Theatrical Cuts v/ Alternate Cuts -- The Big 'Uns

[The Miles Trahan Burger Experiment]

[19:11] <TheDarkShake> donnie darko still holds up pretty well
[19:11] <TheDarkShake> even if its blown waaaay out of porportion by the emo fegs these days
[19:12] <Spencer> I never saw the directors cut
[19:12] <TheDarkShake> i own the directors cut
[19:12] <TheDarkShake> i cant decide which version i prefer, though
[19:12] <Spencer> was it much better/different than the theatrical?
[19:13] <TheDarkShake> the TC is much tighter, but the DC feels more "complete" :/
[19:13] <TheDarkShake> DC: music cues changed, title cards showing passages from the book donnie is given, etc
[19:14] <TheDarkShake> also it adds some deleted scenes which pretty much explain the story
[19:16] <TheDarkShake> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/alternateversions

Now, I know I'm in the minority of liking the DC of Donnie Darko on equal ground as the original, but I wanna know: what Director's/Extended/Unrated/etc. cuts do you really prefer to the original film?

EDIT -- Also, I've never gotten the hate for the Blade Runner DC. I happen to like the cutting of the vioce over, and the exclusion of the sappy ending.

[The Miles Trahan Burger Experiment]

Everyone seemed to hate the unrated version of 40 year old virgin but I liked it 

I appreciated the added jokes, but imo they kinda throw off the already sloppy pacing of the TC. That's one of the many cases where the scenes would have been better just being in the deleted scenes section of the DVD. :/

[Phoenix Dark]

OMG I want to see Donnie Darko so bad. Which cut should I rent? And if I can't find the right one, should I avoid the other at all costs (like Kingdom of Heaven lol)?

[The Miles Trahan Burger Experiment]

OMG I want to see Donnie Darko so bad. Which cut should I rent? And if I can't find the right one, should I avoid the other at all costs (like Kingdom of Heaven lol)?

No, both cuts are great imo. But for a first time viewing, you definitely want to go with the TC.

Myself, I first watched the DC the day it came out on DVD, which may add to my love of that particular cut. Watching the TC these days makes me feel like I'm losing so much information. But definitely watch the TC, then the DC to get the full experience.

[etiolate]

The theatrical cut of Donnie Darko is actually better than the director's cut.  The director actuallly screws up his own movie and changes some of the classic music parts.  I think he changes the opening music, which is a real travesty.  Maybe I'm remembering that bit wrong though.

[AdmiralViscen]

Fuck Donnie Darko

[Solo]

I'm of the opinion that 95% of the time the theatrical cut is the way to go. Unless the studio horribly butchered the picture, ala many Ridley Scott films, the theatrical cut usually is what the director wanted. Too many "director's cuts" are just cash-ins with the director slapping all the deleted scenes back in. Deleted scenes are usually cut for a reason though.

- Donnie Darko is mediocre anyways, but for the love of god, at least watch the TC. The DC is like Donnie Darko For Dummies.
- Blade Runner DC is the only way to go. As I said, Ridley tends to be a major exception. If he's got a DC of a film, thats the one to go for. See also KoH.
- Apocalypse Now, again, stick with the TC. Redux adds an hour of superfluous shit.
- etc.

[Cheebs]

My opinion on the ones I know well

Ridley Scott:
Legend - DC is WAAAY better. Threatical cut was corny nonsense
Blade Runer - I never seen the TC. 
Gladiator - Eh, about the same
Kingdom of Heaven - I don't think anything needs to be said.

LOTR:
FOTR - I like the EE more
TTT - I honestly don't feel strong either way for this one
ROTK - EE easily, if just for Christopher Lee


Brazil - By far the DC is the way to go

Apocalypse Now - I like the DC but I understand the problems with it over the theatrical

Star Wars:
ANH - Threatical cut, the DVD/SE cut has too much cgi nonsense on tatooine
ESB - DVD cut, just because Ian Mcdiarmid replacing monkey lady palpatine is worth it
ROTJ - Tough one, cgi nonsense in Jabba's palace but the ending montage is SO much better. Eh a tie

[Solo]

I am a huge fan of Tolkien's books, and somewhat of a fan of PJ's films (thought FOTR was a masterpiece, while the other two paled in comparison), yet I prefer the TC of ALL 3 films, despite the EE's putting in more Tolkien stuff. The EE's are better in that they are truer LOTR adaptations, but I don't find any of them to be better films.

