Dances with Wolves (1990) (25th Anniversary Edition)

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Dylan34

MGM has been doing a lot of remastering to their catalog titles so.....I'll bite again if this 25th anniversary has both cuts of the film and mastered in 4K.

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if this was another one of their 4K remasters.

[MTRodaba2468]

I've already got both the 20th Anniversary US release and the UK Theatrical Cut, so I'll likely pass on this unless it warrants a double dip (i.e. new transfer and/or extras)

[ORDER66]

Happy with the version I already own....easy pass for me...

[WMAangel]

Originally Posted by Akijama

Knowing Fox and their history with the anniversary re-releases (Speed, Napoleon Dynamite, Big...) I would be shocked if this turns out to be anything more than a lazy reissue with a slipcover.

Yeah, but that's Fox themselves....this is MGM (who are just distributed by Fox), and they actually have been doing many actual remasters the past year or two: Terminator, Rocky, Robocop, Rain Man, Fargo, The Good The Bad And The Ugly....
So a new transfer is possible, we'll see....

[DCW]

Originally Posted by Tronald Dump

I have no interest in this. I already own Avatar.

lol, I said the same thing about Avatar.

Thanks for the info on the theatrical cut, I've been waiting to pick this up for that version. Will order it soon now.

[GrouchoFan]

I have not yet upgraded this title from DVD, and will only upgrade to a Blu-ray release with both versions included.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by GrouchoFan

I have not yet upgraded this title from DVD, and will only upgrade to a Blu-ray release with both versions included.

If you're region free the DE digibook contains both in one package.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Tronald Dump

I have no interest in this. I already own Avatar.

I see what you did there...

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

I'm aware; my frustration comes more out of principal than anything. This is an American movie that won 7 Oscars but whose theatrical version (as in the version that won said Oscars) hasn't seen a Blu-ray release in its own home country. I vaguely recall Costner himself saying he had little to do with assembling the longer cut and prefers the TC anyway, so why they wouldn't make that available is just stupid.

I think the longer cut was created for laserdisc and I know it was run on TV over two nights as a miniseries. The audio commentary is for the longer cut, not the shorter one, so Costner certainly doesn't object to it. (There is a commentary on the Orion DVD of the shorter cut, but it's just the commentary from the longer laserdisc cut re-edited).

Still, I think the shorter theatrical version is much better - the added scenes of life at the fort before Costner arrives, for example, ruin the sense of mystery that the abandoned fort possesses in the theatrical cut. Also, the shorter version is the one that won all those Oscars, not the longer one.

At least the Oscar-winning original cut is on BD regionless BD in the UK. The Oscar-winning theatrical cut of AMADEUS has never been released on BD anywhere in the world.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I think the longer cut was created for laserdisc and I know it was run on TV over two nights as a miniseries. The audio commentary is for the longer cut, not the shorter one, so Costner certainly doesn't object to it.

Still, I think the shorter theatrical version is much better - the added scenes of life at the fort before Costner arrives, for example, ruin the sense of mystery that the abandoned fort possesses in the theatrical cut. Also, the shorter version is the one that won all those Oscars, not the longer one.

At least the Oscar-winning original cut is on BD regionless BD in the UK. The Oscar-winning theatrical cut of AMADEUS has never been released on BD anywhere in the world.

If they took out that unnecessary fort scene, the extended cut would be just great.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

If they took out that unnecessary fort scene, the extended cut would be just great.

Hmm, I'd still disagree. I rarely think more is better. I'd be fine with including the scenes as deleted scenes, but I think three hours is about the limit of what I can watch in one sitting, and I like to watch my movies that way. The longer cut was created to be watched at home, on laserdisc and network TV, in multiple sittings.

I'm almost always a fan of shorter cuts:
The Last Emperor
Amadeus
Dances With Wolves

I prefer the original shorter cuts of them all.

About the only longer cut I've ever preferred was Leon (The Professional), because the deleted half hour is the absolute core of the movie.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Hmm, I'd still disagree. I rarely think more is better. I'd be fine with including the scenes as deleted scenes, but I think three hours is about the limit of what I can watch in one sitting, and I like to watch my movies that way. The longer cut was created to be watched at home, on laserdisc and network TV, in multiple sittings.

I've seen each of the Lord of the Rings extended cuts in one sitting, though I guess you could always rip the film and insert your own road show intermission to break the movie up... that's what they used to do for long films.

There are other sequences in the extended cut that flesh out a few things.

The reason I would cut out the fort scene is as you described, it takes away from the mystery of what happened to the soldiers.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

I've seen each of the Lord of the Rings extended cuts in one sitting, though I guess you could always rip the film and insert your own road show intermission to break the movie up... that's what they used to do for long films.

There are other sequences in the extended cut that flesh out a few things.

The reason I would cut out the fort scene is as you described, it takes away from the mystery of what happened to the soldiers.

Ah, I forgot about those. I saw the long versions of the first two when they did theatrical releases of them to promote the third, and I still prefer the shorter cuts.

I forgot one other longer cut I like - Kingdom of Heaven - also because the heart and guts of the movie are removed in the shorter version.

[BuckNaked2k]

The extended cut of this film shows why there is a cutting room floor.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by BuckNaked2k

The extended cut of this film shows why there is a cutting room floor.

[mhp68]

Much thanks for pointing out the UK theatrical BD, if this release doesn't include that will import it to add to the 20th anniversary set.

[GrouchoFan]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

If you're region free the DE digibook contains both in one package.

I appreciate that, but I'm just too lazy, poor, and stupid to bother going region free and deal with importing, etc.

[Monterey Jack]

If this has the theatrical version via seamless branching and some more extras, I might bite...the director's cut has some nice new material, but it's just too...damn...long.

[Boschy]

Originally Posted by BuckNaked2k

The extended cut of this film shows why there is a cutting room floor.

Au contraire. I'm not happy unless I need to shave again after watching a long movie.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by GrouchoFan

I appreciate that, but I'm just too lazy, poor, and stupid to bother going region free and deal with importing, etc.

I don't have but a few region B locked titles, but I have imported a lot of region free titles and it has been great.