which DIRECTOR'S CUT, EXTENDED or SPECIAL EDITION sucked?

[sonnyboo]

For me, I generally LOVE longer, extended, alternate cuts of movies. Occassionally, a few of these sucks ass.

For me, the extended cut of INDEPENDENCE DAY made the movie much worse. Not only did it NOT add anything to the movie, it made some elements even detract.

Obviously the SPECIAL EDITION of THE ABYSS had some great special and visual FX work, but that movie was NOT better than the theatrical cut.


Anyone else? What DIRECTOR'S CUT, EXTENDED EDITION, SPECIAL EDITION, EXPANDED EDITION do you feel was worse than the original version?

[Vegeta]

The director's cut of The Blues Brothers was completely unnecessary and takes away from the film. In fact you couldn't buy it for the longest time in anything but "director's cut". They've since rereleased it in a "Theatrical Edition". Personally, I feel that scenes are usually cut out of a film for a reason and the "special cuts" almost never add to film experience. Usually it's the oppisite.

[pheadx]

Donnie Darko. The director's cut makes the film worse and pathetic.

[Maui]

Donnie Darko. The director's cut makes the film worse and pathetic.

Wow, my sentiments exactly. In the original film they left a mystique about Frank - it was ultimately your call on how you wanted the movie to end. As well they changed the opening song, when Donnie is riding his bike in the beginning of the movie. They had "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen which was so appropriate for the start of this movie, then changed it to INXS, Never Tear us Apart.

They really ruined the film with the cut - it was much better with the original soundtrack and the mystery surrounding the future and Frank.

[tapehead]

Donnie Darko. The director's cut makes the film worse and pathetic.

Wow, my sentiments exactly. In the original film they left a mystique about Frank - it was ultimately your call on how you wanted the movie to end. As well they changed the opening song, when Donnie is riding his bike in the beginning of the movie. They had "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen which was so appropriate for the start of this movie, then changed it to INXS, Never Tear us Apart.

They really ruined the film with the cut - it was much better with the original soundtrack and the mystery surrounding the future and Frank.

There was some discussion on the subject back in April here: http://tinyurl.com/3xrmvu

[Maui]

Donnie Darko. The director's cut makes the film worse and pathetic.

Wow, my sentiments exactly. In the original film they left a mystique about Frank - it was ultimately your call on how you wanted the movie to end. As well they changed the opening song, when Donnie is riding his bike in the beginning of the movie. They had "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen which was so appropriate for the start of this movie, then changed it to INXS, Never Tear us Apart.

They really ruined the film with the cut - it was much better with the original soundtrack and the mystery surrounding the future and Frank.

There was some discussion on the subject back in April here: http://tinyurl.com/3xrmvu

Thanks Tapes! Interesting to read everyone's thoughts on the song choice for Donnie Darko. I completely agree with your sentiments though:

it was my first and perhaps biggest disappointment in watching the DC of Darko (still prefer the theatrical cut).
Killing Moon just seemed more dark, portentous and foreboding - for me a much better tune as well.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I watched the DC cut and they start off with INXS????? WTF. That Killing Moon song IS Donnie Darko. It sets the theme for the rest of the movie. Changing it to begin with Never Tear Us Apart???? The soundtrack to Donnie Darko is a integral part of the movie - for each scene, it stuck with you. To change this for the director's cut was just insane, imo.

[tapehead]

I think on the commentary for the DC Kelly says it was always his plan to use the INXS song, and use the Echo and the Bunnymen somewhere else in the movie but he had some kind of clearance or permission problems. It was so much better in the original. Editing has always been my big problem with that movie, and they were much closer to getting in right in the theatrical cut - the DC extras are just pretentious and silly.

[Vegeta]

Wow, you're all making me incredibly glad I've never seen the Donnie Darko Director's Cut.

[Chairman Kaga]

I liked the few little things in the Blues Brothers DC like showing Elwood at work etc.

[The Todd]

Wow, you're all making me incredibly glad I've never seen the Donnie Darko Director's Cut.

The Director's Cut is the only version that I've ever seen! (someone lent it to me).

Now I know what to queue up in netflix.....

