The Directors Cut: Real Deal or Marketing Gimmick?

I looked at the DVD release schedule on Play.com recently and noticed something alarming. Before a Director's Cut would occasionally appear years after a film was released, when a studio had interfered with a director's edit of a film in order to make it commercial. Now it seems to have become a marketing gimmick. The results do not always make for a more enjoyable film experience.  Does the world really need a extended version of Fantastic Four? Or Coyote Ugly? Were there really any problems with the original edit of Big or Donnie Brasco? Wasn?t it pretty good ten years back? Sadly the phenomenon probably has more to do with money than any kind of artistic integrity.

The Directors Cut first reared its head in the 1980's when the home video boom was in full swing. They were specifically marketed at the cult film fan, which is why two of the earliest examples are Michael Cimino's almighty flop Heavens Gate and perhaps most famous and beloved of all Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. James Cameron later got in on the game by releasing 'special editions' of his films. These were not marketed as Director's Cuts as such and more as extended versions (like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy), although the longer version of The Abyss is indeed a different and better film.
The success of these films has lead to the studio's realising that there is money to be made. Since the boom of the DVD market there has rarely been a month go by without the release of some directors cut, extended version or alternate version. Companies seem bent on milking the last possible pennies out of even the most average release. This isn't always successful, in their rush to make a quick buck scenes have been added back into previously well-paced movies making them sluggish and dull. In other instances its around 3 minutes worth of footage and if you saw the film once at the cinema, then you probably wouldn?t notice the difference from your new exciting cut on DVD. 
For example Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous was released on DVD with an alternate cut labeled Untitled (which was the films title for a while before release). What was before a charming, feel good and breezy two-hour movie was changed into a bloated, boring overlong experience with nothing of note really added back in during the extra 35 minutes. At the other end of the spectrum you have Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead revamp which on DVD was labeled the director's cut. I saw the film twice at the cinema and all I noticed extra was a shot of a zombie with a severed arm, an additional shot of the zombie baby and a snog between Jake Weber and Sara Polley.  On rare occasions a director's cut is shorter than the cinematic release. The DVD release of Oliver Stone's Alexander was mercifully shorter than the bum-numbing cinema release and recently Payback:Straight Up was considerably shorter than the mostly re-shot cinema release.

Its hard not to feel cheated by this sometimes, and if you?re a comic book or horror fan it seems to be even worse. After an initial 'special edition' DVD release, we then are treated to a new edition of the film sometimes less than two years later. It seems to be more of a marketing opportunity before a sequel is released, which is why recently, we have seen Spider-Man 2.1 and X-Men 1.5. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is released this month, hence the new version of the first film about to be released. With horror movies it is perhaps even worse. Recent horror films (e.g Hostel, Saw and Land of the Dead) have had an uncut or unrated version released on DVD. When you view them however its extremely hard to tell what was cut the first time as it usually amounts to a few seconds of gore and screaming.
Sadly the trend shows no sign of ending. As long as the DVD market is healthy then we are likely to keep getting these quick cash in releases. With the battle for supremacy between new formats Blu-Ray and HD DVD continuing we are bound to get even more. The best thing to do is some research prior to parting with your hard-earned cash. Have a look on the IMDB or read up on interviews with the director or producer from the time of release. At the time of Superman Returns release in 2006, Bryan Singer said that he shot a whole sequence with Superman exploring the ruins of his home planet, Krypton. However the scene didn?t appear among the extras on the two-disc release months later. When the Superman sequel is released in 2009 we will probably get an extended version on DVD with these scenes put back in. Whether this qualifies as a director's cut however is unclear.

There are some director's cuts that we are never likely to see and in some instances it?s a great shame. Recently the two for the price of one Tarantino/Rodriguez horror epic Grindhouse flopped at the U.S box office. Now in the UK and the rest of the world we are getting both films released separately with extra footage put back in. There are currently no plans for a UK cinematic release of the double bill as was originally intended. Terence Malick hardly the most prolific director ever, reportedly shot a 5 hour cut of his World War 2 masterpiece The Thin Red Line. This version had a different main character, moving the focus away from Private Witt (Jim Caviezel) and towards Corporal Fife (Adrien Brody) and whole performance's from actors like Bill Pullman and Billy Bob Thornton were excised from the final print.

What follows is my assessment of some of the best Directors Cuts/Extended/Special Editions out there at the moment:

1. Blade Runner – The Directors Cut (Original Cut:1982, Directors Cut released:1992)

The Film: The granddad of all alternate versions and one of the best science fiction films of all time. Ridley Scott's genre defining cyberpunk masterpiece, adapted from the Philip K.Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, is a triumph of style over substance. This is one of those rare films that get even better on subsequent viewing and is endlessly debated on the Internet. The production was an extremely troubled one with disagreements between the American crew and British director over working methods. Harrison Ford famously said that he was in the film to give a focus to Ridley Scott's sets. Ford being pissed off works well for his performance as a world weary bounty hunter in this masterful blend of film noir and sci-fi cool. This was a major flop on release and gained its cult status through home video and cable TV showings.

