Most films don't have one single cut. There is the theatrical release, which is okayed by the studio and mass released in theaters. Then, there's the director's cut or extended version, which plays much more into what the director of the film wanted the film to be. Sometimes, the director's version can completely change how a movie is received by the public and can become way more popular than what the original release ever was. Some director's cuts are released decades after the original!
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
We all know that Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings is basically the equivalent of an entire anthology series told in just three movies. Jackson had to keep the first two films under three hours for the theatrical release (which was hard for him). He was lucky that the films were met with such fanfare that he was able to release director cut's where he was able to really tell the story that he wanted to.
The theatrical release was 179 minutes (two hours and 59 minutes, so he did meet the "under three hours" criteria!"). The extended release was 223 minutes, which is 3 hours and 43 minutes. Between the three movies, the extended version of each film adds a total of two hours and five minutes to the entire story. That's basically a whole other movie!
Superman II
There was quite a bit of controversy around the Superman films of this era. Director Richard Donner wasn't getting along with the producers of Superman II so they fired him and hired Richard Lester. Cast members refused to return to set in solidarity with Donner (including Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando) and did not do the reshoots that Lester wanted.
In 2006, Donner's footage was reworked thanks to editor Michael Thau and included scenes with Marlon Brando, a totally different opening, and even the explanation of how Superman got his powers back.
Kingdom of Heaven
20th Century Fox definitely messed up on this one. Ridley Scott was forced to chop 50 minutes out of Kingdom of Heaven which left out some key elements of which the studio thought didn't matter. The result was a lackluster crusade epic that did not receive the reviews that 20th Century Fox thought it would get.
Ridley Scott supervised a director's cut which restored the eliminated elements. Fans and critics applauded this version of the film, which was released much too late to be in the running for an Oscar. If you're going to watch this film, make sure it's the director's cut.
Once Upon a Time in America
Once Upon a Time in America was released in its entirety at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. The Ladd Company decided to cut the 269-minute film down to 139. Critics were put off and fans were angered by the studio's decision. A 226-minute version of the film was brought to VHS in 1991, but that obviously was still missing 40 minutes of showtime.
The full European Cut was available in the U.S. in 2003. An extended director's cut has been released since and stands at a runtime of 251 minutes. Still, the official version has not been fully released.
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
This film is the final, original cut of the Kill Bill series. Quentin Tarantino screened this version in 2011. This film merged Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 together to create a masterpiece of storytelling.
We see much more of The Bride and her rampage. The main difference is the pacing of the film, as it's basically the same footage from the first two movies cut together to create one long story. Folks seem to like it better.
Metropolis
Metropolis was first debuted in 1927 and has been cut and recut over time. The original film was 153 minutes but was cut down to 107 in the U.S. and 128 minutes in the U.K. Then, the '80s got a hold of it and trimmed it down to 83 minutes but fitted with songs by David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, and Pat Benatar.
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It was then "restored" in 2001 to 124 minutes. In 2008, a damaged print of the original cut was found in Argentina. It was difficult, but crews were able to restore it to 150 minutes. The other 3 minutes have been lost to time.
Brazil
When director Terry Gilliam sent his cut of Brazil to Universal Pictures, exec Sid Sheinberg wasn't a fan of the ending and wanted to give it a "happy one." Gilliam then went on a tirade by taking out a full-page ad in Daily Variety asking Sheinberg when the studio will release the movie. He also went on Good Morning America and called him out during an interview.
Sheinberg finally caved but denied the film a wide theatrical release. The dystopian and uncomfortable ending stayed the same, but the 93-minute cut of the film can be found elsewhere. Naturally, it's not a fan favorite.
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko tends to feel very confusing for first-time audiences. In order to keep the running time under two hours for the theatrical release, director Richard Kelly had to cut down on some scenes that probably would have helped folks understand things a little better.
For one, we learn that the pills Donnie's doctor was giving him were actually placebos and that his teacher was teaching them "Watership Down" which tends to be considered a controversial and violent book. If you found yourself confused by the end of the film, the director's cut might help.
