History Trivia / Legend1985

** The first involved an alternate opening sequence wherein the goblins encounter the unicorns, represented as light beams, and report back to Darkness. For the most part, this sequence is uninteresting but for two elements: one, it features ''four'' goblins (the fourth, Tic, comes to a [[DroppedABridgeOnHim bad end]]), and two, it explains why Blunder has a chicken foot for a left hand (Darkness changed it when Blunder spoke out of turn).
** The second is an extended version of the scene by Jack's fire wherein Gump is even ''less'' forgiving of Jack than in the director's cut, using his violin to magically force Jack to dance before making him answer the riddle. This explains Jack's sudden sweatiness and seeming exhaustion between shots in the finished version, and why Gump refers to him as "riddle-solver, dancing fool and faerie-friend". On the Blu-Ray the scene is represented by stills and storyboards over the surviving soundtrack. A couple of behind the scenes shots are also seen in the accompanying making-of documentary.

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/RidleyScott specifically cast Creator/TimCurry as Darkness because he was a fan of ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow''.

* CompletelyDifferentTitle:
** Taiwan: ''Dark Lord''
* CreatorBacklash: Creator/TomCruise reportedly wasn't happy with the American cut of the film and wouldn't talk about ''Legend'' for years because of it. He very much encouraged fans to go with the Director's Cut.

* TheForeignSubtitle:
** Japan: ''Legend: Legend of Light and Darkness''
** Portugal: ''Legend of the Forest''
** Sweden: ''Legend: The Ruler of Darkness''

* ShoutOut: The face of Blix is based on Music/KeithRichards.
* TroubledProduction: Given it's a fantasy film directed by Creator/RidleyScott, a highly ambitious production ensued. With the inherent problems - an enormous make-up crew, Creator/TimCurry injuring himself removing the claustrophobic prosthetics too fast, the famed 007 stage where the film was shot burning down - and long production - Mia Sara came of age during the 3 years of filming! Also, during post-production Scott came down to cutting the film profusely and change its soundtrack from Music/JerryGoldsmith's orchestra to Music/TangerineDream's electronica (both were restored in the director's cut).

* RealLifeRelative: When Jack dives off the rock in the Forest, it is Creator/RidleyScott's daughter Jordan who is playing Princess Lily, and a stuntman playing Jack. This was done to make the rock look larger than what it was; the added close-ups of Mia Sara were added in during editing.

** There are also elements from the original script which Scott never even attempted, such as Lily's encounter with a "house brownie" (like the ones in ''Film/{{Willow}}''), Lily transforming into a humanoid cat creature, Darkness growing huge bat wings during his battle with Jack, a final revelation that Jack is actually immortal, and the unicorn taking Darkness down after the sun sets causing the light trick used to send Darkness to his doom to fail.

* TroubledProduction: Given it's a fantasy film directed by Creator/RidleyScott, a highly ambitious production ensued. With the inherent problems - an enormous make-up crew, Creator/TimCurry injuring himself removing the claustrophobic prosthetics too fast, the famed 007 stage where the film was shot burning down - and long production - Mia Sara came of age during the 3 years of filming! Also, during post production Scott came down to cutting the film profusely and change its soundtrack from Music/JerryGoldsmith's orchestra to Music/TangerineDream's electronica (both were restored in the director's cut).

** The first involved an alternate opening sequence wherein the goblins encounter the unicorns, represented as light beams, and report back to Darkness. For the most part, this sequence is uninteresting but for two elements: one, features ''four'' goblins (the fourth, Tic, comes to a [[DroppedABridgeOnHim bad end]]), and two, it explains why Blunder has a chicken foot for a left hand (Darkness changed it when Blunder spoke out of turn).

** There are also elements from the original script which Scott never even attempted, such as Lily's encounter with a "house brownie" (like the ones in ''Film/{{Willow}}''), Lily transforming into a humanoid cat creature, Darkness growing huge bat wings during his battle with Jack, a final revelation that Jack is actually immortal, and the unicorn taking Darkness down after the sun sets causing the light trick used to send Darkness to his doom fails.

* {{Misblamed}}: ''Legend'' has a very true connection to Creator/TerryGilliam's ''Film/{{Brazil}}''; both are big-budget fantasy films from visionary directors, from the same producer (Arnon Milchan) for the same studio (Universal), released in the same year (1985), and both films were subject to scrutiny from the same executive (Sid Sheinberg) who demanded the director to make changes to the film before its release for commercial reasons. Because of this, fans [[ExecutiveMeddling blamed Sheinberg for the decision to replace]] Music/JerryGoldsmith's score with Music/TangerineDream's for the American release, which Creator/RidleyScott denies. Scott later admitted that the music change was his responsibility, because he was anxious after failed test screenings, and this stress led him to confide in Sheinberg, for whom he firmly believed was helping him save the film. It didn't help that ''Film/BladeRunner'' was not a box office success when it was first released, which probably made Scott very nervous about being unemployed.

