Saul Bass shot a far crazier montage for the transition to Phase IV, but after a test screening Paramount trimmed it out. I don’t really know why – the whole movie is leading up to this 2001-inspired payoff, and if people didn’t like the ending they certainly weren’t going to like the hour and a half prior. Trimming the ending – cutting the money shot, essentially – doesn’t do the film any favors. Looking at the poster above you can get a sense that Paramount was trying to just sell a shitty exploitation film when they were stuck with an almost experimental science fiction piece.
via The Missing Ending Of Saul Bass’ PHASE IV Is Found – And Seen | Badass Digest.
