Looking for movies with a dramatically different director’s cut

Submitted by pornthrowaway1421 t3_10hw7hx in movies

There are some movies out there with a released directors cut that changes/explains the plot or story in a much more thorough manner which enhances it sometimes dramatically for the better and I’m looking to see if I’ve missed any…

Some examples…

Donnie Darko, there is some added scenes but the major difference is at points in the movie where it shows passages from the old woman’s book on time travel to explain the story better.

Ad Astra, okay this movie was kind of hot garbage but the directors cut has many additional scenes where it more thoroughly explains his mindset as he reflects on events/relationships he is trying to overcome and mentally grow as an individual.

Bladerunner, amazing movie and story but the directors cut changes too much to describe. Both still far from source material but the DC is a far superior movie.

If you guys/gals have any to add I’d love to hear them!

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ImpactNext1283 t1_j5at8xw wrote

Kingdom of Heaven, the Ridley Scott movie, has a nearly 4-hour director’s cut that’s 100% better than the original.

Ad Astra fucking slams totally psyched to find out there’s a director’s cut!

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yanbu t1_j5b993x wrote

I really liked Ad Astra as well, not sure why it gets so much hate? It’s definitely a slow burn, but overall thought it was fascinating. And it’s set in that middle ground in sci fi that’s rarely explored: the between time near future where we barely have the capability of reaching out into the far reaches of the solar system, but before the Star Trek limitless magic tech phase.

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Ozlin t1_j5cjwem wrote

I thought it was OK overall, but I also understand the criticism. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I remember the whole thing of him sneaking aboard that one ship to have issues. It also does feel a bit meandering and slowly paced. The ending too really relies on the audience being OK with the whole thing being a personal journey, which I'm not sure the film sells very well throughout. It feels a bit like a film that wanted to be one thing, but for whatever reason ended up getting pushed towards being another thing, but it never fully got to commit to either. I personally still enjoyed it overall because the visuals and concepts of the world were enough for me. But I definitely felt it a bit lacking in other ways. I do think people really laid the hate on it too thick.

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ImpactNext1283 t1_j5fu4df wrote

It’s meant to be a riff on Apocalypse Now, Pitt’s journey being a mirror for society’s. It does play fast and loose w a lot of the ‘hard’ sci-fi elements. The space travel, in particular, makes 0 sense.

That said, if you look at the whole thing as a metaphor, it’s quite brilliant imo. Grey is making a movie about fathers and sons, using the cinematic language of his ‘fathers’ - Kubrick and Coppola. Like other Gen X filmmakers, Grey is deeply indebted to these flawed men w insane, grand visions. It’s really sophisticated in that light.

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irlcatspankz t1_j5djpkf wrote

I can guess that Ad Astra, and interestingly another Brad Pitt movie Killing Them Softly, suffered from their marketing. Ad Astra's trailer makes it look more like a suspense thriller (and a car chase on the moon with guns!), and Killing Them Softly's trailer also markets a different movie than what it was. IMO both films are exceptional, but GA went in with misled expectations.

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yanbu t1_j5dkbjn wrote

Yeah, I watched Ad Astra on the plane knowing nothing other than it had Brad Pitt in it and space, so maybe you’re right.

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ImpactNext1283 t1_j5fu8xx wrote

Incidentally, both movies produced by his company. He’s not good at marketing his own movies! Despite Plan B having produced a number of successful projects.

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TheUmgawa t1_j5dpyc6 wrote

I think people don't care for Ad Astra because nobody wanted to see Apocalypse Now in space. Also, they make it a point to mention that Brad Pitt's heart rate never gets above 80 or something, and neither does the audience's while watching the movie.

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ImpactNext1283 t1_j5fud0x wrote

Apocalypse Now in Space is exactly what this is, and exactly what I want to see. I don’t know what the rest of y’all doing p

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TheUmgawa t1_j5g9pxl wrote

Yeah, if I want to watch Apocalypse Now, I’m just going to watch Apocalypse Now.

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ImpactNext1283 t1_j5gafcx wrote

Well yeah, it’s a commentary on Apocalypse Now. You were over simplifying and I was being funny. No reason to watch if you’re not interested, but it’s a really great movie about loving directors like Coppola and Kubrick - personally flawed and abusive geniuses.

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GentPc t1_j5b4js0 wrote

I literally came here to say that. The Director's Cut of KoH adds a lot of background and fills in some massive gaps.

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LittleBullBoy t1_j5bp1b9 wrote

I’ve only ever seen the Theatrical Cut, but remember really hating it honestly.