* WrittenInInfirmity: Darkness is introduced largely in shadows because Tim Curry had injured himself while removing his make-up[[note]]he'd suffered a panic attack and ripped off the prosthetics before the spirit gum could be softened and took off large amounts of skin in the process[[/note]]. Creator/RidleyScott was so horrified at what had happened and came up with this technique so that Curry would only have to wear sections of his make-up while he healed and the make-up crew could redesign the prosthetics so that Curry would be more comfortable.

* {{Misblamed}}: ''Legend'' has a very true connection to Creator/TerryGilliam's ''Film/{{Brazil}}''; both are big-budget fantasy films from visionary directors, from the same producer (Arnon Milchan) for the same studio (Universal), released in the same year (1985), and both films were subject to scrutiny from the same executive (Sid Sheinberg) who demanded the director to make changes to the film before its release for commercial reasons. Because of this, fans [[ExecutiveMeddling blamed Sheinberg for the decision to replace]] Music/JerryGoldsmith's score with Music/TangerineDream's for the American release, which Creator/RidleyScott denies. Scott later admitted to have been anxious after failed test screenings and blamed this lapse of judgement on said vulnerability, which led him to firmly believe that Sheinberg was helping him save the film. It didn't help that ''Film/BladeRunner'' was not a box office success when it was first released, which probably made Scott very nervous about being unemployed.

* {{Misblamed}}: ''Legend'' has a very true connection to Creator/TerryGilliam's ''Film/{{Brazil}}''; both are big-budget fantasy films from visionary directors, from the same producer (Arnon Milchan) for the same studio (Universal), released in the same year (1985), and both films were subject to scrutiny from the same executive (Sid Sheinberg) who demanded the director to make changes to the film before its release for commercial reasons. Because of this, fans [[ExecutiveMeddling blamed Sheinberg for the decision to replace]] Music/JerryGoldsmith's score with Music/TangerineDream's, which Creator/RidleyScott denies. Scott later admitted to have been anxious after failed test screenings and blamed this lapse of judgement on said vulnerability, which led him to firmly believe that Sheinberg was helping him save the film.

* TroubledProduction: Given it's a fantasy film directed by Creator/RidleyScott, a highly ambitious production ensued. With the inherent problems - an enormous make-up crew, Creator/TimCurry injuring himself removing the claustrophobic prostethics too fast, the famed 007 stage where the film was shot burning down - and long production - Mia Sara came of age during the 3 years of filming! Also, during post production Scott came down to cutting the film profusely and change its soundtrack from Music/JerryGoldsmith's orchestra to Music/TangerineDream's electronica (both were restored in the director's cut).

* WrittenInInfirmity: Darkness is introduced largely in shadows because Tim Curry had injured himself while removing his make-up[[note]]he'd suffered a panic attack and ripped off the prosthetics before the spirit gum could be softened and took off large amounts of skin in the process[[/note]]. Creator/RidleyScott was so horrified at what had happened and came up with this technique so that Curry would only have to wear sections of his make-up while he healed and the make-up crew could redesign the prosthetics so that Curry would be more comfortable.
* ReCut: The American version released in 1986 was about 25 minutes shorter than the Director's Cut and five minutes shorter than the European version. Many scenes and shots were dropped, reordered, and added; in addition it had an entirely new music score by Tangerine Dream (plus two pop songs) substituting for Jerry Goldsmith's original score, which was retained for European release ([[Film/{{Alien}} not the first time his music was meddled with in a Ridley Scott film]], but the last - they never worked together again). The Director's Cut became legally available with the 2002 [=DVD=] release. Details are [[http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089469/alternateversions here.]] According to Scott's introductory note on the Blu-Ray edition, it was believed lost until an answer print was found in 2000.

* WorkingTitle: ''Legend of Darkness''.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Darkness is introduced largely in shadows because Tim Curry had injured himself while removing his make-up[[note]]he'd suffered a panic attack and ripped off the prosthetics before the spirit gum could be softened and took off large amounts of skin in the process[[/note]]. Creator/RidleyScott was so horrified at what had happened and came up with this technique so that Curry would only have to wear sections of his make-up while he healed and the make-up crew could redesign the prosthetics so that Curry would be more comfortable.