The Differences: The version released cinematically in 1982 had a voice over by Harrison Ford's character Deckard which has been removed from this version. There is also no happy ending with Deckard and Rachel driving into the wilderness with mountain footage left over from The Shining. The fact that Deckard could indeed be one of the replicant's he is charged with terminating is also much more obvious here with the addition of a unicorn dream sequence.

The Verdict: A great sci-fi movie made even greater. The removal of the voice-over makes the dreamy atmosphere an overwhelming and immersive experience. This is a good example where only subtle changes have made the film seem completely different and is much better for it. There is a 25th anniversary DVD edition on the way. This will apparently have three cuts of the film as opposed to the two currently in existence. It is also rumored that additional footage has been shot for this release.

*Currently available on Region 1 & 2 with no extras

2. The Abyss – Special Edition (Original Cut: 1989, Special Edition released:1993)

The Film: James Cameron's 1989 underwater sci-fi epic was a notoriously troubled and intense production. Star Ed Harris was supposedly reduced to a quivering wreck by a demanding Cameron and some people nearly drowned. When released in summer 1989 the film was something of disappointment for a big budget sci-fi film, making just 54 million at the US box office. A big problem was that it just didn't make sense. There was a huge build up to an encounter with the extra-terrestrials at the bottom of the sea and then it ended as it got interesting. You couldn't fault Cameron?s ambition though, he invented camera equipment that didn't exist previously for the film and the authenticity of the claustrophobic underwater oil-rig adds to the overall tension.

The Differences: There are lots of very subtle character moments in the extra 28 minutes of footage that was added to the special edition in the early 90's.  Moments like the crew singing a country song together over the intercom, and  the conversation between Lindsay and her estranged husband Bud, as he embarks on his doomed journey to the bottom of the underwater trench to defuse the nuclear weapon. These moments all add to the emotional finale and its here where the most significant changes take place. Instead of being taken to the underwater alien city and simply let go, Bud is now shown scenes from the television news going on above the surface. Due to the destruction mankind wreaks on each other the aliens have decided enough is enough and mile high tidal waves approach the shores of countries around the world. These sequences;by Industrial Light and Magic are very impressive and apparently cost a significant amount of the films effects budget. The aliens then change their mind after witnessing Bud's self sacrifice of defusing the nuke that was sent down to them and the waves recede.

The Verdict: Its hard to say why this was cut, but no doubt a 171 minute film was a much harder sell in 1989 way before the block-busting Titanic. Overall this is the version that should have been released as it makes a good film an excellent one. Sadly this is still overlooked in sci-fi circles and is the least regarded in Cameron's filmography (Apart from Piranha 2: Flying Killers).

*Currently available on region 1&2 in a nice two disc package with great extras.

3. Leon: The Professional – Deluxe Edition (Original Cut: 1994, deluxe edition released:2005)

The Film: Released as The Professional in the US and Leon in the UK this is Luc Besson's tale of a lonely Italian hitman that he made after The Big Blue and before The Fifth Element. This was his first film made in English.  Jean Reno plays Leon the titular cleaner who takes in Natalie Portman's troubled Matilda, a twelve year old girl who's family have just been brutally slaughtered by corrupt DEA agents. This didn?t make much of a dent in the box office when released in 1994 but has since like The Shawshank Redemption, found its audience on video and cable. It is now highly regarded and makes many peoples top ten lists. Its actually currently number 40 on the IMDB top 250 of all time. Its Natalie Portman's first film and she puts in one of the great child performances of all time.

The Differences: There is an extra 20 minutes or so of footage added to this version. Most of this is relationship stuff between Leon and Matilda. You can see why some of this was trimmed for the international release. Some of it strays very close to the line and there were some concerns at the time of the original release about the nature of their relationship. There is extra footage of Leon training Matilda to be a killer as well. One scene where Leon instructs Matilda whilst casually killing a drug-dealer is especially good.

The Verdict: This is an awesome film and still Luc Besson?s best , Jean Reno's best role and Gary Oldman?s most crazy performance . The extra relationship stuff makes the eventual ending much more profound and the extra scenes of training make the scene where Matilda goes to take out Agent Stansfield make more sense. The extra footage never makes the film feel slow and seems to slot back in perfectly. This is an excellent film elevated to a masterpiece.

*Currently available on Region 1 DVD as a two disc set with some extras although not many.

