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The Theatrical Cut Is A Horrible Bastardization of Filmmaking Art


A few months ago I watched the Director's Cut and then the next day I watched the Theatrical Cut.

That made me realize that the Theatrical Cut is a horrible bastardization of filmmaking art.

With the Theatrical Cut, Scott brutally massacred all of his own filmmaking talents and artistic creativity.

What Scott did with the Theatrical Cut would be akin to if Shakespeare wrote a play, then worried that it was too complex. So Shakespeare then pays a hack Cliff's Notes writer with no talent whatsoever the equivalent to $5 worth of modern USD currency to write a Cliff's Notes plot summary of his play. When Shakespeare receives that plot summary, he throws his own play in the garbage, and publishes the $5 Cliff's Notes summary as if it was the actual play.

I read a statement by Scott wherein he vastly downplays the significance of the bastardization that he did to his own film, and talks as if the viewer can decide which version he or she likes better whilst implying that both versions or more less equal. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Director's Cut is objectively a vastly, vastly, vastly superior film to the Theatrical Cut.

From Scott's statement which equates the two films as being of mostly equal quality, I wonder if Scott knows that his Director's Cut is vastly superior, and if he was simply pretending not to know that and lying in order to pander to lowest common denominator viewers who can't discern that.

Or is Scott somehow no different than his lowest common denominator viewers who can't discern the difference between art and a grotesque bastardization of that same art?

Other posters, please tell me at least some of you know what I'm talking about, and can likewise discern how the Theatrical Cut is a horrible bastardization of filmmaking art in general the Director's Cut in particular.

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I read a statement by Scott wherein he vastly downplays the significance of the bastardization that he did to his own film, and talks as if the viewer can decide which version he or she likes better whilst implying that both versions or more less equal. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Director's Cut is objectively a vastly, vastly, vastly superior film to the Theatrical Cut.

I liked the theatrical cut as a kid and probably still would have a soft spot for this movie if I never saw the director's cut. That said, the director's cut was a revelation. It's the most night-and-day differences between a theatrical and director's cut I've ever seen.

The reason Scott downplays this is because nobody made him do it. Ridley Scott was (and possibly still is) a pretty sensitive guy, as artists tend to be. One audience member at a preview screening is the reason Scott recut the movie. One. Just some jerk smelling of pot and talking smack about the movie not realizing the director is sitting at the back of the theater.

So, Ridley Scott is an interesting case where he's often his worst enemy.

Scott's most personal movies (Blade Runner, Legend, Kingdom of Heaven, The Counselor, Exodus) were all heavily cut by Scott himself. And all but one of them (Exodus) has a director's cut that is a masterpiece.

It's a strange case, and Legend is the most startling of all: he prepared both cuts, they are totally different in style and appeal, and they even have different scores. It's like they were directed by two different people -- and in a sense, they were. One was Ridley Scott when he's feeling creatively invincible, and the other is Ridley Scott when he's feeling vulnerable.

Tonight I watched a little bit of both cuts and enjoyed them both. Even though the music in the theatrical cut is a rush job, it's interesting to see the same movie but with an alternate score. It really changes the emotional landscape of the film. Like Scott said, Goldsmith's score was too much sweetness at times, and the thing that makes Tangerine Dream's score interesting is the counterpoint it represents. Goldsmith wins for romance and lyricism, but Tangerine Dream gets points for mystery and strangeness. They found another dimension of the material that Goldsmith wasn't particularly interested in. As a kid, the "serious" Tangerine Dream music worked. As an adult, I appreciate how wonderful Goldsmith was as a composer.

The director's cut is definitely better, but I have a soft spot for the theatrical version, which I grew up with.

Rewatching this made me very excited for Alien: Covenant. Scott at one point called it "Alien: Paradise Lost", and Legend is at it's most hair-raising when depicting the underworld and its inhabitants. Covenant is going to be harrowing!

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The director's cut is definitely better, but I have a soft spot for the theatrical version, which I grew up with.

That's how I feel about the theatrical version of Blade Runner. I love the Harrison Ford voice over and the Shining happy ending. Watching the other versions, without these, it's like something is missing. For me, some things can't be undone once seen.
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Or is Scott somehow no different than his lowest common denominator viewers who can't discern the difference between art and a grotesque bastardization of that same art?


Or Scott, the person who actually works in film, is proud of both versions of his movie for different reasons.

horrible bastardization


Three times? We get you like that phrase, but once is sufficient.

Let's be bad guys.

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i want to know what the OP is smoking, actually. the theatrical version is the only version I would care to watch. without the TD score, its not the same. i just parts of the directors cut....nah, still prefer the original cut.

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Having recently rewatched the theatrical cut, it's not a horrid piece of cinema some seem to think it is. It's still very entertaining and has a quicker pace.

Let's be bad guys.

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[deleted]

Don't agree.

I do like how the Director's Cut hides Darkness until way later in the film. I also like the extended Meg Mucklebones scene.

All other additional footage in the DC is tedious and makes the film drag. I also feel the Tangerine Dream score is half of the film's personality.

Maybe it's just because I grew up watching the Theatrical Cut and I just finally sat through the DC yesterday at age 28, but the DC bored the crap out of me... and the Theatrical Cut is one of my absolute favorite movies.

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I completely agree. I first saw the DC (or maybe it was the Euro theatrical version) with the Goldsmith score a few years ago and always remembered how much I liked it until I finally bought it on Bluray recently. I couldn't believe how bad the US version is. The dialogue was particularly cringey.

I do like the Tangerine Dream score, and sometimes I'll listen to it on youtube, but that cut of the film is just awful and not worth watching just for the music.

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wow im not sure which one i watched, what was cut?

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They are 2 completely different movies.

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