MovieChat Forums > The Outsiders (1983) Discussion > The extended version of this movie is te...

The extended version of this movie is terrible


I am watching the version that has parts that were not in the DVD I have and this music in these scenes is very bad I feel like I should be watching a surfing movie. Has anyone else seen this version?

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Yea, it definitely doesnt fit the tone of greasers vs. soc's.

its more like surf ninjas vs. ninja turtles.

except this movie had no ninjas

Shame...

'IMDB message boards' = 'A hundred reasons why you're wrong'

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lol, yeah and even with the serious parts like when Darry pushed Ponyboy and Pony ran out of the house I couldn't help but laugh because of the music and when Pony and Johnny went into the burning church lol. I do like this movie a lot though so I will just stick with my DVD version. Even though I like all the scenes with the brothers.

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For me, it the music 100% that ruined this "new" version.

The added scenes are ok, but that damn surfer-type music..........SO WRONG.

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From your statement it sounds like you prefer "Lifetime" tv movies to real cinema. you still want to hear violins and pianos during dramatic scenes so you know when to feel "sad?" The characters in this film are supposed to be tough street punks, and that dramatic music did not fit this film at all; in fact it was it's biggest weakness, along with all those missing scenes that made it feel rushed and incomplete. This new version is actually Coppola's 'old' version, and it is superior. But it isn't surprising that people will prefer the version that they grew up with.

"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

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Real cinema uses music as supported for emotions. If you cant handle thos simple basics continue watching soap operas with your prefered audio stream from any music streaming service. But no ... this aint cinema in any way at all. What you will always stay is a content consumer.

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I'm not sure if we're watching the same movie or not. The music fits perfectly....as in, to a T. It's fifties and sixties music, like Elvis, which hello, King of Rock n Roll and pretty much the greaser music maker. Everything fits perfectly. Where are you getting the surfing theme from? Are you sure you don't have The Beach Boys playing while you're watching this movie?

J.Lennon G.Harrison R.Phoenix B.Renfro
The Beatles = Life


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This is a story about friendship and family. Not a music video!

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I like that version 100% times better, the original always felt so damn rushed at 91 minutes, nothing ever stayed with me long enough.

I really got a better sense of the story with the longer version.




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I like it but wish it didn't have the music is all. I enjoy the scenes with the brothers

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should have kept the original soundtrack...

I'm taking my talents to South Beach.

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I agree with SamandDeansgirl. The movie was set in the 50's/60's and rock and roll music was the big thing back then. It fits better into the movie than the original music.

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The original music is movie music. The new one is just some Top Ten music from the 50s. Like playing the Top Ten from 70s during the Godfather.

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Agree totally. This is the version Coppola wanted to make.

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those of you supporting the new soundtrack must be on crack. Are you seriously telling me that this music delivers the dramatic punch that scenes like the Rumble or Dally's death warrants? Church fire by Rock-A-Billy?

Not to mention the music overpowers any dialogue.

The added scenes were nice, but the soundtrack is just a turd on this gem of a film.

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Nah it's you that's on crack.The rockabilly instrumental music is totally on spot.Rockabilly/Link Wray music is the style of music that yesterday,and today greasers would have been listening to. Do some research pal before you spouting off on a message board ya square!

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Nah! Sounds like you're the one on crack. The new score is horrible and mutes a lot of the scenes. I prefer the original score 100% compared to the new garbage.

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I agree! The music is way TOO LOUD! It works thematically in some parts, but others it's just wrong. The church fire, and when Darrel hits Ponyboy come to mind.
I was watching this on my computer and I thought for sure some music was playing on another browser window like YouTube or something that I had forgotten about. It was so bad!
The worst parts:

On the lead-up to the rumble where Dallas comes running in and you can't even hear what he says. That was always a favorite part of mine when I was a kid.

Also, right after the rumble when Dallas and Ponyboy are driving in the car, it's an emotional part for Dallas, and you can barely hear what is happening. I miss the 80's version.

Basically everything that happened after the rumble was just awful.
I just kept saying...STOP playing this horrible music!

Freakin' surfer music! Who mixed this darn thing? I feel like the music editor just left Dick Dale's greatest hits playing, and Francis, if he was involved at all just said..."sure...why not."

I always loved the soundtrack when I was a kid too. I find it surprising that Carmine Coppola his own father would be replaced with this crap!

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I agree! The music is way TOO LOUD! It works thematically in some parts, but others it's just wrong. The church fire, and when Darrel hits Ponyboy come to mind.
I was watching this on my computer and I thought for sure some music was playing on another browser window like YouTube or something that I had forgotten about. It was so bad!
The worst parts:

On the lead-up to the rumble where Dallas comes running in and you can't even hear what he says. That was always a favorite part of mine when I was a kid.

