screenshot from Bregna 2415 (resized) [dead link]
In the '90s, MTV, between the "shitty music video" era and the "spring breakers" era, briefly hosted some trippy animation. Aeon Flux emerged then, under the direction of Peter Chung, who was 30 at the time, with all imaginative pistons firing. Shortly thereafter MTV released the three seasons on VHS tape, and in 2005 Chung remastered the tapes and re-released them on DVD. To the annoyance of some fans, he added new dialog to four of the shows. He claimed this was to bring the characterizations of Aeon Flux and Trevor Goodchild "into better continuity with the series as a whole." New dialog was also written for the character "Clavius," former leader of Bregna. Three of the episodes he altered ("The Demiurge," "Reraizure," and "End Sinister") were directed by Howard E. Baker, a fourth (this one, "Utopia or Deuteranopia)," was directed by Chung himself. Here are some belated notes on the changes to:
| Utopia or Deuteranopia Presumably this means a better society, with or without rules. It should probably be spelled Deuteronopia, after the biblical book Deuteronomy |
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| VHS | DVD |
| Opening title includes the sentence "It's none of Aeon's business, but..." | [sentence removed in DVD version] |
| Trevor Goodchild in voiceover: There can be no justice where there is no truth. What is the truth? Tell me if you know and I will not believe you. Things are never what they seem. Clean gloves hide dirty hands, and mine are dirtier than most. |
Trevor Goodchild in voiceover: The unobserved state is a fog of probabilities. A window of and for error. The watcher observes; the fog collapses; an event resolves. A theory becomes a fact. What is the truth? Tell me if you know and I will not believe you. Things are never what they seem. Clean gloves hide dirty hands, and mine are dirtier than most. Without truth there can be no justice. |
| Aeon: My name is Aeon Flux. I’m here on a mission to assassinate Trevor Goodchild. Is everybody listening? Do you believe me? Am I confessing? | Aeon: My name is Aeon Flux. I’m here on a mission to assassinate Trevor Goodchild. Is everybody listening? Do you believe me? Everybody happy? |
| Trevor, watching surveillance footage shot by his government's cameras: So many people with so much to hide. They know what's wrong and they don't listen. These are the new rules: No more hiding. There's nothing to lose but shame, inhibition, perversion. All the good things in life. |
Trevor, watching surveillance footage shot by his government's cameras: What is this? Look, let's not even bother with those idiots, just show me some action. [narrating action on video] Aah, going somewhere? Vacation -- for ten years? [phonetic -- spoken over footage of bigwig being spanked by dominatrix] Counsel Gaiman! You know the rules. Total information awareness. Equal opportunity enforcement. We are not losing anything but shame, inhibition, perversion, depravity, degeneracy, debauch... [interrupted] |
| Gildemere: Listen, I think I’m being watched. There are things I have to do. Keep this safe here. | Gildemere: Listen, I think I’m being watched. Aeon: You don’t miss a trick. Gildemere: There are things I have to do. Keep this safe here. |
| Clavius, awakening from machine trance: A bed... A hole... The crickets... |
Clavius, awakening from machine trance: I want out... I want out... ohh... |
| Clavius, watching surveillance footage from government prison cells: Valentine, Orillian, Mustafa. Impossible. Diacono. What is this? By locking them up, Trevor has shut down the flow of funds, you fool. Not to mention that they're some of my best friends. Why is there no air in here? |
Clavius, watching surveillance footage from government prison cells: [phonetic] Paysok. Andrus. Turkaloo?! Who did this? They've rounded up the whole network! By locking them up, Trevor has shut down our base of credit, you fool. These men are my special friends. Why is it so hot in here? |
| Clavius, talking with Gildemere: No, the flying saucer men are the flying saucer men -- Nowzak! Galaxy 66! The evil empire! What's wrong with you? When the orbital jellyfish umbrella is deployed we'll have round-the-clock defensive capability. Shut up, mother! [weeps, laughs] |
Clavius, talking with Gildemere: No, the flying saucer men are the flying saucer men -- Narzak! Area 66! The global empire! What level are you? We're men of peace so we attack. Deploy the orbital jellyfish. Next, expulsion of all foreign particles. Shut up, mother! We can do the air... Fecal matter... I don't know [weeps, laughs] |
other comparisons: The Demiurge / Reraizure / End Sinister
Update: This is my own comparison and transcription, based on review of the VHS and DVD versions of this episode. After posting (sigh) I found this tumblr post [dead link]. I made a few tweaks to my chart based on that transcription.