4. Kingdom of Heaven- The Directors Cut  (Original Cut:2005, Directors Cut released: 2006)

The Film: Ridley Scott's unfairly overlooked crusades epic didn?t live up to box-office expectations back in 2005. People were expecting another Gladiator and what they got was an interesting film about religion with a half decent battle scene in the last twenty minutes. There were also a lot of complaints about Orlando Bloom not being man enough to pull of the lead character. When watching the film, although the cut released theatrically is pretty good, it doesn?t feel as if it flows properly and some moments do not make sense.
The film concerns the haunted blacksmith Balian?s journey to Jerusalem with his long lost father Godfrey, a knight of the crusades. Balian is looking for answers and forgiveness in the holy land. He instead finds and uneasy truce between the Arabs lead by Saladin and Jerusalem ruled by the Christians and their Leper King Baldwin.

The Differences: A whopping 45 minutes or so was put back in for the directors cut and its by far the superior version.  There are major characters and motivations placed back in the film like the revelation that Balian has a brother who is seen in the original cut as the priest he kills before setting off for Jerusalem. Also it is revealed that Princess Sybylla has a son who is
crowned King when her brother succumbs to leprosy. She discovers he has inherited the disease and performs a mercy killing which leads to her subsequent breakdown and the evil Guy de Lesignon taking the throne. The battle scene lasts much longer and the film is bloodier than before. Balian and Guy De Lesignon have a sword duel after Jerusalem has fallen which was something that was left unresolved in the original cut. We also get to spend more time with the brilliant supporting cast like Liam Neeson, David Thewlis and Jeremy Irons.

The Verdict:  Its hard to believe that in these days where even Pirates of the Caribbean films clock In at three hours that this version wasn?t released in cinemas. Its by far the superior version and had it been released then the film would have got the recognition it deserved.The extra events in the build up to the finale actually serve to make Orlando Bloom's delivery of the
much derided ?Rise a Knight? speech much better than it was in the previous cut. Again this version elevates a four star movie to a five star one.

*Currently available as a four disc set crammed with extras on both Region 1 & 2.

5. Daredevil- The Directors Cut (Original Cut: 2003, Directors Cut released: 2004)

The Film:  This was the comic based film Ben Affleck did when he seemed to have a film out every week and the whole J-Lo fiasco was in full swing. Based on the Marvel comics blind lawyer by day/masked vigilante by night long running series, like The Hulk this was unfairly derided on release. The film had 30 minutes trimmed prior to release and was cut so that it focused more on the relationship between Elektra and Matt Murdock. The film is stylishly directed and has some good turns by supporting players Colin Farrell (playing the villain Bullseye) and Jon Favreau (playing Matt's partner in the courtroom Foggy Nelson). The film led to the Evanescence song 'Bring me to life' being exhausted by commercial radio and actually made a not too shabby 102 million at the box-office. A sequel has never sadly materialized, with Ben Affleck actually expressing disdain for the film in interviews. Mark Steven Johnson went on to direct this years Ghost Rider which sadly didn't live up to the promise shown here. The story is based on an arc from Frank Miller's stint writing the comic during the 1980's.

The Differences: The Violence! oh the Violence! This version is much more brutal than the theatrical cut. A scene where Daredevil beats a scumbag almost to death while a scared kid looks on is especially strong for a comic book movie. They cut out the ridiculous love scene from the original cut and instead Matt Murdock leaves Elektra on the roof to go an save someone. There is also an entire subplot about a framed man (played by Coolio) being defended by Murdock and Nelson for murder. The real culprit leading back to the Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan). There are also some cool moments with Bullseye, the assassin sent to kill Daredevil.

The Verdict: A good movie stays just as good with the differences adding to the characters and deepening the concept of a Kingpin controlling all the crime in New York City. Fans are much more pleased with this version of the film which feels more of an action film than the previous romance with costumes version.

* Currently available on Region 1 & 2 with a featurette on the changes to this version and not much else.

6. Donnie Darko - The Directors Cut (Original Cut: 2001, Directors Cut released:2004)

The Film: Richard Kelly's cult masterpiece didn't make much of an impact in the US when it was released shortly after September 11th 2001. The film was released in the UK a year later and became a word of mouth cult hit. Strong DVD sales even lead to the song from the film Gary Jules cover of Mad World, becoming Christmas number one in the UK! Everyone has their own interpretation of what this film is about. Super-hero story, Christ allegory or political satire, the list goes on. This is why its one of the biggest cult films of the decade thus far and number 112 in IMDB's top 250 of all time. Richard Kelly went on to direct the still unreleased Southland Tales and wrote the screenplay for Tony Scott's Domino. Due to the success of the DVD in 2004 Kelly was given the chance to go back and make some minor changes he wanted to make prior to the films release but ran out of time and money.

