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Author Topic: Top 5 Film Re-edits  (Read 4082 times)

1SO

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Top 5 Film Re-edits
« on: September 23, 2009, 07:39:03 PM »
There's so many Director's Cuts and Final Cuts and Special Editions out there now - and I'm not just referring to Blade Runner - that I wonder what are your favorites.  Name 5 that greatly improve on the original theatrical release.

As for me...

1. Kingdom of Heaven/Legend - It's amazing how a director the status of Ridley Scott often releases a film in theaters that are not his definitive version.  Most have Director's Cut DVD's and most of those are incredibly different experiences.  Here are 2 films where I hated the theatrical release, but loved the Director's Cut.

2. Alien 3 - Done without David Fincher's approval and therefore not an actual 'Director's Cut', the reedit feels more of a piece with the rest of Fincher's early work and is a far more enriching experience.

3. Leon (International Cut) - Granted, this is nothing to the original script I read many years ago, but the longer cut of Leon shows Mathilda going out on hits with her mentor.  The scenes are great and foreshadow events to come later.

4. Almost Famous (Untitled) - I've learned that this is an unpopular opinion, but I always thought Almost Famous was abridged in some moments, and Untitled confirmed that by letting the scenes breathe to their proper length.

5. Aliens - One of my first Director's Cut experiences, Aliens added some clunkers (like Hudson's 'King of the Badasses' speech') but also added the sentry robots and life on LV426 before the pesky Aliens took over.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2009, 09:31:43 PM »
I'll tell you what re-edit not to watch. Alien Director's cut. Totally ruins the third act. I'll meditate on this a bit and come up with a list.

Junior

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2009, 09:35:21 PM »
The Lord of the Rings films come to mind. As does Blade Runner (pick one). And Brazil. That's five.
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1SO

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2009, 01:21:35 AM »
Lord of the Rings is an excellent choice, especially The Two Towers, which I think adds so much it transforms the entire film into something even better.

smirnoff

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2009, 11:39:02 AM »
T2 has to be one of the worst re-edits (the one on the Ultimate Edition dvd (or was it the Extreme Edition ::)). The scene with Reese is terrible!!! The added something else I didn't like as well... I can't remember what it is just now. But yea.

Bill Thompson

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2009, 11:40:49 AM »
T2 has to be one of the worst re-edits (the one on the Ultimate Edition dvd (or was it the Extreme Edition ::)). The scene with Reese is terrible!!! The added something else I didn't like as well... I can't remember what it is just now. But yea.

I have yet to see this, it's in my NF queue, haven't decided yet if I'll review this edition or the theatrical cut for my blog.

joker

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2009, 11:45:45 AM »
1) Alien 3.  I've been a big fan of showing this to people, then there reaction.  So many people have distain for this movie, but when the assembly cut was released in the fabulous Quadrilogy Box Set, people for some reason haven't given the assembly cut a chance.  I haven't watched this in nearly 2 years, but the differences are extreme, not your typical directors cut.

example

   The hole religous sub plot was extracted from teh movie, the best example would be that of the prisoner, who survived the second attack by the Alien (the three men ligting candles).  In the theatrical, the man who survies just dissapears, but his subplot is much more envolved in the assembly cut.  

He beleives, as well as many other inmates, that in their spirtual, christian society, that the Alien is infact, the devil, come to clame waste to those non-beleivers.  But, instead of having the normal fear, or distain for their creature that most has, this prisoner becames infactuated with it.  Worshiping it.

Later, there's a scene where they discover that holding room, with the 6' thick walls.  No way in, no way out except the main door.  In the theatrical cut, the attempted capture of the alien was met with a large explosion, killing over 20 inmates, while the alien escaped.  In the assembly, the Alien is caught due to the explosion scaring it into the room, with i beleive Ripley locking the door, trapping it.

Later, the above mentioned, alien worshiping inmate, freed from his restraints, opens the door, and goes in to meet the "devil"... obviously said prisoner is killed, and the alien escapes.

That is just one of many changes... I also did like the retooled ending, where Ripley jumps in, but NO alien jumps out of her chest... makes it a more endearing ending, instead of a "I'm sure it would bust out right when she's falling, lol".

The one change I do no not like is the Oxen birth.... The alien in the film ressembles a dog, and I perfer the dog birth scene with the sermon the one inmate is making.  Luckily I have a program where I made my own edit of the film, replacing the ox, with the dog, and leaving the rest of the assembly cut intact.

2) Aliens.  I love the machine gun scenes, and the extra time with the marines.  Also, I enjoyed the colony scene, and how Ripley being found and her information actually lead to the fall of the colony.  The two best scenes though, that add so much.  the duaghter scene, where Ripley finds out her daughter died, adding more to the Newt relationship.  Also, the name exchange between Hicks and Ripley... "Ellen".... "Dyawne"... a movie that is balls to the wall, then they add that, allowing the viewer to reconnect, and breathe a little bit while learning something new about the two heros..... makes Alien 3 opening more heartbreaking, yet, adds so much to the tragic Ripley character..

3 - 5) LOTR Trilogy.  The gift scene, and opening of The Fellowship of the Ring.  The flashback sequence and added Helms deep footage for the Two Towers... and the Sauramon death, Ghosts, and Mouth of Sauron scenes in Return of the King...

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Bill Thompson

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2009, 11:48:58 AM »
The assembly cut of Alien3 minimally improves the theatrical cut. No matter how many changes are made Fincher just wasn't making a good movie.

joker

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2009, 11:49:09 AM »
T2 has to be one of the worst re-edits (the one on the Ultimate Edition dvd (or was it the Extreme Edition ::)). The scene with Reese is terrible!!! The added something else I didn't like as well... I can't remember what it is just now. But yea.

probably the computer chip scene, which was awful....


BUT the reedit did add the extra element of the T-1000 being effected by the liquid nitrogen... which almost fixed the glairing plot hole later on with Sarah Connor... WHY WOULDN"T HE JUST HAVE KILLED HER... He could have "called for John"... but with him malfunctioning, then the added part where John realizes that his mother was the T-1000 by his ill-transformed, metal grating feet.. made you think "maybe he coldn't do it at that time, or it knows it can't fully transform into her"
"This movie made me laugh so hard, I had mild headaches. So I went to the doctor to get checked out, I'm currently awaiting results"
-Gene Siskel

joker

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Re: Top 5 Film Re-edits
« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2009, 11:50:48 AM »
The assembly cut of Alien3 minimally improves the theatrical cut. No matter how many changes are made Fincher just wasn't making a good movie.

maybe in your opinion... but to me, the movie was the only way to cap the series off... go read the other treatments of Alien 3, this was the best one...

if you wanted Hicks, Ripley and Newt hunting Aliens... there's a comic that does just that... and clearly, the gothic, depressing approach was the best decission... Ripley had to die
"This movie made me laugh so hard, I had mild headaches. So I went to the doctor to get checked out, I'm currently awaiting results"
-Gene Siskel

 

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