* CrossCastRole: Meg Mucklebones is played by [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Robert Picardo]].

** Robert Picardo plays the Swamp Hag.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Darkness is introduced largely in shadows because Tim Curry had injured himself while removing his make-up[[note]]he'd suffered a panic attack and ripped off the prosthetics before the spirit gum could be softened and took off large amounts of skin in the process[[/note]]. Creator/RidleyScott was so horrified at what had happened and came up with this technique so that Curry would only have to wear sections of his make-up while he healed and the make-up crew could redesign the prosthetics so that Curry would be more comfortable.
* ReCut: The American version released in 1986 was about 25 minutes shorter than the Director's Cut and five minutes shorter than the European version. Many scenes and shots were dropped, reordered, and added; in addition it had an entirely new music score by Tangerine Dream (plus two pop songs) substituting for Jerry Goldsmith's original score, which was retained for European release ([[Film/{{Alien}} not the first time his music was meddled with in a Ridley Scott film]], but the last - they never worked together again). The Director's Cut became legally available with the 2002 [=DVD=] release. Details are [[http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089469/alternateversions here.]] According to Scott's introductory note on the Blu-Ray edition, it was believed lost until an answer print was found in 2000.
** This film has a very true connection to Creator/TerryGilliam's ''Film/{{Brazil}}''; both are big-budget fantasy films from visionary directors, from the same producer (Arnon Milchan) for the same studio (Universal), released in the same year (1985), and both films were subject to scrutiny from the same executive (Sid Scheinberg) who demanded the director to make changes to the film before its release for commercial reasons. This is where the similarities end. While Gilliam mounted a successful campaign to keep Scheinberg from taking ''Brazil'' away from him, Scott was more receptive to Scheinberg and agreed to make changes, so ''Legend'' technically wasn't subject to ExecutiveMeddling even if the film wasn't Scott's intended vision. Scott later admitted to have been anxious after failed test screenings and blamed this lapse of judgement on said vulnerability.
* TroubledProduction: Given it's a fantasy film directed by Ridley Scott, a highly ambitious production ensued. With the inherent problems - an enormous make-up crew, Tim Curry injuring himself removing the claustrophobic prostethics too fast, the famed 007 stage where the film was shot burning down - and long production - Mia Sara came of age during the 3 years of filming! Also, during post production Scott came down to cutting the film profusely and change its soundtrack from Music/JerryGoldsmith's orchestra to Music/TangerineDream's electronica (both were restored in the director's cut).

** Creator/JohnnyDepp, Creator/RobertDowneyJr and Creator/JimCarrey were all considered for the role of Jack.

* ReCut: The American version released in 1986 was about 25 minutes shorter than the Director's Cut and five minutes shorter than the European version. Many scenes and shots were dropped, reordered, and added; in addition it had an entirely new music score by Tangerine Dream (plus two pop songs) substituting for Jerry Goldsmith's original score, which was retained for European release ([[Film/{{Alien}} not the first time his music was meddled with in a Ridley Scott film]], but the last - they never worked together again). The Director's Cut became legally available with the 2002 [=DVD=] release. Details are [[http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089469/alternateversions here.]]
According to Scott's introductory note on the Blu-Ray edition, it was believed lost until an answer print was found in 2000.

* TroubledProduction: Given it's a fantasy film directed by Ridley Scott, a highly ambitious production ensued. With the inherent problems - an enormous make-up crew, Tim Curry injuring himself removing the claustrophobic prostethics too fast, the famed 007 stage where the film was shot burning down - and long production - Mia Sara came of age during the 3 years of filming! Also, during post production Scott came down to cutting the film profusely and change its soundtrack from Jerry Goldsmith's orchestra to Tangerine Dream's electronica (both were restored in the director's cut).
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The film originally ran much longer and had a number of scenes deleted from it, at least two of which were not included in the director's cut.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Scott's film originally ran much longer and had a number of scenes deleted from it, at least two of which were not included in the director's cut.

** There are also elements from the original script which Scott never even attempted, such as Lily's encounter with a "house brownie" (like the ones in ''Film/{{Willow}}''), Lily transforming into a humanoid cat creature, Darkness growing huge bat wings during his battle with Jack, a final revelation that Jack is actually immortal, and the unicorn taking Darkness down after the sun sets causing the light trick used to send Darkness to his doom fails.

* ReCut: The film came to theathers lasting 95 minutes (cut down further 6 for the US). The DVD uses an 113 minute "director's cut". Both have different scores (the Blu-Ray gives the option to use either Jerry Goldsmith's or the one by Tangerine Dream).

** Gump is voiced by the actress who plays Blix.