Boss Level - Frank Grillo carries the groundhog actioner with bravado

Back in 2012, director Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces, The A-Team - The Movie) wanted to make this film, back then under the title Continue and also back then with Frank Grillo in the leading role. The production studios waved it off, however, saying that Grillo was not a leading man. At the time, Carnahan had already made a name for himself, but Grillo apparently didn't yet have enough star appeal for a film with a budget of $45 million. With The Purge: Anarchy and Captain America: Winter Soldier, however, his standing was apparently sufficiently polished so that Carnahan and Grillo could tackle the project under the title Boss Level. The result is a variation on the concept of the all-time classic Groundhog Day. Boss Level is by no means breaking new ground, as examples from the fields of action (Edge of Tomorrow) , horror (Happy Deathday) or comedy (Palm Springs) show. Nevertheless, the work is varied and entertaining because, despite the premise of constant repetition, it avoids monotony and exudes lightness through tongue-in-cheek humor.

Boss Level - Joe Carnahan's History of Problematic Productions

Joe Carnahan has accumulated a remarkable history of problematic production stories. For example, he got into a fight with Universal Pictures when they refused to release his film Stretch in theaters. Produced cheaply with a budget of $5 million, they didn't want to spend $30 million on the necessary marketing, so they went back to the cutting room for this one, too (we reported). In the case of Copshop, which was made after Boss Level and stars Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo, the producers were once again dissatisfied with Carnahan's version and the financiers took control. At least there are no reports (so far) that Carnahan wrote vulgar e-mails to the studio bosses about it, as he did after his failed directing deal for the Death Wish remake (source).

But back to Boss Level: the production company Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures bought the film while it was still shooting, but then it went quiet for a while. The reason was not the Corona pandemic, but the studio's disappointment with the final product submitted by Carnahan. Sometimes it's hard to understand what criteria the studios use to decide whether a film is good or bad, given all the other duds that come out. So Boss Level was apparently so bad that the studio didn't see any chance of reselling it in that form either. An association of several production companies jointly took on the film and also tried to find a buyer, which failed. Well, shit.

Don't fuck with Blumhouse or: An astonishingly touchy legal battle

Together, they hired Blumhouse Pictures, a successful production studio with a track record of hits and a knack for successful filmmaking. It was agreed that Blumhouse would try to salvage the work and craft a version from it in the editing room that could then be successfully sold. In that case, Blumhouse would be compensated with 5% of the proceeds of the sale. After all, Carnahan was actively involved in the process, so one can assume that this version also has its acceptance to some extent. This new version also found more acceptance among prospective buyers, as the streaming service Hulu reached out and paid $11.75 million for it. Actually, Blumhouse would thus be entitled to a share of $587,500, but the companies Emmet Furla Oasis Films, The Fyzz Facility and Diamond Film Productions West wanted nothing more to do with the deal and refused to pay. So Blumhouse filed suit in court, and not just against the three production companies, but also against Hulu for not even being allowed to stream the film in this version until it was paid for - which Hulu ignored.

The indictment is available to read in its entirety at The Hollywood Reporter and contains a few notable curiosities. First, the introduction is astonishingly offensive for a legal document, defaming producer Meadow Williams in particular in the best gossip-magazine fashion. This "producer", "actress" and "author" is in truth not talented and only came to her million-dollar inheritance through marriage to an aging, now deceased billionaire, which she uses, among other things, to place herself and sometimes her "boyfriend" in films. Also, Emmett Furla Oasis Films, with their 26 indictments in other cases, are anything but good cooperation partners. By the way, Blumhouse would like to fight the whole thing out in front of a jury - it would be quite entertaining to be a part of that, wouldn't it?

After these tirades, things get interesting with regard to the work in the editing room, because Blumhouse doesn't have a good word to say about Carnahan's original version. They take sole credit for turning the movie into something that had an actual chance commercially. They created a "substantial amount of new material and unique elements specifically for the new cut, including a completely new finale." They even state that a cast member of the film told them that Blumhouse's changes in the new version were of enormous value to the film. It was these that led Hulu to buy the film after they refused to buy the original version (it's doubtful that the statement came from Carnahan buddy Frank Grillo). They also want at least an additional $1 million, given the successful sale and subsequent trouble.

