The Six Best Director’s Cuts of Films (and Five That Suck)
If you see Gladiator 2 in theaters this weekend, don’t fall too in love with it: as is usually the case with Ridley Scott films, we’ll have another version to look forward to when the sequel comes out digitally . The director certainly loves to experiment with his films, and has released post-theatrical “director’s cuts” for almost all of them.
Scott’s films often have expansive scope (and correspondingly high price tags), meaning he has to compromise his vision to boil it down to a reasonable running time for theatrical audiences, but he’s far from the only director to tinker with a film for months or months. even decades after the original release, the rise of the home video market has made director’s cuts almost mandatory for influential filmmakers (and studios probably don’t mind having something else to sell).
But while these improvements often improve the film for the better, many others have achieved the opposite. Here are six times it worked, and five times it would have been better to leave it alone.
Best: “Heaven’s Gate” (1980).
According to the documentary Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (streaming on Prime Video ), Michael Cimino’s controversial Johnson County War-inspired epic has introduced the concept of a director’s cut. Most movie buffs know that his troubled production, plagued by rumors of Cimino’s demanding behavior on set, earned such bad press that it was probably doomed even before United Artists, eager to do whatever it took to recoup its investment, released a truncated version. about what it considered a non-profit vanity project. Thanks to harsh reviews, Heaven’s Gate was a box office failure , ultimately leading to the studio’s bankruptcy.
A few years later, pay TV channel Z Channel aired a 219-minute version of Heaven’s Gate , prompting some critics to re-evaluate the much-maligned film. Cimino then released his definitive 216-minute director’s cut in 2012. While the final product is still overlong and certainly a bit indulgent, its visual style and measured pacing definitely plays better as it has more room to breathe. Heaven’s Gate is stunningly beautiful, even when the story gets dark and violent, and it certainly doesn’t deserve its initial toxic reputation (not that you can easily tell, since the theatrical cut isn’t available online). Stream or rent the Director’s Cut on Prime Video and watch it free with ads on Tubi and Pluto TV.
Best: Kingdom of Heaven (2005).
If Heaven’s Gate introduced the concept of a director’s cut, Ridley Scott popularized it. Eleven of his films, including Blade Runner (of which there are four versions!) and Gladiator , boast extra scenes, mostly for the better (there’s one exception below). And no Scott film benefited more from the retooling than his epic crusade Kingdom of Heaven . After poor test screenings, Scott succumbed to studio pressure to cut the cost of his expensive film, and critics and audiences were dissatisfied with the final product. When it came time to release it on DVD, Scott added nearly an hour of extra footage to what he called the “Roadshow Extended Cut”, making the action scenes bloodier and giving the characters more depth. The re-visited Kingdom of Heaven is a triumph of style and substance rarely seen in the modern Hollywood era. The theatrical version is on Prime Video, but it’s better to rent the Roadshow version on digital.
Worst: Mallrats (1995)
Kevin Smith has often publicly criticized his sophomore film, so I don’t mind saying that the extended cut of his slacker comedy is even worse than the theatrical version. This nearly two-hour version of ” Mall Rats” makes lovelorn best friends TC and Brody seem even more whiny and unlikable than in the unwieldy but fast-paced 95-minute version, with a bizarre murder subplot thrown in for good reason. Considering Smith isn’t a fan of his own film, there’s really no reason for this “bizarre” version of the film to exist. The theatrical cut can be rented digitally, but to watch the director’s cut you’ll need the 10th Anniversary DVD.
Best: The Abyss (1989)
The most underrated film in James Cameron’s filmography was actually released in theaters unfinished in 1989. Visual effects house Industrial Light and Magic was unable to complete some sequences before the release date, so Cameron had to cut a crucial scene involving an underwater alien race unleashing a human-wiping tidal wave across the planet. Following the success of Terminator 2: Judgment Day , 20th Century Fox offered Cameron’s production company a financing deal that included a provision for half a million dollars to complete the effects work on The Abyss . A new, much improved, nearly three-hour version of the film debuted in theaters in 1993 and was recently upgraded to 4K in 2023. Download the theatrical cut on Steam on Hulu and rent the director’s cut from Prime Video .
