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

[Mark B]

That's the running time without Overture, Intermission, and Exit music.

 

[Travis Brashear]

Hmm, just my two cents but I don't follow why STAR WARS: Episodes IV-VI wouldn't merit inclusion on this list. If we're looking at the issue of new footage vs. new effects, then at least Episodes IV and V should be included (new scene with Jabba in A NEW HOPE and more Wampa footage in EMPIRE).

 

[joshEH]

Yup. To say nothing about the added Sarlacc and "migrating Bantha" footage, and new ending to Jedi. (Oh, and "Jedi Rocks.") All but Revenge of the Sith have gotten tinkerjiggered with by Lucas for their post-theatrical video releases at some point or other; Sith being the first totally-unaltered-on-DVD entry in the series, to my knowledge.

 

[Bill Williams]

Actually, Josh, that's not quite exactly the case. In ROTS, there is a slight tweak between the theatrical and DVD versions - once the Anakin/Obi-Wan battle has ended, and Obi-Wan leaves Mustafar, pay attention to the switch to the next scene of Anakin on Mustafar. The scene switches to a hard cut. In the theatrical version Lucas used a wipe transition to change between the two scenes. It's a very minor change at that, but astute eyes will notice the change - I did. Otherwise, there were no overly significant changes to ROTS for the DVD release.

 

[Mike*Sch]

The issue isn't what type of changes were made. It's who was making the changes, and what the director, ideally the person in charge (artistically), has to say about it. The DVD versions of all of the STAR WARS movies are the director preferred versions, except for RETURN OF THE JEDI, which was directed by Richard Marquand. He died well before the SE's were released and had no input on them.

Added: NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE, THE RING TWO, and SCARY MOVIE.

 

[joshEH]

D'oh...I'd heard about that transition a few months ago in some review or other, and it totally slipped my mind, being so virtually unnoticeable that it went right through the mental cracks.

 

[Ryan L. Bisasky]

its not on tv yet, but when nbc played the original Scary Movie (heavily edited of course) there were several scene's added in (including the scene where Shorty discuses the rules, which is in the trailer, but not on the dvd's deleted scenes)

 

[Don Solosan]

The first three Lethal Weapon movies have director's cuts that seem to be endorsed by Richard Donner.

Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai has an extended version, but I think it's merely presented as an alternate version for fans.

Robocop has footage restored by the director originally for the Criterion version, I believe. I think they called it a director's cut.

 

[joshEH]

Another one to add to the list that just crossed my coconut:

The TV version of Scent of a Woman, which was heavily edited by NBC, and (rightfully) disowned by Martin Brest. The print bears the much-loved "Alan Smithee" nom de guerre.



The Criterion Robocop (and the later MGM 1.85:1 ratio re-release) is listed as Verhoeven's "Director's Cut" on the packaging, and is part of their "Director-Approved" series.

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

Ok, so it isn't true that Besson prefers the cut version entitled THE PROFESSIONAL. Good man, Luc.

 

[Mike*Sch]

Bill, that's a very interesting change to EPISODE III. I can't remember the wipe, but just thinking about it, it seems like the cut would be much more effective.

Someone needs to just ban all transitional effects. When used properly, they can be very effective. But most of the time, they are a waste of time. My philosophy is that you either need a frame, or you don't. None of this wishy-washy wipe BS. But I digress...

Bill, did you see EPISODE III in the theater on film or DLP? I saw it in DLP, and don't remember the wipe, but it quite possibly could have been there. I was just wondering if it might be a situation like EPISODE II where the 35mm print varied slightly from the digital file.

I've added all of the movies that have been mentioned to the list, along with BASIC INSTINCT, DERAILED, HOSTEL, IN THE CUT, IRON MONKEY, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, SUPERGIRL, and WHERE THE TRUTH LIES.

 

[Mike Wadkins]

Also add the very cut u.k. Lethal Weapon 4 Donner likes the cut better as he feels the violence was unnecessary

 

[TravisR]

The digital and film prints both had the wipe.

 

[Mike*Sch]

Thanks, Travis. I forgot to ask, just out of curiosity, what kind of a wipe was it?

