.com/straightheads.html

And here is another that I really liked:
http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/straightheads
"Straightheads is an engrossing experience as the sheer extremity of their vengeance and its accompanying issue of morality will provoke discussion."

[Michael]

The German version can be ordered here now at amazon.de - the reviews are just as controversial as anywhere else on the net :-)
http://www.amazon.de/Straightheads-Gillian-Anderson/dp/B0011WMX6U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1212237145&sr=8-1

[Pauley]

Hello, just saw Straightheads and was absolutely stunned by it. It is such a deeply thought-provoking film, and so well scripted and well-acted.

I don't know if you still check this blog, but there are a few questions that keep on plaguing me. First, what exactly is on Alice's medallion, and what is its significance? Also, in one shot there was a tattoo on her arm. Is there any significance to this that wasn't explained? Also--I am in love with the silk chiffon dress Alice wears--was that designed by the wardrobe and costume department, ?

[Sarah]

Dan,

Just a quick note to thank you for taking such risks with this film. I am a graduate student in popular culture in the US and I teach your film for my section on gender representations for my undergraduate students. It is not everyday unfortunately that a film comes along that defies generic conventions and the "usual" limits of filmic content.

[GADD1960]

Straightheads/Closure are still finding it's way out to poeple!
http://makebuckswith.us/lesley3837/2008/08/25/see-closure-get-it-online-immediately/

[Tony Munsey]

I hope one day you may post at the blog again, Dan- I appreciate you must be out there and maybe busy with new projects but it seems there's still such a wealth of deleted scenes/material from the movie out there that I hope one day some more may be shared with us. I was disappointed with the deleted scene selection on the UK DVD because having spoken to someone who saw one of the original rough cuts of the movie, there was a lot of material cut from the movie I'd simply love to see. I know you may not have been responsible for the material selected for the DVD release but I hope there's someway sometime in the future that we can somehow see some of the rough cut- maybe in a two-disc re-release of the movie?

[rc]

hi dan, would be great if you could have the bloopers out for this movie...even a re-release on DVD is cool to see.i bet many of us would love to watch the bloopers :)

[vmqoc ou1bx]

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[vmqoc ou1bx]

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[6zhns gtmzk]

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[6zhns gtmzk]

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[dissertaion help]

Blogs are good for every one where we get lots of information for any topics nice job keep it up !!!

[Kahlil]

Why is the movie marketed as Closure here in the US and as it's original title everywhere else? That's weird to me.