Touch of Evil
Orson Welles is a well-known name in the film industry, but even he didn't have the pull to avoid getting his film time cut. Touch of Evil was reshot and cut without his approval but was still 93 minutes long.
Forty years later, Walter Murch and a restoration team went ahead and recut the film to what Welle's wanted (based on a 58-page memo that he wrote to Universal Pictures). It's a totally different film!
Apocalypse Now Redux
Apparently, Francis Ford Coppola was very indecisive when it came to Apocolypse Now. There were so many cuts of the film that he didn't feel comfortable with. Eventually, they went with one cut that made it to the theatrical release.
Still, Coppola wasn't a fan. In 2001, he partnered with Walter Murch and Vittorio Storaro to restore the film with Apocolypse Now Redux. This cut completely changed the film and how the audience viewed it. It was met with a lot of fanfare!
The Shining
Did you know that the original theatrical release of The Shining included an extra two minutes in the end? This ending features an on-the-nose reveal of the whereabouts of Jack Torrence's body. For some reason, Stanley Kubrick yanked every existing print of the film from theaters and cut the last two minutes. He was not a fan of how obvious it was. This version is the one we all know and love!
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The theatrical cut of Picnic at Hanging Rock wasn't too far off from Peter Weir's own personal cut. After the theatrical release, he decided to shave off seven minutes. Viewers find this cut a little more eerie and confusing, which fits the vibe.
Bad Santa
If you thought the theatrical release of Bad Santa was controversial, then you don't want to see the director's cut. Terry Zwigoff made such a shocking movie that the producers brought in another director to reshoot some scenes to make it a little friendlier. The true director's cut is void of the reshoots but still didn't add Zwigoff's older scenes that made everyone uncomfortable.
Death Proof
The 2007 film Grindhouse was actually two Tarantino films put together. Death Proof and Planet Terror were billed together as one for convenience sake (which is why Grindhouse is over three hours long). After the theatrical release, Tarantino was able to split the films to have their own time to shine, and fans seem to like that concept much more.
Almost Famous
The theatrical release of Almost Famous cut out a lot about the young protagonists' home life and upbringing. Unfortunately, this cut broke the emotional connection between the audience and the main character. The director's cut shows the audience exactly how this young minor fell into this rock and roll world of music journalism.
Fanny and Alexander
Ingmar Bergman won his third Academy Award for Best Foreign Film thanks to Fanny and Alexander. The theatrical release ran for 188 minutes and was deemed perfectly paced by critics and viewers. The full cut is a shocking 312 minutes (over five hours!). This was originally going to be a TV show but made for a better movie. Critics, who could hang for the five hours, adored the director's cut.
Suspiria
Suspiria did just all right in its theatrical release. The MPAA cut 8 minutes of the film so it could rush the release. Because of that, it was "just all right" for most viewers. You wouldn't think that 8 minutes could change so much, but it does!
Blade Runner
A lot of changes happened with Blade Runner. The extended version was restored in 2007 (along with some major CGI clean-up). The voice-overs from Harrison Ford and the "happy ending" that was actually footage from The Shining that had been eliminated in the previous cut.
Ali
Critics can agree that Michael Mann cut way too much out for the theatrical release of Ali. He added a lot of the story back in for the DVD director's cut in 2002. This version of the film has a lot more heart.
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch is a classic western that totally captured audiences, even with its 135-minute release. The 145-minute cut actually has some extremely important storytelling components, including the death of a lover which incited a character's bloodlust. When that cut was submitted to the MPAA for the 25th-anniversary re-release, it was rated NC-17.
The Big Red One
This film is a semi-autobiographical depiction of Samuel Fuller's service during WWII. Fuller's original cut was 113 minutes long and didn't play into the emotion that was felt during the war. The 160-minute cut premiered at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and garnered a completely different reaction from viewers. They were obsessed, moved, and saw it as revolutionary. Sadly, Fuller had passed away long before his final cut of the film was ever released.
Alien 3
The original film was directed by David Fincher, but he had no say in what went into the "Assembly Cut." The plotlines were totally revised and restored. Apparently, the new cut made this film feel like its own instead of a petty cash grab to continue prospering from the Alien franchise.