[The Miles Trahan Burger Experiment]

LotR EEs are too long for their own good.

[Phoenix Dark]

Fuck I still haven't seen the EEs. I've seen the TC's of all three movies scores of times, and I when our theater at school showed all three movies BACK TO BACK TO BACK I but coked up on Gatarade to see it.

I'm gonna buy all three within the next couple months

[Solo]

Indeed. And the added scenes, which are cool nods to the books, really don't add anything. In fact, after seeing the final product in the ROTK: EE, they made the right call to cut Saruman's stuff.

[The Miles Trahan Burger Experiment]

For all the hate Star Wars gets on this forum, its still an infinitely more entertaining series than LotR.

The OT, of course.

[Phoenix Dark]

Indeed. And the added scenes, which are cool nods to the books, really don't add anything. In fact, after seeing the final product in the ROTK: EE, they made the right call to cut Saruman's stuff.

I've seen some of the Saruman scenes and I'd agree about cutting that; one of the better editing choices Jackson made. Apparently Christopher Lee was pissed about it.

From what I understand a lot of the new scenes just pay service to the fans, which is why I like Jackson. But at the same time it's not hard to see why FOTR didn't need to show all the different gifts that were given to the nine individually for instance

[Solo]

For all the hate Star Wars gets on this forum, its still an infinitely more entertaining series than LotR.

The OT, of course.

Disagree total. I NEVER got caught up in the Star Wars craze, or frankly, never understood it. I was always more into Indiana Jones, but even then, it was never an obsession.

As far as big budget trilogies go, LOTR is tops for me. The key word being big budget. As far as trilogies period are concerned, for me its:

3. Trois Coleurs Trilogy
2. The Vengeance Trilogy
1. The Dollars/Man With No Name Trilogy

[Solo]

I still think one of the most boneheaded things PJ ever did was to not use Viggo's speech from the ROTK trailer. I actually got chills from that trailer and the awesome speech, only to see the film and have PJ go with a different take, one in which Viggo displayed no emotion and read his lines incredibly blandly.

[The Miles Trahan Burger Experiment]

The Vengeance Trilogy and the Dollars Trilogy are definitely my faves as well, but I personally never got into the LotR craze. In my honest opinion, I just don't feel entertained by them.

[Phoenix Dark]

I still think one of the most boneheaded things PJ ever did was to not use Viggo's speech from the ROTK trailer. I actually got chills from that trailer and the awesome speech, only to see the film and have PJ go with a different take, one in which Viggo displayed no emotion and read his lines incredibly blandly.

True. The delivery is VERY different. When he says "I see in your eyes..." I kinda groan. It's a nice speech and all (not nearly as good as Theodan's) but should have been better.

[Cheebs]

I am shocked I haven't been eaten alive for preferring the DVD cut of Empire Strikes Back.

Though it is the only one without added cgi characters I believe.

[Solo]

I still think one of the most boneheaded things PJ ever did was to not use Viggo's speech from the ROTK trailer. I actually got chills from that trailer and the awesome speech, only to see the film and have PJ go with a different take, one in which Viggo displayed no emotion and read his lines incredibly blandly.

True. The delivery is VERY different. When he says "I see in your eyes..." I kinda groan. It's a nice speech and all (not nearly as good as Theodan's) but should have been better.

That's what Im saying. The take they used in the trailer WAS better than Theoden's. Instead PJ went with a gutwrenchingly awful one that was bested by pretty much every other "speech" in the trilogy.

[Cheebs]

I honestly don't remember what is different about the TC's and the EE's outside the very obvious things. They kind of morphed in my mind since I never saw the TC's again after seeing them in theaters.

[Solo]

They are the same as what your used to watching, minus anywheres from 30-50 of superfluous shit.