--  didn't want anyone to think I had any news regarding them. I know how excited people get about them  --

 Anyway, what's the deal with these deleted scenes? I know after being on here for a while I should probably know. Is it certain that they still exist? How come we can't see them? It seems such a waste when there's so many people who would love to watch them.

In a nutshell, they do still exist, and Lynch doesn't want them to be out in the world unless he can put them in full battle dress (remastering, full color correction, etc.).  Since nobody with dvd rigths is willing to fork over the money for this, we get what we have, which is nothing.

Forget about the deleted scenes. They were deleted for a reason you know. Can't speak for nobody else but me, but I've always been more interested of the scenes that made it to the film - any film.

--  didn't want anyone to think I had any news regarding them. I know how excited people get about them  --

In my case at least you'd need to scratch excited and replace it with catatonic, disillusioned, bitter, resentful, vitriolic, despondent or weepy.

The scenes were deleted for contractual reasons rather than quality control. Depending on who you listen to the rough cut was rumoured to be up to five hours long. Pete, Andy and Lucy aside I could live without the footage of missing characters but between the shooting script, stills of deleted scenes and allusions made by actors to scenes that were filmed and not shown I can't help feeling I'm missing something good.

If it was financially viable to digitally remaster Eraserhead I can't see how mixing and colour correcting an hours worth of footage from Fire Walk With Me is going to result in financial ruin. Gone are the days when you could stick a trailer and an animated menu on a DVD and call it a special edition. The market's saturated with Fire Walk With Me DVDs now and any future editions are going to have to work hard just to be worthwhile, let alone special.

I'm still of the mind that Lynch should release a super-tricked-out edition of the film; one of those two-disc sets with the theatrical cut on one and the mad, rambling, four-hour cut on the other (or at least the stand-alone scenes- call the disc 'Meanwhile' or something).  If he'd shot all of that footage, he must have had a reason.  He made the right decision in cutting around all of that to bring out Laura's story, but looking at the INLAND EMPIRE Special Edition, we know he's not averse to including scads of deleted material these days.  Not to mention that releasing a disc like this would be just as reliable a way to independently fund new material as selling bags of coffee- I'm sure he'd be up for it.

Profeeta, some of them were cut for a good reason, especially the scenes that had very little to do with Laura (e.g. Pete and Ed at the Gas Farm). But I have a hard time believing the muffin scene at the Haywards' and the Palmer dinner scene (where they speak Norwegian) were cut for reasons of quality. Lynch had to keep it under the maximum length. Laura's muffin comment seems really strange without the prior muffin reference. (Also, cutting the drive to Partyland - which I assume was shot - makes the transition really strange as it seems like it's a back room at the Roadhouse (I remember being really confused when Jacques says "Welcome to Canada".)) I'd like to see the Jacoby scene too. The Jack Nance, Everett McGill and Ed Wright scenes, on the other hand, I want to see because they're great characters - not because they matter to the film.

EDIT: Collides with ham, a stand-alone incoherent programme of deleted scenes like "More Things That Happened" is what I want to see. And "Meanwhile..." is a good name.     

Evenreven, it's not that I wouldn't like to see those scenes, but I've never missed them either. I guess I'm able to live a happy life even without them.

Oh, I am too. FWWM is my favourite film. I'm just saying they weren't necessarily cut because Lynch wanted it that way. But I'm not losing my sleep. :)

Yeah, my favorite too. I do know that not all the scenes were cut because Lynch thought they didn't fit but because there were a duration limit. Still I'm perfectly happy with the film. To see the deleted scenes would be some kind of extra treat - yet something I can live without. Can't understand how crazy some folks can get about them.

Can't understand how crazy some folks can get about them.

 How fortunate of you! I think FWWM's perfect as is but it's been sixteen years since its release and it seems there's been talk of a directors cut (on VHS and laserdisc) or deleted scenes (on DVD) ever since. People love the film, have waited a long time for the deleted scenes to surface and feel frustrated by all the near misses.  

I've just realized that I NEVER like deleted scenes. They just sit there and aren't a part of a larger thing. I think after all this time, the scenes would be anticlimactic.

It's not about quality. It's like archeology. There's an Egyptian vase somewhere: it doesn't have to be the greatest, most pristine Egyptian vase ever -- but it's Egyptian. It's all there is left, and you want to see it.

Or compare it to a lost Beatles track: it doesn't have to be a "Hey Jude" to be worthwhile.

I don't know if this is at all possible, but it would be cool if they cut the deleted scenes into a kind of final prequel/sequel"episode", complete with theme song, closing credits, etc. It sounds like the tone of the deleted scenes would be much closer to feel of the show than most of FWWM was. I know for sure there's a scene with Annie at the end, and a bit of an add on to the "Where's Annie?" scene... the possibility of those scenes existing is exciting. They're in the shooting script and I don't know why Lynch wouldn't film them. I've always kind of wished those had made it into the final cut (though I can see why they weren't included). I have the feeling many of these scenes ended up quite differently from the way they're presented in the shooting script... Lynch very rarely sticks to the script. I agree that I'd be very excited to see these scenes, but I'm not on the edge of my seat waiting for them... I'd be far more excited by some news concerning a new Lynch film... I'm growing concerned about the inevitable fact that he doesn't have many more films in him.