FEVER PITCH and LETHAL WEAPON 4 have been added to the list.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Yeah, they're often misused. Although, Lucas uses them mainly as an inspiration from Kurosawa.

To be honest, they're not really needed all the time. Goodfellas doesn't have a single transition, I think.

 

[Mathew B]

If this is true, then I'd very shocked if it was. I mean surely if he didn't like the violence, he'd remove it in post. Donner probably doesn't endorse all the edits as many are incredibly stupid (sound effects dipped and removed, doorway on fire, reaction shots) and obvious (henchman by bus, Lorna kicked in face, Boat Man strangled). Of course, that's down to the fact that Warner (who cut the film themselves) cut out more than probably needed. There's not very much left at all in terms of violence and the only fight not edited in any way is the opening flamethrower man sequence.

BTW, if anyone is cuious about what cuts were made:
http://www.worldwidedvdforums.com/kb...e=article&k=27

Also, A Knight'as Tale should be added to the list, although the preffered version I don't know.

 

[Mike Wadkins]

he said it on the uk bbc program Film 199x i could try and find it in print.

He was asked about the cuts and he said he much prefers the lessened violence in the move and if he made it again he would take it out too

 

[Travis Brashear]

Originally posted by Mike*Sch:
The issue isn't what type of changes were made. It's who was making the changes, and what the director, ideally the person in charge (artistically), has to say about it.

Maybe I'm dense but I'm still not following you--you seem to be arguing that you are interested in altered edits made by "the person in charge", but does the title of this thread not indicate "With/Without" Director Approval--are we not listing any altered versions, regardless of who was responsible for the changes? And, if so, do not EPISODEs IV, V and, arguably, VI qualify?

The DVD versions of all of the STAR WARS movies are the director preferred versions, except for RETURN OF THE JEDI, which was directed by Richard Marquand. He died well before the SE's were released and had no input on them.

Actually, in the interests of strictest accuracy, only EPISODE IV is director-approved; EMPIRE and JEDI are executive producer-approved, which is just as well since, let's be honest, in the case of these two films, the director was little more than a hired-hand task runner--all six STAR WARS films are very clearly George Lucas's babies.

 

[Mike*Sch]

Travis, yes, all six STAR WARS have been altered, and all six are on the list. What I was trying to say was that, unlike the other five, RETURN OF THE JEDI was altered after the director had died, and the changes that were made were not things that he wanted in the movie, but new things that someone invented after the fact. Because of this, any thought of Marquand preferring the special edition would be pure speculation.

As for whether or not THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is director-approved, and who is the "author" of the movies in the first place, that's complicated. Irvin Kershner has stated that he prefers the current versions. As far as the changes go, he likes some (Bespin, etc.) and dislikes others (Wampa, etc.). But either way, he feels that the changes are insignificant next to the enhanced picture and sound quality present on the restoration. So, while this is not a director's cut (in fact, he has stated that he would change things in the movie, given the chance), it is the director-preferred version.

Is George Lucas the true author and were Kershner and Marquand nothing more than hired hands? Personally, I think that the series as a whole is Lucas', but when watched individually, they definitely belong to the directors. Irvin Kershner is the biggest reason why THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is one of the greatest pictures ever made. Lucas, who is a genius, could not come close to directing a movie as well as Kershner did on EMPIRE. Kershner's understanding of things like composition, pacing, and acting far exceed Lucas'. I truly believe that if Lucas directed EMPIRE, no one would care about STAR WARS nearly as much as they do now.

A lot of people credit Kershner as a director and Marquand as a puppet who did as he was told. But it seems to me that Lucas gave Marquand a lot more creative freedom than people think. Marquand even brought on his own DP, Alan Hume, and editor, Sean Barton.

However, when I watch all six in a row, I watch the versions Lucas prefers. Because in that case, they are all just individual pieces of a greater whole.

Added: A KNIGHT'S TALE, HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE, NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS, EUROTRIP, and ROAD TRIP.

 

[Mathew B]

Regarding Donner on LW4, it's probably true that he doesn't agree with some of the violence in the film (seeing as it was a rushjob to fill a gap in WB's summer schedule) but I think he doesn't agree with all the cuts. I mean the UK version practically removes the strong violence altogether, with the exception of the pole at the end.