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HagbardCelineHere t1_j5bw8og wrote

The Kingdom of Heaven theatrical cut is my least favorite Ridley Scott movie, and the director's cut is my favorite.

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thinthehoople t1_j5c82br wrote

The directors cut is an entirely different and much, much better film.

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LittleBullBoy t1_j5bxumr wrote

Better than Gladiator? Alien? Black Hawk Down? Bladerunner? Body of Lies?

This is a bold claim.

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HagbardCelineHere t1_j5c9rpf wrote

As a huge fan of most of the above, as one of those people who has probably watched Alien and Blade Runner about fifty times each, yes. The Kingdom of Heaven directors cut is my number one. And I say just as emphatically that the theatrical cut is among his worst.

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Obfusc8er t1_j5cm4lz wrote

Never saw the theatrical cut. The DC feels like a modern epic masterpiece.

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jxrst9 t1_j5c1kvb wrote

Directors cut is so much better.

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lizifer93 t1_j5gsrqk wrote

Kingdom of Heaven theatrical cuts a HUGE part of the storyline and made no sense without it. The director’s cut is actually a great movie and highly underrated.

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Monday_Night_Miracle t1_j5cuv5l wrote

Strong recommendation from me as well. I watched the theatrical version and was confused and felt there had to be more. Saw the director's cut and it was a massive improvement in every way and made for a much more enjoyable movie.

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cerberaspeedtwelve t1_j5b0rfw wrote

LOTR's extended editions are all great, but I have to single out a two minute scene added for The Two Towers. It's a family reunion of sorts between Boromir (Sean Bean), his brother Faramir (David Wyndham) and their father Denethor (John Noble), told in flashback during happier times.

It ties together all the actions of Boromir in the first movie (why he knows so much about the ring already, and why he scheming to get it,) Faramir's incredibly heroic actions in the second movie (he lets Frodo and the ring go, knowing that keeping them will mean finally winning his father's respect) and Denethor's madness in the third movie (we realize he knows he is responsible for sending his most beloved son to his death.)

I realize that the theatrical cut of Towers weighed in at over three hours anyway, and director Peter Jackson was under serious pressure from the studio to cut anything not critically, 100% necessary. But I just wish they could have somehow saved this scene. It adds another layer of emotional complexity to the whole trilogy.

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doc_55lk t1_j5avm0i wrote

Zack Snyder's Justice League.

Whatever reservations you may or may not have about Snyder and his cult like fanbase, there's no ignoring that the his cut of Justice League, even if you shortened it for a more palatable runtime, is a completely different movie from the theatrical cut we got in 2017.

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Odd_Advance_6438 t1_j5b36uk wrote

I would actually say it’s a really good time if you watch it in halves. It feels a lot more classic and uplifting compared to MOS and BvS

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doc_55lk t1_j5bpbci wrote

I've watched maybe 4 times. Out of those, only once did I sit through it in its entirety.

Every other time I've taken a breather at the halfway point or when the first disc ends (which is slightly past halfway).

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JaesopPop t1_j5ffx2z wrote

It is better, but I think calling it a directors cut is a stretch. He basically got to re-film pretty significant chunks of the movie and try and directly address criticism of the initial release (of which not all issues were with Whedon).

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doc_55lk t1_j5fwluy wrote

> got to re-film pretty significant chunks of the movie

Aren't the only new additions are the scenes in the epilogue? I wouldn't say these contributed to "pretty significant chunks" of the movie.

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JaesopPop t1_j5fwup5 wrote

> Aren't the only new additions are the scenes in the epilogue?

I've never read they were exclusive to then.

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doc_55lk t1_j5h0p3z wrote

The only new scene was the Knightmare sequence with The Joker. Everything else was already filmed.

Whatever money was spent on the movie was pretty much only spent on finishing the unfinished stuff.

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MelkorWasRight t1_j5cgtrg wrote

> a completely different movie from the theatrical cut we got in 2017

I’m sorry, but it isn’t a completely different movie.

It’s simply longer, and looks worse. There is no good version of Justice League, unfortunately.

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Miserable_Row_793 t1_j5bts2e wrote

I have to disagree with this take.

I've seen both. While ZSJL is longer and has more scenes. In my opinion it doesn't change or improve the story. It's just the same story, but longer.

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doc_55lk t1_j5c1e7b wrote

You can have the same plot while having a completely different movie.

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kingzilch t1_j5ay6v9 wrote

The Abyss director's cut has, y'know, an ending.

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weredev t1_j5bc78e wrote

It's almost a completely different movie.

