The 5 Best & 5 Worst Director’s Cuts In Existence

Directors cuts can be a fickle thing. Movies are typically finely edited for theatrical release, and this often entails cutting scenes that are deemed unnecessary or which ruin the pace and flow of the film. And when a director adds these scenes back in for the directors cut, it can do one of two things – greatly improve the quality of the movie or completely ruin it.

There are good directors cuts and there are bad directors cuts. Luckily, we’re here to tell you which are which. These are the five best and five worst directors cuts in existence.

10 Best – Blade Runner

There are many different versions of Blade Runner, and it can get really confusing. There’s obviously the theatrical version. Then there’s the original workprint version, the international cut, the director’s cut, and finally the acclaimed final cut.

Director Ridley Scott claims that the final cut is the definitive version of Blade Runner, as he had complete creative control over the final product. Most viewers agree with him. When it comes to Blade Runner, your choices are seemingly endless. But if you want the definitive edition, seek out the final cut.

9 Worst – Star Wars

Ask any die-hard Star Wars fan and they’ll probably tell you that they don’t care for the Special Edition. Deciding that technology was finally good enough to capture his original vision, George Lucas updated the original movies and released them in 1997 for the original’s twentieth anniversary.

However, fans bemoan many of the changes that were made, including the meeting between Han and Jabba and the infamous “Greedo shot first” controversy. Lucas messed with a classic and the fans were none too happy.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Best – Kingdom Of Heaven

Kingdom of Heaven is another Ridley Scott joint that was brutally butchered by the studio for theatrical release. The theatrical version runs at a respectable 144 minutes, making it no longer than your traditional Medieval drama. However, the movie received a middling reception, and Scott himself wasn’t happy with the final product.

He put together a definitive director’s cut which reinstated 45 minutes of footage, and it was honestly like a whole new movie. Critics adored it, and some even consider it to be the greatest and most substantial director’s cut of all time.

7 Worst – Terminator 2: Judgment Day

T2 is one of the finest action movies of all time and remains an impeccably edited movie. For some bizarre reason, James Cameron decided to mess with it in 1993, and a special edition was released on Laserdisc and VHS with fifteen additional minutes of footage.

This version contained a few bizarre inclusions, including a four-minute long dream sequence involving Kyle Reese, extra footage of Dyson and the T-800 destroying Skynet components, and a two-minute long introduction to Miles Dyson and his family. It completely messed with the pace of the movie, and most fans agree that the added scenes are largely unnecessary.

6 Best – The Lord Of The Rings

The extended editions of The Lord of the Rings aren’t directors’ cuts per se, but they ARE considered the definitive versions of the movies. Especially by the Tolkien die-hards.

There certainly wasn’t anything wrong with the theatrical versions, but the extended editions add so much good stuff to the movies that most fans can never go back. Sitting through four hour-long movies can be a bit of a hassle, but every single minute is worth it. It’s cinematic magic.

5 Worst – Apocalypse Now Redux

Apocalypse Now Redux remains one of the most divisive movies ever released. It is an undeniable masterpiece, and you never mess with the masterpieces. However, Kubrick and editor Walter Murch sat down in 2001 and re-incorporated a not insubstantial 49 minutes back into the movie.

The result was Apocalypse Now Redux. Some people believe that the additional scenes only add to the drama and richness of the film, while others argue that it slows the pace to a crawl and significantly impacts the flow of the story. We’re on the latter side.

4 Best – Watchmen

Many people regard Watchmen as Zack Snyder’s masterpiece. The original theatrical release tended to polarize critics and audiences, as some found the movie too long (163 minutes) and confusing to follow. Failing to heed those criticisms, Snyder released an even longer cut, running in at 186 minutes.

Furthermore, a version called the Ultimate Cut was eventually released which incorporated both the director’s cut footage and an animated feature called Tales of the Black Freighter. This version ran at an unbelievable 215 minutes, but most Watchmen die-hards agree that it’s a faithful and resounding adaptation of the graphic novel.

3 Worst – Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko wasn’t particularly popular when it was released in 2001 but quickly accumulated a significant cult following and they absolutely hate the 2004 director’s cut.

The president of Newmarket Films approached director Richard Kelly and asked him to re-release the film, and Kelly decided to release a director’s cut. This included twenty minutes of footage, digital effects, but most substantially, some textual explanations for the ambiguous story developments.

Needless to say, fans detested its inclusion and argued that it made an intentionally ambiguous film more straightforward, resulting in a total loss of magic and viewer agency.

2 Best – Once Upon A Time In America

When it comes to gangster epics, few are as epic as Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America. The US theatrical version of this masterpiece is a total abomination. Not only did they cut an hour and a half of footage from the movie, they completely re-edited the scenes to make the movie flow in chronological order.

All this without Leone’s approval or knowledge. Needless to say, it flopped. Luckily, a ton of excised footage was later edited back into the film, and the official extended director’s cut runs at a nearly complete 251 minutes (Leone’s original work ran at 269).

1 Worst – The Warriors

Of all the movies to get a director’s cut, we would have never expected it to be The Warriors. This little movie from the late 70s found a new audience in the mid-2000s thanks primarily to the Rockstar video game. As such, Paramount released an Ultimate Director’s Cut in 2005 that included a brand new introduction and bizarre comic-book-style scene transitions.

The movie is cartoony, yes, but that doesn’t mean you can just include goofy comic book transitions all willy nilly. It made the movie look childish and was a horrible decision in every respect.

NextEternals: 5 Things To Improve In A Sequel (& 5 To Keep The Same)

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *