Video game otherworlds in Silent Hill and Super Mario Bros. The Morton Jankel cut! focuses on the films Silent Hill and Super Mario Bros. and their themes of alternate realities and the blurred lines between good and evil. In Silent Hill, the protagonist discovers a mysterious town that appears to exist in a parallel universe, where the line between good and evil becomes increasingly unclear as she uncovers the town’s dark past. Similarly, in Super Mario Bros., the titular characters are tasked with rescuing Princess Peach from the evil Bowser, but as they journey through the Mushroom Kingdom, they encounter creatures that challenge their beliefs about what is truly good and evil. Both films explore the idea that there are often multiple perspectives and grey areas in moral dilemmas, and that these can be challenging to navigate.
The Morton Jankel Cut
A fan-made, restored version of the film “Super Mario Bros.” has gained widespread attention and been viewed over 71,000 times on the Internet Archive since its release on June 1, 2021. The version, called the Morton Jankel Cut and named after the film’s co-directors, Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, was edited using VHS footage for consistency and to pay homage to the analog media and tape trades of the era in which the film was released. The restored version also includes previously unknown content, such as explicit language and references to sex work, that was compromised by Disney in the original release. The cultural significance and impact on the film’s place in the “canon” of the Morton Jankel Cut remains to be seen, but it has already given the film its most exposure since its controversial 1993 release.