[tapehead]

Actually, I had a two disc special edition of Donnie Darko which was released a year or two before the DC. It has some really interesting deleted scenes that don't appear in either version of the film, plus it includes a lot of the promotional materials for the movie that were incorporated into the website for the movie preceding the film's origianal theatrical run. This is my favourite version of the film; the theatrical cut, plus these extras (including the pages from the fictional book 'The Philosophy of Time Travel' by Roberta Sparrow) and a great commentary by Kelly and Gyllenhaal.

[Maui]

I think on the commentary for the DC Kelly says it was always his plan to use the INXS song, and use the Echo and the Bunnymen somewhere else in the movie but he had some kind of clearance or permission problems. It was so much better in the original. Editing has always been my big problem with that movie, and they were much closer to getting in right in the theatrical cut - the DC extras are just pretentious and silly.

There were so many things in the theatrical cut that made you think, guess, figure it out on your own - come up with your own interpretation whereas in the DC it was right in front of your nose - no guessing. They just royally screwed it up. I know there is a list somewhere of all the changes made in the DC - I remember going over all of them years ago.

I know someone mentions in the Movie Journal thread something about INXS lyrics, "2 Worlds Collided", etc. Even though the words may depict future/present worlds - it just doesn't bring about the intense mood that the Killing Moon does.

If it was Kelly's plan to use INXS, I think he did better with the other tune.

[Maui]

Actually, I had a two disc special edition of Donnie Darko which was released a year or two before the DC. It has some really interesting deleted scenes that don't appear in either version of the film, plus it includes a lot of the promotional materials for the movie that were incorporated into the website for the movie preceding the film's origianal theatrical run. This is my favourite version of the film; the theatrical cut, plus these extras (including the pages from the fictional book 'The Philosophy of Time Travel' by Roberta Sparrow) and a great commentary by Kelly and Gyllenhaal.

Oh Oh I want this!!!!!

[tapehead]

on wiki - http://tinyurl.com/2dgvxj

I don't like the eyeball macro shots.

edit: actually I just checked the one I've got - it's just a single disc, but it does have those extras, the 'Cunning Visions' infomercials as well as heaps of concept art and production stills.

[Maui]

on wiki - http://tinyurl.com/2dgvxj

I don't like the eyeball macro shots.

edit: actually I just checked the one I've got - it's just a single disc, but it does have those extras, the 'Cunning Visions' infomercials as well as heaps of concept art and production stills.

Thanks Tapes!

Remember this scene? One of my favs...Donnie tells the teacher off. As well when the guys are discussing the sexuality of smurfs. tee hee hee

[Vegeta]

I actually found the link on the wiki page that had to do with perdestination paradox quite interesting, if breif. There explanation of the film was basically what I thought happened without ever referencing other information. I am fairly happy I "got it".

[havocSchultz]

Anyone else? What DIRECTOR'S CUT, EXTENDED EDITION, SPECIAL EDITION, EXPANDED EDITION do you feel was worse than the original version?

Anything by George Lucas...

[Vegeta]

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Too true, that guy is a cash whore.

[Chairman Kaga]

BS the extended THX 1138 is great

[tapehead]

BS the extended THX 1138 is great

ooh good one.

[dislexsickNik]

The Mallrats Extended Cut Isnt Great but then Smith dosent admit to it being better

[Al Shut]

I absolutely can't stand the director's cut of Amadeus, mainly because Abraham's dialouge was redubbed by a diferent voice actor. When your used to the old voice it just feels wrong.

[CeeBeeUK]

The Lawnmower Man - extended cut added little to an already shit film.

[dislexsickNik]

the ones that really get me are those silly unrated cuts they do of pretty much every teen and oddball comedy now

[Zarles]

The extended cut of 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' annoys the shit out of me. Does a silly comedy NEED to be 2 hours and 15 minutes long? It's why I'm so wary of checking out the extended cut of 'Knocked Up'.

'Knocked Up: The Director's Cut: Now With 14 More Pussy Shots!'

Lame.

[The Todd]

Now With 14 More Pussy Shots

I'm still trying to figure out how this is supposedly a BAD thing.....

[Zarles]

Point taken.

[King Of Nowhere]

The worst thing about the Donnie Darko DC was the Text On Screen moments.

E.T. - guns to walkie talkies.
Jedi - Sebastien Shaw to Hayden Christensen.
A New Hope - walking over Jabba? WTF? way to make a great character shit.