Also, right after the rumble when Dallas and Ponyboy are driving in the car, it's an emotional part for Dallas, and you can barely hear what is happening. I miss the 80's version.

Basically everything that happened after the rumble was just awful.
I just kept saying...STOP playing this horrible music!

Freakin' surfer music! Who mixed this darn thing? I feel like the music editor just left Dick Dale's greatest hits playing, and Francis, if he was involved at all just said..."sure...why not."

I always loved the soundtrack when I was a kid too. I find it surprising that Carmine Coppola his own father would be replaced with this crap!

I'm glad the 80's version still exists. It was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid.

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I was actually waiting for this version for years. I once had a "TV version" which includes many deleted scenes. The theatrical version lacked a "Complete" feel to it. However, they really screwed up the new version with the use of surf rock replacing the original score. One scene which the music totally changes the impact of a scene was during Johnny's death. They actually put the up-tempo Surf music on during that emotional scene. Bad choice!

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I'm glad I am not the only one that thinks the music ruined the movie

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I hadn't seen The Outsiders in years, although I own the dvd. I picked up The Novel Edition at the library and thought that I had just forgotten what the music was!! I'm happy to know that they changed it and I wasn't just going crazy. It does fit the period better but I thought that it was inappropriate for parts like the church fire. All in all though, I real enjoyed seeing the extended version and all the parts that had been cut out of the original. I give it a solid 10!!!

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I don't care if the new music was accurate to what kids listened to during that time period. It may have fit in some scenes, but when Johnny kills the Soc? Or when Dally dies? Give me a break. No music would have been better than adding that rockabilly stuff to the scenes.

Hopefully the original cut with the Carmine Coppola score gets a blu-ray treatment. Or better yet, a deluxe edition with both cuts/ soundtracks.

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I once had a "TV version" which includes many deleted scenes.
Are you saying that there are three versions of this movie?





I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way

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I love the scenes in the extended movie, but i do agree with the music. It just takes out the emotion. Esp. Dallys death scene. The music in the original fit that so well...but in the complete novel version the music is just soo...ugh.

R.I.P Ryan Dunn. Our Random Hero will be sorely missed! <3

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Every single one of you missed the point. Thank goodness, I am here, to clear things up.

Coppola always wanted to use the 60s rock music to underscore the film. The studios didn't want that. This was the 80s and it was fantasy films and happy endings, saccharine themes and then the audience dreams. BUT Coppola wanted the film to have a gritty Scorsese" type feel to it. He had to give the original idea up for sake of the studios, just like he had to cut the film to a mere 91 minutes.

The reason for his choice of music, is to fit the greasers way of thinking. They weren't as emotional as the music may have portrayed. They were tough. When things get heated and it was time for a rumble, this music would seem to be a better fit for the character's emotions. I love the new take on the film. I DO love the original musical score, and even own the CD. Both versions are wonderful in there own right.

"All I want in life is a thirty share and a twenty rating."

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You're right that Coppola was going to use the 60's and 50's rock (rockabilly) music for this film, but as he says in the commentary he felt obligated to let his father provide the music for the film's underscore and soundtrack. While I agree that BOTH versions of the film are great, I think the new soundtrack is more authentic and fits the movie's theme much better than the first soundtrack did. Let's face it, 1960s greasers weren't listening to the kind of music the first version provided. They were listening to the kind of music the new version gives us - rock and roll and rockabilly.

Matt Dillion says in the commentary when they were shooting this film Coppola was playing Elvis Presley music on the set to put the actors into the right mood for the scenes they were doing. I think it's pretty obvious the new soundtrack is more in keeping with the original intent of the film.

I'm so glad Coppola revisited this film and gave it the kind of release it deserved. I love it!

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Thank you! Finally, someone else that sees it for the original intention it is!

"All I want in life is a thirty share and a twenty rating."

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Intentions or not, to put in "up beat" music of any kind during dramatic scenes is really painful to me, being a fan of the original. The new version is almost unwatchable.

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You only take it as "upbeat" This is the kind of tough music that the outsiders lived by. It is being true to them and no one else. I would think you'd appreciate it.

"All I want in life is a thirty share and a twenty rating."

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Intentions or not, to put in "up beat" music of any kind during dramatic scenes is really painful to me, being a fan of the original. The new version is almost unwatchable.


