Please, help me: How to know which is the right 'movie version'?

[Engage]

Hey guys, this issue has stopped me from sleeping at night so I'd DEEPLY appreciate help!

So, my issue is that when I'm watching a movie I keep thinking to myself:

"Is this the most complete version of this movie because if it isn't then I'm not really watching the version that the director wanted me to see. This means I can't make a mental note or tell other people that I've seen the movie because I haven't seen every minute of the movie's full release."

With there now being sooooo many different releases of movies it just makes me feel worse: There's the VHS release, DVD release, Blu-Ray release, pirated releases, TV versions and so on.

Thanks for any help!

[jscoggins]

http://www.movie-censorship.com/

[Coenskubrick]

This isn't really something losing sleep over, man. Just say you've seen the movie, but if you hear about a directors cut which is different to what you saw, make note that the version you saw was the theatrical cut, or what have you.

Even director's cuts are cuts, they'll not have every scene and piece of dialogue that was shot most likely. Movies have been edited down many times most of the time.

[L.J.]

The directors cut is usually the best. Sometimes an extended cut isn't the directors vision.

[Doctor Jack]

You're losing sleep over this? First world problems I guess.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

You're losing sleep over this? First world problems I guess.

I don't think the OP meant it literally, It could be just a figure of speech.... You should've known that!

[Engage]

Originally Posted by Coenskubrick

This isn't really something losing sleep over, man. Just say you've seen the movie, but if you hear about a directors cut which is different to what you saw, make note that the version you saw was the theatrical cut, or what have you.

Even director's cuts are cuts, they'll not have every scene and piece of dialogue that was shot most likely. Movies have been edited down many times most of the time.

Thanks so much for your reply! I keep thinking this to myself about every movie I've ever watched: "Well, how can I say I've seen Forrest Gump if I've only seen the Australian DVD version, which neither the director nor fans consider to be a valid version, or even a version worth watching?"

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

You're losing sleep over this? First world problems I guess.

Originally Posted by slimdude

I don't think the OP meant it literally, It could be just a figure of speech.... You should've known that!

I actually am losing sleep over this!

[Engage]

I keep thinking to myself that I can't tell other people that I've seen *Insert movie* because I haven't seen the 'correct' version of the movie.

[AaronJ]

Oh man ... have you seen Blade Runner yet?

You may never sleep again.

[Moviefan2k4]

Unless the director has specifically said their preferred version is the theatrical release, always keep an eye out for their cut of the film on home video. In some cases, the director may create another cut for the fans, but still favor the original release; that's what Peter Jackson did with "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit".

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Any film that has you losing sleep over something like this is obviously a film that you love enough to source all versions to watch so that you can decide for yourself which is most suitable to you. So, I can't see a problem with watching your favourite films a few times each.

Blade Runner has something like 5 different versions and I've watched them all a few times each.

[JimDiGriz]

Originally Posted by Engage

Hey guys, this issue has stopped me from sleeping at night so I'd DEEPLY appreciate help!

So, my issue is that when I'm watching a movie I keep thinking to myself:

"Is this the most complete version of this movie because if it isn't then I'm not really watching the version that the director wanted me to see. This means I can't make a mental note or tell other people that I've seen the movie because I haven't seen every minute of the movie's full release."

With there now being sooooo many different releases of movies it just makes me feel worse: There's the VHS release, DVD release, Blu-Ray release, pirated releases, TV versions and so on.

Thanks for any help!

Easy enough to find out with this site, forums and the rest of the net though!

[Roonan]

Originally Posted by Engage

Is this the most complete version of this movie because if it isn't then I'm not really watching the version that the director wanted me to see.

Just because there's an extended cut, doesn't mean it's the director's preferred version. And not all versions marketed as "Director's Cut" are actually the director's cut.

I usually do my research beforehand since I also value the director's favorite version.

Originally Posted by Moviefan2k4

In some cases, the director may create another cut for the fans, but still favor the original release; that's what Peter Jackson did with "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit".

When did Jackson favored the theatrical cut of TLotR?

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Engage

This means I can't make a mental note or tell other people that I've seen the movie because I haven't seen every minute of the movie's full release."

Does this include credits, you need to watch all the credits through because you need to see every single bit of the film?

Do you avoid blinking when watching a film, so that you ensure a frame is never lost?

[Agent Bond]

Go with The Director's Cut although keep in mind that there are fake Director's Cuts out there (Alien, Alexander, Blade Runner, etc.)

[Scorpion Soldier]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Does this include credits, you need to watch all the credits through because you need to see every single bit of the film?

Do you avoid blinking when watching a film, so that you ensure a frame is never lost?

Just watch it 3 or 4 times and alternate blinking patterns

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Does this include credits, you need to watch all the credits through because you need to see every single bit of the film?

Do you avoid blinking when watching a film, so that you ensure a frame is never lost?

Originally Posted by Scorpion Soldier

Just watch it 3 or 4 times and alternate blinking patterns

[Coenskubrick]

Originally Posted by Agent Bond

Go with The Director's Cut although keep in mind that there are fake Director's Cuts out there (Alien, Alexander, Blade Runner, etc.)

The Blade Runner director's cut is really the director's cut, unless you discount it because later Scott made the "Final Cut" which is very similar.

[sandman slim]

Originally Posted by Coenskubrick

The Blade Runner director's cut is really the director's cut, unless you discount it because later Scott made the "Final Cut" which is very similar.

Nope. Scott actually had little involvement in the DC, and has stated that he was really unhappy with it. The "Final Cut" is the actual DC.

Also, if the OP is literally "losing sleep" over this, please seek professional help. And I'm not being snarky; something this trivial should not be bothering you to this extent.

[master gandhi]

You usually won't go wrong by seeing the theatrical version of a film. There are several examples, of course, where a filmmaker felt compromised when delivering their theatrical cut, and later release a director's cut, but there's no guarantee that a director's cut will be superior to the theatrical. Some films don't need to be changed, and the directors do so anyways.

For example, George Lucas considers each new cut of the original Star Wars trilogy films to be his preferred version, but it keeps on changing and many would argue that he's changed them too much.

In the case of E.T. The Extra Terestrial, Spielberg made changes for its 20th anniversary, as a sort-of director's cut. Then for its 30th anniversary, the Blu-ray release didn't even include his altered version, because he decided it never needed changing.

So when in doubt, seek out the theatrical. There could always be some other version out there now or in the future, but that doesn't mean it's the best version. It's just different.