The Director's Cut Thread

[GLaDOS]

This thread is dedicated to movies that have a director's cut. Here, you can discuss and debate some movies that are better or worse on a director's cut and share some favorites. (Special and extended editions of the film are also included )

Here's some of mine:

Blade Runner (Final Cut)
Watchmen (Director's Cut)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Director's Cut)
Spider-Man 2.1
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (Extended Cut)
Superman II (The Richard Donner Cut)

Feel free to discuss any of the movies that have a director's cut.

[Fighter]

Loved Troy (Director's Cut)

[Fighter]

Also The Patriot Extended Cut is a vast improvement over the original cut.

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by Fighter

Loved Troy (Director's Cut)

Agreed, I never saw the theatrical (which I heard was pretty bad) but I thought the director's cut was very impressive.

The opposite goes for Kingdom of Heaven DC, wasn't wowed by it at all...though for me, that had to do mostly with Orlando Bloom (who I don't think has the ability to carry a movie). Just didn't work.

[OrlandoEastwood]

Tropic Thunder harmed it. I remember in the original version when they are doing the filming and Stiller is in character and he has his hands blown off he says; "When we get back to the world, I'm finally gonna teach you how to juggle." In the directors cut he goes; "When we get back to the world, we're gonna put together that three piece combo band. With Johnny on bass and me tickling the ivories." I was like; "WHAT?"

[Duffy12]

Two of my favorites that come to mind from the great James Cameron-

- The Abyss
- Aliens

.

[Moviefan2k4]

One "director's cut" that seems overlooked a lot is the one for "Daredevil", when it clearly improves the entire movie by over 50%. There's about 30 minutes added to the runtime, including a major plot point about the criminal investigation which leads Matt Murdock to the Kingpin. Some other changes are (thankfully) made, such as Matt leaving Elektra in the rain and the priest being unaware of his identity until the unmasking in the church. All told, I give that version a 9/10, all the way.

[Meeklo]

Daredevil...it was a whole different movie.....and Bullseye gets to say the "F" word!!

[TheForce8686]

I think most director's cuts are completely unnecesary. I think the studios are right when they tell the director a movie is a too long and he needs to trim the fat. Yes, some of the scenes are cool but if the movie is already interesting enough for us to enjoy or want to own then obviously those scenes are not that important. Often times they do make the movies way to long.

[Clark Kent]

The Daredevil example is the first one that comes to mind. The director's cut is a much more satisfying experience.

[Sperry316]

I thought the Producers cut of Halloween 6 was way better than the theactrical version...yeah its a rough cut,but i enjoyed it.....

[Dotpattern]

Originally Posted by TheForce8686

I think most director's cuts are completely unnecesary. I think the studios are right when they tell the director a movie is a too long and he needs to trim the fat. Yes, some of the scenes are cool but if the movie is already interesting enough for us to enjoy or want to own then obviously those scenes are not that important. Often times they do make the movies way to long.

Director's Cuts aren't about arbitrarily making movies longer - Ridley Scott's Director's Cut of Alien is actually a couple minutes shorter despite including added scenes.

And studios don't tell director's to cut down the running time of a movie for the benefit of the movie itself. They do it to make more money and that's the only reason. Shorter running time means the movie can be played more times in a day and that = more money.

[SillyMammo]

The Director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven is the best improvement of the theaterical cut I've seen of any movie.

I also enjoyed the Troy Director's Cut over the original.

[Diesel]

Daredevil Director's Cut - I've never seen the theatrical, but I thought the DC was good, and I don't regret buying it in the back with the two Fantastic Four movies for Black Friday. Solid movie.


Fellowship of the Ring improved upon the theatrical version a little.

The Two Towers extended cut made it much better in certain areas of the movie and fleshed things out more. Made a great movie fantastic.

Return of the King had some good additions, but as a whole, it was inferior to the Theatrical Cut imo.

I didn't see the theatrical cut of Abyss, but I saw the director's cut which everyone seems to think is better, and thought it was quite good.



I've watched Spider-Man 2.1 a couple times, but it doesn't really make the movie better...or worse. I prefer the elevator scene in the theatrical version, so that one scene swings my vote in favor of the theatrical version in this case.


Chronicles of Riddick Director's Cut wasn't as good as the theatrical...Riddick has

[Show spoiler]some sort of super blast power? What the hell is that?

. That alone makes the theatrical cut much better.


Taken's extended cut (though only 3 minutes longer) is better than its theatrical cut, in large part due to the

[Show spoiler]nail in the legs

scene

I prefer the DC of Terminator Salvation to the theatrical, I like the little parts it adds here and there (the scene on the sub, the slightly extended speech of Connor), but I was disappointed we didn't get the 30-40 minute extended version that McG said their would be




Those are all of the ones that come to mind at the moment.


I'm watching King Kong extended later for the first time (didn't see the theatrical though) and will see Kingdom of Heaven DC for the first time next week.

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by Meeklo

Daredevil...it was a whole different movie.....and Bullseye gets to say the "F" word!!

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

The Daredevil example is the first one that comes to mind. The director's cut is a much more satisfying experience.

the DC of Daredevil is great!!!

[Fighter]

Originally Posted by TheForce8686

I think most director's cuts are completely unnecesary. I think the studios are right when they tell the director a movie is a too long and he needs to trim the fat. Yes, some of the scenes are cool but if the movie is already interesting enough for us to enjoy or want to own then obviously those scenes are not that important. Often times they do make the movies way to long.

Yes longer, but much better

[Monolithium]

Originally Posted by Diesel

will see Kingdom of Heaven DC for the first time next week.

It is vastly superior to the theatrical.

[Sarge]

Apocalyse Now Redux added nearly an hour of footage. The original is one of my top 10 movies; however I thought that most of the scenes added to Redux didn't enhance the film, and also that many of the new scenes changed the character presentation of Kilgore... More was not better, in this case.

Comparatively, the minor additions to Aliens and Crimson Tide worked well to supplement the original films.

The love-fest i have with LOTR is such that I think I would have approved to any addition; love is blind, as they say, and more footage simply delays the ending! I would normally say quality over quantity, but in this case, i believe you get both. The only problem I had with that trilogy as a whole, was the casting of Elijah Wood.. but i suspect that i'm not alone and that has likely been discussed over hundreds of posts in dozens of threads!

Legend as I recall had two versions (European and American?)... I remember distinctly preferring the score of one over the other, but honestly can't remember which was which...

[tilallr1]

Originally Posted by SillyMammo

The Director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven is the best improvement of the theaterical cut I've seen of any movie.

Hands down. Night and day. Hate it then love it.

Also, love the Extended Cuts for Lord of the Rings and any Extended Cuts of Cameron's. I especially liked Aliens, Abyss and T2.

[Fighter]

Originally Posted by tilallr1

Hands down. Night and day. Hate it then love it.

Also, love the Extended Cuts for Lord of the Rings and any Extended Cuts of Cameron's. I especially liked Aliens, Abyss and T2.

Yep, agree!

Especially in regards to Kingdom of Heaven.