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[deleted] t1_j5cseo7 wrote

[deleted]

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kingzilch t1_j5cwdux wrote

You know the whole thing with the tidal wave the aliens send to warn people to be better? Yeah, that's gone. Ed Harris puts the goo in his lungs, he dives down to where the aliens are, they take him inside, they drop him off back up at the surface. That's...pretty much it. I think they might have still told him to warn people to be better, but I can't be sure.

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Wh0rse t1_j5b2icj wrote

Dark City.

Added narration spoils the mystery in the theatrical version.

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pornthrowaway1421 OP t1_j5b3i5a wrote

The narration was a major problem with Bladerunner theatrical release as well..

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Ocular_Username t1_j5av8io wrote

Alien 3.

The Assembly Cut has a completely different feel. There are added subplots and character motivations as well.

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TheFudge t1_j5bdll4 wrote

Didn’t know this existed. Anywhere to stream it?

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Ocular_Username t1_j5bk4bx wrote

I have it on DVD. It is on Amazon Prime Video as Alien 3 Special Edition.

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radewagon t1_j5bsr21 wrote

Assembly Cut is such a double edged sword. The added stuff is great, but the switch to the bull alien is terrible and its inclusion ruins the the single greatest scene in the Alien franchise (the funeral/birth scene). The dog's suffering makes the scene so so stupidly powerful.

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Butch_Beth t1_j5e5gv0 wrote

I've always preferred the bull, I think there's a lot of stuff in Alien 3 where Fincher was being an edgy young director, there's an extended Newt autopsy they shot which is just revolting, it's already too much in the Theatrical cut. I don't need to see a dog suffering, it's more upsetting than just being horror.

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rexaltitude t1_j5b2p05 wrote

I am Legend. Completely nerfed the theatrical release.

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pornthrowaway1421 OP t1_j5b3wps wrote

Oh man don’t get me started on that one…

“They show no signs of humanity left in them”

Except you know this one has a girlfriend that he risks own life for…

A bunch are seen sleeping in a bank vault surrounded by money…

And a thousand more little things that line up with directors cut ending not bullshit theater one

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Funny_Science_9377 t1_j5ea1h8 wrote

Also SPOILERS:

Will Smith lives to make to the colony with the mother and son!! NO character sacrificing themselves in a movie ever makes sense. “Let’s see… I’m going to go in there knowing I won’t make it out alive. At the last moment I can lose control of the situation by giving up my life but I’ll never know if it worked.”

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username161013 t1_j5brgif wrote

Brazil is pretty famous for having drastically different cuts. The studio really screwed over Terry Gilliam's vision. Thankfully it's possible to watch both versions now.

There's also a completely different version of the first Anchorman out there made from alternate takes and a lot of different scenes. It has an entirely different subplot about a group of terrorists, with a lot of recognizable actors that were left out of the theatrical release. It's called Wake Up Ron Burgundy, and I definitely recommend it if you enjoyed the first one.

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caddy_gent t1_j5e43mi wrote

Wake Up Ron Burgundy is a gem. Every Anchorman fan should see it.

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Massinator5 t1_j5f4dfh wrote

Came here to say Brazil, love my criterion copy!!

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rokkiss t1_j5b5y1c wrote

you mentioned donny darko, on of Richard Kelly’s (few) other films is Southland Tales, the theatrical cut of the movie failed to perform at the box office and critics weren’t initially kind, but the original Sundance Cut had a cult following for being a much better movie. i’d have to agree, i love the Sundance Cut, and you can even get it on bluray now

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Redoubtabletrigger t1_j5askk9 wrote

Amadeus and possibly Apocalypse Now

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ImpactNext1283 t1_j5atd5d wrote

I dislike all the longer cuts of Apocalypse Now but they are worth checking out.

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ThePrincessDiarrhea t1_j5e58y6 wrote

I’d advise watching Heart of Darkness that has a lot of the added scenes in redux and gives you more than a glimpse into the madness that was making Apocalypse.

Redux is interesting for fans but really doesn’t improve on the original movie.

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DrRexMorman t1_j5auzs1 wrote

That thing you do’s director’s cut is a great example of how cutting exposition improves characterization. It adds like 40 minutes of “telling” that takes the original film from like an 8/10 to like a 5/10.

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Slashs_Hat t1_j5dfmhp wrote

IIRC there is a scene at the LA hotel where Tom Hanks gets in a car with Howie Long and it read to me that Hanks character was gay, which is a vibe i never got in the theatrical version

EDIT: The clip

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HorridosTorpedo t1_j5bqfuw wrote

Kingdom of Heaven is vastly improved in the DC.

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MissNatdah t1_j5b8x4t wrote

What about The Butterfly Effect? Is it a directors cut or an alternative ending?

