Dances With Wolves (1 Viewer)

There are two versions of "Dances With Wolves" available on SD DVD. Besides the fact that the theatrical version is "full frame" only, the difference is the approximate added fifty minute running time on the extended version. A review at "DVD Talk" considers the added or extended scenes add nothing to the story telling and, in fact, slows down the film. Disregarding the format on DVD, and wanting to have only one version, which is the better version for repeated viewing (to add to a collection) the three hour theatrical version or the four hour extended version?

I prefer the theatrical cut, but the extended one works fine as well. My review of the extended edition:

Dances With Wolves: Special Edition (1990)

There was a wide screen theatrical R1 version from Image with a full bit DTS track. It has long been out of print but thankfully I still have my copy.

-Claude S

HDNet Movies is going to show the ee of dances with wolves.
here is the info about it.
I have both the ee and the theatre version. the ee has some great extras. a documentary about the making of the movie.. if you are a fan of the movie.. would recommend that..

Jacob
Dances With Wolves - Closed Captions
Rating: PG-13
Year: 1990
Cast:Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene
Director: Kevin Costner
Synopsis: Academy Award winning film about a young Civil War soldier assigned to an isolated army post out west where he becomes intimately involved with a Lakota Sioux tribe, eventually becoming a member.
Run Time: 3:54
Air Dates:Sat, Mar 7th - 5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT
Sat, Mar 7th - 11:30 PM ET / 8:30 PM PT

From my own personal view, I always find it better to have the original theatrical version over a director's cut. There is just something about the theatrical version of a film that I cherish. And while the DTS version is OOP it can regularly been had on eBay (or other similar sites) for about $15.

A word of warning:

I was looking for a DVD of the theatrical version of Dances with Wolves about a year ago. I knew about Image's out-of-print DVD release of that version from the late '90s, but was dismayed to learn that the only currently-available DVD was full-screen-only.

I noticed, however, that MGM's "Best Picture Gift Set" (which also included Platoon, Rocky, and The Silence of the Lambs) included the film, and listed at as being 181 minutes--the running time of the theatrical version--and in widescreen, so I bought it, only to learn that it was the extended version I already had. It was, in fact, the exact same DVD as Disc 1 of the extended version's 2-disc set. I returned the set and got Image's DTS release via eBay.

So, if you're looking for the theatrical version, don't be fooled by the Gift Set's erroneous packaging.

I prefer longer versions and have never purchased one yet that I was disappointed with. If you really like Dances With Wolves you will not be disappointed with the extended version.

I love the extended version.

Once I saw the extended cut, I would never go back to the theatrical cut. I've been watching the extended cut since it's initial release however many years ago.

Wow, I didn't realize it was that long!

I prefer the Extended Edition but would like to have both.

Poor wording on my part.