TRON: Additional Material Part 1

TRON: ADDITIONAL MATERIAL PART 1

It has been said that movies are never really finished, they merely 'escape.' What we have with TRON is a completed film, unlike a certain science fiction director out there who continually 'fixes' his movies, adding things that were never there in the first place, and hiding the things he cut out, Steven Lisberger has never messed with TRON. It still remains as it was originally. However, many fans like the peripheral details of their favorite movies, deleted scenes, original ideas never used, concepts from artwork never used, and scenes which were written and perhaps never filmed for a variety of reasons. One can look at production photos, art design concepts, read the original script to find such details, and often novelizations give away certain details as the authors of these books are given more material as the film is being made, having no idea what will be cut out or not. For TRON, we have three exterior resources to compile more peripheral information about the story, the script, the novel and production photos which show characters and possible scenes which either never made it into the final film, or perhaps filmed and either cut out before post-production or cut out for other reasons. In a series of articles I will try to examine the "Additional Material" of TRON. In Part 1, we look at the 4th Draft Script, which is available to read on the internet here. In Part 2, we will look at the novel by Brian Daley, in Part 3, we will look at all the extra peripheral details of the character Yori and Lora, and in Part 4, we will look at the combined material from alternate sources such as the DVD special features, promotional clips, and audio versions. If you have any additional information please contact me at yorilives@yahoo.com.

-In the original script, teenagers inside Flynn's arcade are playing the videogame called "Berzerk."

-Sark is described as glowing 'ominously blue.'

-Encom was originally called "ICOM"

-CROM has more to say about TRON in his conversation with RAM: "You ever see that guy in action? Hundred-percent independent. MCP couldn't tell him what to [do] ... " Then Tron appears in the cell next to him, "Oh my User...TRON--they've got you in here?" Tron replies... "Not for long, friend."

-The Bit actually says more than yes and no.

-CLU is described as a 'pirate program' by Sark's guards.

-Alan Bradley was originally "Alan Bailey"

-Accessing 'Tron Program,' Alan's user code is 717, his password is "FREEDOM."

-Alan doesn't refer to his abacus at home, he says "I don't even balance my checkbook on downtime, I've got a Honeywell at home for that."

-Lora digitizes a 'polymer sphere' instead of an orange.

-Once Flynn is digitized and into the 'electronic world' he is called Video Game Unit #18.

-Flynn describes his 'Home Sector' as Paramus (New Jersey) to Ram who tries to figure out what PARAMUS means, "PARAMUS, wonder what those initials stand for...probably Program Assist Routine--well, it sounds like a lovely place."

-the 'Inoperative Data Pushers are referred to as "Low Resolution Programs"

-Tron and Yori find Dumont asleep, and they wake him up, also, he has more to say about the 'interface' with the Users:

"You know, not so long ago, you could've come in here and seen programs lined up all the way back to those doors, waiting for communion with their Users. The building fund was doing well too...but now...(sighs)...this so-called Master Control Program is going around cutting programs off from their natural creators, grabbing all our believers and making them ride around on little motor scooters and shoot things at each other and Weiner knows what all-- oh, it's enough to give you a crisis of faith..."

--the Bit follows along all the way until the end of the movie, and is present when Flynn jumps into the MCP Beam.

--A different end scene which was either cut or not filmed, but also described in the Disney Read-Along-Record, takes place in Alan's office at the end of the film and does not imply that FLYNN takes over the company at the end, but that perhaps Alan and Lora will (the novel also has a slightly different ending than the film) :

634 INT. ALAN'S OFFICE - ALAN AND LORA 634

Bleary but excited, they gaze happily at the information on Alan's

CRT screen as Flynn bursts into the room, waving his printout.

FLYNN

Hey -- you guys

Before he can say anything more, Alan turns to greet him, holding up

a seven-inch computer software FLOPPY DISK in its cardboard sleeve.

ALAN

Flynn! I made it. I worked out some

new codes for Tron, put 'em on a disk,

and -- it's running.

FLYNN

I know, I met him.

Alan and Lora look at him -- the same sort of mystified look he got

from Tron and Yori in the other world. He checks himself.

FLYNN (CONT.)

I mean, I saw it read-up -

hey, look at this.

He shows them the printout. It takes Alan and Lora a few seconds of

reading it to figure out its significance.

ALAN

Your old files -- ?

FLYNN

And Dillinger's instructions to

divert them -- it's all there -

look, even his home phone number,

when he logged on.

ALAN

Oh, that is beautiful. You've got

the goods...

Flynn folds up the printout, puts it in his pocket. Alan and Lora

get up, stretch, start wandering slowly toward the door with him.

FLYNN

You're telling me...

As they talk, CAMERA PANS over to Alan's color CRT SCREEN and HOLDS

on it.

635 CRT SCREEN 635

The lines of printed information that had filled it up wipe off, and

are replaced by a number of shapes very much like the ones in a

typical video game:

A BLUE CYLINDER, poised on a BLUE MESA -- resembling the MCP in the

electronic world. And THREE YELLOW ROCKETS. They move randomly at

first, then converge on the blue figure from three different

directions.

FLYNN (V.0.)

you have any idea how much I can sue these

jokers for?

LORA (V.0.)

Well, just don't forget your old friends

when you're rich and famous.

FLYNN (V.0.)

Are you kidding? You guys'll he running

this joint by then...

ALAN (V.O.)

Your friend Dillinger sure won't...

The yellow rockets all hit the blue mesa at the same time. It

EXPLODES in typical video-game fashion -- radiating lines of blue

SPARKS. The yellow rockets fly away from it and form a vertical

formation, heading together toward the side of the CRT screen as we

HEAR Flynn, Lora, and Alan heading for the door.

FLYNN (V.O.)

Hey, you know anybody who wants to

get hold of some video games... cheap?

LORA (V.O.)

You're getting out of the business?

ALAN (V.O.)

Shouldn't you wait till your

lawsuit's settled?

FLYNN (V.0.)

Nah...I decided...I've had enough of

video games to last me a good long

time. I feel like gettin' into some

real life...

at the SOUND of the DOOR to Alan's office closing O.S., the three

yellow rockets leave the CRT screen, sailing off its left-hand edge.

HOLD a moment on the exploded blue figure and

BLACK OUT.