The release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League has sparked interest in the idea of re-releasing movies that were once criticized for shoddy development. The movie’s warm reception has also gone a long way in proving that directors’ vision for their productions might just be the way to go rather than have studios meddling in.
There are certainly other movies that had a lot of their content edited out, to the point where they barely resemble the original vision. Other films would have benefitted from having extra scenes added in to tell the story properly. And there are also those movies that did end up getting the director’s cut and are worth mentioning.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
The problem with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was that it made the wrong decision to cut Mary Jane out of the theatrical release. Her scenes had been filmed, which provided a good setup for the next movie as Peter and Gwen interacted with her.
A director’s cut of the movie can give fans a better way to have closure for this series, as Peter’s future will have a more encouraging outlook. Additional scenes involving Electro will also do his character justice as his importance was side-stepped in the original release.
The Crow: City Of Angels (1996)
This movie suffered hard from the intrusion of Miramax films, as director Tim Pope hoped to make a different type of film compared to the first The Crow, only for the distributors to re-edit City of Angels in an attempt to resemble the original.
The filmmakers ended up disowning the film due to how different the final product was compared to theirs. While a “director’s cut” was released in 2001, it only added eleven minutes of footage, meaning there’s still a lot left on the cutting room floor. Not to mention the way things could have been edited had Tim Pope been allowed to follow through with his vision of the film.
Alien 3 (1992)
There was a different version of Alien 3 known as the “Assembly Cut,” which contained more plot elements, better dialogue, and extended scenes. However, it was done without the involvement of director David Fincher, who has disowned the film overall.
Alien 3 suffered from Fincher’s inability to bring his interpretation of the aliens to the screen due to the studio’s reluctance and clashes in ideas. A “Fincher Cut” would do this justice as the aliens can come across as the fiendish monsters he wanted, and the movie won’t seem like a mess of ideas mashed together.
Fantastic Four (2015)
While fans are wondering what the MCU Fantastic Four cast might look like, the 2015 film’s director Josh Trank didn’t get to bring his vision forward. Trank even attempted to have two cuts of the film — one the studio’s preference and one his own — but was denied.
Fantastic Four ended up bombing at the box office due to uneven production and a lackluster script. Josh Trank even felt he had let Stan Lee down by the film’s failure, and that he wasn’t allowed to film the movie he wanted. While bringing the cast together to film scenes now won’t be possible, Trank might make Fantastic Four better if given the chance.
Event Horizon (1997)
While many consider it to be an underrated piece of ‘90s cinema, this science fiction horror could have been much better. It’s aged well over the years, as audiences at the time weren’t into all that gore. More than anything, Event Horizon’s footage getting lost and Paramount Pictures’ intrusion meant it didn’t live up to its potential.
Director Paul W. S. Anderson claimed that the movie could have been much better had he been allowed to add at least 10 minutes of footage. His cut would certainly improve the flow of the movie, as the original has too many edited jump cuts.
The Golden Compass (2007)
Ironically, for a movie that won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, director Chris Weitz wanted to make a smaller, more grounded movie. He left the project shortly after beginning, only to return when the next director had also quit.
The Golden Compass’ failings had to do with the controversy surrounding religious commentary, which Weitz wanted to avoid but also had to include. His version of a smaller story may have saved this failed attempt at a franchise, which could very well work in today’s standards. A “Weitz Cut” focusing on the story-driven aspects of the movie would be intriguing to see.
Kingdom Of Heaven (2005)
This movie actually did receive the director’s cut it desperately needed, but the sheer contrast in reception to the theatrical release, and Ridley Scott’s eventual redemption, makes it worthy of mention.
Upon release, Kingdom of Heaven had been blasted for being a chopped story with subplots that made no sense. After much undue criticism, Scott managed to get the full, extended version that had 45 minutes extra screentime commissioned, resulting in unanimous praise for the “Scott Cut.”
All The Pretty Horses (2000)
This movie is lost among Matt Damon’s acting credits, which the actor isn’t too pleased about. The romantic western was originally three hours long but was slashed to under two by Harvey Weinstein, who also got a different composer for the soundtrack.
Director Billy Bob Thornton and Damon continue to call for the “Thornton Cut” to be released, as the edited version took out the chemistry between Damon and lead actress Penelope Cruz. The full cut will show a story where drama translates with the plot and stays true to the western setting.
Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1985)
Removing the violent nature from a slasher film makes the movie useless on all fronts. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood suffered such a fate, as the theatrical cut was criticized for being too mellow and hardly featuring any scary sequences.
Director John Carl Buechler had actually filmed several such scenes that were removed to avoid a high rating at the expense of the film’s integrity. Buechler managed to get these scenes in the DVD release but these weren’t edited together. A “Buechler Cut" is warranted since the director put in the effort but wasn’t rewarded for it.
Suicide Squad (2016)
Just as many clamored for the Synder Cut, the “Ayer Cut” remains sought-after by fans. Suicide Squad was nothing like promised, with many scenes from the trailers missing. The portrayal of the Joker suffered the most, as his role was slashed to little more than a cameo.
The announcement of Zack Snyder’s Justice League prompted fans on social media to make #ReleaseTheAyerCut a similar movement. Considering how different the director had promised the movie to be, it’s worth a rerelease to quell fans’ nervousness for The Suicide Squad.