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astroK120 t1_j5atxdf wrote

Where did you find the Ad Astra director's cut? I did a quick search for it and all I could find were articles where the director complains about the theatrical cut, but I couldn't find an actual directors cut anywhere

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One_egg_is_an_Oeuf t1_j5eq48s wrote

Not sure how OP knows about the specifics of Ad Astra's director's cut, since it doesn't exist. At least not yet. Look at what James Gray, the director, said about the matter in an interview for Vulture (late 2022):

​

>Q: Is there any chance we might see a director’s cut of Ad Astra?

>
>J.G.: I’m going to need help. It’s a lot of money to do it, probably about 300,000 bucks. The question really is this: Is there a way to monetize it? I would love to do it different. The director’s cut is 12 minutes shorter, by the way. When is the director’s cut shorter than the released version? But there is somehow more Ruth Negga and more Donald Sutherland in it. There are other things that are much shorter. But I’d love to do it.

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rarkgrames t1_j5b4pad wrote

Superman II - The Richard Donner cut. It’s a completely different movie.

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This_Plane_694 t1_j5bxfxd wrote

Blade Runner. The unicorn dream has significant implications, and the ending is completely different

Also, Apocalypse Now. The theatrical cut is superior, the added plantation scene in the director's cut (or extended edition, forgot the name) is really disruptive and inconsequential.

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Existing365Chocolate t1_j5awapp wrote

The Town

The original was a lot longer and had more backstory for Doug and Claire’s relationship as well as Doug and Jem’s friendship. It was also a good deal darker like the original book was

Would love to Ben Affleck to release it one day instead of saying how great it was

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koberulz_24 t1_j5b1x8f wrote

It's available on the Blu-ray, has been for years.

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Existing365Chocolate t1_j5b2zpb wrote

IIRC this one is different than the one included on the Blu Ray from what I recall (which is still better than theatrical)

The one I’m talking about is the 3 hour long one that was then cut to the extended version on Blue Ray and then cut to the theatrical one

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SomebodyInIowa t1_j5box6e wrote

Payback with Mel Gibson. I picked up a used DVD copy to add to my Plex server which happened to be the directors cut. I watched it so many times on cable TV back in the 00s, and while it's nothing amazing I still thought it was entertaining. The directors cut was quite different and I couldn't stand it. Had to resort to a little high seas sailing to get the theatrical version.

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RyzenRaider t1_j5bt2rx wrote

This is the example I was going to us.

I actually do like the directors cut, it's a bit more true to the low budget, gritty 70s crime thriller genre.

Having said that, I think the best version of Payback would combine elements from both cuts. Kris Kristofferson is definitely the more interesting villain, but I prefer the more natural colours of the directors cut. Music from theatrical cut, but I kinda like the original ending, where Porter just keeps getting shot.

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lordfaffing t1_j5c5ivf wrote

Francis Ford Coppola is famous for it.

Apocalypse Now has many versions, all interesting

Godfather 3, is the most recent, now called Coda

He even recut Godfather 1 and 2 as a fully chronological tv show back in the day!

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Slashs_Hat t1_j5dgc8i wrote

> He even recut Godfather 1 and 2 as a fully chronological tv show back in the day!

This is 'The Godfather Saga' and, after seeing 1 & 2 countless times each, its a great way to see them in a 'new' way.

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kingzilch t1_j5ayf91 wrote

The "renegade cut" of Highlander 2 takes steps to clear up some of the more nonsensical choices of the theatrical cut. Still hot garbage though, unfortunately.

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new_cerner_employee t1_j5bladh wrote

My first viewing of Dark City of the Director's Cut. Rewatched it in Theatrical Version and the first 5 minutes absolutely spoils the movie. Apparently the movie studios think the audience is too dumb without narration.

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beastiebestie t1_j5eapy1 wrote

Absolutely. They ruin the fantastic slow-burn of learning along with the protagonist. I still love it, but I'd rather do the work. Dark City is a masterpiece and our favorite midwinter movie.

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KaiG1987 t1_j5bw6vw wrote

Apparently the difference between the Theatrical Cut and the Director's Cut for Kingdom of Heaven is like night and day. It got butchered by executive meddling for the theatrical cut, had huge chunks of time and entire plots cut out.

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thinthehoople t1_j5c7lvr wrote

Kingdom of Heaven is the archetype of this for me. Director’s cut is an entirely different, and wildly better, film.

