List of Alternate Cuts with/without Director Approval (1 Viewer)

[joshEH]

True, he says in the intro that the theatrical release was his original -- and final -- intended cut of the film, but during his new audio commentary (as I mentioned above), he suddenly talks in several spots about how eager he was to recut a number of sequences back into the film, due to their enhancement of the overall story and the characterizations.

It's a situation probably not unlike Peter Jackson and The Frighteners -- him having final cut over the original theatrical edit, yet also feeling that the expanded version (his "Director's Fun Cut") also having something quite substantial and nutritious to offer the viewer. This version of Gladiator seems to be Ridley's "Fun Cut," or rather, his "Reconsidered-Almost-a-Director's-Cut."

 

[Robert Harris]

It should be noted that films which have been reconstructed from surviving elements are not necessarily penultimate director's cuts even though they may be promoted as such.

As examples, the intent of both Mr. Douglas and Mr. Kubrick in regard to Spartacus, was to achieve a final result as close as possible to the final preview cut before censorship.

Although Lawrence of Arabia is marketed as the Director's Cut at 217 minutes, it took that form because quality audio was unavailable on a timely basis for the extension of a scene, and ended up at that length because the filmmaker had to be in Cannes.

For the most part, and with few exceptions, "director's cut" are simply another means of selling more DVDs. But there are and will be exceptions, such as the longer version of Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven.

Beware.

RAH

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

If that's true, in this case I think the director is out of his bleedin' gourd. The scenes cut from the theatrical version of THE PROFESSIONAL are vital bits of character and plot development. With them, the film is so much more than a standard action thriller. Without them, the relationship between the two leads is more lightweight, and Leon has no backstory, no real believable motive for being a hitman.

Wasn't the longer cut the official international version? Did Besson "prefer" one cut for US distribution and another for international distribution?

 

[Mike*Sch]

Mark, do you know if roadshow versions of those movies exist on any other video format?

The story I've always heard in regards to the LEON situation makes it sound more like THE ABYSS than T2. I was under the impression that both were director's cuts, but that the original theatrical cut was a compromised version that Besson made to appease the studio. He's cool with both, but prefers the uncut version. In the liner notes for the DVD, they even refer to it as a "director's cut." Is this story inaccurate?

Josh, could you give me some more info on THE FRIGHTENERS? It sounds like Jackson might favor the theatrical cut.

Robert, was the scene extension with the missing audio elements ever added back into LAWRENCE OF ARABIA?

We need to come up with a way of indicating which of these movies have true "director's cuts" and which are versions which are simply less compromised than others. Any suggestions?

 

[Mike Wadkins]

The Leon footage was cut at the time because the studio didn't think the sexual nature of an underage girl was a safe box office bet.

Besson has said in the past that the version intégrale / version longue cuts of his films are his preferred choice

 

[Mark B]

HAWAII and THE ALAMO had LD and VHS releases, and RAINTREE VHS only.

 

[joshEH]

A little of both, I think. In the years between 1998 and now, he referred to the theatrical release as a "Director's Cut," and the extended laserdisc version as his "Director's Fun Cut," but it seems to be a very different situation from The Lord of the Rings.

With those, the longer edits are considered to be "non-essential-yet-done-for-the-fans," with the theatrical prints serving as his optimal, "balanced" edits...whereas, the extended cut of The Frighteners is very obviously different beast, a case of more footage enhancing the texture of the film in a substantial way.

It's true that Jackson preferred the theatrical cut, but upon listening to the commentary the other night, it's apparent that him putting the longer footage back into the flick added, in his opinion, to the story and characterizations -- in one of the "stairway" scenes in Patricia Bradley's house (either the opening one, or the one nearer to the end of the film), Jackson discusses how much more improved the film is overall with the new scenes edited back in.

Not totally sure which one he finally endorses today as his "true" director's cut after all these years, but for the extended jailhouse-scene alone (and perhaps the "stabbing-orgasm" scene ), the extended version has now supplanted the theatrical print in my estimation.

(Hope that clarified it for you. )

 

[Mike*Sch]

Thanks, Mark. I've updated those listings.

Thanks, Josh. I think I'm going to keep both of those movies as listed, because it seems as though the directors have said conflicting things about their work, and I guess we have to go by what they're currently saying.

I've added DODGEBALL and GONE IN 60 SECONDS to the list.

