MovieChat Forums > Cobra (1986) Discussion > Does the workprint really exist?

Does the workprint really exist?


I’ve heard from various workprint traders that it does exist to it doesn’t exist. I’ve been collecting for a long time and I do have a copy of the tv cut but I would like to see the workprint if it does exist?

If anyone has a copy and would be interested in trading, email me at [email protected]

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I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE TO SEE UNFINISHED VERSIONS OF MOVIES.

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Workprints offer an insight into the editing process. It’s pretty cool to see a movie unfinished with extra scenes that would later be cut out.

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I KNOW A FEW GUYS WHO ARE INTO WORKPRINTS...IT JUST SEEMS TEDIOUS AND KIND OF POINTLESS TO ME...BUT HEY...WE ALL LIKE DIFFERENT SHIT...I LOVE COBRA THOUGH...ONE OF THOSE FILMS THAT CAPTIVATED ME AS A CHILD.

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Some people tend to talk about workprints as if they are an undiluted, uncensored and unsullied version of the original vision of the movie. (Because it enhances the stature of having one). And that all finished movies are a pale imitation of what they were intended to be at the "workprint" stage.

99.98% of the time though they are almost incomprehensible to the average film watcher and are just work in progress that tells the producers if more material needs to be shot. It's also the stage at which the producers discover how much of what they did shoot and intended to put in the film is either unusable or unnecessary. In the case of a movie without a good script, that can be anywhere up to about 60% of what they shoot.

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Good answer. Kowalski should know better.

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You in a different thread about the workprint:

Kowalski (39237) 3 years ago
I LIKE YOU...I WOULD ALSO ENJOY AN UNCUT PRINT...COBRA IS AMAZING...LOVE THAT MOVIE.

So, which is it?

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I JUST REALLY LOVE COBRA...WORKPRINTS ARE AN ODDITY I HAVE NO REAL DESIRE FOR.

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Bumping this post, were there any old workprint collectors from back in the day that may have come across this or the workprint of Total Recall? Always looking to trade.

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Heard about a tape/bootleg from eastern Europe supposed to be the wp but not much more.
Sly kills a guy bare hands when they attack him at home, Monte and the cops are more developped,
there is a cop killed during the hospital attack.Stuffs like that.

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In order to save money Cannon Group shipped a lot of films to Israel for post production and editing. It was much cheaper there vs LA. As a result VHS copies was widely available in that region, Cypros, Lebanon, Israel etc during that time. They stopped after one master was wiped out by an x-ray machine leaving the final film completely erased.

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Pretty interesting info. I do have my doubts the workprint exist but maybe just maybe, someone has it.

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Technically there would be a workprint for every movie ever made.

Anything between 5 to 8 hours of footage can be shot for any movie...then it's edited and whittled down to the desired length.

In most cases the discarded footage is...discarded. Its considered of no value and is usually destroyed. Its only in recent years that deleted scenes have become a thing and most footage is retained, in case there is a desire by fans to see more footage on DVD blu ray etc.

And in a lot of cases workprints become mythical entities. People claim they exist, but I think in many cases they don't.

With movies like this, why would you want another hour or two of discarded footage that would probably be interminable to sit through.

Frankly...in most cases and with a few notable exceptions, it's usually clear why most deleted scenes were deleted.

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The Cliffhanger workprint is fascinating. Seeing plot and character details that are glossed over in the theatrical, as well as extra violence and gore, is a real treat for fans.

I’d like to see a Cobra workprint for sure, the film is legendary for having been heavily compromised in the edit, a workprint would reveal the better film hiding inside it.

Second to a workprint is to read the shooting script, that’s always interesting.

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I've had a workprint of Cliffhanger for a long time. I just wish it was better quality. Collecting for years, I'm used to bad quality.

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There is no guarantee that added scenes will improve a movie. In most cases its clear why they were deleted.

And with movies like Cobra, they work best as a 90-100 minute length movie. Stretching them to two hours plus is never a good idea.

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A workprint is not a substitute for the film, the quality is nearly always unbearably bad. Its value is to reveal what else the film could have been. In the case of Cobra, it almost certainly could have been a better film since the reason for the heavy cuts were MPAA censorship and Stallone’s ego.

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The Cobra VHS workprint was about 2hr15min long but the film did not start until several minutes into the tape.
Its correct as one other poster claims that the tape had a timer on screen.
https://moviechat.org/tt0090859/Cobra/5f005a5f73ea741018ad916d/Does-anyone-know-where-to-find-the-uncut-work-print

If you reach out to David Zimmerman > https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1678347/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_0_nm_8_q_david%2520zimmerman

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidzimmermaniii/

He might still have a copy.

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His Dad worked on Cobra.

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I highly doubt he'll respond.

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Did you even try?

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I don't have a linkedin account.

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I've been looking for this workprint for years now and at this point, I have my doubts it's real as we would have seen something by now. Same goes for another workprint I've been looking for, Total Recall. That one I believe is real but I can't find anyone who has a copy. I'm sure Cobra is real and I'm not saying it's not, but, we would have seen something by now. Unless someone out there truly has a copy, we'll never see it.

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Most people stopped owning VHS tapes a few years back!

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For years, the rumors I've heard is that it exists somewhere in Germany. Unless someone provides a screenshot, then I have my doubts.

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I have my doubts it's real as we would have seen something by now. I'm sure Cobra is real and I'm not saying it's not, but, we would have seen something by now.

Look at how long it took for the missing footage of Bruce Lee's The Big Boss and The Game of Death to be seen.

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Bumping this post with the hopes that John Logan or someone finds the workprint.

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