Aliens
Aliens went through a bunch of changes as legendary movies do. There were theatrical releases, made-for-TV releases, and the directors cut. The 1991 Special Edition Laserdisc put this film back to its original format of blood and gore. All extended scenes were included. James Cameron has said that this is the movie to watch.
Justice League
Zack Snyder has once again returned with another insane superhuman movie. The original Justice League was released in 2017. The director's cut was finally released in 2021 and introduced new characters, new locations, and new plot points.
Watchmen
Zack Snyder's Watchmen was a crowd favorite for sure, but the director's cut was even wilder. Some have said that the Watchmen ultimate cut is for die-hard fans who can really hang through the windy storyline. The story is much slower but there's a lot more going on. If you liked the story, you might like this.
I Am Legend
The director's cut of I Am Legend actually changed the entire ending of the film. Spoilers ahead! The theatrical cut has Will Smith's character sacrificing himself. The director's cut shows us that the mutants of the I Am Legend world have formed their own society and believe that Smith's character is actually a legendary monster. Those are very different things!
Little Shop of Horrors
This story was originally a play that became a hit movie. The theatrical cut of this film has a happy Hollywood ending. Director Frank Oz actually prefers a darker tone to his storytelling (obviously) and his rendition of the film is a bit... wild. Let's just say you see much more of the giant Audrey II puppet.
Das Boot
The original Das Boot was released in 1981 by Wolfgang Petersen, who hadn't yet reached his peak fame. That release had a run-time of 149 minutes. It was then made into 6 episodes like a TV series that aired on BBC Two in 1984. Petersen then dropped the 208-minute Directors Cut in 2009.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
The director's cut of this film is better known as the Rogue Cut. This is because Rogue, Anna Paquin's character, had her entire storyline cut from the theatrical release. Despite being a fan favorite, Rogue got the short end of the stick when cuts came into play. Technically, Rogue's character arc doesn't have a huge impact on the overall story, but fans still wanted to see her shine. The added storyline adds more dimension to the film for sure.
Doctor Sleep
Mike Flanagan directed Steven King's The Shining sequel of Doctor Sleep. The theatrical release runs for 152 minutes, but the directors cut runs for 180 minutes. The added story revolves around key parts of character relationships and developments. The director's cut is best suited for The Shining and Stephen King super fans.
The Abyss
The studio needed this James Cameron flick to be more digestible for a commercial release so he had to cut it down. Despite all of the hard and dangerous work that his crew had to do (ask anyone, this was a nightmare set to be on) he still had to make some drastic cuts for the film. The director's cut includes a different ending and more focus on the relationship between characters. It runs for 171 minutes compared to the 145 minutes of the theatrical release.
Leon
Leon was directed by Luc Besson and released in 1994. The theatrical release was not what Besson wanted, but his true version did not test well with American audiences. He went and released the extended version in 1996 which was then released on DVD years later. The director's cut explores more character arcs and relationships.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
If you thought this film had plot holes, you probably only saw the theatrical release. The director's cut added a half-hour of film to help the storyline blossom into what it should have been! We learn more about Lex Luthor's plots and motivations and more about the conflict between Clark Kent and Batman.
My Brother's Wedding
Charles Burnett's film My Brother's Wedding suffered from a rushed studio that cut off his polishing process way too early. They forced him to release a 115-minute "rough cut" at a New York Film Festival, which sabotaged any buyers wanting a part of the film. Burnett released his own cut in 2007 which shaved off 30 minutes of the 1983 cut.
The Devils
Ken Russell's The Devils was a shocking horror film based on a true tale from the 1600s. There was enough blood, demonic possessions, and blasphemous iconography that caused the studios to cut down a good chunk of it in order to even be released. The U.K. version lost six minutes while the U.S. version lost 10. In 2002, UK film critic Mark Kermode restored the full, true version of Russell's vision.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Steven Spielberg and editor Michael Kahn butted heads in terms of what the final cut of Close Encounters of the Third Kind should be. Most viewers would agree that the end-product is a bit lackluster and on the nose. Spielberg reissued his own director's cut in 1998 which combined Spielberg's favorite parts of the original 1977 release and the studio-issued 1980 rerelease, which showed viewers the inside of the spaceship. "I should have never known the inside of the mothership," Spielberg admitted.