It's not about quality. It's like archeology. There's an Egyptian vase somewhere: it doesn't have to be the greatest, most pristine Egyptian vase ever -- but it's Egyptian. It's all there is left, and you want to see it.

Or compare it to a lost Beatles track: it doesn't have to be a "Hey Jude" to be worthwhile.

Nicely put.  Unearthing these scenes would be more like Criterion Collection archiving than 'Crazy bloopers from Superbad'...

And regarding the "How's Annie" continuation- anyone know if those scenes in the shooting script where the nurse puts on the Owl Cave ring were actually shot? 

The market's saturated with Fire Walk With Me DVDs now and any future editions are going to have to work hard just to be worthwhile, let alone special.

 Oh, come on.  You know if they released a "Special Titanium Edition of FWWM", consisting of nothing more than the film with an added interview with Lil or Buck, or a special postcard of red drapes, most board members would buy it instantly.

Or without that horrible snap on hinge...

And regarding the "How's Annie" continuation- anyone know if those scenes in the shooting script where the nurse puts on the Owl Cave ring were actually shot? 

 Yes. Heather Graham told in an interview that she remembers filming a scene where she was lying on a hospital bed and a nurse taking her ring.

Yes. Heather Graham told in an interview that she remembers filming a scene where she was lying on a hospital bed and a nurse taking her ring.

Ooooooh!  Now if that and the Buenos Aires/"Senor Jeffries!  De sh*t it came out of my ass" scene were included, they'd have my hard-earned cash in a heartbeat.

The market's saturated with Fire Walk With Me DVDs now and any future editions are going to have to work hard just to be worthwhile, let alone special.

 Oh, come on.  You know if they released a "Special Titanium Edition of FWWM", consisting of nothing more than the film with an added interview with Lil or Buck, or a special postcard of red drapes, most board members would buy it instantly.

 Yeah but we don't want the suits to know that! I've got a horrible feeling I'd buy FWWM on VHS tomorrow for Lil and Buck interviews or a lavish postcard showing red drapes. I still can't believe CBS playing 'exploit the crazy person' resulted in me collecting 61 postcards I didn't even like very much. One minute I was adamant I wouldn't be taken in by such a crass marketing ploy and the next I was knee deep in Gold Boxes, hotly debating how best to present my haul. Damn!

The market's saturated with Fire Walk With Me DVDs now and any future editions are going to have to work hard just to be worthwhile, let alone special.

 Oh, come on.  You know if they released a "Special Titanium Edition of FWWM", consisting of nothing more than the film with an added interview with Lil or Buck, or a special postcard of red drapes, most board members would buy it instantly.

 Yeah but we don't want the suits to know that! I've got a horrible feeling I'd buy FWWM on VHS tomorrow for Lil and Buck interviews or a lavish postcard showing red drapes. I still can't believe CBS playing 'exploit the crazy person' resulted in me collecting 61 postcards I didn't even like very much. One minute I was adamant I wouldn't be taken in by such a crass marketing ploy and the next I was knee deep in Gold Boxes, hotly debating how best to present my haul. Damn!

 How many Gold Boxes did you buy?

Five Gold Boxes. I had to get down in the mud and wrestle for the remaining postcards (of which there were many) on Ebay. I had almost two complete sets at one point. The Gold Boxes themselves weren't expensive but once you add priority shipping and import duties they double in price. I realised too late that all the Amazon sets came with virtually identical sets of postcards.

I'd love to see the deleted scene of Annie in the hospital. I was salivating when I read the interview with Heather Graham in Wrapped In Plastic. Another thing that really caught my attention was Sheryl Lee's mention in the R1 documentary of coming off set and hearing David Lynch rehearsing with Michael Anderson, a trampoline and a monkey.

 Another thing that really caught my attention was Sheryl Lee's mention in the R1 documentary of coming off set and hearing David Lynch rehearsing with Michael Anderson, a trampoline and a monkey.

 Wow, I've gotta see that!

Ooooooh! Now if that and the Buenos Aires/"Senor Jeffries! De sh*t it came out of my ass" scene were included, they'd have my hard-earned cash in a heartbeat

Here's a part of the interview.

http://spectrummagazines.bizland.com/WIP24.chtml

"JT: The ending of the film changed dramatically from the script to the final edit. How much of that original ending was filmed--with your character being rolled into the hospital?

HG: I don't remember filming being rolled into the hospital, but we did film a scene where I am asleep in a hospital bed. I have a ring on my finger, and a nurse steals the ring off of my finger. I think at some point, there may have been some person appearing by the side of the bed. I'm not sure. "

Wow, maybe Annie sees Laura in the hospital bed in that scene... and Laura sees the ring in her hand after that vision, but the nurse takes the ring from Annie... strange. That thing with the trampoline and the monkey sounds intriguing, but is probably better off not being in the final cut.

  I've sorta given up wishing/caring if we ever see these scenes. And let me reiterate, the cut we have of FWWM IS THE DIRECTOR'S  CUT!!!  Lynch cut the scenes less because of a lack of quality, but because they didn't add to Laura's story & made the thing just TOO LONG... He wasn't forced to delete them. I'd like to see the Cable gets bent by Chet scene, but...  One day, when we least expect it, the mysterious footage will be revealed!!! And will likely disappoint one & all...