The original version is the better choice for those outside the US

A certain amount of battle cries is certainly understandable. But how much substance do the claims regarding the changes really have? If this report does subsequently play a role in the court case, it would somewhat refute Blumhouse's narrative. There is no significant trace of new material here; the Hulu version is much more notable for streamlining and stripping down. In fact, the removal of the four-minute scene featuring Mel Gibson's amusingly delivered war story can be seen as a real loss for the audience, both in terms of entertainment factor and character development. Grillo's character arc also suffers from cuts. The Hulu version explains slightly more via voiceover in return and offers a more definitive finale, while the original version offers more of an Inception solution. Given these differences, it remains somewhat of a mystery why the first version failed and the second did not. But as we all know, the winner is right in the end. That should give Blumhouse enough confidence in the court case as well.

By the way, the reason why we can look at this whole situation in such a relaxed way and without mourning over a lost cut version is the fact that the original version by no means disappeared in the vault. It was sold on to several international markets, where people were apparently not so put off by the product on offer. It was also released in Germany, LEONINE snatched the rights and released the quite bloody actioner on DVD and Blu-ray.

Comparison between the original version (on the German FSK 16 Blu-ray by LEONINE) and the recut (as VOD on Hulu).

25 differences, consisting of
13 extended scenes in the OV
5 voiceover differences
3 scenes with alternate footage
3 recuts
1 extended scene in recut

The original version runs 365.12 sec. or about 6 minutes 6 seconds longer than the recut.

Alternative Material
0:00:16: The original version (from here on "OV") shows a retro gaming menu before the film begins, in which the opponent for Roy is selected. The choice falls away from the "German Twins" to "Mr. Goodmorning". After that, "Attempt 139" is shown.

The soundtrack is also different. While the OV offers an 8-bit game soundtrack, you can already hear the clock hand in the Hulu version (from here on "HV").
9,88 sec.

Voiceover
0:01:59: Roy says another explanatory sentence in the HV as an off-comment that practically sums up the context of the whole film: "It's like being stuck in a video game in a level you can't beat."
No time difference

Recut
0:08:01: During the phone call between Roy and Ventor, the German Twins get into position in the background. The scene order is partly different, but it is of no relevance.
The HV runs 1,32 sec. longer

Voiceover
HV: 0:11:03: As Roy walks to the restaurant, he is heard in the HV saying the following about his drinking plan: "So, I can run for a while and I can hide for a while but the day always ends bad in a hell of bullets. So I figured: if I'm gonna get fucked up, I should probably get fucked up."
No time difference

Extended Scene in the OV
0:13:33: Only minor tightening: in the OV, Jake doesn't understand Roy's question about whether Jake has ever been with a woman at first, so he repeats it again.
2,64 sec.

Recut
0:15:28: As Roy repeats "My tongue.", there is a short cut to Dave in the HV.
The HV runs 2,44 sec. longer

Extended Scene in the OV
0:26:00: Jemma's sentence continues in the OV: "...and banging a different bimbo.". Following this, they turn to the door in other shots.
1,4 sec.

Extended Scene in the OV
0:27:09: Ventor asks how long the delay will be, Jemma says one to two weeks at most.
5,8 sec.

Extended Scene in the OV
0:27:55: When Ventor confronts Jemma with the fact that she and Roy have a child, she pauses briefly in irritation in the OV.
2,68 sec.

Extended Scene in the OV
0:28:13: The conversation between Ventor and Jemma goes on much longer in the OV. Ventor tells a story from his time as a soldier. He prevented a coup for the CIA in Burma during a secret operation, and when he was there in the jungle, he lost almost his entire team in a fight with the rebels there. Left to his own devices and surrounded by the rebels, he suddenly hears the squeal of a wild boar. The rebels retreat because they don't want any trouble with the massive animal. It spots Ventor and races toward him, but before he can point his rifle at the boar, a giant python snakes out of the tree and wraps itself around the boar. Ventor is so fascinated by this that he watches the hours-long death throes in silence. The bones break, the pig's lungs collapse, it sounded like the snake was laughing. The most impressive act of violence he had ever seen. What fascinated Ventor in particular was the calm and calculation he recognized in the eyes of the strangling snake. And when it expanded its mouth to swallow the pig, he saw a nest full of python eggs. So the whole thing was not an act of aggression, but one of love, because the pig would have trampled the nest otherwise. So it was not malice, but necessity, in order not to see one's future destroyed.