I completely agree with this. The Outsiders has been my all time favourite film since I was 12 years old.. (now 34) I played the new version to my niece who is 16 last night, forgetting it was the directors cut with new music. As a fan of the original film the new music ruins it for me. I do understand why FFC did it, but I don't understand why you would you fix something that isn't broken.. and therefore find him doing this as a very self indulgent move which is a shame.. The original soundtrack completely conveys the emotion needed which makes it perfect to me. Watching this last night I was very irritated every time the upbeat music started up where dramatic score, in my opinion should have been there instead. And as someone else has already pointed out, at a few moments in the film the music actually makes it hard to hear the dialogue...sometimes very important pieces of dialogue..
This is unforgivable of FFC to do this to my favourite film! I now want to buy the original back and never watch that version again. Although I do like that the cut on Ponyboy's neck is explained with the extra scenes etc.. the music is too much change to bear for me :( very disappointed.

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"At the banquet of intellectual stimulation, I am left famished..."

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I do understand why FFC did it, but I don't understand why you would you fix something that isn't broken.. and therefore find him doing this as a very self indulgent move which is a shame.
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Coppola had to adjust something that wasn't broken to begin with. The Complete Novel version is the more appropriate, original Coppola version and what he would have liked to have seen released. The studio pressed for changes, so a slightly different visual\aural tone was opted for, to give it a tighter, more nostalgic, old-fashioned feel. I loved the original 91min theatrical release, but it did feel too rushed and Carmine Coppola's score is a bit syrupy and manipulating. Even Francis had his reservations about it on the commentary. He even said that test reaction audiences were giggling at the scene with Ponyboy and Sodapop sharing a bed together and Soda comforting his younger brother Pony. It was too 'gay' for most of the herd to feel comfortable with.

I much prefer the guitar rift music played at the fountain scene where Johnny and Pony are attacked by the Socs and Johnny kills one of them. It gives the scene much more impact and realism. It also flows better with the screen events. The only thing that I am disappointed in, is the removal of the original opening credit sequence with the gold lettering that is enlarged to show us the cast. Again though, that got changed in keeping with the slightly altered tone of the Complete Novel version.

Don't eat the whole ones! Those are for the guests. 🍪

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I know this is an old post and this thread is old too but I just found out about the music change and upbeat surfer music during dramatic scenes is awkward as heck. What were they thinking? I can understand why they would play that music during the funnier scenes but not during a sad scene. It just doesn't work, like mayonnaise and peanut butter.

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I agree with everything you said about the long version of "Outsiders." It is excellent, and it finally resembles a true Coppola film. Now if only he would "revisit" his other 'vandalised masterpiece,' "The Cotton Club," and restore that 1 hour plus of footage and music the studio chopped out out of that film. That was a true crime.

"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

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it doesnt matter what Coppola thinks. He was wrong. This movie needs movie music and not the Top Ten of the 50s. Would Godlfinger have been better if we heard the Beatles thrugh the whole movie? No, it wont be better indeed (as good as The Beatles were :) ). And this movie needs movie music, cause its not a music video.

So it doesnt matter at all what Copola thinks was good or not. Directors often does have a clue about their stories and still make great movies. Ridley Scott still dont get why making Deckard into a replicant would destroy the whole movie. but thats doesnt change the fact that this was one of the best SciFi movies ever.

Sometimes its necesarry to stop a stupid director and tell him what to do. If you dont do this .. take a look at Phantom Menace. George Lucas had no counterpart on the set and did anything the way he wanted it to do. And now tell me that Phantom Menace is better then Empire Strikes Back (where Lucas had to fight with the director almost every day :) ).

So to make it simple ... using a 50s Top Ten on a classic dramatic youth novel is as stupid as possible. AS mentioned here: It destroys the complete movie! Every moviegoer agrees with that. Just the zombielike content consumers trying to defend it.

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THANK YOU for explaining that! It's amazing how so few people understand that! i think they are just nostalgic for the version that they grew up with, and it's blinding them to the fact that the rock score makes the film so much 'stronger,' and less sappy. I agree with you %100.

"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

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Coppola always wanted to use the 60s rock music to underscore the film. The studios didn't want that. This was the 80s and it was fantasy films and happy endings, saccharine themes and then the audience dreams. BUT Coppola wanted the film to have a gritty Scorsese" type feel to it. He had to give the original idea up for sake of the studios, just like he had to cut the film to a mere 91 minutes
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Right on! 👍

Don't eat the whole ones! Those are for the guests. 🍪

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I couldnt agree more, I just posted the same thing. Why do they do this??
Can you imagine Dave Gilmours remix of Dark Side of the Moon, or Bonos extended remix of The Joshua Tree .... just DONT BUY any directors cuts and they'll stop ruining perfectly good films.

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I know right. I own the regular version and I will stick to that one lol.

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I bought this DVD a long time ago and didn't realize until I put it on today that it was a different version.... I hate it!!! I agree the surf music totally ruined a lot of scenes.

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