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kgb17 t1_j5ccbyb wrote

Cinema Paradiso. In the directors cut there is almost an hour of extra scenes. One in particular completely changes the motivations of a main character

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Oirad20 t1_j5cnclq wrote

Daredevil with Ben Affleck

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[deleted] t1_j5d60tt wrote

I actually am so glad James Cameron did not get his way for Aliens. There is a scene in the directors cut that completely ruins the movie. Seeing Newt and her family alive on the planet and seeing her dad get attacked at the beginning of the film completely destroys the mystery of what happened on the colony. Sometimes directors cuts are not the better film.

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beastiebestie t1_j5eb9ik wrote

I was excited for extra content, but that scene really pulls you out. It's dated, has horrible pacing, and erases the unknown fear factor that is such an integral part of the movie.

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kitchenblender t1_j5difh3 wrote

Zach Snyder's justice league. Took a movie that was absolutely terrible and made it into like a 9/10. It does make it 4 hours long though

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JaesopPop t1_j5fg2tb wrote

It also included a ton of money and reshoots, so not really a directors cut in the traditional sense. 9/10 also seems… high.

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kitchenblender t1_j5fzwtj wrote

Very true. I probably just think it's that high because compared to the original it's night and day

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randomaccount96321 t1_j5docnp wrote

Dark City.

A truly great noir sci fi film from 1998 by Alex Proyas.

Don’t watch the theatrical version. Watch the Directors Cut and only the Directors Cut for your first viewing.

The theatrical cut is still great, but it reveals information in its opening that you don’t need to be spoon fed and the directors cut omits it, resulting in a first viewing with a completely different perspective.

The film was overshadowed by The Matrix but is truly top tier.

Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, and a very sultry Jennifer Connolly star.

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beastiebestie t1_j5ebcmf wrote

One of my favorites. We watch it every year around this time (darkest part of winter.)

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ReturnOfSuperman t1_j5b5a8x wrote

Alien 3. Superman 2. Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

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cmhw18 t1_j5c8lmp wrote

Butterfly effect

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AccidentallyTaschen t1_j5crakh wrote

The Town directors cut totally changes the ending and adds I think more than 20 mins

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WhereIsThatElephant t1_j5ctqxm wrote

Notably, Event Horizon is 30% longer than what you may have seen, which also breaks the narrative a lot.

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Monday_Night_Miracle t1_j5cvmww wrote

I would love to see the director's cut of Event Horizon. I've only ever read about what the cut scenes, but it sounds quite gruesome.

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MoeSzys t1_j5ec289 wrote

As far as I know, Bruce Almighty doesn't have a director's cut, but there are some really key deleted scenes that would have made the movie make more sense

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IdolL0v3r t1_j5eca63 wrote

"C.H.U.D." director's cut has all the scenes in the correct order and a better ending. "Army of Darkness" director's cut ending is better than the theatrical cut ending. The uncut versions of several horror movies are better than the edited versions, but if you like horror then you might agree. "Suspiria" (1977); "Beyond the Darkness" (1979); "Phenomena" (1984) is better the edit "Creepers", etc.

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TreyWait t1_j5edqkz wrote

Justice League - the material cut from the original directors cut really ruined that movie.

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Infamous_Yogurt2858 t1_j5et5gt wrote

Kingdom of Heaven: I like both versions of the film more than most, but the director's cut essentially adds another entire act to the middle of the film which makes a lot of the plot points make far more sense.

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The_Meemeli t1_j5evzcm wrote

>Ad Astra, okay this movie was kind of hot garbage but the directors cut has many additional scenes where it more thoroughly explains his mindset as he reflects on events/relationships he is trying to overcome and mentally grow as an individual.

Where's the director's cut available? I looked it up and only found articles about how the director wasn't happy with the theatrical cut.

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r_lira t1_j5f1tzc wrote

Salt, the directors cut is a completely different movie

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woman_noises t1_j5askvf wrote

Years ago I rented Prometheus on blu ray and it had two different cuts. You know how on the group of main researcher characters there's a couple. Well the main difference in the cuts was that in one, they were a loving couple and excited to be doing their jobs and always happy to be together. And in the other they were always arguing and insulting each other and seemed genuinely pissed to be working together. That always cracked me up, like the creators couldn't decide which to go with so both are included on the blu ray.

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koberulz_24 t1_j5b1pjd wrote

This never happened. There's only one cut of Prometheus.

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K1NG_94 t1_j5azvvx wrote

Really? I have the blu ray and there is only one cut of the movie.

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pornthrowaway1421 OP t1_j5b2y9f wrote

There is a bunch of deleted scenes that help explain the story and one where David and the engineer are talking and he explains why he hates humanity. Bunch of YouTube videos about it but I never saw extra cut.. will look around for it

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