The Differences: There isn't a lot of change here. The special effects look much better and they have added some pages from The Philosophy of Time Travel book at certain moments which go some way to clarifying the plot. The sound effects have been greatly improved and you will notice this especially if you have a decent home cinema set up. One of the major differences is that the film opens with 'Never tear us apart' by INXS, over the scenes of Donnie riding home as opposed to 'The Killing Moon' by Echo and the bunnymen, which has been moved to later in the film. Kelly choreographed the bike scene with the INXS song in mind so fair-enough.

The Verdict: More interesting as an 'Alternate Version' rather than any kind of definitive version. The pages from The Philosophy of Time Travel inserts do explain what's going on a bit too much which detracts from the dreamy atmosphere of the original cut and why everyone loved it in the first place. If you are a fan of the film then you aren't going to hate it. The songs that are swapped around actually work better when viewed with the images and the sound on the DVD is incredible. If you have a decent sound system then crank it up at the first scene when Donnie wakes up in the hills to see what I mean.

*Currently available on Region 1 and 2 with a decent set of extras and a great commentary with Richard Kelly and Kevin Smith.

7. Payback – Straight Up (Original Cut:1999, Directors Cut released: 2007)

The Film: Before all the anti-semitism and Aramaic language torture fests, Mel Gibson starred as Porter in an adaptation of the Donald Westlake novel The Hunter. This was previously also filmed as Point Blank with Lee Marvin in the Porter role and John Boorman directing. Screenwriter Brian Helgeland made his directorial debut with this and intended it to be a gritty little noir flick that pulled no punches. The Internet reported that he had done just that in 1998 and test screening reports went well. Then the studio decided they didn't want to release a film which cast nice guy Mel as a viscous amoral killer and had no explosions. They tried to convince Helgeland to re-shoot some scenes, particularly the finale so that the film would appeal more to a mass audience. Helgeland refused and Gibson finished the film himself with the studio's backing. Eventually it was released in 1999 and made 81 million at the box-office which was low for a Mel Gibson film at the time. Helgeland's version was finally brought to DVD earlier this year.

The Differences: This feels like a completely different film. In the 1999 version we had Mel Gibson being bad-ass because he smoked and shot some criminals. There was also a completely different last 30 minutes where there was a kidnap of a big-boss character played by Kris Kristofferson. There was also a happy ending following a huge explosion and a dog that was shot was later seen alive. In the Straight Up version the dog dies, Porter beats up his junkie wife who double crossed him, he kills in cold-blood someone who insults Maria Bello's character and the film ends with a shoot out at a train station. There is no Kris Kristofferson as a big boss character, he is replaced by an female voice on an intercom. There is hardly any music score and what there is is completely different from the re-jigged cut. The ending is also much more ambiguous, Porter is shot and may live or may not as he is driven away.

The Verdict: This is a great little hard-boiled noir flick that now feels low-budget and gritty as intended. Its the kind of film that was made so well in the seventies that you just don't see nowadays. Its a timely reminder of how cool Mel Gibson was before his fall from grace. You can see why the studio reacted the way they did but they should really learn to trust in the audience to make up its own mind.

*Currently available on Region 1 only with some good extras

8. Army of Darkness – The Directors Cut (Original Cut: 1993, Directors Cut: 2002)

The Film: The Evil Dead films are a HUGE cult and Bruce Campbell is an actor beloved by geek's worldwide. After the medieval cliffhanger ending of Evil Dead 2, Sam Raimi was given a budget of 10 million and the backing of a major studio to come up with the third film following the hapless Ash and his battles with the evil dead. This led to this movie which tones down the gore of the first two and increases the slap-stick elements of the second film. During Post-Production Universal kept trying to get Raimi to trim the running time before release leading to an excised 15 minutes and a different ending from the cut screened at festivals. Army of Darkness didn't fare too well in cinemas and barely made back its budget. The film went on to become a huge hit on video though and has a large army of fans.

The Differences: It is small but significant.There are some more slapstick comedy moments when little versions of Ash run amok in the abandoned windmill and there is some more violence during the battle scene at the end. The biggest difference is the ending though when Ash accidentally takes six drops of a potion instead of five. In the theatrical cut, it cuts to Ash at his job in the S-mart where a deadite attacks a woman and Ash takes it out using a shotgun. In the directors cut Ash wakes up in a ruined devastated London as he has slept too long.

The Verdict: The film is a tiny bit of a letdown after the masterpiece that was Evil Dead 2 but its still glorious entertainment. Its hard to say which version is better especially considering the shoddy quality of the extra scenes on the DVD. It suddenly cuts from the pristine DVD quality to what looks like a worn out VHS. The alternate endings also each have merit. The apocalypse ending is intriguing and sets it up nicely for a fourth but the S-Mart ending is snappier and feel-good and could also lead into a fourth movie. Ultimately if you could get a good quality version with the extra bits put back in and the S-Mart ending then you would have a great version of this cult classic.

*Currently available on Region 1 and 2 with a decent amount of extras and both cuts included.