Deleted Scenes
This ongoing section aims to uncover any and all deleted, extended, or alternate scenes from the film. Some are just pure speculation, while others have a basis in drafts of the script (or other sources). And, for some of these scenes, we've been lucky enough to obtain video footage or screenshots.
Koopa tracks down Daisy's mother
"You told me to go after her..."
Koopa walks toward the Devo Chamber
The extended de-evolution chamber scene
Koopa tracks down Daisy's mother
Last updated: 10/9/10
Status: Extremely likely
References: Trailers, previews, photographs, novelization
Seen in various trailers and previews, this (extremely) brief shot of Koopa turning in the rain may not seem like much. However, upon closer inspection, do you recall seeing Koopa in the beginning of the film anywhere outside of the gateway tunnel, wearing his military regalia?
Consider this section from the 3/25/92 draft of the script:
Lightning. TITLES OVER cables, steel and brick, awash in a torrent of rain. A black boot hits a puddle. TILT UP ON a dark figure, gazing at the New York skyline. He spins...
The end of that section is spot-on with this clip--and that leads me to believe that the rest was likely filmed as well. In the script, Koopa shows up a couple more times as Daisy's mother attempts to escape back to Dinohattan.
It's also worth noting that this scene is wonderfully described in Todd Strasser's novelization as well.
Additional Resources:
Photograph from film score jewel case insert
Last updated: 10/9/10
Status: Confirmed
References: Photographs, scripts, ADR revision notes, novelization, audio adaptation, action figures
This scene would've taken place directly after Mario and Luigi arrive at the Riverfront Cafe. The cut is extremely obvious when you know what you're looking for. In place of the scene is Mario's dubbed line, "They beat us to it again! Another lost job!" over footage of the Scapelli van. According to some of our sources, this scene was filmed fairly early on in the shoot. Since this scene may tie in to the alternate footage depicting the Marios meeting Daisy, it could've been cut from the film for that reason. However, it was most likely cut because of trimming down the film's running time, and it gets the brothers into Dinohattan faster.
Page 3 of Parker Bennett's ADR Revision notes indicates that the scene was filmed to a point where dubbing was considered. In the original scene, people saying Mario's full name "Mario Mario" is scattered around like it's going out of style--the ADR notes attempt to either change this dialogue or take it out, likely to keep the "suprise" of finding this out later in the Dinohattan police station scene.
Either way, it's worth noting that this is the scene where Mario's trademark line, "nobody touches my tools" comes from--as stated on the back of Mario's ERTL action figure, and it's also a line that the oversized ERTL Talking Mario says as well. Too bad the scene containing it isn't even in the film!
Additional Resources:
Trading Cards with film blurbs
Photograph and transcript from novelizaton
Parker Bennett's ADR Revision notes
"You told me to go after her..."
Last updated: 2/15/10
Status: Confirmed
References: Video footage, scripts, interview
One of the most common complaints about the film is the lack of character development. Interestingly, many of the scripts indicated a subplot involving Luigi doubting his family pride and Mario resenting Luigi for getting him into their situation. Eventually they reconcile during the "Mario, I can fly!" scene in the ventilation shaft.
This scene is part of that subplot and it would've taken place directly after Toad's "theory" about the old king being de-evolved into fungus. As can be seen at around 0:42 of the Bad Influence video, Mario and Luigi exchange these words:
Luigi: "You told me to go after her..."
Mario: "Yeah, for a date, not into another world."
Part of this scene was also referenced by Mark Miller, who played both the "Lizard Man" and Vendor in the film. When asked if parts of this scene were filmed, he responded with the following:
Yes. It was filmed. After a long, long night of sitting there I had to smoke cigarette after cigarette and I wasn’t a smoker.
For even more context on how this scene would fit into the overall film, the link below provides the text of the scene from the shooting script.
Additional Resources:
Full scene as described in the 5/7/92 shooting script
SMB Archive's Mark Miller and Michael Harding Interview
Last updated: 10/11/10
Status: Confirmed
References: Video footage, personal account
Thanks to the German DVD version of The Making of Super Mario Bros., we now know there was a short clip of one of the Brooklyn Girls offering their Goomba guard a cigarette. It's kind of a cool moment, just to see more Goombas interacting with the actors. It was likely cut to keep the focus on Daisy as she was being escorted into the Goomba barracks, although the scene could just have easily been placed elsewhere in the film.
Andrea Powell, who played the Brooklyn Girl in this scene, revealed a bit of information to us about how this small scene came about in our recent interview with her: "...the Goomba cigarette scene was pretty funny. I totally remember that now – they had wanted a funny little moment where the Goomba could flick his tongue, and that’s what we came up with. The “boss” line was totally improvised...Rocky really liked it, so it became part of the scene."
Additional Resources:
SMB Archive's Andrea Powell Interview
Koopa walks toward the Devo Chamber
Last updated: 10/11/10
Status: Extremely likely
References: Video footage, storyboards
This short clip has been seen in The Making of Super Mario Bros., among other places. The most likely place for this to go would be right before you see Koopa walk into the Devo Chamber. Why? First, because the long corridor seems to lead straight to the chamber and they have the same kind of structure. And second, because Koopa is still wearing his "Larry Lazard" lawyer suit. And third, because this shot is pretty explicitly defined in the storyboards we have for the scene:
I'm not really sure why this would have been cut out--you see this area later in the film with the gathering Goomba army, so it would've been nice to see it before then to provide a little bit of foreshadowing.
Additional Resources:
The extended de-evolution chamber scene
Last updated: 1/30/11
Status: Confirmed
References: Footage, scripts, storyboards, ADR revision notes
Without a doubt, this is the most widely known, contested, and debated deleted scene of Super Mario Bros.
And of course, it's the scene we're the most unsure about.
In almost every screenplay of the film as we know it, there is a character that is de-evolved into slime either before or after the character that is transformed into a Goomba, but this never made it into the final film--although it's obvious that something was filmed.
The various screenplays and novelization hints at how the scene could've played out, but Parker Bennett's ADR revison notes lay out the scene in the most likely way it would have cut together on film. On page 19 of that document, it is revealed that a technician is the one de-evolved into slime, and that this occurs after Toad is de-evolved into a Goomba. This is also backed up by a brief in-progress VFX shot of the technician de-evolving that can be seen in both versions of the "Making of" featurettes we have (and below):
Side-by-side comparison of the de-evolution scene storyboards with the in-progress VFX shots
As you can see, who exactly was/is supposed to be de-evolved changed constantly. The storyboard you see above says that it's Simon (the police chief) that's getting de-evolved. However, if you look closely at that storyboard, where "Simon" is written above a name that has been erased with correctional fluid. Underneath that correction, it reads "Lemmy." This pattern of replacing "Lemmy" with "Simon" follows suit throughout the rest of the storyboards.
First of all, it's worth noting that Lemmy is a character from Mario lore--one of the Koopa Kids. Secondly--"Lemmy" was the original name given to the character that would become Toad in the final film, according to the Ed Solomon/Ryan Rowe shooting draft. So, that would mean that at the time these storyboards were made, Lemmy/Toad was the original character to be de-evolved into slime, and that was later changed to Simon. However, this doesn't happen in the film--Simon survives.
As described in the Todd Strasser novelization and seen in the in-progress visual effects shot above, we've determined that an unnamed devo technician was decided to be the one who would be completely de-evolved to slime in the final film, directly after Toad is de-evolved into a Goomba.
So the question at the end of the day is--why was this scene cut? Was it deemed too gruesome to show someone de-evolving into slime? I wouldn't find that likely since this is exactly what happens to Koopa at the end of the film. Was the VFX shot not completed in time for the film's release? Was the scene not shot with enough coverage to make a completed version of it? We may never know, but the following text from the Super Mario Bros. Press Kit's booklet adds some further clarification:
"Originally written as a creature with a screen life of about 30 seconds -- from the time rebellious folksinger Toad (Mojo Nixon) was de-evolved into a Goomba until he was further de-evolved into primordial slime -- this character proved such a hit on the set that his life was saved, and his part was expanded for the rest of the movie. He even holds onto the rebellious streak that got his evolved self into trouble in the first place."
Additional Resources:
Parker Bennett's ADR Revision notes
Last updated: 10/11/10
Status: Confirmed
References: Video footage, novelization
As seen in the The Making of Super Mario Bros., Koopa asks for someone to draw him a bath, directly after he's been shoved into the Devo machine by Mario and Luigi. This line of dialogue is also in the Todd Strasser novelization. Although it's not a necessary line of dialogue, it's a pretty humorous foreshadowing to Koopa's "mud bath" a couple of scenes later.
Additional Resources:
Last updated: 1/11/11
Status: Extremely likely
References: Footage, Photographs, ADR revision notes, Official Movie Magazine
This extended segment of the Boom-Boom Bar scene involves Iggy and Spike performing an anti-Koopa rap. This scene is referenced later after their capture, when Lena tells Koopa that "Iggy and Spike have been preaching your overthrow at the Boom-Boom Bar..."
The scene is briefly mentioned on page 27 of Parker Bennett's ADR Revision notes, suggesting to dub in some more "revolutionary slogans as they're being dragged away." Interestingly these are in the film, while the rap itself is not. It's also worth mentioning that what are likely the full lyrics of the rap are included in the Official Movie Magazine (and you can see them below).
Obviously, the most revealing piece of evidence for this scene can be found in one of the "Behind the Scenes" spots aired by Entertainment Tonight around the film's release. Around :40 into the clip, you can hear Iggy and Spike rapping the lyrics ("Let's talk about our liberation/and start a new confederation") while Mario and Luigi are trying to blend in on the dance floor.
In addition to possibly being cut for time, one theory is that the scene was cut due to some "PG-13" content in the form closeups of some of the more risque Boom-Boom Bar dancers surrounding Iggy and Spike during the rap.
Additional Resources:
Entertainment Tonight "Behind the Scenes" Spot
Lyrics from Official Movie Magazine