Léon: The Professional 4K UHD (1994)

[LoSouL]

Originally Posted by jh901

Hovers around top 10 all-time for me. Desert island, likely.

There was a time I'd probably put it in my top 10, but nowadays it's probably top 20, just hovering like you said.

That still makes it a favorite though, far and away.

[Talal86]

The theatrical cut is incomplete to me, basically a censored version

[OutOfBoose]

The remaster looked fantastic and UHD should look incredible.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Just look at my collection, I've got plenty of old-school epics and I don't moan about them being too long or too turgid. What annoys me about the modern phenomena of 'extended cuts' is them taking something that's precisely edited to fit a particular rhythm and wedging in all this extra stuff which usually just belabours the point and even undercuts the power of a particular reveal or climactic scene because it's been telegraphed too far in advance.

If you're throwing in B.S. just to do it then sure. I very much dislike some extended cuts like Aliens' and T2's. However in this case wasn't Leon the original version, and the shorter cut a censored Americanized thing? I find a lot of those additional scenes to be very character building and important, personally.

I don't really have a general rule with extended cuts. It all comes down to whether I prefer the new material or not. In this case I do... though it's not really new, more like original.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

If you're throwing in B.S. just to do it then sure. I very much dislike some extended cuts like Aliens' and T2's. However in this case wasn't Leon the original version, and the shorter cut a censored Americanized thing? I find a lot of those additional scenes to be very character building and important, personally.

I don't really have a general rule with extended cuts. It all comes down to whether I prefer the new material or not. In this case I do... though it's not really new, more like original.

No, that's something of a myth. While it's apparently true some aspects of the film were cut down after test screenings, the following is a quote directly from Besson himself:

What do you think of directors repeating themselves, and why did you feel the need to do a director's cut?

Let me remember why...I was happy with the first one, it was mine, my director's cut, no one asked me to cut it. But at the same time you still have 25 minutes that nobody has seen. I think it was the beginning of the summer; in the summer France is like a desert, the people are on the beach, but there are some poor guys who stay in the cities to work, so we decided to make a long version, an extended version, to play in a just a few theatres for the people who stayed. Why are you laughing? It's true!

It's totally ridiculous.

No, it's true. So we had like five screens and people loved it and sent their friends and then the Japanese called and said: "We want the long version, please."

The original theatrical is, in his own words, his "director's cut" and they decided to create the longer version as a curio, which then took on a life of its own.

[StingingVelvet]

Ah, that's surprising to me.

Well anyway you're still wrong. WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!

[Geoff D]

I know I'm wrong. Always Wrong Geoff, that's what they call me.

In any case, I think it's because in the final analysis Besson did actually hone it into more of a proper actioner rather than a deeper, more meaningful piece, as people may perceive the Version Integrale to be. But the dude does action like gangbusters, he's got a gift for it (directing La Femme Nikita, Fifth Elephant, Lucy, writing Taxi, Banlieue 13 etc) and the theatrical cut of Leon really does fit seamlessly into that oeuvre.

[LoSouL]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Fifth Elephant

Like John Woo, Luc Besson's breed of action has become kind of a genre of it's own, with Shoot 'em Up, John Wick, Hardcore Henry, Ronin, Ghost Dog etc, so even though I get what you're saying about a finely honed action movie with less quirks, it's those quirks that still set him apart.

Not even really making an argument for either version, though. I like being able to pick which one to watch when possible.

[Geoff D]

That's what it boils down to: I don't mind all these things being recut up the proverbials or having the audio badly remixed or whatever just so long as the original is also provided. Thankfully Sony gave us the choice with the glorious Mi4K Blu-ray so everybody goes home happy (well, I'd still rather have the theatrical cut with the Leon title as that's how it was released in da UK, but hey-ho that's the pickiest of nits) and can discuss the two versions like civilised people.

[jh901]

Originally Posted by Talal86

The theatrical cut is incomplete to me, basically a censored version

Disagree.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

In any case, I think it's because in the final analysis Besson did actually hone it into more of a proper actioner rather than a deeper, more meaningful piece, as people may perceive the Version Integrale to be. But the dude does action like gangbusters, he's got a gift for it (directing La Femme Nikita, Fifth Elephant, Lucy, writing Taxi, Banlieue 13 etc) and the theatrical cut of Leon really does fit seamlessly into that oeuvre.

You'll always be my forum homey but we do seem to often disagree on the pacing stuff. I think you're probably more right than I am, considering how many directors harp on pacing and flow in commentaries, but it's just never something that really bothered me in longer cuts. Even with the longer cuts I dislike, like Aliens or T2, it's more about me not liking the new scenes or actively disliking one of them (the colony prologue, the smile). So it's just something I am not bothered by, like how some aren't bothered by the horrific and disturbing CGI Tarkin in Rogue One.

At the end of the day though I'll tell ya, with a few rare exceptions like Blade Runner, if every extended or altered cut vanished off the face of the Earth it wouldn't really bother me. So maybe we're not that far off after all.

[Pieter V]

Also debuting on July 11 is the beloved action classic from director Luc Besson,
LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, debuting exclusively on 4K Ultra HD at Best Buy. This release includes both the theatrical and extended versions of the movie in full 4K resolution with Dolby Atmos audio.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=124

[d514]

Yes, I expected it to include both cuts. Sony won't make this an US exclusive and many European countries only got the extended cut on DVD and Blu-ray and don't know any other version. It probably wouldn't sell well.

[Riddler The Slag]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

What annoys me about the modern phenomena of 'extended cuts' is them taking something that's precisely edited to fit a particular rhythm and wedging in all this extra stuff which usually just belabours the point and even undercuts the power of a particular reveal or climactic scene because it's been telegraphed too far in advance.

There are always exceptions of course.

I PARTLY agree. There are some glaring exceptions (Kingdom of Heaven comes instantly to mind) but some / most extended or even unrated stuff just doesn't work.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Riddler The Slag

I PARTLY agree. There are some glaring exceptions (Kingdom of Heaven comes instantly to mind) but some / most extended or even unrated stuff just doesn't work.

I dunno about most. It really just depends on the movie and there's no blanket statement you can make.

[andreasy969]

Both cuts, but Best Buy exclusive : https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=21349

[jono3000]

Hopefully the Best Buy exclusive isn't for too long and it will be available generally soon

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Sky_Captain]

Originally Posted by d514

Yes, I expected it to include both cuts. Sony won't make this an US exclusive and many European countries only got the extended cut on DVD and Blu-ray and don't know any other version. It probably wouldn't sell well.

Sony only have the North American rights, so I don't think the rest of your post matters, I'm afraid.

[Gamma_Winstead]

Best Buy exclusive or not, this is a day one buy for me.

[reanimator]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

Best Buy exclusive or not, this is a day one buy for me.

Yup, I've already pre-ordered