New 'Alexander' DVD coming... (1 Viewer)

[Mark Cappelletty]

Patrick,

Thanks for the clarification. I'm interested in seeing this at some point (particularly as I'm setting up my first HD TV this weekend!)

 

[Jason Hughes]

They have my money.

 

[Matt Hough]

I really enjoyed the theatrical cut (have never seen the director's cut) and would be more than willing to go to the well again for this. HD would be nice, however. Will look forward to reading more about this in the months ahead.

 

[Brett_M]

I purchased the DC and hoped for an anouncement like this. I will get the new cut. I think it can only get better. Again, it's not for all tastes but has some of the most incredible imagery I have ever experienced, particularly during the final battle in India.

 

[Ruz-El]

Stone is one of the more reliable directors. I'll give it a shot. I really liked the directors cut version.

 

[oscar_merkx]

really interesting as I have not seen either cut.

cheers for the update

 

[Mike Heenan]

Be interesting if Warner actuallly passes on releasing this one, as he said "itll be done soon, then it's up to Warners" (not verbatim). So I'd guess they would look at the previous discs' sales and see if it's worth it or not

 

[Ray H]

So will this actually be called "C.B. DeMille's Alexander" or something?

 

[PatrickDA]

I'm not sure about sales (they don't release those numbers often), but
DVD rentals seemed to be at $42 million based on one site I visited. 'Alexander'
has a strong cult following, and it would seem to be a given that Warner
Bros. would released this over another studio.

 

[TravisR]

I think Stone means that it's up to WB when (not if) they release it. Why would WB spend money on re-editing it if they don't intend to release it?

 

[Allan^L]

As someone who actually like Alexander (and owns both versions of it!), I'm looking forward to this edition and will sell off the other two. No idea what Warner will call it (The Director's Cut v2.0!).

If Stone gets Oscar buzz for World Trade Centre, then I can see Warner fast-tracking the release for this latest Alexander.

 

[Stephen Brooks]

I dunno.....there's so many great movies out there that have yet to get any kind of decent treatment, yet Alexander, which (although I know it does have its fans) was a critical and commercial flop, gets a 2-disc theatrical special edition, a two-disc director's cut special edition, and now possibly a three or four-disc extended edition? Smacks of rampant self-indulgence on the part of a director to me.

 

[Vincent_P]

So don't buy it. Those of us who liked the film will.

Vincent

 

[PatrickDA]

HERE! HERE! Bravo! I wish some of these people would just shut up and
stop posting in our thread. You didn't like it, FINE, WE DID! We'll enjoy the
new cut while you wait in a line to see the new Will Ferrell film!

 

[Elijah Sullivan]

Well, I'll post as someone who did like the film and thinks Oliver is self-indulgent. Seriously, he's spending millions of dollars of Warners' money developing alternate versions of a movie and each time tells them, essentially, "this is the real version".

Lame.

The whole Alexander multiple cut thing has me burned on Oliver Stone in general. The man has lost much of his artistic credibility with me.

I don't mean to thread-crap, I just wanted you guys to know that there's a very valid point of view out there that thinks this situation is absurd, so don't shout down people who disagree with you.

Go ahead and buy it... just remember you're encouraging Stone to continue this behavior if you do. Personally, I think director's have an obligation to create the "best" version for theaters, because the first impression is the only impression with most movies. If you count the number of average consumers who changed their mind about a movie after viewing a legitimate director's cut... it's not that many. Director's cuts and extended cuts are seen 90% by people who are already fans of the pre-existing version. Most people watch the movie in theaters or in the first few weeks of DVD release, so the theatrical cut is the only cut that matters. Any subsequent cuts need significant publicity to gain acceptance.

A new cut of Alexander will not change anyone's opinion of the film. Maybe 1% of the millions who hated the movie will watch another cut -- and that cut was the "director's cut", which Average Joe still hates. A third cut will not do the movie any good.

He was better off releasing the best version the first time around.

That's my opinion, anyway.

 

[TravisR]

You're right but this release isn't for the average joe (and everyone involved knows that), it's for a film buff.

 

[PatrickDA]

OK, pal! You asked for this...

1) I don't know why releasing different versions of a very personal film
would burn you on any particular director. I guess you must really hate
Peter Jackson, Francis Ford, and James Cameron.

2) I'll SHOUT DOWN anybody I care to!

3) "encouraging"?? Stone will be using all the footage that he thinks is
worthy in this cut, so what are we "encouraging" him to do? COME ON! And,
if allowing his fans (of which I'd be #1) to see MORE footage from his other
films, THEN I'M ALL FOR IT!

4) Ok, Stone is making this FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIKED THE FILM ONLY!
Got that? Good! He isn't doing this for the people who didn't like it or haven't
seen it. If somebody sees this new longer cut and likes it, GREAT! This cut is
for all the fans of the film that have written him over the past two years
asking for a full extended cut of the film.

5) Why do you care if Warner Bros. spends money on this. GIVE ME A BREAK!
What are you, a stockholder or something! And, I doubt we're talking about
millions here.

6) Oh, Stone wouldn't have been allowed to release a 3 hr. 40-45 min. cut
of the film!!!!!!!!!!! Are you NUTS?? Come on! The "Director's Cut" was the
version he wanted to release in theaters from the start, but wasn't allowed
to. This cut will be the FULL version of his original script. Lets wait and see
what he can do with it before making smart ass comments. Thank You!

 

[Elijah Sullivan]

Patrick, I don't think you are wrong on any of those points, strictly speaking, I just disagree with you.

My main beef is that Oliver Stone is exploiting an opportunity here to give each audience group their own cut, which to me is the opposite of what a true artist does. He isn't making movies to represent our point of view on how to make a movie. He's an iconoclast; he's supposed to make a movie and say, "take it or leave it, but this is what I think is right."

I think that to a minor degree he's a sellout.

 

[Jack _Webster]

Elijah, you raise an interesting point. In years past, we never had so many director's/extended cuts. It's getting a bit frustrating and it takes some of the wonder out of falling in love with a movie at the cinema.

The only alternate cuts that I've really accepted beyond the theatrical incarnations have been the Lord of the Rings Extended Cuts & the Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut (mostly because they are vastly different films from their respective original versions, imo) [***EDIT - I'll add Alexander: Director's Cut to that list, now that I think about it***]. Other than that, I think many of them are extraneous and unnecessary. Especially Sony's rip-off rereleases. We're talking about finished films that the directors were happy with originally and altering them a little bit just to renew interest in the title.

But I think Alexander may be interesting to see in a four hour incarnation. It's obvious to me, in both previous cuts, that there's a bit more that we're not seeing (especially in the final act). This is generating interest for me, and I will give it a go. But I do agree. In general, these alternate cuts are getting out of hand. They used to be something special - correcting a mistake made by an interfering studio, or some such thing; that's not the case anymore.

 

[David_Blackwell]

I still haven't seen this film, but I'm getting more interested in it and the news of a third cut might make me go buy a copy of the DC some where to see why some people like Alexander.