Power/Rangers Back On YouTube; Joseph Khan Comments

The controversial Power/Rangers fan-film by director Joseph Khan and producer Adi Shankar is back on YouTube with over 12 million views after being taken down by the request of Saban Entertainment over copyright issues.

As Power/Rangers is now back on YouTube, Khan has obviously asserted he owns the rights to the film as it falls under “pardoy” copyright laws, which enables someone to imitate another’s work (short explanation).

Joseph Khan recently participated in a Reddit QnA where he did state he signed papers to the effect.

I am literally at my agent’s office signing paperwork right now to get it back on. You should see it soon. Internet YOU WON.

Khan also explains why his Power/Rangers fan-film is not a PG-13 version.

I’m not a studio blaming guy. This business is run by people and people are all flawed and nuts. Especially in the creative field. We are all f—ing insane. I think the biggest problem is the R rating. In POWER/RANGERS was making a point about the ratings system. The people who want me to tone this down and make this a “PG-13” version – you know how I do that? Take out a few f—s and take out the blood when there’s a gunshot. That’s it. And suddenly everyone would have their kid friendly PG-13. But what exactly is that? The absurdity is people will accept this very short as entertainment for kids as long as you show guns are bloodless and people just kind of fall down when they get hit. This is a weird hypocricy of the ratings system, commercial necessity rather than a moral one. Even before PG-13 was invented a PG film like RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK would show that guns, when shot at someone, would blow blood off his head into the lens. So this film is a response to that and making a more honest depiction of this sort of violent entertainment. To get a PG-13 all I have to do is cut our the cursing, keep the killings but just sanitize them. And no tits.

Khan goes on to explain it’s not aimed at 12 year olds.

I can’t front that I’m a fan of Power Rangers. Most people when they do projects always say they’re fans but 90% are lying just to please the fans. I was already shaving in 1993 when Power Rangers came out. It was aimed at 12 year olds. I would have been weird as f— if I was going into clubs raving about a reappropriated Sentai show for kids. I would have never gotten laid (which I didn’t anyway so what did it matter). It was an interesting experiment to play with reboot culture and tone control. When I finally made it I was fully invested in the characters and the property but I didn’t come into it to please a fan base, per se, but to experiment with pop culture.

It’s not necessarily made for Power Ranger fans NOW, especially kids. It was made for Power Rangers fans in the 90’s who grew up and out of it. I’m making a piece of nostolgia for adults in their late 20’s and 30’s, who haven’t thought about them in a minute. And I think that is the vast majority of people in the world. If you’re 30 and still into Power Rangers and dress up in the costumes and all that, then more power to you, but this is not for you. 

Khan explains how Power/Rangers is a parody of the original.

Parody in that it is a conceptual straight faced hyperbole. Every scene is straightfaced and serious and believable. If you watched it and enjoyed every minute of it literally – you’re not stupid, you’re honest. That’s what I wanted. And when it ended and you laugh and go what the f— did I just watch, you’re acknowledging you just legitimately enjoyed a f—ing Might Morphin Power Rangers movie where they f—ed p-rn stars, did coke, and blew people’s brains out a face value. THAT’S irony, THAT’s the comedy, THAT’s the parody.

Khan goes on to explain how Power/Rangers got to be and hints at the cost.

I was going to a sci fi short anyway with Russ Bain (Tommy, green ranger) and Adi Shankar convinced me to make it about Power Rangers. I self funded it and shot it over 7 days. It was taken down because it was awesome.

More than a Mercedes. Less than a condo in Los Angeles.

I paid for it myself. But a couple rich friends threw in a little money when they saw it just because they wanted to. Seriously. I didn’t need it. They were like this is cool, we were going to just bet it on golf. Go buy some more blood shots. Not kidding.

On Kate Sackhoff being a part of the film:

Katee only had one day to shoot her interrogation scene so I had to shoot all her shots first. Then I had to back through all the set-ups and shoot James, regardless of which way the camera was pointing. Holy shit, that was tough to keep track of in my head.

Khan also says there is no interest in making it a full-length feature film:

I strictly made it as a short film. No interest in making it a real movie. It’s designed to be 14 minutes, no more no less.

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Power/Rangers Director Joseph Khan with fight coordinator Don Thai Theerathda setting up a fight in the Power/Rangers fan-film