[havocSchultz]

the ones that really get me are those silly unrated cuts they do of pretty much every teen and oddball comedy now

It's a stupid marketing gimmick...

All they do is add a scene or two - which don't have to be racy or violent or sexual or anything - and they can call it Unrated - because those scenes where never presented to the ratings board for the initial rating...

Hence - the film is now unrated...

[The Vicar]

The director's cut of Last of the Mohicans was a bitter disappointment. Great lines were removed ( One day I think and me are going to have a serious disagreement...), music was altered and where some scenes were expanded ( to good effect once in a while ) others had nice pieces lopped out.
Losing the Clannad tune was the last straw.
One of my favorites films, but the DC eats it.
With it's mouth open.

[unikrunk]

I would not say the director’s cut of this sucked, but I like the studio cut better - Bladerunner -

The VO work was great, and lent a real gum-shoe sensibility to the film.

I prefer it to the director's cut, and will probably like it better than the Ultimate cut or whatever-the-shit they are calling the latest version.

[Hermanator X]

I have the blues brothers extended cut to watch, its on a double disc pack with the original and shed loads of extras. Saying as BB is one of my all time faves, is it worth just pretending the extended one doesnt exist?

The donnie darko one ruined that film for me too.

I get a disconnect from most movie special editions if the truth be told. When im familiar with a movie, a new piece popping in can be quite jarring, so im not really a fan of them. For instance, some of the extra scenes in Army Of Darkness, while fun, took the shine off the movie I knew and loved.

[so sorry]

Spirited Killer

I was wasting time in a Best Buy one afternoon, and I came across this beautiful 2 Disk Special Edition:



Never heard of it before, but I own Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong, and althought neither was a cinimatic masterpiece, I loved the action and Tony Jaa's enthusiasm towards his craft.

Anyway, so I see this pretty DVD, that promises a few Bonus features about Tony and this other guy who is/was Jaa's mentor, so I figure "what the hell" and buy it (and it wasn't some cheap 4.99 special, i think I spent 15 bucks).

I won't go into how god-fucking awful the movie itself was (and believe me, it was so bad, that even laughing at how bad it was didn't make it better), but the packaging totally overpromised what was on the bonus disk. Basically some white dude talks about Thai cinema for a while, then they play some Tony Jaa footage that is on the Ong Bak disk, and they throw is some old-ass footage of some thai boxers practicing.
Look at the picture again: look at Ton on the front and back cover. I don't know where they got these shots, but they sure as shit weren't from this movie.
AND TONY JAA WASN'T EVEN IN THE MOVIE FOR THAT LONG!!!!

I am so pissed about this...

[Fawst]

I must be the only person who truly enjoys the DC of Donnie Darko.

Maybe I'll go home and watch the original again tonight.

[tapehead]

In the link from the movie journal thread I included above I think a few people argued they like the DC better - or the music at least.

[TonyWilson]

Ok, controversial one here. After many people in the Zone raved about Kingdom Of Heaven director's cut I went out and rented it, I'd seen the original at the cinema and found it to be a turgid, boring, borderline racist mess. I found the Director's cut to be an even longer more ambitiously turgid, boring, borderline racist mess only with more of the characters motives explained in a turgid, boring, borderline racist way.

[dislexsickNik]

Human Traffic Remixed was another Dud pants compared to the original cut

[Fried Gold]

Donnie Darko - art thriving on restriction

Donnie Darko Director's Cut - directors don't always know best.

[The Vicar]

Ok, controversial one here. After many people in the Zone raved about Kingdom Of Heaven director's cut I went out and rented it, I'd seen the original at the cinema and found it to be a turgid, boring, borderline racist mess. I found the Director's cut to be an even longer more ambitiously turgid, boring, borderline racist mess only with more of the characters motives explained in a turgid, boring, borderline racist way.

If you could only chose to have seen one, would it be the DC or the badly circumcised one?

[Maui]

Donnie Darko - art thriving on restriction

Donnie Darko Director's Cut - directors don't always know best.

What he said.

[The Vicar]

Donnie Darko - art thriving on restriction

Donnie Darko Director's Cut - directors don't always know best.

Sadly the only DVD version available now is the DC. The other is not so easy to come by.
Crap.