A Star Is Born
After the opening night of A Star Is Born in 1952, Warner Bros. took it out of theaters and cut out 30 minutes of it before sending it back a week later. Director George Cukor's version of the film lost two musical numbers and key scenes between the two main characters. The original director's cut was restored in 1983, but George Cukor passed away the night before it was released.
Ishtar
This action-comedy stars Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman. It struggled with the bad press before it was even released to movie reviewers and audiences were influenced to dislike it. Director Elaine May was put in a difficult position where she had to work with a studio that was rushing through the process. In 2013, she released her own director's cut which was only two minutes shorter than the 1987 release but more intact.
13 Assassins
Director Takashi Miike is known for his action-packed, fast-paced films and style of work. The theatrical version of 13 Assassins was more of a slapstick comedy. His director's cut, released a year later, packs the action and gory scenes right back in with an additional 16 minutes of butt-kicking.
The New World
Terrence Malick is known for revisiting his films to cut them up. He tinkered with The New World for three releases which all ended up longer than the previous one. Practice makes perfect, right?
The Cotton Club
Francis Ford Coppola wanted to tell the story between Black and white performers who both performed in a Harlem nightclub. He faced pushback from his investors and was forced to cut out a good chunk of what he felt were important parts of the story. This was all in 1984. In 2017, he ended up rewatching a beta version of the film that he had kept on an old tape and realized that he had royally messed up his own film. He invested $500,000 in reissuing the film into a director's cut, which quickly brought the movie into higher ranks.
JFK
The movie about John F. Kennedy's assassination was a whopping three hours long, but director Oliver Stone thought that wasn't long enough. Shockingly enough, he was right! You can barely find the theatrical release of this film anymore. Anything that was created to be sold as home movies was in favor of Stone's long directors cut.
Betty Blue
This French movie is an American favorite for sure, but the director's cut is truly magic. The original theatrical release was around two hours long and the director's cut added on another hour of footage. This cut explored intense relationships and created even more drama than audiences could cling to.
Blood Simple
The director's cut of this film isn't terribly different from what was initially released to the public, but it's different enough to notice! For one, they originally played The Four Tops "It's the Same Old Song" instead of Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer" cover. Also, the character Meurice was almost totally eliminated from the film after the cut.
Ride with the Devil
Folks were a bit confused at Ang Lee's Civil War film. Viewers felt like they were rooting for the bad guy (literally, because it's historical) and felt confused at what the point really was. Lee and screenwriter James Schamus decided to explore these feelings with their cut and expanded on a specific story arc that was overlooked by the theatrical release.
Casualties of War
This film is about a group of GI's who kidnap a young woman while on duty in Vietnam. It was a little too realistic and many studios ended up dropping the whole thing. Audiences have seen the director's cut, which actually works better in a post-Iraq war world.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
Fun fact: director Sam Peckinpah was not a fan of Bob Dylan as the outlaw of his film. Critics also called the film a misfire until the 122-minute directors cut was released to home video in 1988. The full film actually changed the minds of many critics who were happy with the home-video version of the story.
The Counselor
The Counselor is an unlikely contender for a popular movie since mainstream audiences never really took to it. The basic plot is that a cartel lawyer gets caught up in drug trafficking which changes the lawyer's life and the life of his lover. The 117-minute theatrical release did what it was supposed to do: tell the story. The director's cut is 20 minutes longer and delves into a devastating scene between the lawyer and the cartel kingpin. It completely changes the mood and reception of the rest of the story.
Heaven's Gate
It's very possible that Heaven's Gate flopped so hard because the theatrical release just didn't hold up to the director's cut. The 149-theatrical cut doesn't stand a chance against the 219-minute director's cut that was released in 2012. The story itself follows the Johnson County War.
Major Dundee
The 2005 cut of Sam Peckinpah's Major Dundee completely changed just how disastrous the first cut was. Viewers of the 1960s will forever view it as a total fail, while viewers of the 2000s would see it differently. The 2005 restoration adds in a little more bloodshed and a little more "reason" for the toxic men to be acting as they did.