Original Robert Stack version of 'Son of Sam' vs. Dennis version - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

johnnyangel · 03-31-2015, 01:53 PM

Anybody ever notice these subtle differences (obviously the original Robert Stack narrated version was MUCH BETTER).

- various dialogue parts cut out in lieu of adding different music or added special effects. There are at least 5-6 parts of dialogue left out. One is when the elderly gentleman says "one of them would soon look like David Berkowitz. The others did not resemble him at all...they were completely different.."

- the original music and sound effects of the Stack version (which were incredible) were almost all replaced

- Parts re-inacting the Moskowitz shooting were edited poorly, somebody used the 'reverse negative' on final cut pro so everything is backwards (from the original) of when Stacy and Robert are shot.

- On the part 2 segment, you could hear Robert Stack saying "this is the face of John Carr. And here are two other composites of the serial killer..." Maury Terry believes there is a strong resemblance between these two...and John Carr.

(On the original Stack version - the two composites used were two of the drawings with the suspects hair combed to one side. On the DENNIS version, somebody edited out one of the pictures of the guy with the hair combed to the side, and instead placed the picture of a suspect wearing the stocking hat???) Who gave the okay to do this?

Anybody else ever notice these annoying differences?

justins5256 · 03-31-2015, 03:15 PM

I recently did an in-depth comparison of the original version of a segment and the Farina version. I think would stood out most is that the narration was changed a lot. Just different word choices, missing words, etc. Some times the interview portions of segments would be missing like a single line of dialog. It's weird.

UMFaninMD · 03-31-2015, 07:29 PM

I haven't seen the Dennis version of Son of Sam but I can't stand that reverse image effect they always use, and the cheesy heavy metal guitar riffs for the suspenseful/action scenes. The flat, docudrama look and direction of the Stack era was what made the show, along with the creepy music.

RightOnDude · 03-31-2015, 09:34 PM

that and the dumb ... I don't know the name of the effect, but when they take a mugshot or some scary image and flash it quickly over the narrative story to try and get a cheap scare. Talk about day 1 film school shock value...

SeekDaGreat · 03-31-2015, 10:50 PM

No disrespect to Farinas version but Stacks was a complete masterpiece from top to bottom.

Kane · 03-31-2015, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

The flat, docudrama look and direction of the Stack era was what made the show, along with the creepy music.

Amen to that. In that era, UM had far better production values. But when it came back in 2008, the high production values were gone, as the show was "modernized" in the name of modernization.

Corkys-Place · 03-31-2015, 11:57 PM

The original Son of Sam segment back in 1988(?) was one of the very first UM segments I watched as a kid and scared the hell out of me. As mentioned above it was a masterpiece in it's own way.

dynoguy88 · 04-01-2015, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corkys-Place

The original Son of Sam segment back in 1988(?) was one of the very first UM segments I watched as a kid and scared the hell out of me. As mentioned above it was a masterpiece in it's own way.

It certainly was. Even the reenactment was haunting,

johnnyangel · 04-01-2015, 09:52 AM

Yes, I agree. Even certain sound effects used were just incredible...

Two of my favorites are:

1. the sound effect when Stack said "Stacy and Robert went for a late night stroll...then they noticed somebody standing by the parkway....watching them" (sound effect w/ the guy standing there with the spikey hair in silhouette).

2. Another sound or keyboard effect on the Stack version I love is the KEYBOARD SOUND EFFECT used right before Stack says "according to Maury Terry, these events occurred when a yellow volkswagon pulled up at about 1am. Witnesses reported seeing two men exit the car. This same car was seen fleeing the scene directly after the shooting" (juxtaposed by a computer diagram of the car by the park..)

03-31-2015, 01:53 PM	#1
johnnyangel Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 329	Original Robert Stack version of 'Son of Sam' vs. Dennis version Anybody ever notice these subtle differences (obviously the original Robert Stack narrated version was MUCH BETTER). - various dialogue parts cut out in lieu of adding different music or added special effects. There are at least 5-6 parts of dialogue left out. One is when the elderly gentleman says "one of them would soon look like David Berkowitz. The others did not resemble him at all...they were completely different.." - the original music and sound effects of the Stack version (which were incredible) were almost all replaced - Parts re-inacting the Moskowitz shooting were edited poorly, somebody used the 'reverse negative' on final cut pro so everything is backwards (from the original) of when Stacy and Robert are shot. - On the part 2 segment, you could hear Robert Stack saying "this is the face of John Carr. And here are two other composites of the serial killer..." Maury Terry believes there is a strong resemblance between these two...and John Carr. (On the original Stack version - the two composites used were two of the drawings with the suspects hair combed to one side. On the DENNIS version, somebody edited out one of the pictures of the guy with the hair combed to the side, and instead placed the picture of a suspect wearing the stocking hat???) Who gave the okay to do this? Anybody else ever notice these annoying differences?

03-31-2015, 03:15 PM	#2
justins5256 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 08, 2002 Posts: 3,866	I recently did an in-depth comparison of the original version of a segment and the Farina version. I think would stood out most is that the narration was changed a lot. Just different word choices, missing words, etc. Some times the interview portions of segments would be missing like a single line of dialog. It's weird.

03-31-2015, 07:29 PM	#3
UMFaninMD I love a mystery Senior Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,287	I haven't seen the Dennis version of Son of Sam but I can't stand that reverse image effect they always use, and the cheesy heavy metal guitar riffs for the suspenseful/action scenes. The flat, docudrama look and direction of the Stack era was what made the show, along with the creepy music.

03-31-2015, 09:34 PM	#4
RightOnDude Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 266	that and the dumb ... I don't know the name of the effect, but when they take a mugshot or some scary image and flash it quickly over the narrative story to try and get a cheap scare. Talk about day 1 film school shock value...

03-31-2015, 10:50 PM	#5
SeekDaGreat Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 11, 2013 Location: San Jose, CA. Posts: 93	No disrespect to Farinas version but Stacks was a complete masterpiece from top to bottom.

03-31-2015, 11:57 PM	#7
Corkys-Place Unsolved Mysteries Fan Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 23, 2010 Posts: 790	The original Son of Sam segment back in 1988(?) was one of the very first UM segments I watched as a kid and scared the hell out of me. As mentioned above it was a masterpiece in it's own way.

04-01-2015, 09:52 AM	#9
johnnyangel Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 329	Yes, I agree. Even certain sound effects used were just incredible... Two of my favorites are: 1. the sound effect when Stack said "Stacy and Robert went for a late night stroll...then they noticed somebody standing by the parkway....watching them" (sound effect w/ the guy standing there with the spikey hair in silhouette). 2. Another sound or keyboard effect on the Stack version I love is the KEYBOARD SOUND EFFECT used right before Stack says "according to Maury Terry, these events occurred when a yellow volkswagon pulled up at about 1am. Witnesses reported seeing two men exit the car. This same car was seen fleeing the scene directly after the shooting" (juxtaposed by a computer diagram of the car by the park..)