Worst: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Like James Cameron, Steven Spielberg took a few more months to complete the sci-fi sequel to Jaws . However, due to financial problems, Columbia Pictures asked to release the film earlier to help the studio stay afloat. Spielberg reluctantly agreed, but later asked permission to make a director’s cut after the blockbuster’s theatrical success. But the new ending included a glimpse inside the alien mothership, and while some critics appreciated the change, Spielberg later regretted it, feeling it took away from the mystique. The director eventually redeemed himself by releasing another version in 1998, removing the mothership scenes. All versions are available for digital rental.
Best: “Almost Famous/Untitled” (2000)
Cameron Crowe drew inspiration from his remarkable youth as a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine to create this rock ‘n’ roll road trip film, ultimately earning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Unfortunately, he only managed to fit a lot of funny and exciting episodes about the fictional band Stillwater into the two-hour film. He later added 39 minutes to a version he called “Untitled ” (called “The Bootleg Cut” on most streaming services) . Think of it as a deluxe version of your favorite album, with extended band performances and travelogues that give the characters extra depth. (My favorite extra is a scene in which Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass plays a stoned DJ who falls asleep during a radio interview with the band.) The theatrical version is available on MGM+, and both versions are available for digital rental.
Worst: Watchmen (2009)
If Ridley Scott popularized the concept of a director’s cut, Zack Snyder made it infamous (see his bloated versions of Justice League and Riot Moon or not). He began this process when, perhaps in an attempt to appease Alan Moore, the famously mercurial writer of the Watchmen source material, Snyder delivered the “Final Cut” of the subversive superhero film, incorporating elements of the animated adaptation of Tales of the Black Freighter. , a comic within a comic , and even more (unnecessary) scenes. Snyder doesn’t seem to realize that comics and movies are different mediums, and this bloated version of Watchmen is a real bore. The theatrical version is streaming on Max , and a longer version is available for digital rental.
Best: Until the End of the World (1991)
After Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire became international hits, director Wim Wenders poured all his creative capital into creating an epic about a globetrotting couple on the run from pursuers who want to steal their dream-recording device. while the Nuclear Satellite is about to fall to Earth. Wenders’ original running time was 20 hours, but he promised Warner Bros., which helped finance the film, a version with a more reasonable length. The two-and-a-half-hour theatrical version was a flop, but the soundtrack, which included songs by Talking Heads, Nick Cave and Elvis Costello, was a minor success. Fortunately, Wenders and his editor secretly made a five-hour version and began showing it, creating a stir. It’s improved greatly, but it’s difficult to watch a nearly 300-minute film in one sitting. I recommend watching it in two separate acts with an intermission at the two hour and eleven minute mark. You can rent the director’s cut on Prime Video or stream it on The Criterion Channel.
Worst: Napoleon (2023)
As noted, most of Ridley Scott’s director’s cuts change them for the better. While his version of the biopic about the conquests of the French emperor improves the film slightly (while extending it by over three and a half hours), primarily by giving Vanessa Kirby’s Josephine more screen time, it’s not enough to warrant a recommendation, I think, if only you want to hear about how a despot fell ill with hemorrhoids . Watch the Director’s Cut on Apple TV+.
Best: Dark City (1998)
How disappointed would you be if the entire concept of the film was explained to you in the first few minutes? That’s exactly what happens in the theatrical version of Alex Proyas’s noir/sci-fi mash-up, which makes his follow-up The Crow feel a little too predictable. Fortunately, Proyas’ version eliminates the spoiler-laden opening narration and adds additional footage, allowing his visually captivating story to unfold as he intended. The theatrical version is available on Plex and Kanopy. Both versions are available for digital rental.
Worst: Donnie Darko (2001)
Donnie Darko initially bombed in theaters but became a cult classic thanks to strong performance on DVD and cable, so a re-release seemed like a no-brainer. But director Richard Kelly’s additions overexplain his dense sci-fi mythology, turning what was an enticing head trip into something far less exciting. Instead of trying to attract more audiences to his time-travel masterpiece, Kelly merely composed a truly brilliant debut. The theatrical version can be viewed on Hulu , AMC+, Pluto TV and The Roku Channel. The director’s cut is available on Peacock and digital rentals.