imported_Brian-W

Theatrical/DVD vs. Television Cuts - Preference?

I know that television edits of movies are talked about within specific movie threads, but I thought it would be interesting as a subject by itself.

Now, I know many movies with 'added' footage generally is to replace violent/sexual/inappropriate footage that can't be shown on television. Fast Times at Ridgemont High comes to mind, but another movie I was watching Summer Rental never really had any inappropriate footage.

For these films, it seems that rather than cutting footage and replacing it, footage is added. In the case of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the masturbation scene is shortened (Reinhold/Cates), but then in the beginning of the movie there is extended talk as Leigh/Cates are leaving the mall about the free clinic to a lone girl that walks up to Cates.

Summer Rental was different in that I noticed nothing cut (I have the DVD, and have seen the movie a million times) but that quite a few scenes were a bit longer. Most of these additions are never more than 30 seconds per scene, but interesting nonetheless.

Born in East L.A., again not really a movie that needed anything cut because of sensitivity issues, had a large cut of footage added between the near end of the movie when he's going to leave Mexico and when the movie ended. When I saw this, it explained a lot vs. the the theatrical/DVD cut that when viewed retroactively, left a gaping hole in the story and events.

So I guess what I'm trying to understand is more mainstream movies that aren't filled with sexual/violent/inappropriate scenes shown on television have more footage inserted anyway. And why we don't get those alternate cuts even if they are relegated to the sidelines as "outakes" or "deleted scenes".

For most people who may not care or hold near and dear some of these movies it's no big deal, but if a movie is a favorite, it's rather disappointing not to have this footage. I'd like studios to put this footage either as an alternate cut of the movie or in the extra's section of a DVD.

Any other movies people can think of that had quite a bit added for televised versions? Brady Bunch Movie is another that comes to mind.

ChuckSolo

This past Saturday night I tried to watch "Casino" on regular cable TV. I think it was on the USA network. The movie was so butchered and dubbed that it made the movie practically unwatchable. Movies like this and like "GoodFellas," "Heat," etc. should IMHO be left to premium movie channels and DVD/Video. I doubt that any Mafioso worth his salt would keep saying "freaking" in place of the true "F" word. If you want a non-comedy laugh, watch any of these movies on regular tv. It's sad to see movies like this destroyed on regular TV.

Jeff Kleist

Spaceballs has several totally alternate scenes, most noteably the "I'm surrounded by assholes!" Every a-bomb is instead "idiot".

george kaplan

I certainly don't want to watch a television cut in which anything is cut or dubbed or otherwise censored. But I certainly wish more of the tv footage would be available, either as longer cuts on dvd, or as deleted scenes. It's a shame that the extra airplane footage on Planes, Trains & Automobiles isn't available on the dvd somehow.

"Movies should be like amusement parks. People should go to them to have fun." - Billy Wilder

"Subtitles good. Hollywood bad." - Tarzan, Sight & Sound 2012 voter.

"My films are not slices of life, they are pieces of cake." - Alfred Hitchcock

"My great humility is just one of the many reasons that I am vastly superior to everyone else." - Ramrod Clerk

david stark

The worst cut I have ever seen was on the uk dvd for die hard 3. I suppose it pissed me off so much because I had paid for it, but the cut is (major spoiler):



Why did they put all these cuts in? well probably to get the rating of the dvd down from 18 to 15 so that more people could buy it I assume.

Luckily the place I bought it from (online) took it back and gave me a refund.

imported_Brian-W

I guess if my original post wasn't clear, what I was getting at was the extra footage that is often shown in TV versions of films and how it's edited in.

In no way can I say I'd prefer to watch a cut up version of a movie (Die Hard 3 and Casino examples). I'm referring to the scenes shown in televised versions of movies that are not in the theatrical or DVD releases.

I hate movies that are cut up, but when I watch the DVD of Born in East LA, I feel as though I'm watching a cut up movie vs. the televised version.