I saw the original cut at a test screening

There was a lot cut from the final release of the film. The non-fiction story was pretty much what I saw but what was different was the fiction story. There wasn't a "third" story just a longer version of fiction. James Van der Beek's scenes along with many more scenes and characters were axed for some unknown reason. I actually met Todd and asked him about it but he didn't say much. Great guy by the way.

Anyway...fiction originally took place in the 1980's complete with an 80's soundtrack, etc. We sort of followed several characters who were attending college...Selma Blair was just one of these characters in the cut I saw. The film originally opened with a kiss between a guy and a girl and it was so painful to watch because the actual kiss wasn't quite happening. There is a sex scene between this guy and girl...honestly it was the best stuff Todd has EVER done. It was the most painful "first time" sex scene. There were other characters and to be honest...I don't remember who the actors were. Wish I did.

There was also some wierdness to the cut that just didn't quite work. There was this strange asian lady who was more or less preaching some kind of religion based on aliens. The fiction segment basically ends with her lighting herself on fire in the middle of the college campus as some sort of demonstration...sort of in homeage to the heavens gate incident a few years back. There just didn't seem to be a real thread to the segment which might have been the reason he cut these scenes...I'm really not sure.

When I saw the final cut of Storytelling I was a but bummed about the missing scenes. I have to say some of it was truly striking.

Hope this helps.