Travis,
I tend to agree with you that those who re-edit an artists work in this way aren't much better then say, Ted Turner when he offered to colorize films. That having been said, while I don't like it or think that there is much artistry in it, I also understand that people have done it for years - long before the digital era; even studios would offer 'cut for TV" editions, or altered cuts of their films for airflights/etc.
While these aren't done with the same intent as what people are doing on their own, the effort has always been there. I personally say: if you want to do it to something you own, more power to you. I will admit, there are a few films I have done this to, for different reasons. I have "my own cut" of Wim Wender's "Until the End of the World" which is almost five hours; it's the 3 German DVDs just connected together so that I don't have to change discs and in between 3 and 4 it's the extended cut of the outdoor concert scene which is on the Japanese Laserdisc.
But here's the thing: I wouldn't sell it, nor would I promote it as "better than" the artists cut, I won't profit from it and I won't say anything about it except it's all the content of the film I've ever found. I know quite a few people who edited Dark City (before the new Blu-Ray release) to edit out the opening monologue before they showed it to friends. And so on.
Once it's in your hands, however you want to enjoy a film is up to you. But it doesn't necessarily make it "art" or "better than" it's just how you want to enjoy it. That's all.
I tend to agree with you that those who re-edit an artists work in this way aren't much better then say, Ted Turner when he offered to colorize films. That having been said, while I don't like it or think that there is much artistry in it, I also understand that people have done it for years - long before the digital era; even studios would offer 'cut for TV" editions, or altered cuts of their films for airflights/etc.
While these aren't done with the same intent as what people are doing on their own, the effort has always been there. I personally say: if you want to do it to something you own, more power to you. I will admit, there are a few films I have done this to, for different reasons. I have "my own cut" of Wim Wender's "Until the End of the World" which is almost five hours; it's the 3 German DVDs just connected together so that I don't have to change discs and in between 3 and 4 it's the extended cut of the outdoor concert scene which is on the Japanese Laserdisc.
But here's the thing: I wouldn't sell it, nor would I promote it as "better than" the artists cut, I won't profit from it and I won't say anything about it except it's all the content of the film I've ever found. I know quite a few people who edited Dark City (before the new Blu-Ray release) to edit out the opening monologue before they showed it to friends. And so on.
Once it's in your hands, however you want to enjoy a film is up to you. But it doesn't necessarily make it "art" or "better than" it's just how you want to enjoy it. That's all.
