To be scrupulously fair, there are botched edits as well -- There's the chainsaw editing of "The Magnificent Ambersons," and Harvey Weinstein was famous for taking films away from directors and having them chopped up to his order (which is something studios have regularly done, but he was notorious)
It's funny, I think when you get to see the "director's cut" of a movie... it's a mixed bag. Sometimes the director had the right idea, but the studio very obviously wanted something else (that happened to Welles more than once). Sometimes, the director needed to be reined in a bit.
One of the very few "director's cut" editions that improved a film was Blade Runner, and that mostly by taking things out (Ford's awful voiceover, demanded by the studio and recorded basically under duress).
I am a big fan of the Aliens director's cut, since it restores the frankly crucial context that Ripley had a daughter who aged and died while she was in cryosleep. Suddenly her attachment to Newt has more meaning and the movie has a subtext that the theatrical cut lacked.
I agree that version gives more textual context, but the in the original cut Ripley’s emotional arc makes just as much sense, but because of Weaver’s acting rather than the script (absolutely earning her Oscars nomination for the performance).
The big difference in a lot of Cameron’s early movies between theatrical and Director’s cuts is how much more on the nose he meant his stories to be before Gale Ann Hurd and his editors convinced him to trust the audience and make the stories more propulsive.
Blood Simple, the Coen brother's first feature is something like 7 minutes shorter in the "directors'" cut, and I always think it's a paragon of the form.
Absolutely. One of the first ones I thought of. The other one is Welles' Touch of Evil, assuming what we got was something close to his original intent. A much better film.
YES. Removing the VO was one of the smartest things ever done. I saw the original first, then the edition without the VO, and I remember telling Matt, "This is the only one I want to own". 😂
Maybe it's because I grew up with the Voiceover but I don't hate it - I know that it was added after the fact but I love it as a nod to cheapy noirs like Detour. Is it a better film? Probably not! Do I still enjoy that it exists? I do.
That makes sense! Films we grow up on have a powerful influence on us, I think, and stick in our minds in particular ways.
I can’t watch the revised (V-VII) Star Wars films. At all. I grew up on the originals and that’s how they live in my mind.
Donner's version of Superman II is a vast improvement, but that's almost a completely different film from the theatrical release version. I think there are arguments for at least one not the Director Cut of Aliens being an improvement too.
Also The Abyss which adds back in the "aliens think we will become a threat in the future because cold war and want to wipe us out now unless Ed Harris talks then down" subplot
Oh yeah, the choices are either "WTF this makes no sense" or "WTF this is too much" but option 2 has some pretty cool shots of the superwave so I like that one
Good point. And the "Final Cut" is the best version of BLADE RUNNER.
The Director's Cut of ALIENS added some scenes that fleshed thing out (like Ripley finding out about her daughter's death). I tend to watch it more than the theatrical cut, but both cuts are still excellent.
The transition between the scene with Newt's parents finding the derelict to Ripley smoking in her apartment is one of the best scene transitions I've seen put to film.
And that's one more reason why ALIENS is not just a perfect sequel but a perfect film.
Not to mention that it is packed with the best one-liners in film history (and that so many videogames have cribbed from it since 1986!).
"Dark City" and "Troy" are also vastly improved by the director's cut.
"Amadeus" has one pivotal scene restored that improves the film, and one scene that doesn't, and several little bits of dialogue that were better off remaining trimmed.
This is the same scenario with the Untitled edition of ALMOST FAMOUS. Lots of good character stuff with Patrick Fugit and Kate Hudson, but also scenes that just don't work, and one inclusion that outright ruins one of the best moments of comic timing in the film.
"That Thing You Do" has an extra 40 minutes in their director's cut, it's more of an extended version with a lot more Charlize Theron and a bunch of extra neat stuff that absolutely slowed the movie down a ton but is fun to see put back in.
The Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven adds roughly that much material as well, including a (pretty important) character that was edited out of the theatrical release entirely.
I do like that they added back in the runner that the drummer is “Silent Ed,” making that silence more clear so his line on the plane ride hits on two levels.
Yeah, most of the band/Band Aide/life on the road stuff was fine. But things like the high school principle's extended speech about "the future" during the graduation ceremony contribute nothing. It was a good idea to cut it in the first place and didn't need to edited back in.
For all his faults as a director -- and he does have a few -- I can't think of a bad Ridley Scott Director's Cut. Alien has a better Director's Cut, and Kingdom of Heaven is a completely different and better movie (ie. actually intelligible) in the director's cut compared to theatrical.
I believe I read that Ridley Scott just kind of goes along with the producers/studios for theatrical cuts, because he doesn't think it's a fight worth having. They always give him control over the home release, which will stand the test of time longer than the theatrical release of any movie.
I think that only works if you have seen the narrated version first. I tried this with my sons, showing them the Director's Cut first, and they had no idea what was going on for a lot of it, especially the very long atmospheric shots of Deckard and Gaff in the flying car not talking to each other.
The director's cut for THE EXORCIST III reversed many of the studio-mandated additions to the film, including a B-plot with Nicol Williamson as an exorcist and Jason Miller reprising his role as Father Karras... and for my money, the studio cut's the better movie.
And that can be varied under the same director!
Ridley Scott's director's cuts of BLADE RUNNER: better movie
Ridley Scott's director's cut of KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: functionally a different, superior movie entirely.
Ridley Scott's direct cut of GLADIATOR: worse movie
I think the only example of “director’s cut is just better” I can think of is Little Shop, because it’s the same exact movie with a different ending sequence lol