[St. Alphonzo]

I actually bought the DC version of Donnie Darko some time ago for $9.99. It's sitting on my shelf, in its shrink-wrap, right next to the theatrical version (which has been played many, many times).


Guess I won't be opening up that DC anytime soon!

[Maui]

I actually bought the DC version of Donnie Darko some time ago for $9.99. It's sitting on my shelf, in its shrink-wrap, right next to the theatrical version (which has been played many, many times).


Guess I won't be opening up that DC anytime soon!

Do a comparison if you want.

See what you think. You may like it - you may not. I like the uncertainties that the theatrical version had. Too much seemed to be spelled out in the DC.

[St. Alphonzo]

I actually bought the DC version of Donnie Darko some time ago for $9.99. It's sitting on my shelf, in its shrink-wrap, right next to the theatrical version (which has been played many, many times).


Guess I won't be opening up that DC anytime soon!

Do a comparison if you want.

See what you think. You may like it - you may not. I like the uncertainties that the theatrical version had. Too much seemed to be spelled out in the DC.

Agreed. The ambiguity is what makes me love this film. That's why I may not want it sullied by too much literalism in the DC. I would like to check out a few of the special features on there, though.

[tapehead]

I would not say the director’s cut of this sucked, but I like the studio cut better - Bladerunner -

The VO work was great, and lent a real gum-shoe sensibility to the film.

I prefer it to the director's cut, and will probably like it better than the Ultimate cut or whatever-the-shit they are calling the latest version.

I agree with you regards the voice over - it added the noir and pulp elements Scott was aiming for. However, without going into spoilers, don't you mind the fact the the DC has a totally different (and in my opinion, much better, if stark and depressing) conclusion?

[pheadx]

I would not say the director’s cut of this sucked, but I like the studio cut better - Bladerunner -

The VO work was great, and lent a real gum-shoe sensibility to the film.

I prefer it to the director's cut, and will probably like it better than the Ultimate cut or whatever-the-shit they are calling the latest version.

I agree with you regards the voice over - it added the noir and pulp elements Scott was aiming for. However, without going into spoilers, don't you mind the fact the the DC has a totally different (and in my opinion, much better, if stark and depressing) conclusion?

I dont think that Scott was aiming for pulp elements but I agree with the noir. Though, it the VO doesnt do much for me. This was a restriction from the studio and Ford sound pretty uninspired in the VO. Personally for me the theatrical and director's cut are two different worlds. can't wait to have the 5-disc set with EVERY version

[tapehead]

I would not say the director’s cut of this sucked, but I like the studio cut better - Bladerunner -

The VO work was great, and lent a real gum-shoe sensibility to the film.

I prefer it to the director's cut, and will probably like it better than the Ultimate cut or whatever-the-shit they are calling the latest version.

I agree with you regards the voice over - it added the noir and pulp elements Scott was aiming for. However, without going into spoilers, don't you mind the fact the the DC has a totally different (and in my opinion, much better, if stark and depressing) conclusion?

I dont think that Scott was aiming for pulp elements but I agree with the noir. Though, it the VO doesnt do much for me. This was a restriction from the studio and Ford sound pretty uninspired in the VO. Personally for me the theatrical and director's cut are two different worlds. can't wait to have the 5-disc set with EVERY version

re 'pulp' - with authors such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler coming from the serialised 'hard boiled' detective fiction which the term refers to, and the fact that many Science Fiction writers (including PK Dick) first getting published via the same medium, I'll stand by my use of it.

[pheadx]

oh okay, that makes sense

[Pacino86845]

I'll agree that Blade Runner doesn't suffer from the voice overs, as tapehead said, due to where it draws its source material... still, I preferred the director's cut.

[tapehead]

I'll agree that Blade Runner doesn't suffer from the voice overs, as tapehead said, due to where it draws its source material... still, I preferred the director's cut.

Me too - and I'm sure we've chatted about this before (Vicar? TITGirl? can't remember which thread). I really had to think my own way though the DC's conclusion, whereas the original cut, with the VO's charm (Ford is world-weary and beaten, rather than disinterested, IMO) was much more straight forward. I've been really interested in reading and watching the previews and interviews with Scott previewing the 'Final Cut' - I was on the right track regards Gaff and Deckard after all! It's also pretty surprising to learn Scott has never actually read 'Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?'