 

[Sean Richardson]

Regarding Peter Jackson, I thought he often had time to re-cut his movies further for the American audiences and generally preferred the tighter versions (for 'Dead Alive' and 'Heavenly Creatures', the former of which is also available in an R-rated cut, the latter of which is only available in the international cut, I believe), and I especially thought he explicitly stated on the 'Frighteners' laserdisc that the theatrical was the director's cut; it seemed like he only really missed the cut Jeffrey Combs stuff, and maybe some of the Judge.

What about something like 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid' or 'The Wild Bunch', where cuts were prepared after the director died?

Did Friedkin really say he preferred the new 'Exorcist'?

'Bad Santa' has an unrated cut which might be preferred
'A Streetcar Named Desire' is only available in the new director's cut
'Duel' is only available in the longer theatrical cut (not the original TV version)
ditto '1941' and 'Nixon'
'The Outsiders' (I believe Coppola prefers the "Complete Novel" version)
"New York, New York" is a director's cut only
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" was recut slightly for DVD
"The Last Picture Show" is director's cut only

 

[Kirk Tsai]

The My Darling Clementine DVD includes two cuts, a reconstruction of Ford's cut to Zanuck, and the final theatrical cut. I am unsure if Ford approved or was involved in assembling the theatrical cut.

 

[David (C)]

VIDEODROME exclusively released Uncut for all its US home video incarnations.

 

[Mark B]

Just thought of another. 1776. 3 versions - Theatrical cut, Pioneer LD version, and DVD Director's cut.

Edit:
OOPS! I looked for this at the top of the list since it has a "number" title, but now I see it in the "S" section. Sorry.

 

[TonyD]

does anyone know what the time of of both versions of Wayne's The Alamo are?

 

[Mike*Sch]

So what's the deal with THE FRIGHTENERS? I've never seen this movie, and don't know anything about it's history. I thought the director's cut was only released for the first time recently. But if he talked about it being less-favored than the theatrical cut back when it was first released on LD, and hasn't said anything to suggest he's changed his mind since, then I think we should go with the theatrical cut. What do you guys think?

As far as posthumous cuts are concerned, I think we have to take them on a case by case basis. While maybe not perfect, it seems as though the new cut of THE WILD BUNCH would be closer to what Peckinpah was aiming for than the theatrical cut. But for something like RETURN OF THE JEDI, where all new sequences were created, I'd be a bit skeptical.

The story of THE EXORCIST that I heard was that William Friedkin was always happy with the theatrical cut of the movie, but William Peter Blatty always wanted him to reinstate the cut scenes. Friedkin resisted for years, but finally gave in essentially just to shut Blatty up. But once the scenes were back in the movie, Friedkin realized that Blatty had been right all along, and now he prefers the new version. I also heard somewhere that he likes pan and scan.

I've added all the movies mentioned to the list, along with WINDTALKERS and HAVOC.

 

[Mathew B]

I think regarding Dodgeball, the director prefers the original/Unrated cut. The theatrical US was MPAA tampered (he had to fight to save alot of lines like "put your mouth where our balls are" and dub some language) and Fox too (Justin kissing Amber). He also claims the International release (which I believe is the same as Unrated) is how he wanted the film to be released (Ben Stiller commented on that, "so you could go to Indonesia and see Dodgeball as it was meant to be seen"). So basically Unrated has director approval.

 

[Mark B]

SECONDS - 1966

 

[joshEH]

Overall, he definitely seems to have come around more to the Director's Cut -- last night, I popped in the disc again, and his newly-recorded, newly-svelte video introductions (done while he was in post-production on King Kong) drives home the fact that the longer cut is now intended to supplant the theatrical version, at least in the United States, and in Universal's eyes.

That bit about Friedkin's reaction to the recut Exorcist makes this situation ring a bit truer: that Jackson at one time did hold a stronger preference for the 1995 theatrical version, but now leans toward the extended cut as being more "definitive" in his mind (also borne out by the audio commentary).

 

[Mark B]

172 m
202 m

 

[TonyD]

hmm the reason i was wondering is because the listing for it on TCM next week is 161 mins, which i'm guessing is wrong.

 

[Mike*Sch]

Thanks, Josh. I've changed THE FRIGHTENERS back to the director's cut.

I've also updated DODGEBALL, and added SECONDS, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, LAND OF THE DEAD, GETTYSBURG, CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE, and DAS BOOT.