Jemma says she enjoyed listening to the story and Ventor says he enjoyed telling it, especially since he found it apt. Jemma asks what he means by that and Ventor says that she should stop bringing friends or anyone else with a questionable background to work and that he wants to know immediately if there are any delays in the project. Jemma assures him to take that to heart. Then she gets up and leaves, visibly upset by the meeting.
240,12 sec.

Extended Scene in the OV
0:32:56: Bartender Gabrielle and Alice make some more inconsequential small talk about whether Alice's career choice makes sense.
5,84 sec.

Extended Scene in the OV
0:33:24: Alice asks some more about how long Gabrielle and Roy have known each other. Roy says since he started visiting this bar as a guest. Gabrielle adds that it has been since he returned from overseas. Alice gets curious, asking him to tell something from that time. Roy placates, saying there's almost nothing to tell. Gabrielle playfully asks him to tell almost nothing then.
21,72 sec.

Extended Scene in the OV
0:34:01: Gabrielle says that Roy and she would have fun too, but could never fall in love. Roy amusedly asks about it and Gabrielle says that she can see by the sadness in his eyes that he is still in love with a woman. This is the woman he desires and not Gabrielle or Alice. Roy looks thoughtful.
60,36 sec.

Extended Scene in the OV
0:44:20: Roy asks Joe if that's all he bought from the guy and Joe answers in the affirmative.
2,24 sec.

Voiceover
0:46:30: The explanation of why the signal didn't come through is different in both versions. In the OV, Roy says the diner was lined with metal, then he went to the gaming complex underground. In the HV, he says the diner is underground, just like the gaming complex.
No time difference

Alternative Material
0:48:54: In the HV, there is another shot in between of Dave being amused because of Roy's question.
The HV runs 1,04 sec. longer

Extended Scene in the OV
0:55:53: Roy says he knows how to get to Ventor's complex. A somewhat superfluous statement, he was already there once regularly. They obviously thought so in the editing room at Blumhouse.
1,56 sec.

Voiceover
0:59:10: One shot of Roy is briefly different. The more noticeable difference is that the OV has a voiceover by Roy: "So do I do a Butch and Sundance Blaze of Glory bit here? Nah..."
The OV runs 0,04 sec. longer

Extended Scene in the OV
1:16:10: Roy asks again "Cool?" and Joe replies again "Cool."
3,08 sec.

Voiceover
1:24:52: There is a different voiceover by Roy in both versions. In the HV, he states the movie title.

OV: "I want the big knockdown drag out now. The Dying Brook. The Battle Royale."
HV: "Alright, fuck this. I wanna brawl 'em out. The Battle Royale. The boss level."
No time difference

Extended Scene in the OV
1:28:25: Roy is talking about how Joe loves dogs, especially the pug, and how Joe would like that he and Jemma rescue one from the shelter.
7,12 sec.

Recut
1:28:53: The order in which Jemma and Roy talk about the spindle is slightly different. In addition, the OV offers a somewhat confusing scientific explanation by Jemma about a necessary restart of the spindle and about two dimensions with missing DNA mass. The HV does without these.
6,24 sec.

Extended Scene in the HV
1:30:58: Here, the HV lays the groundwork for its other ending. While Roy says in the OV: "Well then, give me a kiss and tell me you love me.", Jemma explains in the HV what happens when he goes into the spindle: "Going in there will likely kill you and you'll have to repeat the day one more time. And if you die then, there's no coming back.". Then Roy's sentence follows here as well.
- 7,28 sec.

Extended Scene in the OV
1:31:36: Roy looks back at Jemma longer and says: "What the hell. Here we go."
5,04 sec.

Alternative Material
1:32:16: In the OV it is left open what happens next with Roy, you only see him staying in the spindle and a close up of his eyes. Black screen follows and you hear the clock hand, so with a little imagination you could think that the day is starting over for him.

In the HV, however, the whole thing is clearer. After his stay in the spindle, we see him briefly lying in bed and Mr. Goodmorning starting his attack as usual. In voiceover, Roy is heard saying: "Okay, asshole. Just don't die this time. Piece of cake.". As he does so, he winks at the camera and then dodges the machete strike. The music here is also a bit more dynamic in the aftermath, before leveling off to the music in the OV as the credits progress.
The OV runs 1,44 sec. longer

Original Version	Hulu Version